O'Leno State Park And Bouki’s Bakery
By Robin
We just spent a sweet few days at this quiet old park that lies along the Santa Fe River in north-central Florida. One of the nine original Florida State Parks, it is a pine forested with numerous packed-sand trails great for hiking, biking or running. In the center of the park, next to the river, are the remaining buildings of the town of O’Leno. We chuckled to read the town was originally named Keno (after the gambling game the town was known for), but the US government required a name change to Leno when they applied to have a Post Office. Later people called the town Old Leno…shortened to O’Leno. Similar to Petite Chat…shortened to T’Chat.
Ross ate up the trails every day on his bike and my legs loved the safe, soft terrain through giant saw palmettos along the river. It made us both feel like kids out there! We took evening hikes and learned more about the river, which dives underground within the park (River Sink) and runs in underwater caverns for three miles, then pops out again (River Rise) in another state park down the way. Numerous fresh water springs feed the Santa Fe which in turn emptied into the Suwannee. Florida does a lot of education about protecting this springs as a precious water source.
We enjoyed walking through the adjacent small town of High Springs. We found a pretty good coffee shop called the Talented Cookie Company. I was intrigued by their cookies, but they didn’t hold a candle to my sister-in-law’s delights. Robin (yes! we share a name!) runs the fabulous Bouki’s Bakery, where she is the designer and baker. Her cookies are available for order and shipping. You can find her on Instagram @boukisbaker (yes! this is a shameless plug!)
It was chilly our first day there!
The awesome trails…
Hamming it up during our workout.
Performing a stump inspection.
Mural and Man in downtown High Springs.
Way Down Upon the Suwannee River
By Ross
We spent a relaxing few days at a private campground on the Suwannee River in the midst of the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge. We set up camp right on the river among the cypress and oak trees overlooking a multitude of cypress "knees" on the river's edge. The river is wide this close to the Gulf. We're only 15 miles from the river's outlet on the coast.
The entire area feels sleepy, unrushed, and unpopulated. It's rural to be sure. And the nearby wildlife refuge is protected land. From Wikipedia, "the 53,000-acre wildlife refuge was established to protect one of the largest undeveloped river delta systems in the United States. It includes twenty miles (32 km) of the Suwannee River estuary and twenty miles (32 km) of coastline. The constant influx of nutrients from the Suwannee River combined with numerous off-shore islands and tidal creeks create excellent wildlife habitat which supports kites, bald eagles, manatees, sturgeon, deer, and turkeys, to name but a few of the species which take refuge there."
There are established double track trails running through the refuge. As I rode along the dirt and sandy trails looking for alligators in the adjacent marsh I felt far away from the news and chaos of today's world. One of trails dead ended at a secluded spot along the river and I took a moment to breathe it all in — the lazy river, the beautiful trees, the birds, the sky, and the wind.
Meanwhile back at the campground we were facing tough times: no cell service and terrible campground WiFi. Robin and I have a saying, "No internet is better than slow internet." You would think given our lovely, peaceful setting that we would just relax into our disconnected situation, but let's face it, the digital life is awesome. We love the news (both of us), staying connected with our friends (Robin), and YouTube (Ross). I watch a ton of adventure and educational videos. We both listen to loads of podcasts. And while Robin plows through paper and Kindle books, I always have an audiobook going.
So without internet I went to my backup plan: a hammock and paper book. It's funny how we have to add the adjective "paper" before book these days. I'm reading "Red Notice" by William Browder, an expose on the atrocities of modern Russia perpetrated by the asset plundering oligarchs and Putin himself. It's fascinating and highly recommended. Hammocks are a lot like university libraries, it's hard to be in one without taking a nap and waking up in pile of drool. And that's lazy river life for you.
Our campsite view of the Suwannee.
Camping setup (with hammock).
A local swamp panther we captured.
Apalachicola, FL
By Robin
We landed in Apalachicola on Monday. On our drive from Santa Rosa we passed the terrible destruction that Hurricane Michael (October, 2018) created from Panama City and Tyndall Airforce Base, all the way to Mexico Beach. We drove through those same towns two years ago before the hurricane and the contrast was so sad. Tree, home and commercial damage is enormous. 70+ people were killed in that late-season Category 5 storm and there was a $6 billion loss of equipment at the air base.
Apalachicola lies just east of the worst of the storm, and fared better. This area is known for the oyster industry, the quaint historic town, and the beaches and old beach homes of St. George Island (just across a causeway).
We found a great little campsite at Coastline RV Resort in Eastspoint (over the bridge from Apalachicola) whose premium sites back up to Apalachicola Bay. It’s a little noisy because the 2-lane highway is between the RV park and the bay, but the view and smell of saltwater are worth it! We were positioned for perfect sunrises AND sunset views.
We took our bikes over to St. George Island and cycled from the State Park on the north end to the center of the island, about 14 miles round trip, stopping for a snack at the Blue Parrot as recommended by Ross’ dad. One thing we DO like about Florida is that everywhere we go there are miles and miles of safe, wide bike paths. Great for cycling and running.
The great treat for me was meeting a pet pygmy goat at the beach just before we started our ride. He was bottle-fed as a baby, and like T’Chat, that made him extra bonded with his people. He walked spryly and willingly on a leash, with none of that rumored goat-stubbornness. He was VERY affectionate, loved having me pet him, even snuggling up against me. VERY soft fur too. His human woman even got him doing a little playful dance. I was charmed. He was just so darn cute. There may be goats in our future…
We stopped for greens at the local produce stand, but it is no longer able to serve up local or regional produce. Hurricane Michael damaged the produce farms north of Apalachicola and central Florida no longer has the big farms they used to. Three of the five major farms have converted to marijuana growing for CBD, another closed permanently, leaving only one of the giant farms left to grow for everyone. The owner of the produce stand really opened our eyes to the problems this area has with produce and sustainable seafood. It was a sad conversation.
In the afternoon we ate a local seafood shack, Lynn’s Quality Oysters. It has a legendary reputation and did not disappoint. The oysters are not what they used to be in terms of size, due to decimation by various human-caused problems, but they were still very tasty.
We spent another day tooling around Apalachicola. It is a small precious, community oriented town — very relaxed with quiet neighborhoods awash in live oaks and palm trees and lush foliage. The houses remind me of Key West, southern but not ostentatious with a Caribbean influence, eclectic and colorful. All in all Apalachicola reminds us of how Beaufort, South Carolina felt when we lived there. We hope this community keeps it’s small town charm. We may spend more time here in future winters.
Our spot at Coastline RV Resort.
Saint George Island ride.
Stitch, the pygmy goat.
Sunrise from our RV site.
Downtown Apalachicola
Funky little café down the road in Carrabelle.
Apparently this guy escaped during hurricane Michael and has never been found. After reading about the research facility I’m hoping he has made a permanent escape!
Florida Panhandle Camping with Family
By Robin
It was a real treat to spend the first week of January camping with Ross’s sister Robin, brother Remi and his wife Lisa.
We started with a couple of days in New Orleans. Believe it or not there’s a campground right downtown. It’s a secure and a prime location to Uber or walk to the French Quarter, Treme or the Marigny. We hit a couple of our old favorite haunts and some new ones too. New Orleans holds a special place in our hearts from the time we owned a condo there…and of course because of Ross’ experience leading the Acadian Ambulance first responders to help after Katrina.
From New Orleans we ferried the RV’s (Robin Bostick driving Remi and Lisa’s Chinook RV, us in our trailer) to a lovely little Alabama state park campground outside Mobile (Meaher). We stopped at the always yummy Felix’s Fish Camp for late lunch and arrived in time to catch a beautiful sunset. We were lucky to score side by side spots that backed up to Mobile Bay.
The rest of the week was at a terrific Florida State Park on Santa Rosa Beach: Topsail Hill Preserve. We rented a camp cabin for Robin, with Remi and Lisa staying in their RV and us in ours (no extra bedrooms!). It was perfect for group gatherings in the evening. The rest of the week was filled with bike rides, chilly but beautiful beach time and some really, really good seafood meals.
It’d be great to do more ‘co-camping’ with family and friends.
After our family left for Lafayette, we started a 3-day water fast. Not fun, but something we do periodically to reset our bodies. The extended water fasts have been particularly beneficial for my skin, as each fast over the last two years has progressively improved my autoimmune skin condition to the point of being negligible. Despite benefits, we are always happy to have these fasts behind us. Back to normal eating tomorrow!
Brunch at Elizabeth’s.
❤️ New Orleans
Sunset at Meaher State Park
Cozy camper coffee time with sister Robin.
Our site at Topsail Hill State Park.
Robin, Remi, Lisa, Ross, and sister Robin
Santa Rosa Beach
Chilly! But still wonderful.
Visiting Family
By Ross
December was a time for catching up with family. We arrived in Lafayette, Louisiana (the heart of Cajun Country) to meet up with my large family that includes my parents, seven brothers and sisters, and countless nieces and nephews. The visit coincided with my dad's fairly major back surgery that turned out better than expected and he quickly discharged home to continue his outpatient physical therapy rehab program.
These visits are really great because Robin and I get along with everybody and my family is always up for a few laughs. However, they can also be stressful because you just don't feel like you're spending enough time with everyone. And three weeks goes by very fast. And forget about trying to catch up with friends, they just don't make the cut because family comes first, at least for us. (We were lucky to catch up with our dear friends Ayla and Stephen, the Rutherfords, Father Louie and Sister Carm…sorry to all of those we missed!)
During our stay in Lafayette, Robin flew to Lexington, KY for a visit with her family while I stayed back continuing the visit with mine. All in all we feel pretty good about our time spent with our families, and wish we could have squeezed in more visits. But alas the road called us forth on a new adventure and on January 2nd, we packed up for the second half of our trip. As a reminder, we are chasing sunshine.
Judice Family Christmas
Before Back Surgery
Carm and Louie!
Christmas morning with sister Robin and family.
Robin and Fred, her Dad.
Texas Hill Country
By Ross
We like Texas way more than we thought we would. The Lone Star flags fly everywhere and the streets are wide and always in good shape. Texans take pride in their state. We've seen roadside volunteer groups picking up trash on the country roads. And like the owner of the Fredericksburg Pie Shop exclaimed, "We don't take any shortcuts. We prepare our pie crusts over three days and make everything from scratch." And it tastes like it. So good. And everything IS bigger in Texas, like the cheeseburgers at Alamo Springs Cafe where if you eat the Jefe burger made of six patties, you get your picture on the wall and the burger is free.
We enjoy walking the downtown streets of the places we visit. We hardly ever go in a store, shop, or gallery. That's really not our thing. We like to get a sense of a place based on the types of businesses, number of empty storefronts, and its general vitality. Kerrville impressed me because they've recently invested in connecting 4 miles of walking and cycling paths along the Guadeloupe River. I'm sure not everyone is excited to have a public access path behind their homes. Several properties recently installed tall fencing (without gates) as a barrier but I wondered how they would access the path themselves. A couple other properties had menacing "This property under Video Surveillance" signs to warn people about venturing off the path. It's always been amazing to me that some folks worry that living on a park or walking path lowers their property values and places their property at risk. In contrast, Robin and I would pay extra to live on park (we did this in Louisiana) or a path (our current condo is on the Bend river trail).
Using the Trailforks iPhone app I found two trail systems near Kerrville. I was pretty excited about checking out the mountain biking in central Texas. Unfortunately, both were closed during hunting season. Dang! One of the systems was in the city-owned park. It seems odd to allow hunting (and close off access to all non-hunters) in a city park.
By The River Campground in Kerrville has been our home base for the past week. Our trailer is parked overlooking the slow and lazy Guadeloupe River. Bird life in this neck of the woods is something: differing species, a variety of bird calls, and large flocks of black birds that would overtake the area for an hour or two and then completely disappear. T'Chat spent hours watching all the activity out the back window. Robin said she was watching "Duck TV".
Over the next week we'll be winding our way towards family in Louisiana.
Ross digging into his burger at Alamo Springs.
Enjoying a bourbon tasting at Garrison brothers distillery.
Tucking into a banana cream pie and lemon meringue at the Fredericksburg Pie Company.
Hunting bugs at our Kerrville camp site.
D.H. Lescombes Winery, Deming, NM
By Robin
Short hop today from Safford, NM to a Harvest Hosts stop. We were glad to roll on this sunny day after being semi-trapped in the trailer with heavy rain and winds over the Thanksgiving holiday. Even T’Chat was feeling a little stir crazy! Today’s drive was an easy 2 hours.
D.H. Lescombe is a 6th-generation winery. The founder, Herve, had a successful vineyard in Burgundy before he emigrated to the US and started this New Mexico vineyard in 1981. We tasted some delicious wines today. My favorites were the pinot gris and semillon. It’s a little startling (I don’t know why!) to find good wine in southern New Mexico.
A unique offering are their Hatch Chile Wines. They make a red chile wine and a green chile wine made with the famous New Mexican peppers. It seemed like a novelty, but we actually quite liked the green chile wine. It was crisp and dry with a hint of chile and a little kick.
Three other RV’s parked in the lot here at the winery near us, and our sommelier said they have at times as many as eight, visiting through the Harvest Host program. Good wine makes a popular waypoint.
We were treated to this brief but beautiful sunrise between rain showers at Roper Lake State Park.
Catalina State Park (Tucson) and Roper State Park (Safford)
By Ross
We like Tucson. While the Phoenix suburbs are like a shiny but dull new Mercedes Benz, Tucson is more like a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS. Sure it's got a little rust and no seat belts, but it also has a lot of character and personality. Our home base for a week in Tucson: Catalina State Park in the shadow of Mount Lemmon and the Coronado National Forest. From our campsite we ventured out for some highly rated foods, like tamales at Tucson Tamales and the Sonoran hot dogs at El Guerrero Canelo Restaurant. I rode the nearby mountain bike trails while Robin ran around the park. We had beautiful weather. We drank great coffee. We slept soundly.
With no openings in the Catalina S.P. campground on the weekend, sadly we were forced to depart Tucson. We are spending a week at Roper Lake State Park in Safford, Arizona. The park is beautiful but the community is economically depressed. The small downtown features shuttered storefronts and many nearby homes are in disrepair. Everything will be closing for Thanksgiving so we're planning to have a quiet rainy (forecasted) day giving thanks in our little travel trailer. And to celebrate this day, we're skipping our breakfast green smoothies and making a Banana Pecan Dutch Baby. Here's the ingredients:
¾ C flour
3 eggs
1 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp Kosher salt
¼ C whole milk
3 T unsalted butter
1-2 bananas
1 C pecans
Maple syrup
This thing is part pancake and part blob. It puffs up into a delicious, ugly mess. Happy Thanksgiving!
From one of Robin’s runs at Catalina State Park, Tucson
From one of Robin’s runs at Roper Lake State Park, in Safford.
Biosphere 2, Oracle, Arizona
By Robin
Neither one of us is good at doing the typical tourist things, like museums, monuments, etc, but if you know us, you’ll know that we are science geeks. We Will Stop for Science!
We didn’t know we’d be camping near Biosphere 2 when we planned our overnight stop in Oracle, Arizona on the way to Tucson. That’s another thing we’re not good at: scouting out tourist attractions ahead of time. We were pretty stoked to discover our campground was minutes from Biosphere 2 and that it was open to tourists.
You may remember Biosphere 2 from back in the 90’s. (Biosphere 1 is considered to be the planet Earth.) It was built by two private investors as a self-contained environmental science experiment. They constructed seven complete biomes, including tropical rainforest, ocean, mangrove wetlands, savannah and desert, enclosed by giant glass panels and steel tubing. It was originally airlocked, so that all oxygen, CO2 and water had to be recycled throughout the system.
The facility is probably most famous for the two experiments conducted with humans and animals sealed into the building in the 90’s. Both trials ended early amid some human-created drama. The first mission also had trouble due to high CO2 levels in the Biosphere. The pods and living area for the people in the original experiments are viewable on the tour. I felt sympathetic to the people who volunteered….I think I’d go a little nuts being trapped with 8 strangers for a year too!
The facility construction required tremendous planning and forethought. The colossal interconnected building and supporting structures were created before our current level of computerization and technology, and essentially continues to operate as well as it did in the 90’s. The only difference now is that the facility is no longer airlocked, and the enormous ‘lungs’ that were built to regulate pressure due to temperature differentials are no longer in operation.
Biosphere 2 changed hands a couple of times and was ultimately acquired by the University of Arizona in 2007. Scientists and student researchers from the university run massive science experiments in the complex.
Current projects include mimicking effects of climate change on rainforest and on coral in the ocean (and developing species of coral that are resistant to warming oceans). Another enormous experiment investigates the hydrology of drainage and the development of soil and evolution of life from bare volcanic rock. There are experiments harnessing solar power and sustainable agriculture practices. One experiment, growing plants beneath solar panels in desert environments, proved so successful so quickly that it’s being implemented now throughout the southwest.
If Biosphere 2 was considered somewhat controversial science at the time of its construction, there’s no doubt the facility is being put to good use today. It tickled us both to be able to take the tour!
Windmill Winery, Florence, AZ
By Robin
Some time ago we learned about an app called Harvest Hosts. If you have a self-contained RV (e.g. your own water/electricity/bathroom) and pay a $79 annual fee, you can stay for free overnight at participating farms, wineries and museums around the U.S. You call ahead to let them know you are coming. In return for your free stay, the expectation is that you’ll sample their wares and make a purchase or two.
We used this app and located Windmill Winery in Florence, AZ, which was a perfect stopping point for an overnight on the way to our next destination.
An enormous state prison complex seems to be the primary employer in Florence. Otherwise it’s a quiet, dry, dusty, desert town. The winery, on the extreme edge of town, seems to have a lock on the nicest local event destination. It centers around a pond, an enormous beautiful barn for events, and an outdoor bar area, with walking paths around the perimeter. Lush greenery, grass, trees and animals (donkeys, small horses, ducks, geese) add to the character. Hosting weddings and other events seems to be their main occupation. Unfortunately, the wine seems to be an afterthought.
We parked in the RV lot and found one other Harvest Hosts visiting trailer there. They were a pleasant, chatty couple from Nebraska with an adorable mini-Aussie named Stevie. (We remember all the dogs and cats we meet on our travels, but rarely do we remember the people.😬)
We did a wine tasting (very average…overly sweet wines) in their outdoor tasting area (very lovely).
It turned out to be a pleasant, safe place to stay the night. We don’t recommend the wine, but do recommend the overnight accommodation.
Grimace as I tried to down this red. And I’m no wine snob.
This made us laugh.
The Mundane of Travel Life
By Robin
Life on the road isn’t all glamour, tourism, adventure and relaxation. In fact, about 75% is just normal everyday routine…sometimes more complicated by the fact that you are on the road. Taking care of the little things (laundry, for example) can mean doing a bunch of research to find an open laundromat in your area.
Here’s an example from a day in the life at our last campsite, near Tucson.
6 AM - Up with the sunrise. This is most by choice - we love sunrises, but also because that’s when T’Chat demands to be fed. There’s a lot of meowing by 6AM.
enjoy our coffee, read, watch the sunrise
meditate together for about 20 minutes
scoop kitty litter box
8 AM - exercise, followed by showers! Exercise is a post for another day…but typically we go our own separate ways for our workouts. If it’s pouring rain we’ll go together to an Anytime Fitness location if one’s available. If it’s pouring rain, cold and no AF, then it’s a day off!
10 AM - breakfast - usually a healthy blended-drink. It’s the same breakfast for each of us most every day, except that Ross supplements his with either sardines or anchovies. What goes in the blender? Again, a post for another day. I DO keep urging Ross to throw those fish into his blended drink a la that great SNL skit, The Bassomatic.
11 AM - Errands. On this day the errands consisted of:
Savaya Coffee Shop - coffees for both of us and bags of coffee for the road.
Laundromat - Ross dropped me off with the laundry and I did 3 loads. Loved this laundromat, because there were plenty of washers and dryers and they were all efficient! Every laundromat is a character of its own and is full of characters. I’ve met some really interesting people doing laundry while we travel…and this one had a DOG! which was fun. Sometimes the laundries have wifi. This one did not, so I wrote a bunch of letters to mail.
While I took care of the laundry, Ross filled up the truck with fuel, refilled one of our trailer propane tanks, and hit Safeway for a few items (more kitty litter, for one).
Ross picked up me and the clean clothes…next stop Post Office.
Sprouts Grocery Store - we hit up grocery stores at least twice a week for basics. We try to plan for home cooked meals for at least twice a week, which usually also provide leftovers for another day. We eat out a couple of times a week.
Tucson Tamale Company - We search for great local food using TripAdvisore and RoadFood, two apps usually steer us right. On this day we had a tasty, healthy, relatively inexpensive meal of vegetarian tamales and sides.
3 PM - Back at the trailer. Fed the beast (T’Chat), who eats an early dinner, like we do. Walk T’Chat. She starts begging for a leash-walk after dinner. She gets a thorough daily brushing at that time, which she also enjoys.
4 PM - Kick back inside the trailer (if cold), outside (if warm) and read, watch movies, plan our next moves…
8 PM - in bed!
We always treasure the gift that is our life of early retirement, whether in our Bend condo or on the road. I guess it’s just a fact of all lives that we have have to do the basic, rather dull things that keep our lives motoring along.
Phoenix Area - McDowell Mountain Regional Park
By Ross
Is this an adventure blog? Well if kicking back in a beautiful park under warm days and cool nights is adventuring, then we're the Magellan's of travel trailer living. McDowell is a large county park in the desert northeast of Phoenix proper. Surrounding the park are the high end retirement golfing communities of Fountain Hills and Troon North, or as I like to call them, the Scottsdales of Scottsdale. Given the tasty weather, I can see the attraction to the area.
As usual I spent my mornings biking the multitude of area trails while Robin ran her workouts. One morning during a run she was approached by a ranger who cautioned that the rattlesnakes were out and about and that she should stay in the middle of the trail. I told her that it was a classic pick up line that I used all the time in my youth.
On occasion we drove into town for provisions, mostly spinach and kale. Because...yum. The nearest organic, non-GMO, non-MSG food store was 20 miles away which is not a problem in our big diesel truck. We believe in balance. We stopped at the famous Sugar Jam Bake Shop known for their pies and took home slices of apple and pumpkin pies. Let me just say these were the best slices of pie we've had on our trip to date. And the young baker-owner had the happiest baker demeanor.
And now we're heading down to Catalina State Park near Tucson and camped overnight at a Harvest Host winery called Windmill Winery. Harvest Host is a paid membership program that organizes free overnight camping at farms, wineries, and the like with the expectation that we might make a purchase from the host. We spent some time at Windmill's lovely wine tasting room and purchased a bottle on the way out. Arizona produces a fair amount of wine. Who knew? We don't drink nearly as much wine as we have in the past but still enjoy a nice bottle every now and then. And with that exciting tidbit, we'll see you down the road.
T’Chat enjoying a sunrise in McDowell Mountain Regional Park
The fountain of Fountain Hills, AZ
Windmill Winery
Boondocking on the Mogollan Rim
By Ross
After a great stay at the Dead Horse Ranch State Park in the Cottonwood/Sedona area, it was time to move on. We opted for a boondocking spot on the Mogollan Rim in the Coconino National Forest. From WikiPedia: "The Mogollon Rim is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately 200 miles (320 km), starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border with New Mexico. It forms the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau in Arizona.” We climbed a winding gravel road up to 7,500 feet in elevation. The wind was howling. Initially, we were freaked out a bit over the wind and isolation. Our trailer was parked along the downsloping edge of a cliff. But as we watched our first sunset from this magnificent overlook we began to settle down and settle in.
I got a chance to ride along the Rim Road and breathe in the views. The Arizona National Scenic Trail that runs from Mexico to the Utah border passes nearby, and I got a chance to ride a few miles on that too! I've been dreaming about bikepacking the Arizona Trail for quite a while so it was nice to get a taste of it.
The highlight of our camping spot: both beautiful sunrises and sunsets. And bonus highlight: I had a perfect TV signal to watch LSU beat Alabama in a hard fought, talent-filled game.
Beautiful sunset
I’m going to ride the length of this one day, including hiking through the Grand Canyon!
I rode a small sliver of the Arizona Trail.
Sedona, Cottonwood, Jerome, and Prescott
By Ross
For nearly two weeks we've been enjoying the central Arizona area from our basecamp at the Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood just a few miles away from Sedona, Arizona. We've explored the nearby communities of Jerome, Prescott, and the Village at Oak Creek. We've eaten at some great restaurants, visited local bookstores, and sampled the local pie. Not too bad, huh!
I've spent nearly every day on the mountain bike. My favorite riding has been the trail system between Oak Creek and Sedona characterized by outstanding views of the red rock formations, challenging technical sections, and cool desert flora. So good.
Yesterday we spent the day exploring the historic, mountain-side town of Jerome. Robin liked the narrow streets, hidden parks, nooks, crannies, and steps that ascended to new unknown places. We stopped in at a haunted bookstore and visited with the owner and ate delicious burgers at the Haunted Hamburger restaurant. From our outdoor bar seat we had a birds eye view of the Verde Valley below.
Today, we head out for a weekend of boondocking and then check into a park near Phoenix.
Exploring bookstores in Prescott
Pies in Sedona
Mountain biking near Sedona
Haunted Kate’s Books in Jerome, AZ
From Moab to Sedona
By Ross
It's been a few days since our last post and it might be easier to catch up with some "Highlights" and "Lowlights". We've had a few. We've traveled from Capitol Reef National Park to Moab, UT to Navaho National Monument (AZ) to Sedona, AZ.
Highlights:
For years I've been dreaming about mountain biking in Moab, UT, known for trails running through stunning natural settings. Driving through downtown Moab early in the morning reveals bike shops busy with vans shuttling tourists onto the nearby trails and Jeepers heading out for adventure. I had a chance to ride two separate days and I loved the slick rock terrain and treacherous, adrenalin-pumping overlooks. I've made a mental note to come back to Moab for a more complete tour of the trails.
The slick rock terrain is so different from the winding dirt trails of Oregon. The "punchy" climbs up the rocky boulders require a burst of speed and torque. Before I figured this out I took a spill, scratched my iPhone, bloodied my ankle, twisted and scuffed my leather seat, and sent my Garmin flying down a slope. After brushing myself off, fetching my Garmin, and analyzing my mistake, I had no further mishaps.
When I got back to the trailer I mentioned to Robin that I had a crash and took a chunk of flesh out of my ankle and she wanted to have a look.
"That's not a gouge," she said.
"I said a chunk," I replied.
"That's not a chunk, either. That's a scratch."
So maybe not a chunk of my ankle, but certainly now a chunk of my ego is missing. Wives.
Robin adventured some in Moab, too. She walked over to watch a barrel racing competition. At first I wondered what would motivate barrels to race and then she showed me a video with horses, and I understood.
We cut short our stay in Moab in search of warm weather, so we headed south. Our first stop was Monument Valley known for the towering sandstone buttes where many a Western movie (including John Wayne’s “Stagecoach”) has been filmed. We felt like true tourists because we paid $20 to park at the Visitors Center, took some photos from the overlook, ran through the gift shop, and got the hell out of there before being stomped by all the other tourists milling around and swinging their selfie sticks: tourist jousting.
Meanwhile, back to our search for warmer weather we crossed the border and camped at Arizona's Navajo National Monument where it proceeded to snow on us in the middle of the night. Despite waking up to snow and ice and 20 degree temperatures, I liked the small, free Sunset View Campground that sits at over 7,200 feet with beautiful sunset views as far as the eye can see.
By contrast we arrived in the Sedona area with sunny, 72 degree weather and settled in at a lovely campground. We'll be at this campground and a nearby state park for the next week. This excites us. Good weather and a relaxed schedule.
And now for the Lowlight:
We left our water pump on and somehow the kitchen faucet turned on while we were driving down the road. The faucet was emptying water onto the sink cover and we think much of the water went into the gray tank because it was now full. However, we had water all over the floor from front to back of the trailer. What a disaster! I discovered it during a stop and my heart sank. We had planned on boondocking but now we were out of fresh water and our gray tank was full. So we called a local campground and they had a nice site available. We towel dried everything, put on the fans, and analyzed the situation. We were lucky, we think. And we'll never leave the water pump in the "on" position again.
Moab mountain bike trail: Navaho Rocks
Monument Valley
Sunny and seventy-two near Sedona
Capitol Reef National Park
by Ross
Like Butch Cassidy on the run from the authorities, we've been on the run from the freezing temperatures. And it seems we're surrounded but not yet ready to give up. We love our morning stretching and exercise ritual usually performed on a tarp or yoga mat just outside the trailer. Waking up to sub-freezing temperatures makes that difficult to impossible. So lately we've gone directly to green smoothies and sightseeing.
We've seen some beautiful places over the years. Capitol Reef National Park is among the most beautiful places we've ever been. The red rock canyon walls are magnificent and varied in colors, shadows, and textures as we drove along the scenic paved road and up into the washes via gravel road. Get bored with one section? No problem, just drive on a mile and everything changes. We even came across the slot canyon where Butch Cassidy had his hideout. Robin commented how tough these people had to be to live through winters in these canyons. We were cold just hiking around and retreated to the heated seats of the pickup truck.
Are you ready for more pie reviews? Within the national park is the Gifford House where they sell fresh pies and cinnamon rolls. We picked up four (4) single-serve pies: two (2) strawberry-rhubarb, peach, and cherry. Yesterday, we dug into the strawberry-rhubarb pies and that was some of the best pie either of us have eaten: buttery, flaky crust with a chunky, delicious filling. Rating: 5 stars.
This morning we're on the road to Moab, UT where we initially planned to stay a week so that I could mountain bike; however, due to cold weather we're going to stay for two days then head to Arizona's warmer forecast.
By the way, we pulled out the National Parks Trivia Pursuit game and played a few cards. We'll play a few cards every time we hit the road for a new destination. There a 100 cards for a total of 600 questions. Just so you know: not everything's a competition (but I'm winning 3-2).
Escalante to Capitol Reef National Park
*Robin
Recommendation: If you ever get the opportunity, start at Bryce Canyon National Park and take Hwy 12 through the Grand Staircase Escalante Monument to Capitol Reef National Park. It a stunningly beautiful drive with precious gems of small towns (Escalante, Boulder) tucked along the way.
We drove from Escalante today, with the express plan of stopping at Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah. The two women chefs that started this restaurant have won multiple James Beard nominations for their cuisine. In addition they have been staunch supporters of keeping the Grand Staircase Escalante Monument untouched. Sadly, the current president scaled back the size of the monument to allow coal leasing and mining. Our two-day drive through the Monument area showed us why this area is a national treasure.
It was such a treat to have a gourmet lunch at Hell’s Backbone as we hit the halfway point of our drive...in the middle of the wilderness. (Menu attached if you are curious.)
As we were leaving Boulder we had an additional treat. Two cowboys were driving their herd of cattle along the edge of the highway, with three border collies assisting. We paused to watch (and not startle anyone). As we passed we saw another cowboy in the pasture below lassoing a steer (another dog was helping). It felt so rare to see a real slice of old-fashioned Western life in action.
The moment also reminded me of my dad, who was a cowboy on a ranch in Fort Collins, Colorado when I was born. It’s always been a dream of mine to see him on a horse, lassoing cattle!
We're settled in at a small RV park to explore Capitol Reef for a couple of days. Funny coincidence, the Washington Post featured Capitol Reef in a travel article two days ago…calling it as stunning as Zion, but less traveled.
Bryce to Escalante via Kodachrome SP (and a Flat Tire)
By Robin
An adventure isn’t an adventure without mishaps. If we had to have our first flat tire, we picked the perfect day, time and location.
We split from Bryce at dawn, picked up a coffee and headed to Kodachrome State Park for the day (Isn’t that just the BEST name for a park?). Ross mountain-biked and I walk-jogged a trail that explored incredible pinnacles or spires that are unique to the area. Geologists aren’t sure how they were formed.
We hung out in the sunshine the rest of the morning then packed up for the leisurely short drive to Escalante.
As we were leaving the park, Ross noticed a sensor reading low on our back passenger truck tire. We pulled over at a flat pullout and checked. Sure enough, there was a big screw embedded in the tire. Luckily it was sunny, 60 degrees, we were in a safe, flat spot to change the tire.
We unhooked the trailer, pulled out the manual and tools and changed that giant tire! The spare is secured UNDER the truck on a pulley, which was new to both of us. It was a team effort, and we both felt pretty pleased to have pulled off the exchange so smoothly. The drive to Escalante was uneventful, and Ross took the tire to a garage for repair.
As a bonus ‘adventure,’ I forgot to secure the pantry door when we left Kodachrome. When I opened the trailer in Escalante the boxes containing crackers and box of psyllium fiber had EXPLODED all over the inside of the trailer. It was a giant mess that I cleaned up with much cursing. This is the kind of lesson you only learn once. That closet will be secure from now on!
I should have taken pictures of the tire change and food explosion. Use your imagination for those.
Kodachrome Pinnacle example
Our rig in the wild (before the flat).
Zion to Bryce Canyon
By Ross
We're finally getting into the travel groove. What does this mean? We can find a clean pair of socks within 15 minutes of sending out a search party. We have our campground arrival and departure routines down pat. Even T'Chat has settled into the travel lifestyle. All this is very important because only a few days ago, Robin and I looked at each other and asked, "Was this trip a mistake?" The mad dash down to southern Utah took its toll on us. We were feeling stressed.
But now we're starting to get the yummy, easy feeling of relaxing in very beautiful places.
Yesterday after a magical mountain bike ride through the Red Cliffs Recreation Area outside of St. George, UT, we packed up the truck and trailer and headed toward our second national park: Bryce Canyon. Robin plotted a course to Thunderbird Cafe, :"Home of the Ho-made Pies", where we picked up a slice of "thunderberry" (mixed berry) and strawberry/rhubarb.
While Robin has been developing into a master pie chef, I've morphed into the world's greatest pie connoisseur. And while any ole pie is better than a mud pie, the Thunderbird Cafe pies get a very generous 3 out of 5 stars. The filling was over-sweet and mushy (where's the fruit) and the crust lacked that flaky je ne sais quoi.
While visiting Bryce Canyon, we intended to boondock in the nearby Dixie National Forest but found part of it closed to dispersed camping. Taking a long shot chance we drove into the park and got a spot at Sunset Campground INSIDE the park: a veritable fore-TUNA. We're guessing that the subfreezing nighttime temperatures have chased the millennials away, hashtag MyVanHasNoInsulation.
This morning we headed out early for a hike along the rim from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point and then down Queen's Garden Trail to Navajo Trail and back up along Wall Street. Check out the photos because words will not suffice.
After a monster breakfast at the Bryce Canyon Lodge, we drove our pick em up truck to Rainbow Point to hike the short Bristlecone Loop where we saw a 1,600 year old bristlecone pine. It picked its ears, farted, then told us to get off its lawn. So there. That's old.
Ho ho ho!
Bryce Canyon Amphitheater
This Bristlecone Pine looks dead but is actually alive. Incredible.