So last fall, I regaled you with tales from our last trip to Big Bend National Park and surrounding small towns. (Background: Hubs and I got married there 11 years ago and return each year for ((sans children)) for a week of camping and roaming and hiking.)

I started off last October with the first tale, which focused on our pet skunk. Ever showered with a skunk? I have.

And then I followed up with this post and this one and this one.

And then I got distracted by all sorts of other goings-on and never finished.

So.

Having left Big Bend, Hubs and I next headed to Chinati Hot Springs, recommended to us by former Democrat-Gazette executive editor Griffin Smith, who also has a fondness for the Big Bend area.

Getting there involved a lengthy — but absolutely breath-taking — drive.

Upon arrival, we unloaded our gear in our one-room cottage, which boasted a fenced-in outdoor tub fed by natural hot springs.

After days of hiking, I couldn’t wait to get in. Before trying out our own tub, however, Hubs and I decided to venture into one of several public tubs. We settled on this pretty spot:

Periodically, we’d look behind us, up on that bluff in the background, and see a herd of wild burros.

After a long soak, we sat outside for awhile on a roomy swing, drinking wine and laughing over our most recent adventures, i.e. a 12-mile hike that included a thunderstorm while we were on top of a mountain.

Next, we headed to the large, communal kitchen, where Hubs whipped up a marinade for the steaks we’d brought.

That night, a large, extended family from New Mexico arrived. We ended up sharing the picnic tables outside and therefore got to indulge in their homemade salsa and tortillas.

The next morning, I finally got to try out our private tub.

Here’s a photo montage from Chinati Springs’ website:

After a relaxing stay here, we headed next to Terlingua, home to the chili cookoff, great bars and … scorpions.