Border Views, Badge Trails, and a Busted Step: Hello, 2025
From flooded camps to border cows—follow our New Year’s escape into Big Bend, our favorite way to ring in a new year and another year of blissful marriage!
Our end-of-year journey started in Pigeon Forge with the coach packed full, the Jeep hitched up, and a serious stockpile of Cheerwine strapped in for the ride. From there, we rolled west—pausing briefly at a flooded KOA in West Memphis and again during a high-wind dust storm in Sweetwater, Texas. A peaceful overnight at Thousand Trails Lake Tawakoni gave us a calm moment before pushing further west. The real destination? Big Bend National Park. And while the road there had its hiccups (and a few step-bending rocks), it was all worth it for the scenery, solitude, and a Jeep Badge of Honor to kick off 2025.
Pigeon Forge to Big Bend National Park
We arrived at RoadRunner Travelers RV Park in Terlingua, Texas, on New Year’s Eve and got setup in RV site #4 just in time to watch the last sunset of 2024 disappear behind the Chisos Mountains. The drive in felt like a shift into another world—long stretches of open desert, without any cellular service, towering views on the horizon, and very few signs of civilization for a hundred miles. This part of Texas is quiet, remote, and lacking of any truck stops for filling a thirsty diesel motorhome. The RV park is under renovation to add water and sewer to each site. And it is perfectly placed, just minutes from the entrance to Big Bend. It made for a great basecamp to explore the park’s more remote corners and ring in the new year.
Some people hoard the strangest things—we stockpile Cheerwine, an amazing red fruity soda from North Carolina. This stash from Pigeon Forge was carefully stacked and secured in the motorhome with ratchet straps… and a whole lot of hope that none would explode en route.West Memphis KOA, AR – December 29, 2025: Our quick overnight stop in West Memphis turned into a soggy game of campsite hopscotch. Rain soaked the area and transformed the sites into ponds. Thankfully, we only needed a place to sleep before heading west again. The KOA did have a little cafe with site delivery service, which was enjoyable and made for a good end to the day!Loves RV Stop, Sweetwater, TX – December 30, 2025: We had big plans for the drive… until West Texas brought the grit and high-wind warnings topping 50 MPH! A massive dust storm blew through Sweetwater, and visibility dropped fast. We bailed early and pulled into this Love’s RV Stop—our first time trying one of these newer options. We’ll definitely be watching for more of them in the future!We landed at Thousand Trails Lake Tawakoni, Texas, in the late afternoon. As we prepared to depart the next morning, we were treated to a beautiful Texas sunrise. This campground is a bit off the beaten path, but because of that, it’s one we’d definitely consider returning to—and taking full advantage of the 21-day stay option.
Black Gap 4×4 OHV Trail at Big Bend National Park
Big Bend caught us off guard—in the best kind of way. We knew it would be remote, but we didn’t expect the sheer range of terrain and beauty. From the RoadRunner Travelers RV Park, we were minutes from the North park entrance and even closer to the edge of absolutely nowhere remote areas. We headed down to and stopped at the National Park Service visitor center and checked out the resort that is in the park before having to back track out of that canyon.
On New Year’s Day, we took Rubi back into the park and on the Black Gap 4×4 Trail to officially earn our first Southwest area Jeep Badge of Honor. Most of the trail was pretty tame, but one section demanded attention—with boulders and steep rock cuts. All in all it was a pretty tame trail, but one spot would cause some trouble for a stock Jeep. Rubi handled it well, though she did sacrifice a step to the cause. No regrets. Just a great day in the desert with a few bangs and a lots of fun!
This sign along the trail was a friendly reminder that greeted us in Big Bend: yes, you’re off the beaten path, and yes, you’re definitely near the border. We stayed alert but not alarmed—seeing nothing more than a low-flying Border Patrol airplane that buzzed us a couple of times. On our way out of the Big Bend area, we stopped for a quick “sniff” by the Border Patrol dogs. The RV behind us, though, didn’t make it through without being pulled aside for further inspection.We celebrated the New Year by earning our first Southwest Jeep Badge of Honor—on New Year’s Day, no less! Most of the trail felt like a drive in the park, but Black Gap 4×4 threw in one solid section of boulders and steep rock cuts that made things interesting. Rubi handled it like butter—though there were definitely a few bangs on the rocks to prove it. All in all, a fantastic way to kick off 2025!We rounded a bend near the Rio Grande and caught sight of these two wild horses moving quietly through the brush—trotting gracefully along the dry riverbed. Wild horses, burros, and a few stray cattle still roam parts of Big Bend, descendants of animals turned loose or escaped from ranching and mining operations in the early 1900s. Today, they’re considered non-native, but they’re still part of the national park’s story.We rounded a bend near the Rio Grande and caught sight of these two wild horses moving quietly through the brush—trotting gracefully along the dried river bed along the brush. Wild horses, burros, and a few stray cattle still roam parts of Big Bend, descendants of animals turned loose or escaped from ranching and mining operations in the early 1900s. Today, they’re considered non-native, but they’ve are still part of the now national park’s story.From the duck crew on the dash to the rugged peaks of the Chisos Mountains outside the windshield, this shot sums up what Jeep life in Big Bend looks like: rough roads, amazing views, and a few stowaway squeaky toys to keep the mood light.Rubi, posing with her ducks all in a line on one of the remote backcountry roads in Big Bend. We were honestly surprised by the terrain in this part of the country. On the news, “the border” is always shown as either extremely urban or pure desert—you rarely see this kind of rugged beauty. In many places, the border is literally just barbed wire to keep cattle from crossing, with the occasional concrete pillar marking the line to keep things official.From this bluff along Black Gap Road, we looked out across the Rio Grande toward the Sierra del Carmen mountains in Mexico. From here, you can clearly see the “La N notch,” part of the deep gorge carved by the river over centuries. The sun was setting in front of us, casting the scene in the coveted “golden hour” sun. We’ve thought of this view often since— partly because it was a bit amusing to watch a lone cow munching trees on the far bank in Mexico, clearly unconcerned about the international border standoff with the United States!Whoops. The Black Gap 4×4 Trail bit Rubi on the step. Consider this our official reminder that this trail’s clearance matters, and that maybe, just maybe, we should’ve pulled those off for the trail. Fortunately, the design of these steps means they’re made to give way and can be replaced easily with just four bolts. The problem? When they’re off, Barb requires her “Pretty Pretty Princess” ladder to get into the Jeep!
