After a surprisingly crowded, noisy July Fourth weekend, we’re finally able to enjoy some peace and quiet along the eastern shore of Joe Pool Lake at Cedar Hill State Park. When we arrived on Thursday afternoon, we had no idea what was in store. Campsites were limited to only a few, so Cliff arrived early…
Friday has always been “Date Night” in the Garinn household, usually with grilled steaks, great wine and a late night walk hand-in-hand. Several months ago, we decided to add another dimension to our Fridays: fresh flowers. It began with Jon stopping at the grocery store on his way home from work to pick up a…
We’re planning a trip to our favorite backyard state park for the July Fourth weekend, taking Friday and Monday off work to extend our celebration over four days. The Fourth of July has special meaning for us. It’s the day that we officially designate as our first date. Although we met a month before, it…
Finally, we’re taking the Airstream for a long-needed bath! It’s been stored since our return from Yosemite in May. Although we’ve made several visits to restock, remodel and replenish, we haven’t been able to tend to the bugs and tar and grime from our nearly 3,000-mile adventure. So we’re taking it to our favorite backyard…
This weekend, we drilled holes. They were the first real physical modifications to our Airstream. We had done some earlier “soft” modifications, consisting primarily of replacing a curtain and hanging a wall clock. But this was the first time that we actually made a physical modification to our Airstream’s structure. And, we’re happy to report,…
We’ve been storing our Airstream at a facility near our home. We’re pleased that it’s well maintained, secure and convenient. But it lacks a covering, meaning our Airstream is exposed to damaging ultraviolet rays. Thus it was, with some reluctance, that we decided to relocate to a nearby facility that has covered storage. We’ll be…
Halfway to Yosemite, we decided to take a side trip to the Grand Canyon. In a word, the canyon is spectacular. We had both seen it on previous visits, but the effect was the same: overwhelming. We brought Baxter and Ranger along for the experience, and they quickly became “celebridogs.” Some Aussies even asked to…
Although we saw Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome on our first visit to the valley, we didn’t really appreciate its grandeur until we trekked to Glacier Point. Arriving at the point, we were quickly overwhelmed by Half Dome’s immediacy and enormity. The imposing granite crest was offset by a cloud-filled blue sky above a carpet of…
Our first full day in Yosemite Valley brought with it the disappointment of overcast skies and low-hanging clouds, which had the unexpected benefit of creating an almost mystical appearance to some of the park’s most iconic rock formations, including El Capitan, Sentinel Rock and Half Dome. However, a quick hike near Bridalveil Fall and Cathedral…
After setting up the Airstream at our Oakhurst site, we immediately headed to Yosemite, undaunted by the cool weather and light rain. First stop, the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, located at the southern-most entrance to the park. The grove has more than 500 mature trees–among the largest and oldest living organisms on Earth. Some…
Garinns on the Go 