West Texas today, Big Bend tomorrow

I realized today that blogging about this trip is not going to give very interesting reads. On my other recent trips I had amazing scenery, tourist sites, food, etc., to write about. This trip is different. I'm not visiting tourist sites and I've not eaten out, except for a few drive-through—oh, except for a delicious breakfast taco from a gas station! Actually, I should have taken picture there. Within the station, there was a taco bar set up, and there were about 20 options for breakfast tacos. The guy made my taco to order, and it was yummy!

But I digress. My days have all been about the same. I get up and, after coffee, I load up the car and head to my next birding location. And on the way to that location, I inevitably see something interesting (usually a bird or wildflower, or a sign for another place with birds) and have to check it out, delaying the arrival time at my planned destination. When I do get there, it's always amazing and I always want to stay longer than I planned. Plus there are always other birders, and those birders (many of whom are Texans) always give me names of places that they say I must visit. Late in the day, I figure out where I'll sleep that night. (I've camped, but I've also stayed in hotels.) Then, the next morning, I get up and do it all over again.

Add to this that I am usually smeared with bug juice and sunscreen. I had a dilemma today at the park in Brownsville. I needed to put on sunscreen, but the mosquitos were bad! I decided to cover myself with bug juice and not worry about the sun, as the mosquitos were the more immediate issue. Does anyone make a combination product? Sigh...I got off topic again.

The thing is—I'm having a wonderful time! I'm watching birds and photographing as many as I can. I'm meeting other birders, and that's been a big positive for the trip. And I'm driving a lot! (I'm up to 2,400 miles.) And I really think that all if this does not make for a very engaging tale, even though it's been wonderful .

Here's a beautiful butterfly picture to make up for my boring tale.

Julia Heliconian butterfly (taken in Brownsville, Texas)

But I will still keep writing this. It will just have more commentary than touristy stuff this time. There will be plenty of time for the touristy travel blog stuff later this year.

Hmm, I just realized that I can at least write about where I am. I last wrote 2 days ago, when I was at Goose Island State Park. (BTW, I'm very impressed with the Texas state parks!) I did a little birding, then left Goose Island. My target for the day was a birding center at South Padre Island, but I stopped a few times at other parks along the way. I made it to South Padre around 4 PM and found the birding center. I spent a happy couple of hours there, as the sky darkened and storms got closer. I decided that meant I needed a hotel, not a tent site. After I booked a nearby hotel, I kept birding for a while, then went to the hotel. I even indulged in some Mexican food via UberEats.

This morning I went back to the Birding Center and to two other sites on South Padre. As always, there were lots of other birders around, but we are the friendliest, most talkative bunch of nerds you've ever seen. I got some really nice photos of birds and really did not want to leave, but I had to move on. South Padre is 640 miles from Big Bend. I needed to make a good start on that drive today, so I can get to Big Bend tomorrow in good time.

Anyway, my next stop was a state park in Brownsville. It was a really good birding spot and, of course, I didn't want to leave! It was also the mosquito-swarming location mentioned above. From there, I headed north. Four hundred miles later, I am now in a town called Del Rio. I got a motel again tonight—probably my last hot shower for a while! I've got 260 miles to drive tomorrow, and I'm glad I drove as far as I did today!

I'm very close to the Mexican border right now. The desk clerk said it's 10 minutes away. My first clue that I was that close was going through a Customs and Border Patrol checkpoint on the highway. Then I started to see CBP vehicles at the side of the road. I wondered if they are stationed at places that are known crossover points.

I'll close with some bird pictures from yesterday and today. Tomorrow night (4/23) I'll be in Big Bend and will have limited cell service, so I'll post when I can.