Away with Rae
Revival of a Blog: Previous Memoirs
Away with Rae
So here we are again, three years later.
What happened? Life, all of its pushes and pulls.
It brought me to the Northeast and that is where I will begin.
Rae
I love Marfa, Texas
25-26 August 2017
I wish I had spent one more day in this adorable town! I had an AirBNB here, but spent very little time in town, since I made the trip to Big Bend for a whole day. However small the town is, I would consider returning to Texas just to visit Marfa again.
The town is small, but alive. I was impressed by how many people were out walking together. Some were probably passerbys, but many were locals. Families, couples, groups coming from church or morning breakfast, I didn’t know any of them, but I wanted to, they made small town life look good.
A popular stop is Marfas Lights Viewing Area, which is outside of town under a wide open sky. I stopped there late on my return from Big Bend. Essentially, the lights you see are a mystery. They are not from airplanes, cars, towers, etc.
Back in 1883, a cowboy saw these lights and thought maybe they were from Apache campfires. I saw a red, blue, and white light. I’ll admit it was beyond bizarre to know the source is unsolved, because they periodically pop up in the same locations in the lower night sky.
Some suspect aliens, which gave me an intriguing thought. Maybe every night the aliens watch us watching them and maybe on their side they wonder why we keep going back to that spot to look at them.
The centerpiece of the town is the Presidio County courthouse. It was beautiful!
All the buildings had this old town, darling appearance.
I saw a lot of appealing, antique automobiles and hot rods.
I even loved their minimalist-looking water tower. I read they have some yummy small town eats, treats, and coffee, but I did not have time to dine. I had also looked into touring their dairy farm. It is a working farm, so they only give tours on Saturdays, plan accordingly.
Rae
Big Bend National Park
25-August-2017
I have seen mountains and canyons, but Big Bend was different. I am amazed that nature can still amaze me.
The entrance fee is $25, but on this day it was free. I was lucky enough to visit on National Park Service Founder’s Day. Dogs are not allowed on trails, so I did my sightseeing via car and many stops. It was well worth it.
In the park flow two rivers, the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. There are many opportunities to view and hear both. As I mentioned in a previous blog, the rivers pour life into the desert. You will see so much greenery on the river banks.
Xena enjoyed the overlooks as much as I did. Though I will say, I tend to perceive scenery more with my eyes and Xena with her nose. This was a scenario when she heard the water and wanted to see the source of the sound. She loves to swim, but these rivers have such a strong current.
Along this drive, I saw many jack rabbits and roadrunners. I saw one coyote slink across the road. No, the coyote still hasn’t caught the roadrunner. There were several deer as well and for my first time ever, a small buck leaped across the road ahead of my car. This is why I recommend enjoying your drive and taking it slow.
Pictured above are the Chisos Mountains, which were formed by volcanoes and 1800 degree lava. The lowest point near the middle is called The Basin. The high peak on the right is the Ward Mountain and to the left is Vernon Bailey Peak.
It may be hard to see in the picture, but in front of the mountain are dikes. They are much lower to the ground and are created by magma chambers.
Pictured above are Mule’s Ears. They are a part of the Chisos Mountains.
Above you can get a glimpse of the Chihuahua Desert. Annually, it rains about 9.3 inches and yet the desert still sustains life.
Here is a beautiful, flowery desert plant. This plant is commonly known as candelilla or wax plant. The wax was once harvested to treat STDs in Mexico, but now the wax is used in cosmetics.
Lastly, I bring you to Mexico. Here are the Sierra del Carmen Mountains and Boquillas Canyon. You can hardly see the canyon entrance this far away as it is very small.
Here is a port of entry, you can go to the little Boquillas town in Mexico by canoe. In the picture above, you can see across the river a break in the greenery and there sits the canoe. In the upper right portion is a little bit of the town. I did not cross with Xena, but this border crossing point came to mind when I exited the park and went through customs and border protection. Be prepared to be stopped by border guards and their K9s. That is an experience in itself.
A couple tips, I saw one gas station within the park, but I am not sure if it works. Be sure to fill your tank whenever you can. I drove from Marfa to Big Bend to Marathon all on one tank and I drove the entire National Park. I went in every direction, so you should be fine if you fill up before arrival. Be sure to have extra water and snacks, I saw none of this in the Park. All the visitor center shops were closed when I was there.
Rae
FM 170 – Terlingua Ghostown
25-August-2017
On the way to Big Bend National Park, I made one more quick stop at a Ghost Town. This historic little town was once a hot spot for mining cinnabar, a mercury sulfide. After World War 2, the town was abandoned.

As you can see on the welcome sign, the Ghostown is the birthplace of chili cookoffs. The world’s very first chili cookoff took place here in 1967.
I loved the abandoned vehicles throughout the Ghostown.
This olde theatre is now a restaurant & bar. Unfortunately, since I had my dog I did not have the chance to grab lunch here. I wonder if they serve chili.
I am curious if this tepee is for decor, lived in, or a glampsite.
An authentic adobe home.
I should also note the existence of another Ghostown on FM170. The Rio Grande Ghostown in Lajitas. This town had a beautiful desert Golf Resort.
The Rio Grande Ghostown from a distance. I recommend this destination to golfing enthusiasts.
Rae
FM 170 – Closed Canyon Trail
25-August-2017
After Hoodoos Balancing Rock, you will come across Closed Canyon Trail. This was my favorite, because it takes you smack dab between two canyons!
Before hitting the trail, read the sign for some warnings. Lo and behold, you could run into a mountain lion or black bear. Instead, I saw only some lizards and a bird flying above the canyon gap. The creature was making a call that echoed between the canyons.
I am sure someone can identify him from this picture. I assumed either a hawk or falcon, but I am not bird savvy.
The canyon gap had puddles of water from some rain that had passed by. It trickled from one puddle to the next. A cool breeze blew through and none of these rocks were hot. It was tranquil. The only sound was the bird call.
I let Xena into one of the bigger puddles to cool off. Admittedly, I was a little worried about something being in the water, but I let her live her life.
The trail is one way and not very long, but so astonishing. Closed Canyon Trail was my favorite. As you may know, Big Bend National Park does not allow dogs on the trails, so Hoodoos and Canyon Trail were our hiking adventures.
Rae
FM 170 – Hoodoos Balancing Rock Trail
25-August-2017
As Hurricane Harvey threatens the coast of Texas, I left San Antonio just before the tropical storms hit. My first adventure was Big Bend National Park. My departure point was from Marfa, Texas. I took FM 170, which I once read was named by National Geographic as the most scenic drive in the U.S.
I made two stops to hike with my dog named Xena on this route. The first is Hoodoos-Balancing Rock Trail. The view even from the parking area is magnificent. The Colorado River roars, the mountains have rays of sunlight bouncing off them creating colorful splashes of light and shadow, and the big rocks at the bottom balance gracefully.
The trail splits, one goes up and the other goes down. We hiked both. I would like to point out that it had just hit about 88 degrees when we arrived. I felt the rocks, throughout the hike, with my palm to make sure it was not too hot for my dog’s paws. They were just warm, but if you bring your dog and it is hotter be aware that without doggy boots, the ground may hurt your dog’s paws.
Taking the trail down, we got a close up with the balancing rocks and Colorado River. You will noticed how much greener it is near the water. The River pours life into the desert, it’s miraculous!
View of the mountains from the bottom, pictures really do not do it justice.
The rivers running through Big Bend are the life force.
This rock provided us some shade around the side.
From the overlook trail, you get this spectacular view. Even high up, you can still clearly hear the Colorado River working its magic.
Rae
Mai Tai at Tiffanys
Of course, I had to stop at Tiffany & Co on Oahu! When I was in high school, I watched Breakfast at Tiffanys and fell in love. The first time I went to New York City I went to the shop (the picture below is not from my first NYC visit). I had saved up some money to get something relatively inexpensive there as a forever keepsake.
I picked out their Sterling silver charm bracelet with a heart charm. I had this charm engraved with NY. Several years later I went to Chicago for the second time and decided to buy the four leaf clover with IL engraved on it.
Years after that, I am in Carmel, California and stumble upon my favorite jewelry shop. I added a sand bucket and shovel charm engraved with CA. Now to the present year, I was in Hawaii.
I walked into the shop and was immediately impressed with their customer service. I took out my bracelet, handed it to the lady, and she lit up like a Christmas tree. Apparently, the sand bucket had not been in Hawaii for 20 years and had eventually been discontinued. It was really exciting to have all the employees hawking at my bracelet as she called them over to look.
I bought a charm that reads “Aloha”, no engraving necessary. I delight in this bracelet as it beholds some of my fondest travel memories. It’s definitely about the experience and brand for me. I love Tiffanys!
Rae
A Little Bit of Island Bluegrass
Being a Kentucky girl, a top priority was to go horseback riding on a beach while visiting Oahu. I did some googling and found the Hawaii Polo Trail Rides on the North Shore. I signed up for the Sunset Ride ($98 not including tip).
I thought the site was beautiful. As you might suspect, besides offering trail rides, they also have a polo club. Most of their trail horses are also athletes in the sport, and some are retired from polo.
Part of what made my trail ride so special was learning about how expensive it is to have horses in Hawaii. Horses and grains are not native to the island, so they are shipped over. Acquiring a horse and then caring for it are both costly. The guide told me that all the horses’ food is shipped over from the mainland.
The trail ride itself is what I imagined. Amazing scenery, cool breezes, and a magnificent sunset to bring the ride to an end. My horse was Hoagie, and he has my personal recommendation. He was a good boy, sweet, and obedient. The horse ahead of us, in the picture below, was also sweet, but always tempted by the grass and shrubbery. He made a couple snack stops along the way.
If you are an experienced rider and want something more fast paced, you can pay to trot/gallop a horse around their big polo field. They also offer sunshine rides and private rides. Mahalo!
Rae
The Love of My (Shaved) Ice
I traveled to Hawaii in June and hope to write a series of short blogs about this journey.
My first Hawaii blog stop is Matsumoto Shave Ice on the North Shore (Haleiwa). If this isn’t the most delicious shaved ice I have ever had, then I will eat my blog.
The deal is you can choose three shaved ice flavors, they have a wide variety, and even offer pre-chosen flavor combos to help out the indecisive. You can just get the shaved ice or you can have it on top of vanilla ice cream. They offer unique toppings, such as azuki beans and the largest mochi balls I have ever seen.
Expect a long line, but coming from someone who has never understood the shaved ice craze, this wait is worthwhile.
For reference, Matsumoto was established in 1951. If you visit some nearby shops on the North Shore, you will find them selling some nostalgic black and white photos of Matsumoto decades ago.
I ordered the Tropical shaved ice (papaya, lilikoi aka passionfruit, and guava) over ice cream and topped by the tongue pleasing mochi balls.
Rae
Eclipse Milestone
It is nearly time for me to start a wild west road trip, but first…
Today was my last day on the job with the Air Force. My teammates had a going away luncheon for me and I spent the day saying goodbye to friends. Walking out of the building I got in some final hugs.
When I stepped into the sun around 1300, there were huddles of people scattered outside looking at shadows on the sidewalk. People had created their own means to see the eclipse using pieces of paper. This is how I was taught to see an eclipse, not with special glasses. It was surreal walking away from a six year chapter of my life while this spectacular phenomenon was taking place.
The August 21, 2017 Eclipse marks a sort of alpha and omega milestone of my life. One that I will never forget. As I say goodbye to the Air Force, I say hello to a new freedom, the unknown, and endless possibilities for adventure.
Rae
The Birth of a Blog
Talk about a delayed start. After all these years, I have never written a blog. Here I begin, thanks to the suggestion of a friend.
I presume to write about traveling, and adventures I experience. Perhaps, I will be helpful & offer insight or inspire others to embark upon these adventures. Possibly, this won’t amount to more than personal documentation of my memories.
I am Rae. Come away with me.
Rae
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