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Winter on the Texas Riviera and Big Bend

At the end of December I headed south, making my way first to Magnolia Beach, a free camping area complete with hot showers near Port O'Connor. I spent a few weeks there before the weather turned ridiculously cold and I moved down the coast. I loved this spot, riding my bike, going for long walks, and watching spectacular sunrises and sunsets. I met a young couple from Toronto who had quit their jobs as designers and built a really cool Sprinter with the plans of circumnavigating the US to AK and back to Canada, also looking for their next home. Yes.....I did get a bad case of van envy. :-)
One of many beautiful sunrises, Padre Island

My reasoning for heading to the Texas coast had a lot to do with birding, which I started when I retired. I spent a few days in Rockport, then moved down to Padre Island National Seashore. I spent a full 14 days there and lucked into a turtle release, as well as seeing my first and only to this date, Aplomado Falcon, of course as luck would have it, that evening I didn't have my camera or binoculars with me, just my cell phone on which I was able to get a decent enough picture for a positive ID. Go me! :-)

While in Corpus Christi I had a new set of tires put on the van when I discovered walking out of a laundry mat that I had a really bad spot on one. Turned out two were really bad and I got a really great deal on a new set, which saved me when I got to the backroads of Big Bend.


Green jay, Rio Grande Valley
After saying goodbye to PINS I headed to the Rio Grande Valley, which isn't actually a valley, but it made a great sounding sales pitch for developers so I was told. The birding there was off the charts! My original thoughts were to stay 4 days......I ended up staying 12. On my 62nd birthday in February I got my Geezer Pass!

I gradually made my way up the border to Salineno and Falcon Lake, meeting a great couple from Florida. Then saying goodbye, headed up to Pecos to spend a night at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Ctr. where they allowed free overnight parking at the community center. Got my first Say's Phoebe there.

At last on to my favorite national park so far, Big Bend. I checked in with the ranger early that morning and worked out my itinerary. For a total of 10.00 I spent 14 days at various backroad campsites, birding and hiking and enjoying the incredible solitude that is BIBE.

Moon over Big Bend

It was finally time to head toward home, via a drive through the Hill Country, a stop in San Antonio to see old high school friends, then on to Austin to visit friends there and drop in to see long lost relatives.  Upon reconnecting with my younger cousin Nica, she presented me with a beautiful quilt for the van.


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