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…
We spent the weekend with the Heart of Texas Camping Unit enjoying warm breezes off the Brazos River at Cedron Creek Park, an Army Corps of Engineers park located on the east side of Lake Whitney. The park has 65 sites on a tree-shaded hill that overlooks the lake, offering shelter from the warm breezes…
We left our mountain perch near Breckenridge two hours later than expected. We just couldn’t seem drag ourselves away from Tiger Run Resort. But soon we were making hairpin turns through steep mountain passes amid spectacular scenery. Destination: Amarillo, the helium capital of the world. Soon after entering New Mexico we encountered torrential rains that…
Our last full day in the Rockies provided a crisp, clear morning, followed by a warm, sunny afternoon, allowing us to stroll along the Swan River, a 10-mile long tributary of the Blue River. The site where it joins the Blue River, in a narrow valley about five miles from Breckenridge, was previously occupied by…
Garinns on the Go 