Big Bend had been on my bucket list for quite a while. Ever since Nacho and I watched the movie "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" back in 2005, I've had an interest in seeing this rugged land but it's just so far away from it all. I mean FAR. So when the idea of visiting Leroy for Spring Break became a reality, I revisited the map of Texas and thought "Why not?" Why not make a whole week out of this Texas Tour and make it all the way down to the border land near Big Bend? I had briefly spoken to Leroy about this idea last year and he was very encouraging. I know he's made lots of camping trips to the area, including one last year with a bunch of veteran buddies. Yes, the man camped throughout the park at the age of 81. He's no joke. For me, the trip was more about scenery and less about camping. Finding a last minute totally luxe Airbnb (my first!) in Terlingua was just what I needed to get me really excited about the whole thing. Of course I would make this a luxury destination after a long day of hiking through the dusty trails. Entering the park after our drive down from Alpine was like saying goodbye to civilization. I was a little nervous that the road we took at the fork just passed the entry checkpoint was completely unpaved. But then what are car rentals for if not to be tested? We didn't see many other cars at all on this part of the trip and that was both amazing and a little off putting. Stopping at Luna's Jacal was our first photo op and what a piece of history. The was the home of Gilberto Luna who raised his family there until 1947 when he died at the age of 108. This hut backs up to the mountain in such a way that you can imagine the safety and peace it provided in such a harsh landscape.
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