We departed on our Desert Southwest Adventure eight minutes beyond our target time of 10 a.m., a time we set to avoid the metroplex morning traffic. Despite our efforts, the first 45 minutes of driving proved daunting, as Jon white-knuckled us beyond Weatherford. We eventually settled into our 5-hour journey to the Lubbock KOA, a…
We spent some time this weekend preparing for our Desert Southwest adventure, which starts at the end of the week when we head to Lubbock for an overnight stay en route to our first destination, New Mexico’s White Sands National Park. From there, we’ll travel to Saguaro National Park in Arizona, and then we’ll visit…
To help mitigate the oppressive heat, we opted for the Lakeview Camping Area of Cedar Hill State Park. The road that intersects the G loop has a number of campsites that are situated beneath tall trees, offering a shady respite from the summer sun. We were unaware that it was also the only camping loop…
When Jon began his journalism career at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he wrote a headline for a wire story from Afghanistan that prompted a summons to the editor’s office. As a copy editor, he had studied the story carefully so he could craft a compelling headline that would use unconventional language to convince the reader…
While out walking with the dogs this weekend, we passed an Avion travel trailer, considered a “second cousin” to the Airstream in terms of its design. The owners had displayed a U.S. flag alongside an “All Aboard the Trump Train” flag. Of course, the Trump flag prompted conversation in our “circle of trust” about former…
We headed out for our weekender on the hottest day of the year, fully aware that the summer swelter would likely keep us inside most of the time. But there’s something to be said for getting away from the place where we live and work, even if the heat prevents us from outdoor pursuits. Now…
We’ve met all types of people while camping. Some are folks we wouldn’t associate with under any other circumstances, but love of the outdoors and the desire for adventure can create strange bedfellows. In these politically polarized times, when our differences are even more pronounced, many campers go to great lengths to make sure everyone…
A sure sign that Jon works too much is his accumulation of vacation time. With more than 40 days available, he decided to take Fridays and Mondays off through September. That meant we could arrive at the campsite earlier on Friday and stay into the evening on Monday, allowing us to enjoy an extra meal…
This weekend’s campsite was new to us, although we had scouted it several weeks before. We selected it because we appreciated its seclusion, with heavy forestation that reminded us of Loyd Park. We arrived at the site around 4 p.m., but it took nearly a half-hour and three attempts before we were able to get…
We started our July Fourth weekend a day early, arriving at camp on Thursday after work. With temperatures in the mid-90s, it took a couple of hours to cool Cloud 9 to a comfortable 80 degrees, and then it wasn’t long before Chef Cliff served an indoor picnic of grilled chicken, macaroni and cheese, and…
