The Gateway to Big Bend!
- Details
- Created on Thursday, 26 May 2011 13:00
- Published on Thursday, 26 May 2011 13:00
- Written by Abe Connally
Visiting the Bid Bend area any time soon? Try out Marathon, the town that brags at being “your gateway to Big Bend!” Sounds great, right? Let’s take a closer look at just what there is to do in and around Marathon.
If you’re hoping to find a hot tourist destination in the same league as Cancun or Disney World, Marathon may not be the best place for you. But if you’re looking for a great place to hang out on your way in or out of Bid Bend National Park, Marathon is close. It’s a “perdy” little to
wn surrounded by Texas beauty and, well, more Texas beauty. That’s what many Big Benders want to enjoy anyway. If that’s your case, then this “gateway” town should probably be included in your list of stopovers.
Your favorite part of Marathon is likely to be the food. It has some of the best restaurants in West Texas. You can have breakfast or brunch at the Marathon Coffee Shop, which offers much more than coffee! In fact, they make the best breakfast burritos. Guzzi Pizza, on the other hand, is a great choice for lunch, with pizza and hot sandwiches. And for dinner there’s always The Famous Burro, a restaurant/bar known for their burgers. Whether you’re looking for restaurants, shops, galleries, or just a place to stay the night, Marathon has some outstanding options.
Check out the great sights and activities surrounding Marathon on the Interactive Map >>
One great advantage to being so close to Big Bend National Park (among other natural wonderlands in the area) is the wildlife that saturates the region. Check out this blog, all about birds and butterflies in the Marathon area, including your and my favorite national park. Until recently, they were offering bird-watching walks on the weekends. That may have been suspended for now, but the information is still on the blog, along with a bird-sighting checklist, so you can so nature-hunting on your own.
Worth a Thousand Words
There are some views you just can't take in all at once. Like a dazzling sunset or breathtaking field of wildflowers—you just can't appreciate such beauty in the moment, a moment that is often over before you realize it, the forms and colors of that marvelous vista already fading in your memory. Perhaps it was with the goal of preserving such scenes that the first camera was invented, a goal that you may still share when you visit a place as beautiful as Big Bend and the surrounding area. Why not take a look through our new and improved photo galleries to see what amazing sights have been preserved by astounded visitors and appreciative locals? When you see the mountains, plains, flora, and fauna displayed in those images, you'll be glad the gallery contributors took their camera along.
Birding in Big Bend
Among the many activities available in Big Bend National Park that highlight the region's diversity of wildlife, birding can be enjoyable and promising. Big Bend engulfs a vast area, bounded by the the rushing Rio Grande valley to the south, containing high peaks in the Chisos Mountains, and boasting both desert and forest climates between the two. It embodies the very diversity that makes America great, providing countless opportunities to spot more than 450 birds in one area.
Your Big Year is Here
What are your new year's resolutions for 2012? Did you keep your resolutions for 2011? While the top resolutions each year include losing weight, learning something new, traveling, or getting out of debt, here's a new challenge you can take on this year: spot all the bird species in Big Bend National Park.
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Big Bend has some of the most spectacular scenery in Texas, if not the entire US. Our big sky country rivals any other state and our night skies are as dark as anywhere for excellent star gazing. The beautiful light and great scenery make for a photographer’s paradise.
Trails and Wildlife
There are many things you may love to do in Big Bend National Park in the heat of summer, but running or jogging is probably not one of them. With 90+ degree temperatures, there simply is no such thing as a nice July run in West Texas. With the dry weather we've had this year, you have truly hostile workout conditions. That all changes this time of year, though, as temperatures drop and the sun gives us a break for a few months. What a great time to get out on some trails in Big Bend!
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