We loaded up the bikes and drove off to do a couple of hikes as we moved to the west side of Big Bend. The first stop was the Dugout Wells where the working windmill still pumps a trickle of water out into the desert oasis that it creates. This is the site of a late nineteenth century homestead. People settled in this area after the railroad came through to Marathon.

We drove back to Chisos Basin to try the Lost Mine Trail. No such luck. The paper even says there isn’t much parking and to have a backup hike planned. This is Spring Break time, and the park gets a little crowded. We hiked the Basin Loop instead.

We drove to our new RV campsite which is in Terlingua, a very spread-out desert town between Big Bend and the Big Bend Ranch State Park. We won’t have time to look at the state park which also has some nice hikes. Next time:)

Ocotillo Vista is a small, four sites, RV place with a cover, fire pit, two large 4000 gallon tanks of water and a painted shipping container for the owners’ storage. We have the place to ourselves for now. The restaurant and gift shop pictured above are in the historic Terlingua Ghost Town.