From: horak@convex.com (David Horak)
Subject: Re: Texas & The Big Bend National Park
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 16:47:05 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In <1992Jul30.223908.26098@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> cc971@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephen  C. Fitch) writes:


>Hi, I'll be visiting Texas around the end of August this year and
>I intend to visit the Big Bend National Park in SW Texas. Is there
>anyone out there with info on places to stay in this area. I'd
>also be interested in sights, places of interest and towns in the
>area that are worth seeing.

The summer temps range from 90 to 115 depending on the elevation which
ranges from 1800 to 7825 feet. It is arid so you don't feel the heat as
much as you would in a humid climate. It is a desolate place, for the
most part. The upper Chisos Mountains are wooded and beautiful. The
hike to the South Rim and Emory Peak are well worth the effort. You can
do both in a day if you are in decent shape (15 miles total). The Hot
Springs on the Rio Grande are great. The canyons at both sides of the
park are also worth seeing. In the summer, the coolest place to stay is
the Basin campground at 5400 feet, if you're into public campgrounds.
The summer isn't such a bad time to go though. Frequent thunderstorms
roll through this time of year. July/August is the rainy season for
this part of the desert. Things cool off real quick and the humidity
doesn't stick around for long when the rain is gone.  It is 11 hours
from Dallas, so I go there every chance I get; especially when I need
to get away from it all. It is so remote from civilization, that is has
the darkest skies in the US at night. If the moon isn't out, you can
see billions of stars, and occasional shooting stars a few times an
hour. If you have a high clearance/4 wheel drive vehicle, take the back
roads (The River Road and Old Ore Road are my favorites) and you'll get
a real feel for what it means to be way the hell out in the middle of
nowhere! Ft Davis is a nearby town (if you consider a hundred miles
nearby ;-) that has an interesting fort which is well preserved. A few
miles outside of town is the highest auto road in Texas leading up to
McDonald Observatory on Mt. Locke. The road from Ft. Davis to Big Bend
is nice. The road from Big Bend to Presidio (Hwy 170) is a beautiful
twisty winding up/down road along the Rio Grande that you don't want to
miss. If you are going down there, avoid the route on Interstate 20
through Midland/Odessa and Pecos. It's flat nothingness with a bunch of
smelly oil fields. Take the south eastern country roads from San Angelo
to Ozona (on interstate 10). Take I-10 to Sheffield, then south on 349
to 2400 to 285 down to Sanderson.  Go one mile east to Sanderson and
get gas while you're there. It's the cheapest you'll find for a long
time. Then go west to Marathon. You can stay at the Gage Hotel if you
like (you may need reservations). You're in the general area now.  Take
a detailed map.  You'll need it. Count on a gallon of water a day if
you venture out into the wilderness on your own. Make sure your
radiator hoses and fan belt is in good shape. This is the part of Texas
I love the most and hope you find it as enjoyable as I do.

David Horak
Convex Computer Corp.
Richardson, Texas