After visiting friends in Arizona, we started making our way back to Texas to catch the eclipse. When we attempted to make camping reservations, every place that was in the Path of Totality was completely full. We wound up booking a campsite at the state park in Abilene, Texas, thinking that we could make a daytrip on April 8, to get a better view of the full eclipse. Enroute, we camped at several spots in Arizona, including Homolovi in Winslow,…
Early spring weather in the Southwest is a mixed bag. Days can be brilliantly sunny and warm with clear blue skies. The weather can also turn on a dime and deliver wind, rain, or snow. We spent a week in south Texas, working our way west into New Mexico, and we were quickly reminded how windy it was the last time we were here! In several years of galavanting through Texas, our timing has always been a little off for…
Virginia to Colorado May 2023 Our route for this year’s westward journey began in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Our first night out we stayed in Harrisonburg at Shenandoah Heritage Market, and then continued south on Interstate 81. Near Knoxville, we picked up Interstate 40 and followed it through Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Texas panhandle, to Albuquerque, New Mexico. From there, we went north into Colorado. Although this route was almost beeline direct, and mostly interstate, we tried to sample…
February into March 2023 Cancelling our February AIRbnb reservation left us with an open six-week stretch on our calendar. We had scheduled a Care-A-Vanner commitment in Florida for the last two weeks of March, but we needed a travel plan to bridge the time between then and now. We chose a route out to Rockport, Texas, and a return one that would bring us back to the New Orleans area for Mardi Gras on February 21st, and our Florida commitment…
FLORIDA to TEXAS Late December to early February Northerners imagine that Florida is always sunny and warm. In reality, Florida can have some damp, bone-chilling weather. We spent some very cold days before Christmas at Fort De Soto County Park and Hillsborough River State Park. Wind, rain, cold, and unheated shower houses – not a good combo. Woodsy campsites turn muddy, potholes appear in dirt roads, and hiking trails become a hop-scotch around puddles. All you can do is layer…
Texas to Utah and ColoradoMarch 2022 We left Louisiana and headed west toward central Texas. The areas around San Antonio and Austin have lots of history to explore. Potter’s Creek Corps of Engineers campground on Canyon Lake is a good base for visiting nearby San Antonio missions. The Potter’s Creek campground has lovely views of the lake with places to stroll and some very colorful sunsets. There are several breweries nearby. (Always a good thing.) One afternoon, we drove to…
Early to Mid-April 2021 From Terlingua, Texas, we headed north to Alpine. We stayed near the outskirts of town at Lost Alaskan RV Park. What a switch from the wide open spaces of the desert! Typically, RV Parks that are privately owned aren’t the best for us. They are usually crowded and designed to be big money makers. The more campsites in the park, the more revenue the park can generate. Although this park was super clean and the owners…
Early April 2021 Big Bend National Park is indeed BIG. The park, which encompasses 800,000 acres, is in the southwest corner of Texas, sharing a border with Mexico. It includes canyons, deserts, forested mountains, and the Rio Grande. Figuring out where to start can be challenging. We were really fortunate to find a guide -and new friend – to give us a hand. We had decided that we’d camp outside of the park and make day trips into various areas….
Late March 2021 We wrapped up our visit to Austin with a stay at McKinney Falls State Park. This site is just a stone’s throw from downtown Austin and is a perfect base for area day trips. The park is a gem, with lots of greenery, hiking trails leading to the river and little waterfalls, and well-spaced campsites in the woods. The first day, we explored the park. On the next, we ferried our bikes to the edge of town…
March 2021 With a thank you for sheltering us during the big Texas freeze, we departed Goose Island State Park and headed north to Goliad. While in Goliad, we had a great stroke of luck. For weeks, we’d been trying to schedule Covid 19 vaccinations, with no luck. Then, on one random morning, the CVS website was loaded with open appointments. We both started working our phones and nabbed appointments. We realized that we’d have to stick around the area…