The Mighty Five: Day 3

The trip from Grand Junction to Moab took about two hours, allowing us to arrive at the Moab KOA, get checked in and completely set up by early afternoon. We then made our way to the first of our Mighty 5: Arches National Park, home to the densest concentration of natural stone arches on Earth.…

The Mighty 5: Day 2

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…

August in Austin

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…

Presenting Cloud 9, 2.0

At long last, we took possession of Cloud 9, more than six months after we brought the rig to A&P Vintage Trailer Works in Paradise, Texas. Followers may recall that we took the Airstream to Ann Flanagan and Paul Mayeux for a washer/dryer installation and dinette modification. By the time we picked it up, we had…

After the Thaw

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,…

Our Next Big Adventure

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,…

Cloud 9, 2.0

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…

Chihuahuan Adventure, Day 5

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…

Chihuahuan Adventure, Day 4

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…

Chihuahuan Adventure, Day 3

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…