Camping At Big Bend National Park 2019 - Day 2, Part 2: After The Hike

Back at camp we were at a loss as to how to spend the rest of the day.  After about an hour we grabbed our go bags, piled in the FJ and decided to drive to the showers.  At the other campground.

Which was 29.5 miles away.

Yep, that's right

The only available showers for campers are located at the Rio Grande Village campsite.  For $2.00 in quarters you can take a 5-minute shower and they're open 24-hours a day.

We originally weren't planning on taking showers; we had brought washcloths and towels to sponge off in the bathroom using the sink.  However we were covered in sunscreen and bug spray, had a ton of time to kill, and wanted to take a drive to see more of the park anyway, so why not?

By the way, if that Google satellite photo above looks like the surface of some other planet to you, you'll be interested to know that Big Bend was one of the locations used by NASA as a moon substitute to train astronauts for the Apollo 11 mission.  Per a quote on the Big Bend Book Store webpage:

"[T]he astronauts were brought along in two separate groups... through the field areas on April 2-3, and April 15-16, 1964. The trip continued the basic geology study by requiring interpretation and mapping of well-exposed structural and stratigraphic relationships. Also included was an introduction to volcanic rocks along the Rio Grande River west of Big Bend National Park... On the first day they mapped two folded and faulted structures on aerial photos. On the second day there were four stops, two at road cuts of layered volcanic lavas and ash flows, a third at Bee Mountain to study an igneous intrusion, and a fourth at Santa Elena Canyon to study a large fault scarp." 

But it's a dry heat

Going primitive road (off-roading is not permitted)

Turning around because we're not really kitted-out for this 51-mile rough washboard road.  The idea of breaking down in the desert was not appealing. 

I made Todd lean out and burn himself on the car door so I'm obligated to include this picture

Take the first left after this tunnel if you want to cross over into Mexico at the Boquillas Crossing

Unsurprisingly due to the heat, the Rio Grande Village Campground was desert-ed (get it?) except for 2 RVs.  The visitor center was closed for the season, but the camp store where the showers were was open when we got there.  It would be closed when we left - everything seems to close early here.  We took our quick coin-operated showers and headed back to our camp area, 29.5 miles away.

Bear crossing

Once we were back in the Basin area we drove past the campground and up to the Chisos Mountains Lodge, general store and visitor center to poke around, find someplace to sit in the shade, and take advantage of the free WiFi which was spotty at best.

Not much luck on the shady-place-to-sit front - the few benches there weren't in the shade, were occupied, or, like this bench in front of the general store, were near the trash cans and were fly magnets.

Down a short paved trail to look toward the Window and the sinking sun

Back at camp as the sun's going down.  This was around 8:30pm.  Notice the beige bear locker that's stationed at each campsite.

At camp we boiled water and made some soup/noodle dishes for dinner.  We cleaned up, walked our trash to the bins at the campground entrance and stored the rest of the food back in the bear locker.  Then after a trip by headlamp to the bathroom to brush teeth it was time to turn in for the night.