The big bend...

From Sandhills we move on to Big Bend National Park. Big Bend because the Colorado River makes a big bend at this point. Here there should be an impressive backdrop and the opportunity to camp in the backcountry.

But there is our old friend Donald T. Politics can get close to you so quickly. At home, everyone is reading about the "Governmental shutdown". Here we experience it live and in color. Since it is a national park, all services are not available. This means that the park is open but no permits are issued, which means no overnight stays are allowed. Half day visitors are lucky because no entrance fee is charged. It doesn't matter to us because we bought an annual ticket anyway.

We are trying to drive the "Old Maverick Road" off-road. However, this is thwarted by a very nice but strict officer (voluntary service without pay!!).

So we have no choice but to leave the park and stay at a nearby campsite.

Footnote 1: The Colorado River, which seems so powerful in the back of our minds, is only knee-deep here and can be crossed on foot from Mexico.

Footnote 2: The shutdown affects some parks in full force, as they are completely closed, such as White Sands.

More pictures will follow as soon as I can read the SD card