Interstate 70 stretched before us, connecting Grand Junction to Denver via Vail Pass through the Rocky Mountains. We intended to drive about halfway and stop for the night at the Eagle River – Wolcott Campground, but we arrived early in the afternoon to find every space filled. Granted, this is a small camping area but we had hoped to find at least one site available for a single night. It wasn’t even the busy camping season (generally Memorial Day to…
The snow-tipped mountains of Ridgway gradually gave way to the reddish, jagged peaks outside of Grand Junction as we approached the western border of Colorado. The famed town of Moab waited just beyond the horizon in Utah, a destination often held in awe by RVers and outdoor enthusiasts in general. Moab has become a mecca for tourists because of its proximity to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as the numerous trails in the area sought by adventure-seeking…
Neither the following words nor the accompanying photos will accurately convey the sheer beauty that is Colorado. Having spent the majority of my life in the northeastern United States surrounded by lush farmland and gentle hills, I’m not conditioned to expect the sheer scope and magnitude of the Rocky Mountains. Ashley and I both visited Colorado in the past, but brief vacations barely capture the grand landscape throughout the state. While portions of our travels last year were certainly scenic…
We left the sandhills of Texas in a cloud of Paleozoic-era quartz dust as we pointed the RV to southeastern New Mexico. Our journey into the Land of Enchantment would be a first for both of us, having never visited the state in the past either driving through or on a layover. The planned destination on this leg of our journey was Colorado to visit both family and friends, and we were on a time schedule to reach the park…
Entering Monahans Sandhills State Park is like flipping through the pages of a child’s history book, briefly catching glimpses into different time periods as the images shift. From the mid-century modern styling of the welcome sign to the replicated pioneer shacks and windmills plucked from the late 1800s, the park creates the illusion of being lost in time. Looking over the vast ocean of sand surrounding the park, an observer would never know the area was once home to an…
Shortly before leaving Waco, I remarked to my aunt about the similarity of the areas we’ve driven through over the past year or so. With the exception of coastal areas and the Florida Keys, much of the eastern landscape we’ve seen on our journey shares many traits reminiscent of our childhood homes in rural Pennsylvania. Maybe I was eager for the rocky deserts of southern New Mexico or the Alpine-like mountain retreats of Colorado, but I couldn’t ignore the acres…
I’ll be the first to admit that Waco, Texas wasn’t high on my list of places to visit in my life. It’s kind of like Norman, Oklahoma or Topeka, Kansas – you know they exist, but you likely don’t have a strong desire to see them in person (although I’ve never seen either one, so maybe I’m missing out). Aside from the sensational news events and tragedies that came out of Waco over the past decades, I really didn’t know…
Eager to depart our least favorite state park as described in the previous post, we packed up early Easter morning and set out on the last leg of our journey along the Gulf Coast. The weather was pleasant and sunny, making the more than five hour drive to Sea Rim State Park in Sabine Pass, Texas seem not quite as long. We drove straight across Louisiana, often spotting billboards advertising boudin and various other sausages, which made me wish we’d…
Well, it finally happened. In our frequent visits to the great state parks scattered throughout the United States, we finally stumbled across a park we didn’t really like. Sure, we’ve enjoyed some parks more than others and could easily list a few favorites without much consideration. But we’ve never really disliked a location until our recent visit to Buccaneer State Park in Waveland, Mississippi. To be fair, let’s first lay a little groundwork before getting into the specifics. We visited…
With Waco, TX as our next extended stop, our route from southern Georgia into the heart of Texas took us along the Gulf Coast. We’ve had little experience exploring that particular region of the United States, with the exception of a couple trips to New Orleans in the past and a handful of work excursions for Ashley to Corpus Christi while we still maintained our desk jobs. As our established pattern clearly indicates our preference for state parks, I searched…