moxie

I would like to spend some time in the desert and since I have never stayed overnight in Texas I have been considering it. The average temps look ok for me 40-60°F. Would you tell me the truth about the weather and my first try at an itineray?

5-6 days late December early January
Arrive San Antonio, stay one night
drive route 90 to Marathon (spend night)
Marathon to Big Bend (spend night)
explore Big Bend drive to Study Butte (spend night)
Study Butte to Fort Davis (night in park)
Fort Davis to Bandera (night at dude ranch)
Bandera to SA fly home.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

TheWeasel

I'm assuming you're staying in the Basin lodge in Big Bend. It's about 1.5 hours from Marathon to the park - if it were me, I'd skip the overnight in Marathon and head straight to Big Bend. I'd also skip the overnight in Study Butte - there's really not much there, and it's mainly a gateway to the park. Either spend another night in the park, or head up to Alpine or thereabouts for the night. That would put you closer to Fort Davis for the next day.

Big Bend is huge, and you're going to have to spend a couple days or more in it - it's not a park that lends itself easily to drive-by scenery. Stop and do some hiking. There are a number of short/easy hikes, as well as some longer/moderate ones, and 2 days is barely enough time for anything.

moxie

The lodging in Big Bend is the problem - when I called they said they are full...

TheWeasel

The week between Christmas and New Years Eve is one of the few busy times in Big Bend. If you can push your trip back and go after that, you'd probably have better luck.

If not, then I'd suggest Study Butte as the closest option. It's maybe 5 miles from the west entrance. It's actually easier to explore the west side (Ross Maxwell Drive and especially Old Maverick Road) from Study Butte than the Basin lodging because it's a bit closer/quicker to get there.

What are you interested in doing there? Is staying in Marathon a must? That time of year you'll have at least 11 hours of daylight (including some twilight and pre-dawn light), so with a 7 hour drive from SA to Big Bend, you'd still have 3-4 hours to spend in the park the second day if you want to drive that far. And depending on your flight time/plans, you could get a bit of a headstart the night you arrive and drive an hour or two towards Big Bend that night.

Is your night in Fort Davis at the state park?

moxie

Unfortunately I cannot push the trip back or forward much - we're coming from France to spend xmas with my family in the snow-covered north.

I thought I was really flexible when calliing Chisos and asking for one night during a 7-day period!

No we don't have to stay in Marathon but we would like to have a touristy drive there. Unless there really is nothing on Hwy 90?

Thanks for suggesting Study Butte, is there any specific place you'd recommend?

In Big Bend, I'd like to do the drives you mentioned, go to the hot springs and do a couple of short little hikes.

Yes, the only reservation I have so far is in Indian Lodge in the Park.

We can do our little loop either way:
SA to Fort Davis to Big bend to SA or the other way.

Thanks for your help.

TheWeasel

I can't help much with the drive on 90. I've never done it as I've only flown into Midland/Odessa and driven down on 385. Just looking at a map, there are some things to see/do on 90, like Seminole Canyon State Historical Park (petroglyphs and rock art), the Judge Roy Bean Saloon/Museum, and you'll be driving through the Amistad National Recreation Area for a short while. I can't give any info on any of these places as I've never been to them. Mapquest says the drive from San Antonio to Marathon is only 45 minutes longer on 90, as opposed to I-10. I'd be inclined to believe that, as the speed limit on 90 should be 70-75 for a good portion.

One drive I've heard much about is FM 170 from Lajitas to Presidio. It runs along the Rio Grande and is reported to be one of the most scenic drives in the country. It would be out of your way, but if you find extra time you could do that - just drive on 170 from Study Butte to Presidio, then go up 67 to Fort Davis.

Lodging in Study Butte/Terlingua: I only stayed one night there, at the Chisos Mining Co. Motel (Easter Egg Motel) and it was bad. The Big Bend Motor Lodge looked passable. I've mostly camped in the park, with the exception of that one night in Study Butte and a couple nights in the Basin lodge. This is a link to a pageon the NPS website for Big Bend NP:
http://tinyurl.com/ufdoe
It has some really good links for area info/lodging, etc. You can also look at the rest of the NPS website for ideas on things you might want to see in the park.

Short hikes/easy things to do along Ross Maxwell are: Santa Elena Canyon hike (check conditions first, you have to cross Terlingua Creek to get there, if there's been rain the trail may be closed or at least have a chance on getting your feet wet in the creek), visit the visitor's center at Castolon to look at some exhibits/photos about life in the region before it became a park, hike/walk to Homer Wilson's ranch, and walk around the old Sam Nail ranch. Sunset at Sotol Vista is my favorite place.

Short/easier stuff in the Basin area: hike the Lost Mine trail 1 mile to the Juniper Canyon overlook (or further if you want), watch the sun set through the Window in the Basin, drive to Croton Springs and do a short hike, or drive to the Grapevine Hills trail and hike that (about 2 miles). A couple of notes about the Lost Mine trail: there is no sign at the Juniper Canyon Overlook but it should be fairly obvious that you're there, and you will see signs warning of mountain lion/bear activity in the area. I think every trail in the mountains has those signs - if there is any increased activity/danger, the park is pretty quick to post more specific signs and close the trail, so don't let a generic "Warning: Mountain lions frequent this area" scare you off - anywhere you go in the park is pretty much in the territory of a mountain lion.

Short/easier stuff on the east side: walk around Dugout Wells, walk the nature trail at Rio Grande Village, go to the hot springs, hike to Boquillas Canyon (I'd skip it because it's not as spectacular as Santa Elena, and the parking lot if somewhat theft-prone), and drive the Dagger Flats Auto Trail.

The speed limit for most of the park is 45 mph, and I'd definitely recommend you stick to that, especially if you're driving early morning or late evening. At those times, it's almost guaranteed that some sort of animal will run out in the road as you're driving along. Partly because of the speed limit, and partly because of the roads themselves, it takes a fair amount of time to get around the park. I'd budget about 1.5 hours to drive approximately 60 miles from Study Butte to Rio Grande Village (without stopping).

moxie

Thanks for your very helpful advice!

Especially about the hotel in Study Butte; I was leaning towards that one...

ChristieP

90 is an easy drive from San Antonio to Del Rio. We have relatives there, so we do the drive a LOT. The road is good, but the speed limit only goes to 70 after Uvalde. DO NOT speed through Hondo or Castroville! Del Rio has some good places to stop and eat (Don Marcelino's, Cripple Creek), and the Whitehead Museum in downtown Del Rio is really neat and unique. It's not fancy, but it is all about West Texas!

More than likely, it is going to be COLD, so dress appropriately. Remember that in West Texas, the wind is almost always blowing, and there is nothing in the way to stop it. We also have a fair amount of humidity in the wind, so it does cut through clothing and chill you! One of my most memorable outdoor experiences in West Texas was hiking in Seminole Canyon in December. We went on the guided walk to see the indian pictographs (which were GREAT), and it was SO COLD!! Brrr....

Honestly, I'd skip a night at a dude ranch in January. Most dude ranches close for the winter, and even if they are open, your options will likely be limited. No campfires, pool or fishing, limited horseback riding, etc.

If you just did San Antonio, Fort Davis, and maybe Alpine or Marfa, that would be a good trip, and it would cut down on the driving, too.

Oh, in Marathon, stay at the Gage Hotel.

moxie

hummm is that cold for Texans or really cold?

TheWeasel

I'm going to disagree with a couple things Christie said: I wouldn't drive all the way to Fort Davis and then skip Big Bend - you're not that far away, and it would be a shame to skip that just for the sake of a couple more hours of driving. If your objective is to spend some time in the desert, Big Bend is going to be more enjoyable than Alpine or Marfa. Secondly, I don't think the Big Bend area is all that humid. San Antonio, yes, but Big Bend is a desert and pretty dry. Not as dry as Arizona, but certainly drier than most of the country. I didn't notice any sort of humidity issues last December.

As for your question about how cold it is, the average high about 60, average low is about 35. The mountains will be a bit colder. However, it can be considerably colder or warmer than that. The night before I got down there last December, the low was 9 degrees. Luckily it warmed up for my visit, and I had nice days in the upper 60s, but if a cold front comes down from the north, it can be pretty cold and even snow a bit.

ChristieP

AVERAGE January high is in the 60s, but we very often have cold snaps in January with several days where the temp does not get above freezing. BBeen there, done that! Texas, as a whole, is much more humid than Colorado. Even in West Texas, the slight humidity has a real bite to it, especially with a 20 mph, icy wind!

moxie

You've scared me now with cold temperatures; I am thinking of heading to Arizona...

Would the following be too rushed:
Day 1 flight to San Antonio
Day 2 drive->Marathon/Big Bend area
Day 3 Big Bend Study Butte
Day 4 El Paso
Day 5 somewhere in SE Arizona
Day 6 fly out of Tucson or Phoenix

We are looking for open spaces, deserts and ghost towns.

It supposedly takes 12 hours to drive between Phoenix and San Antonio.

jayne1973

You will love Indian Lodge! You might want to consider taking a little time when in the Fort Davis area to check out the Marfa Lights. Here's a link to a little information about them: http://skepdic.com/marfa.html