Fly into El Paso International Airport and take Interstate 10 east to Van Horn, Texas. From Van Horn, exit onto U.S. 90 southeast toward Marathon. From Marathon, State Highway 2627 takes the visitor to Big Bend National Park.
Continue south on 2627 to Panther Junction and turn west on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to roads end and the Santa Elena crossing.
Park the vehicle and hire the ferryman to cross the Rio Grande. Note that the ferryman is a gentle, aged Mexican and the ferry is a small fishing boat controlled manually by his guide stick. The charge is $2.00 per person round trip and in advance.
Pay the taxi service once in Mexico. This involves 1 to 3 children, between the ages of 6 and 12, greeting the visitor atop a burro. Prices can be haggled at this point. There is a minimal charge, usually $1.00, for photographing the children while on the burro, and an equal charge for riding the burro into town. This also is a round trip charge.
Arrive in town and note the fenced yard containing several goats and free-range chickens and located around a restaurant with an undeterminable name.
Dine at the restaurant. The interior is a makeshift dining room, or an extended living room, and the kitchen is open with a standard stove and a steaming souse chef pot of something delicious cooking. The menu options are extremely limited with chicken as the staple.
Order the chicken enchilada smothered in rich goat cheese, with standard rice, beans and tortilla on the side. It's possibly the best enchilada anywhere.
Visit the small and functional Catholic church. Whether bilingual or not, allow the priest to proudly show his chapel and express his vocation to the rare visitor.
Visit the small school during regular hours and note the genuine respect the pupils have for their professor.
Return to the edge of town and the taxi service, which will return to the ferryman.
Set up camp on the Texas side of the river at Cottonwood Campground. Otherwise, there are three other camping locations at Big Bend.
Dine and lodge at the only facility in Big Bend National Park: The Chisos Mountains Lodge. Reservations are absolutely necessary.
