Big Bend in Bloom
Photographs and stories by Alexa Walker

FOLLOW THE MARIGOLD ROAD
Big Bend National Park, Texas

No, it's not Oz, but Big Bend has its own brand of enchantment, especially in the midst of a riotous spring. Everything was blooming, and the yellows were having their day, at least in a lot of the park. Here, the Desert Marigolds march their way across the sands by the banks of the Rio Grande, upwards towards the cliffs that continue on to form the sides of Boquillas Canyon. I couldn't help but think of the melody from The Wizard of Oz, only there were no yellow bricks, just yellow marigolds.