All Days
Day 8 Friday, February 6 Sonoran Sunset
Big Bend NP Tucson, AZ

Hwy 170. Marfa. El Paso. Tucson. Carne seca.

619 miles
9 hr driving
7 stops
3 meals
Big Bend NP → Tucson, AZ
15 photos

Breakfast burrito at Espresso y Poco Mas — good send-off from Terlingua. Then Highway 170 out of the park, following the Rio Grande through canyon country: river below, rock walls close, no guardrail. Best driving of the whole trip. A Presidio County Sheriff pulled us over on the empty highway. Warning and a laugh. Back on the road.

Through a border check stop, then north to Marfa. Coffee and a trip to the post office — sent some mail. Then out to I-10 and the long run west: El Paso, across the New Mexico line, Las Cruces, and finally into Arizona as the sun dropped.

Tucson at 7. I talked dad into El Chorro — the original, since 1922, packed on a Friday night. Good to stand still somewhere after 619 miles. Had the carne seca.

  • Espresso y Poco Mas — breakfast burrito, Terlingua send-off
  • Hwy 170 — Rio Grande below, no guardrail
  • Presidio County Sheriff — warning and a laugh
  • Border check stop
  • Marfa — coffee and sent some mail
  • I-10 west: El Paso · Las Cruces · Tucson
  • El Chorro since 1922 — talked dad into it
  • Carne seca. Packed house. Good to stand still.
  • Highway 170 Scenic Byway

    Rio Grande canyon road. No guardrail.

  • Presidio County Sheriff

    Warning and a laugh. Moving again.

  • Border check stop

    Routine crossing on the way out of the Big Bend corridor

  • Marfa, TX

    Coffee. Post office. Sent some mail.

  • El Paso, TX

    I-10 west begins

  • Las Cruces, NM

    Crossing into New Mexico briefly

  • El Chorro, Tucson

    Since 1922. Talked dad into it. Right call.

Breakfast
Espresso y Poco Mas Breakfast burrito. Good send-off from Terlingua.
Snack
Marfa, TX Coffee and a post office stop
Dinner
El Chorro Since 1922. Packed. Carne seca. Worth the convincing.
Best Western Gold Poppy Inn