The Softer Side of Big Bend

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The Softer Side of Big Bend

Details: Created on Thursday, 13 October 2011 20:40; Published on Thursday, 13 October 2011 20:40; Written by Abe Connally

If you think that Big Bend is only all about roughnecks trekking out into the wilderness to prove just how tough you are, you're missing out on an awful lot. Aside from the camping, hiking, and being one with nature, there is a completely different side to this national park that you may very well enjoy even more. For now, we'll call it the softer side of Big Bend — the artsy side.

south_rim_from_afar If you haven't taken a good look around the website, you may not be aware that "arts and culture" has its own page. Use the Learn tab at the top of the page, and you'll see the heading we're talking about. Just follow the links that most interest you, and you're likely to find some fascinating and beautiful examples of West-Texas-inspired art. For example, Bonnie Wunderlich's website is a digital gallery of amazing presentations of form and color. Many of such works are obviously inspired by the Big Bend area's landscapes and wildlife. More into photography? Why not try James H. Evens' website, with some amazing black and white pictures from Big Bend and surroundings.

When you look at both the painting and photographs from the two links above, you'll likely be amazed at just how beautiful a desert can get. Why not try your hand at drawing scenes from your last visit into the wild? Or you could dig out your old camera (not the one on your phone—a real one) and see what sunsets, moonrises, mountains, clouds or plains you can capture with the lens. We've got a great collection of photos in the VisitBigBend Flickr Pool.

You'll notice that often the most interesting pictures have something in them, other than the simple landscape. Be observant to the word around you. What makes a picture worth looking at? What would make you smile, laugh, cry, or sigh with nostalgia? Be creative, and you may one day have your own gallery (online or otherwise) of art.

Include pictures of Big Bend in your online gallery and you may even be linked to in future blog posts, like Bonnie and James above!

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.

Big Bend Video Collections

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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