The longest leg of our trip started an hour late and extended another hour because of delays, turning a nine-hour drive into an 11-hour marathon. But we enjoyed spectacular views along the way, as well as long periods of silence thanks to spotty cell service (which affected our Amazon Music stream) and losing ourselves in…
We began our Mighty 5 adventure with an overnight stay at Amarillo Ranch RV Park, a stone’s throw from The Big Texan Steak Ranch and Brewery, a kitschy Route 66 landmark saloon-style steakhouse that offers patrons a 72-ounce steak challenge. If you consume an entire meal in one hour, the $72 meal is on the…
Most folks with any knowledge of Texas weather wouldn’t dream of traveling to Austin in the middle of August for a camp-out, even under the towering trees at Pecan Grove RV Park. But Cliff’s attendance at a work-related conference necessitated a three-day stay, so wE decided to make a week of it. Doing so gave…
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,…
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…
