Week 83: Happy New Year!
Spectacular Skies in Far West Texas
Hi, friends! Hello, fam! I’m so glad you’re all here! Hope your year is off to a great start.
Us? We’ve been camping at some of our favorite places in Far West Texas, starting the week in Big Bend National Park and then ending in Davis Mountains State Park.
Here’s a map so that you can get oriented — we started in the bottom right in the green of Big Bend NP, then drove north out of the park to Marathon, followed by a stop in Alpine, and ending in Davis Mountains SP in Fort Davis.
I just love it out here! If ever you find yourself out this way and need any info I’m always happy to help.
Monday: Farewell, Chisos Basin!
Monday morning we left the Chisos Basin Campground in Big Bend National Park and said farewell — until over 2 years from now, when hopefully the construction project on the basin complex will be complete.
We were here back in May of 2025 and made our goodbyes then because the project was supposed to start in the summer — only it didn’t. I really hate long, drawn-out goodbyes, especially with a place as special as this one! Cross your fingers that all goes well.
Note #1, January 3rd: As I type this there’s a critical water shortage in the basin and they’re asking all campers and lodge guests to conserve water. Follow HERE on the park website for updates. Even though I’m sad the basin will be closed soon to fix these issues, the park really needs this maintenance and I’m glad it’s happening. Hope the funding goes through!
Note #2: When the construction project begins the road to the basin will close, but hiking from the desert up into the mountains will still be permitted. We’re thinking of doing some epic hikes that we’ve always wanted try but never did. Kinda looking forward to that. I’m also hoping that the limited access will make this part of the park less crowded.
Monday-Thursday: A Grand View
We rang in the new year at Grand View #2, a primitive roadside camping spot — which really does have a grand view of the Chisos Mountains!
Can you spot the distinctive shape of Casa Grande Peak?
When we got our permit we learned that this site is a new addition to the park — we really enjoyed our time here and hope to get to stay here again someday. You can only reserve this site by going to Panther Junction Visitor Center when you’re at the park in person — it’s not available to book online.
It’s about 2,000 feet in elevation so it’s warmer than the Chisos for sure — I wouldn’t want to stay here in the summer! It’s also close to the West Entrance to the park and Terlingua. We could see the town lights sparkling at night.
New Year’s Day
On New Year’s Day Jason woke me up to see the sunrise — and what a sunrise it was! Here was our view out the skylight from the van:
It was incredible — what a way to start the year!
After breakfast we went for a meandering walk/hike through the desert to see what we could see. We found so many cool rocks and I took a bunch of photos of them and carefully put them back where I found them. I’m still learning about the geology of the area, but so far I’ve learned that this part of Texas used to be covered by a shallow sea.
There are a bunch of limestone areas — but there were also volcanoes! — so there’s such a cool mix of rocks!
For our New Year’s feast we had spinach tamales from Tamale Addiction that we got at the Texas Farmers Market when we were visiting Austin and kept in the freezer.
They were so good! I wished we had a few more :)
I made some Mexican rice to go along with the tamales — yum! Read more about tamales in the Southwest here — many people have them for Christmas or to ring in the new year.
Time for Art
It was nice to slow down for a bit and relax — and I made time for art.
I played with some new pink ink that I got recently and did a sketch of the mountains from camp, playing with color and shapes and just splashing on color and having FUN — all while watching the moon rise above the mountains.
See more about my process here on Instagram.
I also did two sketches in my perpetual journal — one of a senna I haven’t been able to ID yet, and another of a mesquite pod.
This will be my third year working in this particular perpetual journal, and my fifth year of keeping a journal overall. It’s such a rewarding practice and I highly recommend giving it a try! You can start any time you like — don’t wait for a certain date. I’m forever grateful to Lara Call Gastinger for thinking this up and sharing so much inspiration.
Friday: Marathon, Texas
After one last sunrise at Grand View we headed out the Persimmon Gap entrance of the park to Marathon, Texas.
I miss Big Bend already.
We decided to stay at the Marathon Hotel and RV Park since we noticed that they had a laundry room when we scoped it out last year — and we really needed to wash clothes. Vanlife hack: it’s always great to find a campground with laundry — so much more relaxing!
As we were carrying the last load of laundry to the van the moon was rising — it stopped me in my tracks and I had to run to the van, drop off the clothes and get a photo:
Then we went on the short Sunset Trail and wow — what a sunset!!
Saturday: Travel Day and Errands
Saturday dawned cold and clear, but it soon warmed up enough that I decided to try the outdoor shower in the campground. I love outdoor showers, especially under a clear blue sky.
This sign in the shower cracked me up!
I let the water run for a bit — which felt so wrong in the desert — and then hopped under the spray.
The water never did get warm though — so I had a new year’s polar plunge but in a shower format!
It was refreshing!
We left the campground and headed to the French Company Grocer to see if they had any homemade bagels — they didn’t, but we did score some Rancho Gordo Super Lucky Black Eyed Peas! Can’t wait to make them.
After walking around town for a bit we headed to Alpine to pick up groceries and then it was on to…
Saturday: Davis Mountains State Park and Wolf Moon Hike
When we pulled into the park to register a volunteer at the entrance station told us that there was going to be a hike at 6:30. I asked if it was a full moon hike and he said it was — and just like that, we were in!
We ate a quick dinner and then joined the hike, ending at the observation tower:
The Super Wolf Moon rose to the sound of all of the hikers howling — it was such an amazing sight and made the little hairs on my arms stand up!
The moon lit up the clouds around it and it looked like fire in the sky! My camera kept over-exposing the moon though, darn — I really gotta up my astrophotography game! It’s one of my goals for 2026.
By the time we got to our campsite the moon was high in the sky, lighting up the mountains around us. The picnic table was glowing and so were the distant mountains. It even lit up a spiderweb in the trees!
Wow. Just wow.
The next supermoon won’t be until November 24th — mark your calendars for the Beaver Moon!
Sunday: What a Sunset
Sunday we did chores around camp until it was time for sunset, and then we headed back up Skyline Drive to see what we could see. We thought it was going to be a dud because of all the clouds, but wow were we wrong!
I couldn’t stop taking photos. (Are you surprised?)
Wow!
That’s it for this week! Thanks so much for following along on our adVANtures — it’s so good to have you along for the ride! — Lisa, Jason and Henry-the-Van
1. The top L little rock has eyes! 2. Looked for the Wolf Moon Saturday but it was overcast here. Maybe I should have howled... 3. I love your various TX photos, but I personally couldn't tolerate the light. I'm so light sensitive. I'm the rare person who can't stand summer. I live the woods, however.
Lower left looks like a hafted biface (artifact)