Mileage: 56,488 Stillwell RV Park Alpine, Texas

We journeyed across southern Texas under clear blue skies. This truly is the wild west. It is big and open with scrubby brush, mesquite trees, thorny bushes, agave, yucca, prickly pear, and lots of other stuff we have never seen before. The soil is sandy and gravelly. We saw a deer, a lizard, and lots of unfamiliar birds. There were many goat, sheep, and cattle ranches. We traveled parallel to the Rio Grand all day. Often, we could see Mexico across the river.

The road was relatively straight and had little traffic. Tim thought this was an ideal place for my first driving lesson. Several months ago I decided that it was important for me to learn how to drive the RV and so today was the day. It was both easier and harder than I thought it might be. The RV handles really well and drives very smoothly but the steering is really touchy and I had to work to stay in the lines. As I grew more confident in where I was on the road, it became easier. I did 2 short sections. I would like to get more comfortable and I definitely need more practice.

Our lunch spot.

We stopped at the Judge Roy Bean Museum and Visitor Information Center in Langtry, Texas. The host there had lots of good information about Big Bend National and State Parks.

The Judge Roy Bean Museum showcased the life of this eccentric man. He lived much of his life as an outlaw before serving as the justice of the peace. He was quite a character and ran his court in his own style of law. He once found a dead man with an illegal revolver. The man had 41.00 dollars in his pocket and so Judge Roy Bean fined the dead man 41.00 for carrying the gun.

Because of the government shutdown, all campgrounds in the Big Bend National Park are closed. We decided to stay at Stillwell RV Park about 6 miles away. We were able to get laundry done and fill the fresh water tank as well.

This afternoon we took the road to the end. The bridge used to cross the Rio Grand into Mexico but it has been closed since 9/11.

After dinner we stood outside stargazing. The night sky here is amazing. There was ambient light from the campground and so we got into the Jeep and drove away into the inky blackness. There the view of the stars was spectacular. This drive gave Tim a chance to use his brand new halogen off-road lights. He spotted a glimpse of a coyote crossing the road. Tomorrow we are looking forward to exploring Big Bend.