Oh the memories...How time has flown!
Happy Weekend!
Will and I had hiked in the Big Bend on our honeymoon and wanted to take them on some hikes that we loved like the hike to the "Window." The Window hike was closed due to fire danger so we chose some other little hike and just enjoyed our morning.
We did take a little walking trail that told about the Window and we could see it from a distance. After a little hike we enjoyed lunch in the Big Bend restaurant and got a few little suveniors!
Our plan after lunch was to take the girls to the Hot Springs. We drove the 30 miles further into the Big Bend all the way down to the Rio Grande River. I had forgotten that that the river there were also some ruins.
There was a mile hike along the river to get the Hot Springs. At the river we explained to the girls that on the other side of the river they were seeing Mexico. We were the only people there and decided not to stay.
We drove around Rio Grande Village and then to look at a fossil exibihit. We enjoyed taking a few more pictures!
Standing on the edge of this cliff was fun but a bit scary for this momma!
Will's cousin use to run the Gage Hotel. Our sweet cousin Maggin has a book written about her, about her time living at the Gage Hotel. It's called, "Maggie at the Gage." We enjoyed reading it together on the couch in the hotel lobby. We even texted Maggie this picture :) Maggie is now a grown woman! 
This time we stayed in the old Historic part of the Gage Hotel. The hotel does not have TV's in the rooms. It was so nice to not a TV for four days! 
We enjoyed relaxing at the pool the most. Even Will enjoyed it! 
The girls LOVED it! 
We ate at the nice restaurant, walked around the little town of Marathon, made new friends, and had a few more little surprised for the girls...
It was a great relaxing week! 
When we got there the girls were SO EXCITED!!! The water was FREEZING cold but as the day got hotter they didnt seem to care at all.
Their truly were LOTS of fish in the water... even HUGE catfish!
There was even this VERY LARGE turtle and other turtles! {He doesnt look that big in the picture but he was Big... Believe me!} At one point we even say a snake in one of the streams outside of the main swimming hole! A man was trying to catch it to show the kids. I did try to get a picture of it to show you. It was RED!
The girls had a wonderful time snorkeling looking at all the fish and swimming with them. Some areas in the pool were 25 feet deep! This was definately something they have never done before!
It was just beautiful and the water was so clear.
There was even a high dive that they enjoyed do tricks off of...
Even Daddy participated in the FUN!!!
Cant you see the joy on her beautiful face?
We stayed at the springs for almost 7 hours... Then we used the state park showers and told the girls to put on one of the nice outfits that we were heading out for another surprise!
We headed on down the road to Alpine to the orginal Reata restaurant for a wonderful meal! This is a picture of our appetizer, quail on grits! It was so good :) When Will worked in Fort Worth he often took clients to the Reata there so he wanted to go to the Reata in Alpine.
We Loved it. The girls LOVED using their manners! They are such little ladies. Then we hit the road again
Then we got back in the car for one more surprise for the day! Our stop for the next few nights. The lovely...
The home of the great-grandfather! They have only been to Granddaddy Bill's house one time and it was when they were babies, when Honey passed away. Granddaddy Bill was born and has lived on the same land since he was born and he will be 90 years old this fall. We wanted the girls to visit him. It was a very special visit. Granddaddy Bill gave us a tour of Fort Stockton and the country that he has known his whole life. 
He took the us to his office {he is now retired but still goes to his "office" to visit} and gave each of the girls a calendar. The girls loved looking at all of his pictures of President Reagan and President Bush. Granddaddy Bill is full of so much knowledge and information. The girls loved listening to all his stories. 
While we were at Bill's place we walked around and listened to stories about the old trucks...
And about his old tractors. Lainey loved stealing my camera and taking pictures of all the things around his house. Will and Bill told us lots of stories! 
It was such a great relaxing Monday and wonderful way to start our vacation. I am so glad we took the girls to Fort Stockton. 
They will never forget the time they spent with their daddy and their Great Granddaddy Bill walking around visiting and driving around drinking their sweet teas! 
It was a beautiful day even though the country was very dry...
Even Hubs and I got lots of porch sitting in! 
We really enjoyed our day :) Thanks Big Bend!
