We had two cravings- wireless internet and a good brunch. In Terlingua, TX that meant only one restaurant: La Posada Milagro. Although you order inside, you’re meant to dine al fresco. At first we sat at the entrance, the outer walls designed to look like the ruins of the surrounding ghost town. Later we moved our Chorizo Breakfast Burrito, Breakfast Croissant, Espresso, Sun Tea, and laptops and found a shaded table next to a rusted and abandoned vintage car.

The entrance to Big Bend National Park was a short drive away and we headed straight for the Visitor Center at Panther Junction. While there, we took advantage of the water filling station (water scarcity is REAL there!), gathered information on things to do, and perused the tiny nature trail nearby. We left the Center feeling overwhelmed… there was so much we wanted to see. Three days was not enough time!

So… let’s go!

Since it was already midday and we were trying to beat the sun, we headed to the very southeast area of the Park. As we got closer to Boquillas, the distant road appeared blocked by a long canyon wall stretching all the way from left to right. Somewhere in that natural wall there was a break and that’s where Boquillas Canyon awaited.

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Game of Thrones… Donald Trump… I'm RUNNING AWAY towards THE WALL! (Dun dun duuun) . (The roads really are this isolated Big Bend Nat'l Park) . . . #VisitBigBend #Outdoors #Wanderlust #AreWeLost #Honeymoon #VacationSpam #NaturalBeauty #Nature #GodTheArtist #Blessed @bigbendnationalpark #bigbendnationalpark #ExtraordinaryExplorer @RoyalCaribbeanUK

A post shared by Pyra-Danny Socs (@pyra_experiences) on Dec 2, 2016 at 6:17am PST

But first we wanted a taste of the land via the Boquillas Canyon Overlook. From this squat ridge, the Rio Grande snaked around us. Beyond the River was Mexico. In the near distance, we saw the colorful buildings of Boquillas, the closest Mexican town. Unfortunately visiting Boquillas was not in our future. However, pieces of Boquillas would visit us in the form of handmade art gathered in small collections along the trails here. Beaded animals, painted walking sticks, and small carvings would be waiting along the trails with a tiny jar asking for donations.

At the Boquillas Canyon Trail, we entered a crack in that great, natural wall. While the trail was short, the end revealed a relaxing waterfront view. The Rio Grande softly licked the beach of smooth, round stones while the canyon walls stretched out its arms in a wide embrace.

Our biggest reason for climbing the Rio Grande Village Trail was for the awesome sunset views. Our short trail danced around an elevated overlook before leading us slowly to its crown. Once up there, the gentle hills of Big Bend stretched out to meet the setting sun. Behind us, the long wall loomed in the distance. Everywhere was a sea of short greenery – it was hard to believe we were in Texas.

It was a wonderful feeling to take things slow and just wait for the sun to set with my new husband. The only problem was once the sun set, the darkness quickly followed. By the time we reached our car, the sky looked like charcoal and we still had a 45-minute drive back to Terlingua on roads devoid of artificial light.

On the other hand, we saw the most wildlife during this drive—because we startled so many animals that were now bravely prancing on the road. Thankfully they all bounded out of harm’s way. We saw deer, long-eared rabbits, and some dog-like creatures with pointy ears.

Back at Terlingua, the Starlight Theatre was the place to be for dinner. Every table was filled. The sounds of a guitarist amidst the lively chatter filled the air. The scene in front of me was how I always pictured Texas to be: loud, lively, a large flag for the Lonestar State hanging to one side, a few horned skulls watching from the corner, faded stone walls. We began with a sampler of Big Bend Brewing Beer featuring their Porter, IPA, and Golden Ale). Hubs Shoes ate a Texas Mesquite Smoked BBQ Burger while I had an Antelope Burger with a generous slice of Green Chile on top (however my tongue wasn’t refined enough to tell the difference between an antelope or beef patty)

Since the night sky swallows Terlingua easily, we resisted the urge to walk around and instead went back to our AirBnB RV. Our night was simple as we poured over maps and brochures to create a plan for the next few days.

Edit added June 11, 2017: Finally! Here’s the (5 minute) combined video of my Big Bend visit footage. I hope you enjoy!

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On November 26, 2016 Pyra-Danny and Fiance Shoes got married. This is the 4th part of their honeymoon travels to southwest Texas: Big Bend National Park, Terlingua Ghost Town, Study Butte, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and Alpine, TX.

To read my introduction of taking a honeymoon to this area of Texas, click here. A whole day was dedicated to travel here from Florida (read here) as well as to Terlingua (read here), but we finally saw the southeast area of the Park (this story) as well as the southwest (here). We also explored by canoe (here) and around Alpine (here).