A Peaceful Visit to Big Bend National Park in Texas
Indian lore tells of the great spirit, who after creating the earth, dumped all the left over rocks in Big Bend. A visitor to the beautiful Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas feels “like a wizard at Stonehenge coming the planets to send to their light through the magic orifices in line at the equinox” (Young 429). The light from the sun plays tricks on the imagination in the sandy desert and tall pinnacled mountains by constantly changing and moving shadows throughout the day.
At the western side a visitor enters the sandy, arid desert. This climate makes breathing easier for those with respiratory ailments. The sun shines down on the shade-less land affecting all flora and fauna with its warmth. The blooming cactus flowers are brilliant yellows and shocking pinks making those who observe smile at their beauty. Their colors are in stark contrast to the bland beige environment. Standing on the edge of the paved road one can watch a pair of jackrabbits hop their way across the desert floor and listen to the piercing screams of a distant mountain lion. Under parched tumbleweed the visitor can see a Gila monster moving up and down in a mesmerizing rhythm that would relax even the most beleaguered person.
Moving to the eastern side of the park one enters the Chisos mountain range. The road follows a winding pattern as visitors vehicles climb to the top of Casa Grande peak. From a vantage point on the top of the mountain a person can see the vastness of the desert below. It appears to be as large as the state of Texas, making one feel as small as a grain of sand on the beach. From seven thousand feet, a visitor can look through an opening between two statuesque peaks called the Window and observe the light rays of the setting sun mystically moving across the rocks.
Standing at the apex one can feel the cool mountain breeze, inhales the odor of iron in the air from the approaching thunderstorm, and hear the wind whistling through the trees. Watching the colossal orange globe of the sun – its light piercing through the breaks in the storm clouds – disappearing below the horizon like a water-filled balloon fills one with a sense of astounding peace, oneness with nature, and a respect for the creator of the universe. An eagle’s scream from the sky wakes each person from their reverie and reminds each one to breathe.
Descending the mountain, one slowly reenters the world that was left behind if only for a few moments. The images, sounds, smells, and feelings can be revisited whenever disquietude threatens, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility. The experience is a life-changing encounter with raw nature that is forever ingrained in one’s memory.
