Hot Springs

I was driving as we were leaving Boquillas.  We decided to head to the end of the road for Big Bend, which took us to Boquillas Canyon overlook.  It was amazing, of course.  The Mexican people come across the river with their wares.... wire sculptures, walking sticks, and some jewelry items.  They say it is the "honest" system.  However, if you get anywhere near the area where they have their wares displayed, a couple of them will come across the river on donkeys and horses and discuss the sale with you.  The park tells you it is illegal for them to sell them, and illegal for you to buy them, and if YOU are caught the items will be seized.  They never say what happens to the Mexicans.  I will tell you this, those types of stands are every where.  I strongly suspect the Parks Department and the Border Patrol don't have the resources to enforce the policy, and I don't think they really care.

Sheila hiked up one tall overlook.  I pooped out half way there.  Here are some pictures of the canyon, all of which are from the US side.

















That pretty much covers Boquillas Canyon.  Remember me mentioning it was at the end of the road?  Well as we head back, I see the sign for the Hot Springs.  We had discussed me not wanting to take my new F350 Ford down there because the road is so narrow.  Then we decide, oh what the hell.  I turn around and we go down.  It honestly made sense because our next trips wouldn't be anywhere near the Hot Springs and it is such a long drive.

We started down, and the road wasn't so very bad.  It was two lane.  Of course, it had recently been graded, and was in really good condition.  Note, we have NO PICTURES of the drive on the road.  Now that I think of it, Sheila was probably too busy holding on.  It quickly went from good to terrifying.  My truck just barely fit.   One side is a drop off, and the other is a wall of rock.  I just knew I would hit the rocks on the passenger side.  Sheila was watching in the passenger side rear view mirror, and she did say I was doing good, but it was really close.  Well, the damned truck is so tall that I cannot see over the top, so I'm blind on what is from my front bumper til about 4 feet out.  There were also deep wash outs just waiting to be hit.  We FINALLY made it to the parking lot, which was full.  We did find one spot by the front that probably wasn't really a parking spot, but we took it anyway.  It is a half mile hike from the parking lot to the springs.  Off we go.  We took some pictures, then headed back.  Here are some from the
Hot Springs.

We finally get there, and it's full.  This is first time in my 4 or 5 visits that there was anyone there,  I was amazed.  A man there said it was because it was a Sunday.  Honestly, I have never been there on a weekend.  Sheila wouldn't go in, just because she didn't have her bathing suit.

It was a long fun day.  We came home and Sheila made spaghetti with clam sauce.  Oh yeah, we did have one bottle of my favorite Merlot wine by the fire.  THANK YOU SHEILA.

Dang... not one picture of my new fireplace that Mike and Janice bought us.