The rugged and remote West Texas desert is one of my favorite places on earth. When Stillhouse asked if I wanted to go on a brand trip to Big Bend to try their new whiskeys I immediately said yes. The catch? Two other journalists, a brand representative, and I met in the Midland Odessa Airport. With daylight fading, we spotted a plethora of bluebonnets along the side of the road and did the typical thing in Texas this time of year and pulled over to take some pictures of the iconic lupines which bloom in March and April.
We checked into Terlingua Nights Cabins. They have five small cabins and three hotel-style rooms. We had 3 cabins and 1 room. We quickly dropped our stuff and relaxed in the Adirondack chairs watching a pretty West Texas sunset.
They only have a beer and wine license so I ordered a margarita wine with my veggie enchiladas. We had a hilarious server who had us laughing multiple times throughout dinner. The next morning I was up early and took my coffee outside to watching the setting moon at daybreak. It was a quiet start to an adventurous day in the Chihuahuan Desert.
I always love watching the desert wake up at sunrise. I always get the Burrito Mexicano. About am, we went to Big Bend Boating and Hiking Company to go through gear, pack backpacks, and meet out guide Andrew. I opted to rent their pack, sleeping pad, tent, and sleeping bag.
I brought a sleeping bag liner and a few other things I ended up not putting in pack. With gear, extra clothes, food, and water my pack was close to 45 pounds. The terrain is harsh, vast, and rugged. Big Bend is the only national park with an entire mountain range within its borders and we headed into the Chisos Mountains.
