After I left the McDonald Observatory, I proceed to Big Bend National Park which was 130 miles to the south. This fact was not known to me when I left, on the map of Texas, it appears to be a short distance. But I had a worrying problem, I was running low on gas, and I was in West Texas where there is a long distance between towns. So I would pass a few filling stations and they were all closed. Finally, I decided, it was getting serious enough that would have to try a little had, so I pulled into the next one. And low and behold, they were closed, but there pump accepted credit cards, so I was able to fill up. So I proceeded to Big Bend.
I had spent too much time on the journey and the sun was getting low, but I proceeded. FInally, I made it to Terlingua, just outside of the west gate to the park, and drove around trying to find a place to get a fast sandwich. Alas, I was not able to find anything.
So I enter the park at the west gate. There was guard at the entrance collecting fees to enter the park. But it was so late, and I was just passing through, so he let me pass through without paying.
I proceeded on Panther Jct Rd to the Main Park Road, about 24 miles. At which point, I turned north and headed out of the park, a distance of 26 miles. It was getting dark enough, by the time I reached gate leaving the park, that I needed to turn on my head lights.
I proceeded the 100 miles to Fort Stockton. I had been driving for many hours and about 1 hour from the park so I decided to take a break, I found an area where the road crew had cleared the vegetation off and piled some sand. I pulled off and got out of the pickup. The sky was beautiful but it was cold, so I climbed on the hood of the pickup and layed there with my head propped up by the window. It was a perfect position for watching the stars and the warmth of the engine felt real good.
I vowed to return to the Big Bend National Park and McDonald Observatory someday.
About an hour later I climbed off the hood and reluctantly continued to Fort Stockton. I the trip from the park to Fort Stockton, I had only seen a half dozen cars. Early the next morning I continued my trip to Austin, about 350 miles or 6 hours of driving.