I flew into Midland, Texas, the closest airport to Big Bend National Park. It's still a good couple of hundred miles away but it's the closest.

The area is buzzing with Border Patrol vehicles. There are major general concerns about illegal immigrants crossing the Rio Grande and coming across the border. 

Dave, another Sierra club participant, picked me up at the airport. The next morning, we visited George W. Bush's childhood home - he actually only spent four years there while he was in elementary school - and the Petroleum Museum.

Things got interesting when we went back to the airport to pick up Hagen, another participant. The flight was late and I started walking around the airport. A guy working for a freight company thought I looked suspicious and called the police. When I walked back to the airport entrance, I was met by two police cars. The officers stopped me and asked me what I was doing - they were really playing bad cop, good cop. I explained that I was waiting for a flight and was walking - on public property on a sidewalk.

"Do you always stop people who walk?" I asked.

"If someone makes a complaint, we have to investigate." The bad cop asked for my driver's license and called it in. While we were waiting, the good copy tried to engage me in friendly chatter and explain their policies. I told them that it was OK. This was just another Texas experience. (Maybe I pushed it a little and could have been considered rude.)

My license came out clean and they let me go. "Thank you for your cooperation," said the bad cop. So if you go to West Texas, watch where you walk. They are really on high alert all the time for suspicious activities, like walking.

Finally, Big Bend National Park. We hiked in three different areas.

The pictures above are from the Lost Mine Trail in the Chisos Mountains (5.8 miles, round trip.) Every plant was new. Above is a sotol, a classic cactus. We hiked up to a view but we had views from the beginning. The land is very open but not barren. The trick is to look at each plant and see how different they are.

More tomorrow.