| Sandy, We just got back from Big Bend. Stayed 10 days, did quite alot of hiking AND driving! We camped at Rio Grande village, but we were in or thru Lajitas several times. It is a long ways from Lajitas to everywhere! If I were going to get a room, I would probably try in Study Butte. They have got 2 or 3 motels there. ( might have more, not certain!) It is closer to the park than Lajitas. Lajitas is VERY nice, and there are so many new buildings and projects going on there right now, it really is worth driving to it, and there is the State Ranch Park between Lajitas and Presidio. This is a very scenic drive (atleast to us!) Also, there is Closed Canyon which is a really short hike, but is interesting... There is the movie "town" on that road, also! I think they used it filming Lonesome Dove. Big Bend has a really colorful history, and has some truly unbelievable rock formations and ruins. It is not a place that is easy to describe! We have gone back to the same places and found things we overlooked the first time! I could type all night and not even scratch the surface of the places we have gone there, and I have loved them all! We figure we could go 3x's a year, for the next 10 years and still not see everything. A few of our favorite hikes from our first trip were the Windows trail, Lost Mine, Cattail Falls, Hot Springs, Burro Mesa. We canoed up the Santa Elena Canyon and that was wonderful! Ernst Tinajas was interesting. We loved Glenn Springs. Interesting drives (and hikes!): Old Ore Road, Maverick Road and River Road. If you haven't already found it, there is a chat forum on Big Bend, called Big Bend National Park Chat Page, and Desert Sports has a very interesting site on the web. This last trip we enjoyed Grapevine Hills (we have a habit of finding springs or ravines and following them a long way off of the regular trails!) Saw alot of cougar tracks. If you get the chance, try Pine Canyon! I was right when I thought of the desert as being hot and dry, but I don't think of it as barren and treeless anymore! It may not be your cup of tea, but we certainly enjoy it! Hope you have a wonderful time!!!
Take warm weather clothes and cold weather clothing. Also, if you just step out of your vehickle for a quick look at something, carry your water bottle! Those five minutes can turn out to be a very long time! LOL. There aren't many convience stores there, so be certain to carry your food or snacks with you! Specially if your son is like my kids were at fourteen! My husband wanted to go to BBNP for YEARS, but I just was not interested. I thought of the desert as hot, dry, barren, dry, nothing to do, dry, no vegetation, dry! No water, no lakes, no trees... etc. He finally talked me into going about 3 years ago, and we have gone back numerous times. I can't wait to go back! | 
