Along with literally everyone else in the world, 2020 didn’t pan out exactly the way we thought it would. I remember in January talking excitedly with family about a big southeast Asia trip we were planning for November. This was a world when the biggest crisis at the time was the Australian wildfires, and we were concerned about my sister and her brand new husband who were traveling there for their honeymoon. (Thankfully their trip was a success!) Oh to be back in that pre-pandemic world. Obviously we didn’t visit Vietnam or Thailand. We naively booked a summer trip for Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks instead. (The pandemic will surely be over by August, right?) That trip didn’t happen either.
By the fall of 2020, we were completely stir crazy and itching to visit a new place. Road tripping seemed like the best option, but where to go? Lots of ideas were tossed around and eventually we decided to head west and explore our great state of Texas. Scott had to plan around some work priorities, but we were able to set forth on our adventure in early November.
Here’s a run down of our trip:
Houston – Sonora – Big Bend – Marfa/Alpine – Fredericksburg
Big Bend was our main destination, and we broke up the long road trip with a night in Sonora. We spent three days adventuring around Big Bend, and then visited the nearby towns of Marfa and Alpine. To cap off the trip, we spent a few days in Fredericksburg on our way back to Houston.
Driving from one corner of Texas to another, we got to move from the piney woods to hill country to mountainous desert. It was a great reminder of the diverse landscape contained in our state, and we were able to plan our trip to be the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. The drives were long, but the changing scenery and strategic stops kept things interesting.
Road Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Drive Houston to Sonora (about 6 hours)
Day 2: Sonora Caverns & drive to Big Bend (about 5 hours)
Day 3: Big Bend National Park
Day 4: Big Bend National Park
Day 5: Big Bend Ranch Sate Park & drive to Marfa, then Alpine
Day 6: Visit Marfa and Alpine
Day 7: Drive to Fredericksburg (about 5 hours)
Day 8: Fredricksburg / Enchanted Rock State Park
Day 9: Fredricksburg
Day 10: Drive back to Houston (4 hours)
Sonora, TX
The drive from Houston to Sonora was easy and uneventful. We made it in around six hours, pulling into town in the mid afternoon. The drive can probably be done quicker but we had to make multiple stops for kid potty breaks. To let the kids burn off some energy while we waited for check in time, we found a city playground. We had been cooped up in the car all day and didn’t have plans for the evening, so we let them run wild for awhile before settling in to our super cute Airbnb. A low key dinner in the house was a great end to our first day.
The next morning, we headed straight to the Sonora Caverns, just west of the town. Tip #1: book a reservation for your tour online. We got there right at the opening, and there was already a line. Since we booked our time in advance, we were able to get the first tour.
Tip #2: this cavern is really warm. Dress for a warm, humid climate. That seems so contrary to most caverns, and I couldn’t fully wrap my head around dressing for warm temps in a cave. I was shedding layers before the tour was even half over, and we were all sweating by the time we left.
Overall, the cavern was really fun. I think the kids might have had equal amounts of fun playing with the peacocks that live on the property as they did in the cave! The formations inside the cave were beautiful and the guide did a great job of pointing out amazing stalactites and staglimites, giving us the history of the cave, and keeping the kids engaged. At the lowest level of the tour, she even turned off all the lights so that we could experience “true darkness” and also see some bioluminescence in the minerals on the walls. The cavern visit was a great way to start the day before continuing on toward Big Bend.
Big Bend, TX
Big Bend National Park was the headliner of our trip. I came here once with my family as a teenager, and I was so excited to come back with Scott and my own kids. I remember, as a kid, looking for wildlife, exploring the trails, and watching the sunset through The Window. I couldn’t wait to see how my memories would compare to Big Bend today.
The park is immense. There are so many trails to hike and different types of scenery. Desert landscape, hikes in the Chisos mountains, and the Rio Grande weaving through various canyons. Planning out what to explore and what would be doable with the kids was a challenge, but we were able to visit many different areas of the park and do things the kids could handle. They were awesome troopers!
I have a separate post to talk about our experience in Big Bend. There’s just so much to say about this beautiful place!
Exploring Big Bend National Park with Kids
Besides the relief of finally being surrounded by nature after so many months mostly confined to our house, my highlights from Big Bend were the Santa Elena Canyon, the sunset views through The Window, and the Balanced Rock. Of course, we had to scale back some of the hikes and even alter plans on the fly. That’s just the nature of parenthood, honestly. But by the time we left the park, I felt like we had really seen the park and made the most out of our visit.
Big Bend Ranch State Park
The morning we left our Big Bend home base, we took the proverbial “scenic route” out of Terlingua and visited Big Bend Ranch State Park on our way to Marfa. If you are in the area, I highly encourage you to not sleep on this park. Highway 170 cuts straight through the park, connecting Terlingua on the east side to Presidio on the west side. This stretch of the highway hugs the Rio Grande and colloquially is known as the River Road. It is also know to be one of the most scenic drives in the state, with which I have to adamantly agree. The road curves through a mountainous desert landscape and the views are highlighted with multiple overlooks of the river and the surrounding greenery.
All I have to hear is “most scenic drive” and I’m sold. This route did not add much time to the direct route to Marfa (maybe 20 min) AND we would get to visit a different park AND we would travel via the River Road? No brainer – sold! Besides the expectation of stunning views, we also planned a couple of kid-friendly stops in the park.
Our first stop in BBRSP was the Closed Canyon hike. This was an easy out-and-back hike through a narrow slot canyon. The ground was sandy and the walls were smooth stone, and since it was still morning, the whole thing was in the shade and refreshingly cool. There were occasional pour-offs that were a little steep and the kids needed help, but the hike was great for a family with young kids. Unfortunately we couldn’t follow the canyon all the way through to the end. The terrain gets more dangerous and there is eventually a pour-off to steep to climb, so the park ends the trail about 0.75 miles in. We used the turn around point as a snack and water break before trekking back to the car.
The next stop brought us back in that Texas sun, for a visit to the Hoodoos Trail, which features some unique rock formations. These formations were visible from the parking lot, and this stop was less of a “trail” and more just wandering around the sand and stone to admire the topography. While the formations were impressive, we spent the most time here along the banks of the River Grande. A short walk from the hoodoos through more sand and vegetation brings you right to the water’s edge. We cooled off playing in the river, and the kids enjoyed one of their favorite pastimes – throwing rocks into the water.
BBRSP was the most isolated state park we have ever visited. No entrance checkpoint, bathrooms, or food/water vendors to be seen. I don’t even recall seeing a park ranger during our visit. I believe that there were roadside locations to pay entrance – probably an honor system thing – but we played it safe and bought our entrance online before the trip. And made sure to display the printout on our windshield when we were out exploring. On the way out of the park, we made the most of the scenery by enjoying a picnic lunch at one of the various picnic sites along the highway. Our visit to BBRSP was super quick, but so much fun and ideal for making the most out of our drive to Marfa.
Posts from this trip:
Roadtripping through Texas with Kids! Part 1
Pingback: Roadtripping Through Texas with Kids! Part 2 – Wherever the Birds Fly
Pingback: Exploring Big Bend National Park with Young Kids – Wherever the Birds Fly