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Category: RVing

That Fine Muscadine Wine

That Fine Muscadine Wine

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What image pops into your head when you hear the words “wine country”? Maybe the sun-baked hills of Napa Valley in California, dotted with prestigious wineries and high-end cottage restaurants serving hyper-local plates perfectly paired with glasses of wine. Perhaps it’s a vision of the Finger Lakes in New York, with vineyards and wineries sprouting seemingly around every little bend in the road ushering in vanloads of bachelorette parties and organized bus tours. Some of us may wander a bit…

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Florence – Alabama’s Renaissance City

Florence – Alabama’s Renaissance City

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Nestled on the bank of the Tennessee River, the town of Florence in the northwest corner of Alabama plays host to music festivals, seasonal celebrations, a Renaissance faire, and the NCAA Division II Championship Football Game every year. Florence is also the birthplace of W.C. Handy – a composer and musician credited as the “Father of the Blues” – and the town holds a festival every year in his honor, drawing visitors and musicians in droves. A Frank Lloyd Wright…

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Making Miles through America’s Mid-South

Making Miles through America’s Mid-South

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In the time that’s passed since our last update, we’ve traveled nearly 1,800 miles and traded out chilly fall nights for balmy tropical evenings. As our friends and relatives in the northeast are currently in the midst of a winter storm, we’ve abandoned cold weather and the threat of ice and snow for the season. While we’re glad to be out of freezing temperatures, we both enjoy the changing seasons and the coziness inherent in autumn as the leaves drop…

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Boiling Springs State Park, Woodward OK

Boiling Springs State Park, Woodward OK

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The face of the landscape shifted as we crossed the Oklahoma border, mountains sinking back into the earth and replaced by an ocean of meadow grass expanding in all directions. Humidity reappeared, becoming an ever-present house guest and creating a palpable contrast to the arid climate of New Mexico. The land flattened and the sun disappeared behind an impenetrable blanket of dull soiled cotton clouds. Storm pockets sprouted across the horizon sheeting rain like tentacles dangling from invading alien behemoths….

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Clayton Lake State Park and a New Mexico State Park Reference Guide

Clayton Lake State Park and a New Mexico State Park Reference Guide

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Our summer of rambling around New Mexico drew to a close at Clayton Lake State Park with the Oklahoma prairie beckoning just beyond the border. The park lies on the edge of the Great Plains with the surrounding area featuring grasslands, sandstone bluffs, and volcanic rocks. We rolled into Clayton Lake hoping to find an available space to park through the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Discovering the park to be nearly empty, we practically had our choice of sites. This…

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Sugarite Canyon State Park and Raton, New Mexico

Sugarite Canyon State Park and Raton, New Mexico

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The town of Raton in northeastern New Mexico has earned a reputation among travelers as a welcome rest stop during a long journey. As early as the 1700s, semi-nomadic tribes of Apache, Ute, and Comanche moved into the area in search of fertile land for crops and abundant wildlife as food. When the Santa Fe Trail opened in 1821, many Americans moved west following this route that connected Independence, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. The trail became a major…

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Cimarron Canyon State Park and the Once Wild Town of Cimarron

Cimarron Canyon State Park and the Once Wild Town of Cimarron

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After all the excitement with the tornado in Eagle Nest, we were hoping our next stop would provide a less evening-newsworthy atmosphere (and it did – no rare weather occurrences to report). Cimarron Canyon State Park is located less than ten miles east of Eagle Nest making for a very short travel day. We planned only a two-night stay at Cimarron Canyon, attempting to time our future park visits around the upcoming Labor Day weekend as well as pending reservations…

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New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle and Eagle Nest Lake State Park

New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle and Eagle Nest Lake State Park

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We’ve grown accustomed to rapidly changing weather conditions since New Mexico’s monsoon season started. Strong winds, heavy rains, and noisy hail have become nearly everyday occurrences. We were not, however, expecting to see a tornado blow through a state park at 8,200 feet elevation next to the sleepy little town of Eagle Nest surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. On Thursday, August 9th, the day after we arrived at Eagle Nest Lake State Park, the now typical afternoon storm…

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Coyote Creek State Park, Guadalupita NM

Coyote Creek State Park, Guadalupita NM

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Thin pines cover the surrounding mountains, stretching upward in an effort to greet the sun. A gentle morning breeze carries the subtle scent of wild mint mingled with pungent undertones of decomposing vegetation from somewhere deeper in the wilderness. Water burbles over fallen tree limbs and around exposed rocks, as buzzing insects skim the stream’s surface leaving expanding ripples with every touch. Hungry fish gulp after the flying creatures, temporarily leaving the comfort and safety of their underwater abode to…

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Storrie Lake State Park and the Storied Town of Las Vegas, New Mexico

Storrie Lake State Park and the Storied Town of Las Vegas, New Mexico

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Storrie Lake State Park is conveniently located about five miles outside of Las Vegas – no, not that Las Vegas with all the flashy casinos and abundant entertainment; we’re talking about the original Las Vegas in northeastern New Mexico. While we anticipated spending a week or two at Storrie Lake within easy biking distance of the city, we only used the park as a one or two-night stopover between locations on three separate occasions. The park is heavily used –…

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