Images of Big Bend National Park – Southwestern Texas, taken in March 2016.

Central to Big Bend National Park is the Chisos Mountain Range, an oasis that rises above the Chihuahuan Desert where the temperature is cooler than in the rest of the park and the plant and animal life is representative of the higher altitude. The Chisos Basin plays host not only black bears but also to mountain lions, enough of each that the trails have multiple warning signs instructing hikers what to do if they come upon one of them.

At the other end of the spectrum is the desert and the Rio Grande Village area where the river carves out Boquillas Canyon. This is a beautiful canyon where the cliffs on one side belong to the United States while the other side is in Mexico and the boarder is the Rio Grande River. While hiking down the river trails it is not uncommon to run across an unattended display of Mexican crafts set out for purchase, a sign listing the price of the items displayed and a jar to leave money for anything you might want. Each day Mexican nationals jump into a boat with their wares and place them on the trail in hopes that the tourists might spend a few dollars on their handy work and at the end of the day return for whatever is left. At one point I was actually serenaded with a Mexican ballad by one of these craftsmen as I passed his display. It is an interesting daily cycle that I’m sure has been played out for as long as this park has existed.