February 2020 – Stark West Travels

Diaries of Big Bend Backpacking: Day III

I wake before sunrise to find that the water bottle in the tent is empty. Jon drank the remaining water in the night. We have only 10oz left and so we make the decision to head straight for the visitor center to refill. On the way, we pass the campsite we reserved for the thirdContinue reading “Diaries of Big Bend Backpacking: Day III”

Diaries of Big Bend Backpacking: Day II, Part II

January 16, 2020 The leaves crunch as I set my pack down. It’s cooler here, a quiet forest inside the canyons of the Chisos Mountains. I pull out a small ziploc bag of trail mix and climb up a massive downed tree up to the top of a tall boulder in the middle of theContinue reading “Diaries of Big Bend Backpacking: Day II, Part II”

Diaries of Big Bend Backpacking: Day II

February 15, 2020 Hiking socks make my calves look fat! It’s a seriously not cute overall look for my short legs. The hiking boots do not help. All clunky and chunky – my entire legs look stubby. There’s a fly that really likes sitting on my socks and watching me write. I haven’t showered inContinue reading “Diaries of Big Bend Backpacking: Day II”

Diaries of Big Bend Backpacking

February 14, 2020 My head hurts – it’s throbbing a bit. The view is amazing though. Carrying anymore water up here would have added a significant amount of extra weight that my back could not have taken. I have three large water bottles. Had. I drank one on my way up here. Ranger Jason recommendedContinue reading “Diaries of Big Bend Backpacking”

Around the Big Bend

We returned from Mexico, grabbed dinner with our buddy Alex in Dallas, slept over again at aunt Darlene and uncle Charlie’s (thanks again you two!), then hit the road to the one thing in Texas we decided we had to see before we officially left the state – Big Bend National Park. It was aContinue reading “Around the Big Bend”

Hola, amigo

Our buddy, Ryan, made it to Mexico City Thursday night. We took him to this great looking pizza and mezcal place that we passed during our many miles of walking since he’s a big pizza fan. Pizza Nosferatu did not disappoint! Between a huge list of very unique pizzas, micro brews, a mezcalería that youContinue reading “Hola, amigo”

Teotihuacán

Besides the surprisingly cold day and high winds, visiting Teotihuacán was a great day. I really wanted to take a trip out to visit and climb the pyramids there. The site is located about 30 miles northeast of Mexico City and we reached it by city trolley and then bus. The city is thought to haveContinue reading “Teotihuacán”

Mexico City

When I was young my family took trips to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and (actually one of my favorite childhood trips) a private sailboat ride around the Gulf of California. Cue the beach vacation clichés. My sister and I loathe the memory of jewelry hawkers who tried to drape silver necklaces on us in CancunContinue reading “Mexico City”

Weekend in Cuernavaca

Cuernavaca is the “City of the Eternal Spring,” a city of mild weather and beautiful climate. What was once a small vacation town became wildly popular after the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City. Jon’s father and aunt grew up in Mexico City but his grandmother moved here after the kids were all grown up. Eventually, Jon’sContinue reading “Weekend in Cuernavaca”

We’re off!

First stop: Mexico! Plan: We’re on the plane in Dallas heading to Mexico. Once we land in Mexico City, we are taking the bus from the airport to Cuernavaca and meeting up with Jon’s aunt, Bizy. After a weekend in Cuernavaca, we will head into Mexico City, staying in Zona Rosa, for four days. OurContinue reading “We’re off!”