Tuesday morning I couldn’t even find my parents. I thought they might have found a ride home, or possibly I had killed them with the long hike. It turns out my parents have learned how to sleep late. Interesting.
Tuesday we took a driving tour of the park, to see the things that are on my must-see list for BBNP: Hot Springs, Boquillas, and Santa Elena Canyon. We also did some lazing around at Rio Grande Village campground, which is one of the best places to look at pretty birds without much effort. Painted buntings and vermilion flycatchers were everywhere.
Mis padres at Santa Elena Canyon.
Roadside cholla.
We took a shortcut up Old Maverick Road from Santa Elena to the main road, for dinner at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua. We had great food and listened to (I think!) Doug Scharnberg play guitar and sing.
The next morning we had to drive back to Austin, but there were a couple of great sightings on the road as we were leaving. In the basin, just before the Lost Mine Trailhead, this guy was ambling along. It might be hard to see because I was a little over-excited and trying to keep people from running into our car at the same time, but in case you can’t tell it is a bear.
And this Texas horned lizard was on the road, I had to shoo him off of it.
And that is the end of Chihuahuan Desert Adventure 2010.
