Marathon Texas and a Hike in Big Bend NP

Marathon, Texas, our next stop, is a place we have been before. Marathon is a small town located in the Chihuahuan Desert, about 40 miles from the north entrance to Big Bend National Park. It's is a perfect stop for exploring the breathtaking natural expanse of Big Bend National Park.

Marathon is best known for the iconic Gage Hotel; a historic hotel built in 1927. The hotel has a beautiful lobby with a large fireplace and the White Buffalo bar near its lobby is a great spot to end any day visiting Big Bend.

Also nearby is the Big Bend Brewing Company, which brews a variety of craft beers. The brewery has a taproom, and they also have a restaurant that serves BBQ. They are only open on the extended weekends, so visitors need to plan wisely. .

Our goal for this stop was to hike the Chisos Basin Loop Trail in Big Bend National Park. Nearing the entrance of Big Bend National Park, the majestic Chisos Mountains stand tall on the horizon. The Chisos Basin Loop Trail is a 2.4-mile trail that starts near the Chisos Mountains Lodge and ends at the Window Trail.

This short and fairly easy hike offers views of Casa Grande peak, the Chisos basin and the Window View. It delivers on the promise of breathtaking views steeped in natural splendor. When hiking it is easy to feel a connection with the untamed wilderness.

The trail begins with a gradual ascent, winding through the Chisos Mountains. Through a unique blend of desert and mountainous terrain. Throughout the hike you'll see the breathtaking Window View, a natural opening in the Chisos Mountains which frames a spectacular vista of the desert below.

Hiking in Big Bend National Park is a truly unique and immersive experience. It offers a stunning landscape that includes vast desert expanses, towering mountains, and the Rio Grande River. Each step brings a new visual delight and the remoteness of the landscape creates a feeling of solitude which is both peaceful and awe-inspiring. Hike it!

Garden Canyon Hike and a Visit to Coronado National Memorial…

One intriguing hike near our RV park is the Garden Canyon hike. The canyon is located in the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista, Arizona. The trail is a relatively easy hike of about 4.2 miles round trip and took us around 4.5 hours to complete because we birded along the way. The end point of the hike is an in and out walk to the Garden Canyon Pictograph Site.

The trail followed a creek steadily uphill and there were mountains with towering cliffs covered in fairly dense vegetation on either side. Since this part of Arizona is prime birding habitat, we were always on the lookout for some of the rare species found only in this area.

Garden Canyon, located in the Huachuca Mountains has a long history of human habitation. Once occupied by indigenous peoples for thousands of years there are remnants today of their presence.

The most obvious evidence of their existence in this canyon can be found at the Garden Canyon Pictograph Site. There is an interesting and unique array of fascinating ancient rock art. These pictographs are believed to have been created by the Hohokam people between 500 and 1,500 years ago.

The pictographs are of an assortment of images. Images of humans, animals, and various shapes are scattered across the face of the rock. While we have seen a lot of various rock art these images seemed a bit different and were cool to have seen.

On another afternoon we drove over to the Coronado National Memorial about 30 minutes south of our park located in southeastern Arizona near the border with Mexico. The site commemorates the expedition of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Coronado was a Spanish explorer who searched in vain for the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola during the 1500’s.

We stopped at the visitors center to show them our America the Beautiful pass only to learn that it was a fee free park. We left and went over to the picnic area because a ranger told us it was the best place to birdwatch in the park.

We spotted quite a few species of birds, but we mostly enjoyed the various species of flycatchers in the picnic grounds. Lots of birds were singing and a pair of dusky-crested flycatchers were building a nest. We watched the pair often enter a cavity in a tree, so we assumed that is what they were doing.

We also drove up to the scenic overlook called Montezuma Pass. To get there we had to drive up a steep and winding road to the top of the in Huachuca Mountains. From the pass we had a fabulous panoramic view of the San Pedro River Valley and to the south we could see the Mexican border.

It was a fun few days of hiking, birding and taking scenic drives in Southeastern Arizona.

Historical Macon GA and the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

Macon is another town we had yet to visit so we planned to spend a few nights there at the Al Sihah Shriners' RV Park. While the sites aren’t anything to write home about the park was really nice and very quiet.

We hadn’t done a lot of research on Macon so we were surprised to learn of its history. Macon was one of the few southern cities that wasn’t burned to the ground during the Civil War. As a result it has more historic structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places than any other city in Georgia. It was founded in 1823 and it is home to the oldest private university in Georgia, Mercer University, founded in 1873.

We were touring the Mercer Law School, a beautiful building modeled after Independence Hall, when we met a fellow and his kids. He began telling us all about the history of Macon and was a wealth of knowledge. Turns out he was a historian who used to live in Macon, now Atlanta, and was showing his kids the history of Macon.

He told us to make sure to see the Hay House Lovingly nicknamed "The Palace of the South," a 7-level Italian Renaissance Revival mansion built in the mid-1800s. This 18,000-square-foot mansion is four stories and is crowned by a two-story cupola. Construction began in 1855 and lasted four years.

What’s fascinating is that it had hot and cold running water, central heat, gas lighting, a speaker-tube system, in-house kitchen, and an elaborate ventilation system. All of this was done in the mid 1800’s, unheard of at that time. Imagine having running water and air conditioning in the 1800’s!

Another interesting building is the St. Joseph Catholic Church which rises 200 ft. into the air. This church is not only huge but is quite elaborate as well. There are many other fascinating historical buildings in town but I’ll leave those for you to come see for yourselves.

Another day in Macon we decided to check out the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. With over 17,000 years of continuous human habitation, this prehistoric American Indian site has an Earth Lodge with original floors dates to 1015.

 

There are hiking trails throughout the park and that is how we decided to tour it. The trails took us through the whole park where we were able to see all the mounds that were built between 900 and 1100. They were crafted out of dirt and clay.

The largest mound is the 55-foot-tall Great Temple Mound where the societal leaders watched over the village and out across its forested-swamp surroundings. There are several other mounds that the trail took us by. In all there are eight earthen mounds there and the remains of a ceremonial earth lodge. It was certainly a worthwhile visit.We are both more than glad we decided to visit Macon.

Congaree National Park in South Carolina

Along the Congaree River in Georgia lies the little known Congaree National Park. Comprising over 27,000 acres and located in central South Carolina near the state’s capitol of Columbia Congaree National Park is the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. It has only been a national park since 2003

Home to an incredible biodiversity of flora and fauna there are some 25 miles of trail including 2,5 miles of boardwalks. The vegetation is predominantly comprised of loblolly pines, oaks, maples, bald cypress, tupelo and holly trees.

We chose to hike the 2.3 mile loop trail as it was very popular for birding and walking, This trail is raised about 6 feet above the forest floor. The trail is mostly on boardwalk and winds through an old-growth forest. Also trail guide brochure suggested we would likely not encounter too many people while hiking this trail, which we didn’t..

There wasn’t a lot of water in the swampy areas since it is late summer but we did take a spur hike on a boardwalk over to the Weston Lake overlook. The lake is an old channel of the Congaree River. At the Weston Lake overlook we saw several mud slider turtles and sunfish.

We also saw some huge loblolly pine, beech trees and bald cypress trees. The boardwalk trail took us through an impressive cypress-tupelo swamp with their fluted bases and hundreds of cypress “knees” emerging from the grounds below.

We heard a screeching, Red-shouldered Hawk while walking the trail and later we spotted one and wondered if it was the same one we heard earlier. We stopped to enjoy viewing it through our binoculars and snapped a few photos as well.

We heard many other bird species including the various woodpeckers, Carolina Wrens and Summer Tanagers. We spotted a few deer as well as many skinks, anoles, and spiders. Thankfully, according to Sharon, we saw no snakes.

While the park appears to be a swamp; it is better categorized as an old-growth bottomland hardwood forest which can be often flooded by groundwater or surface water. As we walked along the Boardwalk Trail we could tell when the soils were less boggy by the changes in understory vegetation and the different tree species. We were both very glad we walked the trail as it was such a scenic, peaceful stroll.

Visiting Three Cool National Monuments

It became time for us to leave Winslow AZ so we moved to  Krazy K RV Park in Camp Verde, AZ which has a very favorable senior rate. We hoped to explore several small National Monuments and do some hiking in Sedona during this stay. The campground is rather nice with a small pool and hot tub along with a fitness room which I was sure we would take advantage of.

There are three National Monuments close by and the first we visited was Montezuma's Castle. Using our Senior Lifetime Parks Pass we entered the visitor center which also houses a small museum with some interesting exhibits. Leaving the museum there’s a short paved nature trail leading to the ruins situated beside Beaver creek.

The ruins are one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the southwest. They were built into a limestone cliff and are five stories tall with 20 separate rooms. It was definitely one of the most magnificent preserved structures we have ever seen before.

The people who built Montezuma Castle are referred to as the Sinagua, which originates from Spanish words meaning “without water” likely referring the paucity of water in the area. They are believed to be ancestors of the Pueblo of Arizona and built this structure some 800 years ago. Until the 1950’s visitors could climb up to it via ladders which is now forbidden.

Next up for us would be Montezuma Well National Monument. The “well” is actually a natural spring located within a ‘‘sinkhole.’’The spring produces upwards to 1.5 million gallons of 64-77 degrees water daily. It breaks to the surface because of a volcanic dike which formed a dam across a fracture zone deep beneath the surface.

Montezuma Well is 368 feet across and more than 55 feet deep. It drains underground into Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Verde River. Interestingly though is that this water also is relatively high in concentration of arsenic. It makes one wonder if the arsenic in the water may have led to the demise of the people who depended on the spring.

Lastly we visited  Tuzigoot National Monument. Around 1400 years ago the Sinagua people arrived in the greater Verde Valley. Like the ruins in Montezuma Well they also built Tuzigoot on a hilltop overlooking the valley. The area was only inhabited an estimated 100 years and in the 1930’s it became a National Monument.

The ruins are somewhat preserved yet well enough that one can get the feel for what it might have been like to be an inhabitant of the village. There was also a trail leading to a huge freshwater marsh that is merely a remnant or oxbow of Beaver Creek. All along the trail there were an abundance of wildflowers and seemingly even more butterflies. It was a hot and exposed trail but an enjoyable little hike nonetheless.

NOTE:  We are currently in Mesa, Arizona until November 1st…

Visiting Petrified Forest National Park

As we were driving to Winslow we passed by the Petrified Forest National Park and decided we would return to visit it during our stay. This park is well known for its fossilized trees and dinosaurs from the Late Triassic some 225 million years ago. It has a $25 fee for a five day pass but we used our Lifetime Senior Pass for free admission.

The park is huge and covers some 346 square miles of mostly desert shrub steppe. Another feature in the park is the colorful painted desert which resembles the highly eroded and colorful badlands of South Dakota. The sediments containing the fossil logs are part of the widespread and colorful Chinle Formation, from which the Painted Desert gets its name. At 5,400 feet in elevation, the park gets warm but cools off overnight.

There are more than 400 species of plants to see in the park. The blue grama and sideoats grama (the Texas state grass) were in full bloom amongst the sagebrush, saltbush, and rabbitbrush. Crazy to think that all this land was forested and was once near the equator which then made it humid and sub-tropical. At that time streams flowing across the plains deposited inorganic sediment and organic matter along with lots of trees as well as some animals that had fallen into the water.

Over time many plants and animals became fossilized into what is known geologically as the Chinle Formation. Much of the park’s petrified wood were mostly Araucarioxylon arizonicum, an extinct conifer tree.There have been nine species of fossilized trees in the park identified, all of which are now extinct. However, trees are not the only fossils in the park as other plant and animals are found here too. Vertebrates such as phytosaurs, a giant crocodile like reptiles. Also found here were large salamander-like amphibians called Koskinonodon, and other early dinosaurs.

The road through the park is 29 miles one way with numerous pullouts for features and short hikes. One trail we visited called the Crystal Forest Trail is a short paved loop with lots of colorful petrified logs to marvel. Another overlook further down the road is the Jasper Forest which also has lots of petrified wood to see.

Nearby is Agate Bridge where the erosive forces of water carved a gully under a huge petrified log. We also stopped to check out Newspaper Rock. Here there are  hundreds of petroglyphs more than 2,000 years old. We also stopped to view the Painted Desert and the Painted Desert Inn at  Pintado Point (which was closed due to Covid). There is a hike at Pintado Point but it was a bit too hot this day for a long hike in the desert.

Our last stop was at the Visitor Center which has some nice exhibits at the Rainbow Forest Museum to see. There were even a few fully restored skeletons of some of the fossilized critters who once roamed this area. There is a nice trail in back of the museum through a large patch of petrified fallen logs including one that was visited by Albert Einstein. I had to pose in front of the same petrified log, “Old Faithful,” a 35-foot log, where Einstein posed for a photo in 1931.

We had another fun and educational day on our Road of Retirement…

NOTE:  We are currently in Mesa, Arizona until November 1st…

A Mountain Drive and Hiking in the Canyonlands National Park…

One thing I wanted to mention about our campsite in Monticello Utah was that we had a nesting bird in a tree in our front yard. We loved sitting outside and watching this baby Tree Swallow call for its mom. Mom would go out to catch some goodies and return to a wide open mouth which was lots of fun to watch!

Near the park is a nice lake that we walked around. Also close are some mountains that one afternoon we drove up as far up the dirt road as we could. The drive was harrowing at times for Sharon because of her fear of heights but the views from above were breathtaking. We sure liked the cooler temperatures up high.

We saw lots and lots of deer in the high country. It must have been a great year as there were lots of fawns and many of the does had twins in tow. Colorful birds such as the Western Tanager were flitting about the tall firs and pines in the forest. It was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Also a short drive away is another place we have visited before, Canyonlands National Park. Previously we visited the Needles area of the park so this time we visited the rest of the park on the other side of the river. However, before getting there we stopped along the roadside to view newspaper rock. It was a large boulder riddled with petroglyphs from a bygone area.

We drove into the park to take in the sights close to the roads. Then we found a nice short hike (less than 3 miles) to enjoy. This hike took us across a lot of slickrock and we were rewarded with not only views but cool rock formations.

It was a bit toasty and we went through our water pretty fast. It was also smoky as the smoke from the fires in California were permeating the skies above. The haze made for poor photographs but we still tried to capture what we were seeing. All in all another great hike.

Our time in Monticello Utah is up and we will move back into New Mexico for our next stop…

NOTE:  We are currently in Winslow, Arizona until August 19h…

Day Trip to Arches National Park…

We originally planned to go to Moab, Utah from Monticello but with all the smoke in the NW we have changed our plans. Since we wouldn’t be staying in Moab we decided to drive over for a day of hiking in Arches National Park before moving on.

It was only about an hours drive from our park so we headed there early in the afternoon. I had been watching the live cams at the entrance of the park to gauge how crowded it would be. We have recently heard horror stories of not being able to get in much less find any parking once inside. After monitoring the entrance cams we felt like we wouldn't have any issues.

    

The drive up was quick and pleasant.. We passed by Church Rock and Wilson’s Arch so we stopped to take a photo. Back in the car we soon found ourselves in a line of three cars to enter Arches National Park. Feeling good about the crowds we started around the loop stopping at several pullouts for photographs before finally stopping to park at one of the arch hikes.

The park wasn’t very crowded at all as we had no issues with pulling out to park at any stop on the loop.. As a result we did all the popular arch hikes that are relatively easy to get to. We only had to actively look for a parking place once at one of the arch trails.

While we have visited several times before the scenery never disappoints. The winds had shifted this day and the smoke from the California fires was not evident within the park so we felt pretty lucky to see the clear blue skies. Arches is truly a gem in the National Park system and one if you haven’t been to you really should make the effort to visit to see its splendor.

Late that afternoon we figured no hike would be complete without a visit to the Moab Brewery. Liquor laws in Utah are still a bit archaic but way better than when we first visited years ago. The beers they offer are still only about average at best but were a welcome treat after some dusty hiking . While relaxing and looking at our photos we decided we were more than glad we made the trip.

NOTE:  We are currently Gallup, New Mexico until August 16th…