Rio Grande Crossing Ride
from Texas into Old Mexico
Mountainous, rugged, sparsely populated, this is the northern most reach of the Great Chihuahua desert.  Sweeping vistas dare the eye at every turn.  Wildly colored canyons bisect a land where water is life.  And on the wind over it all... the sound of a Spanish guitar.
An adventure week from Texas into "Old Mexico". The first two nights are at the cozy B&B in the ghost town of Terlingua. After a long day ride along Bend National Park on day two you cross the Rio Grande by boat and enter "Old Mexico". You will ride through remote, rural, and authentic Mexico.  Experience the unique charm of communities and farming ejidos in a part of the world only lightly brushed by the 20th century. View very well preserved pictographs and metates at and archaic Indian site. Ride the ancient La Mora Trail, see archaic Indian sites, the ruins of the La Mora Ranch, and ride above the Santa Elena Canyon, or through the cobblestone streets into San Carlos. The Big Bend of Texas and its neighboring terrain to the south in Old Mexico is a truly dramatic landscape.  Last night is back at the B&B in Texas.

IRTX01
Rates include all meals, 3 nights at unique B&B’s and hotels steeped in lore, 1 night camping under the stars, and 3 nights at La Gloria’s B&B in Mexico.
8 days/ 7 nights  $ 1,875   Single +$ 225
2008 Dates:  
01/13-01/20    02/10-02/17    03/20-03/27
10/12-10/19    10/29-11/05*  12/07-12/14
12/28-01/04
* "Day of the Dead"
Gratuities:  15% to be paid locally
Meeting:  Terlingua
Airport:     Midland/Odessa or El Paso
Transfer:   $210 per person (min 2)
Horses:      Quarter Cross
Tack:         Western
Pace:         Moderate with nice trots and few canters, 4 to 6 hours of riding daily
Level:        Good novice to intermediate
Min/Max:  2-10 riders
Note: The 5 days/ 4 nights of riding in Mexico only are $995 ($1150 during holidays). This option starts in the morning of Day 3 and ends in the afternoon of Day 7.

Itinerary
Day 1:  Arrive late afternoon and check into the B&B near Terlingua. Meet with your guide and enjoy a nice dinner and a stroll through the ghost town before a good night sleep..
Day 2:  Enjoy a continental breakfast at your B&B before your guide arrives to get you mounted up and out on our Texas trails.  An all day ride and picnic lunch are a preview of what you will be seeing on your ride through Mexico, more than enough to whet your appetite for the adventure tomorrow will bring.  Depending on the lodging facility in which you will be staying, dinner will either be served family-style at the B&B or out on the town, ghost town to be exact!
Day 3:  After a good night’s rest, we’ll round you up and head for the border.  Only a stone’s throw away at most points, what seems to be a short boat ride across the Rio Grande, is in fact a giant step into a totally different culture.  You’ll meet your trusty mounts and get on the trails soon thereafter.  Throughout the trip, you may encounter vaqueros, goat herders and even those who still make their way in the world by gathering candelilla and selling the wax the plant makes naturally.  Most will go about their business on burros or horseback as if our presence is merely a mirage.  The route taken on this day will be up Los Mongos Creek, past deep tinajas, pictographs and metates show us that we have stepped back in time, not just a border.  Tonight’s camp will be at a small rock house on Milagro Creek.  As the sunset fades away, take time to enjoy the stars that seem to blanket the sky.
Day 4: After a hearty breakfast, we will ride the ancient La Mora trail into San Carlos. Lunch finds us relaxing against the dry stacked rock walls of the La Mora Ranch. Here the roots of the giant Cottonwood trees form a damn for the water that is the lifeblood of this hard desert country. Centuries of hoof beats have etched a rut across solid rock on the trail we ride toward San Carlos. As evening approaches, we ride down the cobblestone streets of this 300 year old community. Spaniards, Comanche, revolutionaries, and the occasional desperado (outlaw Déjà vu anyone) have all passed here. After a long day in the saddle, Gloria’s Bed and Breakfast is a welcoming oasis of modern comforts. Beautifully appointed rooms, sparkling white baths, terraced gardens, and a veranda overlooking San Carlos Creek – this is definitely not roughing it!
Day 5: Our pace today is more leisurely. In the morning we will take a short hike up into San Carlos Canyon. Warm water springs line the walls of this magnificent canyon creating a greenhouse effect that produces lush vegetation year round. Hanging fern grottos, deep limestone pools, and soaring ocher colored rock walls combine to make this a magical place. The afternoon can be given to relaxation on Gloria’s wonderful patio or riding to another series of waterfalls in yet another canyon. Later, we rejoin Gloria for more of her fabulous cooking. The cuisine is authentic Northern Mexico dishes made from homegrown ingredients. Sabroso!
Day 6: Saddle up today for a very special journey back through history as we ride to the ruins of La Mina Grande - “The Great mine”. Our route takes us up through the magnificent San Carlos canyon. Turning, we follow a narrow trail as it winds its way up a twisting side canyon – not a ride for the faint of heart! Just when you are sure your guide must have made a wrong turn, you top the ridge and…..La Mina Grande. This community was once home to 4,000 people, now only the shells of the houses, churches, and theaters remain. Situated in a narrow canyon, the ruins climb the walls above you on either side; this is our “Frontera” version of Mesa Verde! Relaxing over another scrumptious saddle bag lunch, we can ponder the ephemeral nature of mans grand schemes. Of the dreams, only dust and wind remain. Afternoon finds us retracing our steps back toward the beckoning comfort of La Glorias gracious casa.
Day 7: Saddle up once more for a journey back through history as we ride along the cobblestone streets of San Carlos.  This small community has been in existence over 300 years.  From Spaniards to Comanche, revolutionaries to desperadoes...they have all traveled the same route you walk.  The echoes of their hoof-beats are almost loud enough to hear as you leave the past behind and take a route that leads up and over San Carlos Mountain.  The 100 mile vistas from the pass are dramatic to say the least!  After lunch at Rancho Milagro (which has quite a colorful past as well!), a nice slow winding pace is the perfect end to a perfect trip.  Enjoy one last dinner together before stepping back into “the real world” to spend your final night in Texas.
Day 8: Departure

subject to change

  General Info