Our Thanksgiving visit with Jon’s family began the weekend before Turkey Day, as we readied Cloud 9 for its long road trip. We camped at nearby Cedar Hill State Park, where we enjoyed mild weather ahead of what promised to be an unseasonable cold snap in the St. Louis area. Preparation included checking the tires…
When we cancelled our annual Thanksgiving trip to visit Jon’s family in Illinois, we promised his mom that if we all were vaccinated, we would visit instead on Mother’s Day weekend. We kept our promise. We started our trip to the St. Louis area on Thursday morning, arriving at Joplin, Missouri, our overnight destination, after…
Typically we go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving. Okay, that’s over the Mississippi and through Woodriver, Illinois, to Alton, where Jon’s mom’s apartment is, but you get the idea. Not this year. Taking the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and of Dr. Anthony Fauci,…
We had hoped to spend the day in Taos, but after reviewing New Mexico’s travel restrictions we decided not to go. Individuals traveling to New Mexico from states deemed high-risk based on COVID-positivity rates were required to self-quarantine for 14 days from the date of their entry into New Mexico or for the duration of…
The sixth day of our adventure began with the mundane tasks of responding to emails, blogging, brunching, and then heading into town for groceries and supplies. By the time we set out for Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, it was already mid-afternoon and searingly hot. At more than 750 feet, the dunes are…
As we prepared to leave the Black Canyon area to head towards Great Sand Dunes, we took a few hours to simply relax, read The New York Times, blog, and enjoy brunch. We pulled out of Montrose in the mid-afternoon and began our 185-mile trek to Alamosa, the “gateway” to Great Sand Dunes. Our destination:…
We dedicated the fourth day of our trip to exploring the floor beneath the South Rim of the Black Canyon, including the Gunnison River. We began the day at the Glass Doctor, having our driver’s window replaced and our windshield repaired. Five-hundred dollars later, we decided to get lunch while further supporting the local economy.…
By the third day of our adventure, we finally made our way to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, featuring some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. Our hikes along the rim were limited to the distance from our truck to the overlooks, but the spectacular views were…
The morning after the Great Storm, we emerged to survey the damage to the Amarillo KOA. Many people were walking around doing the same thing, and all were in a state of disbelief. We had survived the equivalent of a category 1 hurricane, with 70- to 80-mph straight-winds and 2-inch hail. The KOA had plenty…
After a nearly two-month camping hiatus, we were finally able to prepare for what we called our Black Canyon, Brown Sands vacation–a visit to Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Great Sand Dunes national parks. We had wanted to visit both parks during our Rocky Mountain Adventure, but there wasn’t enough time. Our Fourth…
Garinns on the Go 