Stop in and see the exhibits at the Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center in Lajitas. They lay out the past 250 million years or so that gave rise to this terrain. A bit nerdy, I know. It is affiliated with the Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Overall Lajitas is distinctly not eclectic. Lots of bigger vacation homes on high bluffs and standard fare cafes and such to support them. An ok cruise through cause we were close but we didn’t stay long.
Terlingua TX is a fun little artsy community that has grown up on the site of an old mining company town. Studios and shops are scattered among adobe and makeshift homes. In the center of the current village is the old Terlingua Ghost town of stone and adobe buildings in various states of disrepair left over from the quicksilver era. We are a bit to early in the day so will miss the big doings at the restored starlight theatre tonight, a live band and lots of great sounding food. Sounds like it could be fun.
It could be a cool place just to hang out a while to soak in the desert and abide with the free spirits that seem to call this place home.
Dew points can get as low as -30F resulting in a heat index that is actually below the air temperature. This afternoon it is 79F and the heat index 77F with a relative humidity at 8%. Still there are high clouds. Pretty amazing weather and about as different as imaginable from coastal Texas we just left.
My lotion bottle is rapidly being empted!.
Just one mile out Blue Creek trail is a beautiful red rock canyon. 
Pinks, reds and tans swirl together in countless layers creating wondrous shapes and towers. The trail continues on up into the mountains but we decided we were quite content relaxing in the amazing canyon shade. It was an easy little walk for today.
With a breeze at our back we start through the canyon.
CAMERA
Overall, it was a lovely float. We put in just as the Rio Grande knives through a high mesa creating the magnificent steep walled Santa Elena Canyon. From the kayak we could look straight up the sheer walls. Awesome. The shady canyon was wonderfully cool even though the full-sun temperature soared to over 90F. Swallows and phoebes swooped around us grabbing insects as they went. Rock and Canyon wrens called to us from the ledges. A Ram Aoudad (an exotic big-horn-sheep-looking critter) posed high on the rocks above us. Four or five others cavorted about on the boulders.
At the 3 mile mark
of the float is a side canyon, Fern Canyon. Reports have it that it is a beautiful hike back into it. The canyon entrance was through deep silty mud followed by a boulder climb. It was a bit rougher terrain than we felt up to tackling in water shoes. Besides, we have to save some sights for next time.
Can you say switchback? Up gravel. Up loose dirt. Short ones and long ones. We walked them all 
today then walked that many more again on our way back down. From the Chisos Basin at around 5400 ft we trekked up Pinnacles trail to 7100 ft. It was a bit hazy but the views were still breathtaking. 
From there, check out the boot rock on Boot Canyon trail.
Colima 
cross trail meanders through a heavy wooded area that seems more like out in the Appalachians with oak and pine trees far outnumbering cactus and yucca. Our return trip via Laguna Meadow trail (yes, there apparently was a marshy meadow here eons ago) was not quite as steep but more of the seemingly endless switchbacks. I’d recommend the hike. Start early though as the heat can get pretty intense even for the easier downhill portion.
These trails cut through the high country and provided our best bet for seeing the local black bear and mountain lions. No such luck.
There was a bit of heavy breathing. A month or three on the coast has definitely left us low landers. We will need to work on that some as we head into the Rockies this summer.
We drove Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. It cuts through the rugged center of the park with great views of volcanic geology. We hiked a bit and birded a bit along the way.
Tuff Canyon 
was created when streams cut through a thick layer of volcanic ash. The white walls appear in stark contrast to surrounding igneous rock. Boulders must have been ejected with the ash and are embedded haphazardly in the canyon walls. A brilliant yellow flower hangs from the wall. Prickly Pear cactus find footing in unbelievable places. A BIG mouse-like critter attempted to get a slightly oversized cactus leaf into his house…no luck. We watched him drop it twice.
Seeps and springs create striking green oasis at sites of now abandoned ranches.
The road ends at Santa Elena Canyon,
one of the most dramatic cuts made by the Rio Grande. Today we hiked the cliff side trail until the canyon walls became too steep for even a footpath along the water’s edge. It is a pretty dramatic even with the river very low as it is right now. We still plan to kayak through there. Maybe Wednesday?
We got brave enough to try another of the primitive desert trails and got off to a bit of a frustrating start bushwhacking through creosote and thorns of all kinds. After a couple consults with the compass we found the wash we were to follow and were on our way finding just enough cairns to keep us on track.
The canyon was cool and quiet and just as advertised, slickrock. 
Thousands of years and millions of gallons of water do a remarkable polishing job. A few wrens and a ravens made their presence known, otherwise we had the lovely place all to ourselves.
There is standing water in the canyon and there were javelina footprints everywhere…but no actual javelina to be found.
We started back and the day was heating up. We stopped whenever we found a bit of shade. What’s that? I hear geese. Out here? It was puzzling until we looked up, way up. A large vee of snow geese cruised by overhead. Fun find. We worked our way on down the wash. Really? Sand Hill Cranes? Once again, high in the sky a flock was making its way across the desert. They slowed their forward progress to take advantage of a desert ridge thermal then disappeared from view.
Marboro Man
Cool landmark that gave us guidance to return to the car when we wandered across the desert to Slickrock canyon.
We returned to camp having logged just under 10 miles and watch the sun set.. We heard the call of the coyotes. Black tailed jack rabbits dashed around the hillsides. Perhaps they are why the coyotes are near?
It was a lovely day and a cool peaceful evening.
We checked again for a dispersed campsite. Talked with a different ranger and located a suitable site for the balance of our Big Bend stay. We move Saturday for 8 days in the desert. Two sites share the ½ mile gravel road off the pavement. It will be nice to get away from the lights and noises that accompany a large campground.