4-day itinerary for car-tour of BiBe with mid-70s non-hikers?

[trtlrock]

This February I’ll be introducing my parents to BiBe with a 4-5 day trip.

They are in their mid-70s, and not particularly active or outdoorsy, so I’m trying to devise an itinerary that is high on viewpoints & roadside exhibits, and maybe sneak in some easy-peasy ‘hikes’ here & there. I should stress that they are probably fit enough to do all the little hikes I've listed, but...they won't be reflexively inclined to do it -- being city-folk and all. In other words, if I go slow & gentle -- they'll probably warm to it & love it. If I overplay my hand with any of these little hikes, then the rest might be ruled out. 

Also, no dicey roads. So no Black Gap, no River Rd, no Old Ore, etc.

Not much daylight to work with, and I don’t want to overbook things…can’t have any petulant parents!

Let’s assume they’re based in Study Butte.

What do you think of this 4-day plan?

Day-A:

•   Head down Old Maverick, stop & climb up the bank a bit near Tule Mtn to get the Ansel Adams view & Alamo Creek overlook
•   Luna’s jacal
•   Do the Santa Elena Canyon trail, if they’re up for the climb. If not, then just wander/wade to the Rio Grande/Terlingua Ck mouth and get that view
•   Lunch at Castolon
•   Overlooks at Tuff Canyon
•   Stop near the moonscape mini-volcanic-neck area
•   Mule Ears Viewpoint? (I haven’t actually hiked this little trail in some time. Is it too strenuous for reasonably fit mid-70s to get up top to the overlook?
•   Stop at Burro Mesa turnoff, but don’t hike to the pouroff – too much soft gravel.
•   View Homer Wilson Ranch from above at the road
•   Sunset at Sotol Vista

Day-B:

•   Park & hike to Swirl. I’ve done this a couple of times, and I think it’s short enough & level enough to give them a teensy bit of ‘crosscountry’ Bibe hiking. This is probably as long & difficult a ’hike’ as I can sell them on.
•   Hit a couple of roadside exhibits on the way to PJ
•   PJ rest stop
•   10-15 minutes at Dugout Wells
•   Rio Grande Overlook
•   Lunch at RGV
•   Hit a couple of roadside exhibits on the way to Pine Canyon Rd turnoff
•   Drive to Twisted Shoe & back (via Nugent/PC), with a few stops for views enroute.

Day-C:

•   Hit a couple of roadside exhibits on the way to the Basin
•   Drive out & back Grapevine Hills Rd
•   Up to the Basin, and do the Window View Trail (not the Window Trail)
•   Big question – I’ve never done Lost Mine Trail. Is the 1st mile to the Juniper Canyon overlook level at all? Mixed level & gentle ascent? Steady non-stop gentle ascent? How long do you think it would take to go out to this overlook & come back (imagine a pretty slowwww hiking pace)? I’m pretty sure this will be too strenuous; if not, it will really be too long, so it’s probably not an option…
•   Lunch at the Basin
•   Impromptu wander-round near Exhibit Ridge, Fossil Bone Exhibit & Tornillo creekbed; maybe ½-hr, nothing strenuous
•   Drive N up as far as Dog Canyon
•   Drive S and do the Dagger Flat Auto Trail

Day-D:

•   Wander around Indian Head, having parked as close as legally possible to lessen the walk
•   Drive out to our 20 acres near the Solitario and wander around, including a bit down in Saltgrass Draw. Hopefully the roads will be passable. This r/t w/wander is probably 2-2.5 hours, so maybe a picnic lunch, or…
•   …lunch at Lajitas
•   Then wander Terlingua before dinner at the Starlight.


Thoughts? Any low-hanging fruit I’ve missed?

[Al]

Based on what you have told us Lost Mike Trail might be a bit much but then again you will have warmed them up and they will hopefully be motivated.  When driving down OMR I would swing them by Terlingua Abajo.  It's a cool drive and unique place.

Al

[mule ears]

Down the Hot Springs road to wander around the buildings and maybe down the path to see the pictographs?

Ernst Tinaja is flat, short and easy but still too gravelly?

You can certainly see the Mule Ears well from the drive up over look.  The trail out is a bit rocky but firm.

Al always says the River road, from the east, into Mariscal Mine is usually in good condition and you could view the mine from a short distance and get that southern view of the mountains.

[Owl]

Maybe also swing by the Stillwell store to chat with Nan & visit Hallie's museum. 

Prior to the trip, perhaps they'd like to read Hallie Stillwell's "I'll Gather My Geese" and "My Goose is Cooked" plus Patricia Wilson Clothier's "Beneath the Window" for some historical perspective on some of the places you'll visit.

[Hoodoo]

Thoughts? Any low-hanging fruit I’ve missed?

Looks like you have a pretty full itinerary already.

A drive along the river road (FM 170) from Lajitas to Presidio for lunch at El Patio might qualify for some low hanging fruit.

Don