We returned to Cloud 9 after a winter cold snap plunged North Texas temperatures well below freezing for several days. Although we took precautions to ensure our rig survived a temporary dip below freezing, we failed to do the winterizing necessary to get through sustained temperatures in the teens. And so, with busted water lines,…
We’re finalizing plans for our next big adventure, to Utah’s Mighty 5: Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. We’ve set aside 10 days at the end of May to take in southern Utah’s spectacular quintet. We’ll leave Dallas to overnight at Raton, New Mexico. From there, we’ll head to Grand Junction,…
Behold, Cloud 9, 2.0! In two weeks, we’ll tow our second home to Paradise, Texas, to the workshop of our fellow HOTC’ers at A&P Vintage Trailer Works, to get a washer/dryer installed and to reconfigure our lounge. Paul Mayeux, co-owner with his partner Ann Flanagan, is taking on this major modification that we hope will…
OK, we’ll admit, it’s still too early to post a Christmas blog. After all, eight shopping days remain. We both have an entire work week ahead of us. And there are still plenty of things to do, including buying the duck for our holiday feast. But we’ve already set up camp at our beloved Loyd…
We spent our week in the Chihuahuan Desert, one of the four great deserts in North America (the others are Sonoran Desert, Mohave Desert and Great Basin Desert). While much of our time was devoted to exploring Carlsbad Caverns and the Guadalupe Mountains, the surrounding landscape provided spectacular beauty. Numerous plants and animals call this…
Thanksgiving Day in the Chihuahuan Desert meant mild temperatures, clear skies, and a relatively peaceful campground. The day began with getting a glimpse of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, followed by phone calls to Jon’s mom and Cliff’s stepdad. Soon, Chef Cliff served brunch and then began preparing for the feast. We began the day…
After spending the first two days above ground, we ventured beneath the surface at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It sounds banal, but the only word to adequately describe the caverns is, well, cavernous. The system of more than 119 limestone caves was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural…
Our second day in the Chihuahuan Desert included a hike to McKittrick Canyon, a route that began at the interpretive center and rounded a small hillside before crossing a big, rocky wash that exposed the canyon’s geology. The canyon is named after Captain Felix McKittrick, a rancher who settled at the mouth of the canyon…
Our adventure into the Chihuahuan Desert began with a drive-by of El Capitan and Guadalupe Peak, the most distinguishable and highest points in Texas. El Capitan is the southern-most peak of the Guadalupe escarpment, an ancient limestone reef that forms the present-day Guadalupe Mountains. These mountains are an exposed portion of the Capitan Reef Barrier, a 350-mile long reef made up…
After a three-week hiatus, we hitched up Cloud 9 and headed to our favorite backyard park for a weekender. Throughout our stay, we longed for a little peace and quiet — the kind that amplifies the crackle of a campfire or the whir of the wind. Finally, on Sunday afternoon, we found our moment of…
We received an invitation to attend the first AluminumPride rally at Jim Hogg Park on Lake Georgetown and thought it sounded intriguing. After all, it came from a straight friend and his wife — a couple we met two years ago at a gay Airstream rally in Memphis. “We are a friendly and engaging group,…
There was a moment at the wedding reception when it seemed like the mix of emotion and memory left everyone in a state of suspended animation. On stage, Jon’s nephew, Jameson, danced with his mother, Jean, to Billy Joel’s haunting “Lullabye.” Jon’s brother, Jody, was leaning against the frame of a doorway, looking on. Jody’s…
