No hiking for us-ideas for older americans making the drive?

We%26#39;d love to drive/see BB Nat%26#39;l and BB Ranch, but we%26#39;re older. Knees can%26#39;t do any hiking.

Best suggestions on taking in the scenery, best drive? other thoughts?

Thank you!

No hiking for us-ideas for older americans making the drive?

I know what you mean about the knees. But you have to walk a least a little to see some of BB%26#39;s best sights. If you%26#39;ve never used hiking poles, try them out. They take a lot of stress off the knees, particularly on downgrades. They were a revelation to me; if I had started using them 15 years ago I probably wouldn%26#39;t be facing a replacement now.

I assume you%26#39;ve explored NPS%26#39;s BB site, but if not here%26#39;s the link to one day activities. It has a few things to do that don%26#39;t require a lot of hiking, including Santa Elena Canyon and Window Rock Trail. nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/what2seeanddo.htm

If you can stay in the park at Chisos Mountains Lodge, you%26#39;ll experience a fine drive and a special place. It isn%26#39;t fancy, but it is memorable.

The Hot Springs are worth a look and don%26#39;t require much walking, as I recall. Nearby Terlingua and Lajitas are also worth a visit if you have time.

No hiking for us-ideas for older americans making the drive?

There are amazing views right on the paved roads going through Big Bend. In many places, we just pulled off on the side of the road and started taking pictures, no hiking required to get impressive shots. There are also a few places that have easy marked paths right off the road to get to a scenic spot or a place where you can read about the area and it%26#39;s no more than a 50 yard walk. We just took the main road in from the North, from Marathon, drove through to the Chisos Basin, had a picnic lunch there, and then drove out through the West entrance/exit on to Terlingua and Lajitas.

We%26#39;re also ';older'; whatever that means and not into hiking and we thoroughly enjoyed Big Bend, staying for a couple of days at Chisos Mountains Lodge, a great place. Maybe check www.nps.gov/bibe Summers can be very hot, so take care if you are visiting that time of year.

If hiking is too hard on your knees, consider a guided boat/canoe trip or guided jeep tour. We took kids on a guided jeep tour with Far Flung Center in Terlingua http://www.farflungoutdoorcenter.com. We would have done guided float trip but they were already booked when we tried to reserve.