Starting to Get the Idea

We left off in Marfa TX where we stayed in the parking lot of El Cosmico, a new age hippie camping community.  With painted vintage campers along with Teepees, yurts and hammocks, people were sleeping in just about every manner.  They had a high priced gift shop ($300 4” handmade bowls?!), a makeshift bar and they offered a decent cup of coffee in the morning (with almond milk offered!).  Rob was still barely keeping it together so we played it cool (no bonfires or star parties for us yet).  Had a little picnic by the RV and played some cards. 

We hit the road early for the Guadalupe Mountains.  Again the scenery amazed us, the drive being along the edge of several small mountain ranges.  We drove into the Mountain time zone and gained an hour, entering Guadalupe Park around 11am.  National Park camping is generally first come first served.  We checked into the visitor center that informed us that everything was full.  We started considering alternate plans and lo, and behold, people started leaving!  We picked a site with an unimpeded view of the mountain range with a patch of grass and a picnic table and settled in.

Since Rob has not been recovering well, I made the decision that we were here until that changed.  We are in a wonderfully peaceful place with no artificial lights, a gorgeous view and all for a whopping senior rate of $4 per night!  We’re here until wellness arrives! 

It didn’t take long to get comfortable.  Rob took a nap and I took a hike!  My destination was Devil Hall, about a 5 mile round trip up the valley washout.  The hike was delicious!  Beginning with a relatively steep trail incline it moved into a big rocky washout.  Then the hiker’s staircase (which was steeper than any staircase I’ve seen before!) before a final rocky climb to Devil Hall.  With beautiful scenery in every direction and some good exercise, I was invigorated!

Returning back to our campsite, there were lots of people ready to hear about (and DRINK) Holy City beers!  Beginning with a group of 18 trail runners to folks from ages 23 to 70+ from multiple forms of sleeping arrangements – RV, tent, little pop up campers and the backs of cars!  What fun we all had talking adventures, lifestyles, beer and family.   Holy City beware – you’ll be hearing from these folks!

And now we’re on day 2 of mandatory recovery and we’re sitting still.  Well, Rob is!  I got him fed and things settled and headed out for another hike.  This one doing Frijole and Simon Springs trails, just under 8 miles.  I got out after 9 which I realized later was a bit delayed from ideal.  IT GETS BRUTALLY HOT HERE!!

I had a magical hike with huge vistas, wonderful wildflowers and a peaceful spring in an oasis of a canyon.  The trail again was challenging enough for my intentions today with significant climbs, more scrambling over rocks and LONG stretches in the beating sun.  The springs was a real delight at the mid point.  Walking from the rocky mountainside, all of a sudden entering lush forest with a crystal clear pool of water that has brought life to this area for lifetimes!  The last mile or so of the hike had me wondering if I’d make it before the heat got me but make it, I did.  With more good memories to record.

Rob, too, has had a better day and appears to finally be on the mend.  We’re here either way but if this continues, tomorrow will be Carlsbad Caverns in the morning and then El Paso for RV supplies and repairs (I’ll spare you those sad details!).  With Guadalupe being such a treat, I’m anxiously awaiting all the parks to come!

Big Day at Big Bend!

Okay - total change of plans!!

We uprooted ourselves yesterday midday from Caverns at Sonora when the rain finally broke.  The Tamiful was working enough for Rob to want to get on the road so we decided to take the local’s recommendation of a major detour from our plans ending up in Marathon, TX.

Gage gardens in Marathon, TX - bulls are big here!

We pulled into the Marathon Motel and RV Park (yup, it was exactly like you’d expect!)  In a gravel site a stone’s throw from the railroad tracks.  We rolled our eyes and settled in.  Rob was completely spent and went face down in bed while I grabbed a bag of ice and a couple six packs and went to make friends.  It was the first experience of RV socializing we – well I at this point – have had.  By the end of the night there were 15 of us gathered around a small lantern. 

The RV ringleaders were a couple, Scott and Liz, who were major investors in the Lazarus Brewery in Austin – funny how fate works.  We had a lot of fun talking beer and they LOVED Holy City’s brews that we shared.  Liz was quite the hostess and was serving food nonstop through the night from lasagna to fresh baked cookies and then sent homemade chicken noodle soup back with me for Rob.

Rob got a decent night’s sleep and wrapped up the RV while I headed out for a walk to check out the town.  Shortly thereafter, we hit the road for the one park we had decided was too far out of the way to go to!  With the detour the previous day, we were only 70 miles from Big Bend National Park.  We arrived by 10am and enjoyed the visitor center and the film and then headed into the park.

Rob was still not up for any serious activity but we stopped on the side of the road for lunch and I was able to hike through the cacti and get some good shots.  Since activity wasn’t in the cards, we opted to drive through the park and then follow Hwy 170 along the Rio Grande for 100 miles or so. 

It’s hard to describe exactly how majestic the scene here is.  No matter how I try – or anyone, for that matter – it is quite impossible to put into words the grandeur of mountain ranges, deep cut canyons, lush flowing rivers all teaming wildlife.   And to experience how drastically the scenery can change around one turn is fascinating.  It’s a pretty awesome distraction to hours on the road!

It was crazy to see the river winding below us knowing that just on the other side was another country, in many places just a few steps across the river.  I talked Rob into pulling over where we could get to the river and I waded in.  Right as I was looking for a good spot to rock hop to the other side, the dastardly park ranger (Texas state park at this point) came up announcing the $5000 fine for crossing the river.  DANG, I was almost a fugitive!

Tonight we’ll be in Marfa, TX home of the infamous “Marfa Lights” and weekend star parties.  We weren’t able to score a star party reservation but I’m going to shoot for a waiting list spot.  After simply looking up from our campsite last night and seeing the endless starry depth of the night sky, I’m sure we can make our own star party! All in all it should be an interesting night one way or another.

Spontaneity

I see that as of my last post, we were crossing into Texas.  That’s a good start for this post as our itinerary did not have us staying in Texas that first night.  The plan had been to stay in Lake Charles, LA at a state park but we felt motivated to continue to get closer to Austin, the next locale.  We spent the night at Stephen Austin state park in Texas.  We pulled in too late to officially check in but were able to secure a site and settle in for the full moon, lightning bugs and a good night’s sleep. 

The next morning we got back on the road, setting our sights on Austin and some good BBQ and music!  We left I-10 behind and enjoyed a great divided highway for a change of pace and pulled into Austin just before noon.  This is where being in an RV with no other transport besides bicycles is NOT ideal.   Not being comfortable driving the RV on downtown streets and the fact that it was RAINING, we were left with few options for getting around the city without getting soaked. 

We tried to park in a city park and ride the bikes across the river when the rain started coming down in earnest!  This is when we decided that this trip wasn’t about seeing new cities, but about experiencing our National Parks.  Without any further distress, we took the first turn to get us back out of town and kept right on going! This little caper cost us a couple hundred miles, the accompanying fuel and some time but we were both in good spirits and settled in for the continued ride. 

We really had no idea where we were going at this point because Austin was to be a several day stop and the next planned destination was Carlsbad Caverns, more than a day’s drive away.  We made attempts to stop at breweries – closed on Mondays!  We passed countless wineries (with tasting!) but never seemed to catch the entrance before it was too late.  We did make the turn at a wildflower farm with endless fields of poppies (so pretty!) but the promised “Beer is Back!” sign didn’t prove fruitful.  (We are TERRIBLY spoiled with Holy City brews and consequently a bit hard to please in this regard …grin!)

Looking for any form of stopping place or diversion on the map, I came across the Caverns of Sonora.  It was just a little spot on the huge Texas map but we needed SOMETHING!  After a little research (and fighting with almost nonexistent cell coverage) I managed to secure two tickets to go see the caves.  We pulled in just before they closed to find a friendly group of staff more than willing to be accommodating regardless of the time.

Arriving so late, we had a private near 2 hour tour of the amazing caverns.  With one “room” leading into the next, the cave seemed to go on forever.  Our guide, Charlotte was just great and seemed to love going through the cave as much as we did.  We learned about dead caves and active caves and formations and geology.  We saw stalactites and stalagmites and soda straws, butterflies and draperies (cave bacon!).  We experienced total darkness when all the lights were extinguished – did you know you’d go blind in 10 days if you lived with no light?  We saw how caves grow and how people can so easily damage them.  Anyway – it was a HIT!

To top off our luck, they also run an rv park and we had a safe place to stay the night.  Charlotte and her friend Thomas joined us for a few beers later and we were ready for a great night’s sleep.  NOT!!  Rob, who had been nursing a threatening cold, lost the battle.  He spent the night coughing and quite miserable.  We got up this morning expecting to get on the road and there was NO WAY he was going to make it.  His temp started to rise and I watched him get worse fast.  When the thermometer read 103.9, things got serious. 

Being a heart patient, fevers are taken seriously. Texts and calls (when reception allowed) to friend and doctor Steve Miller resulted in orders that even if we had to drive back to Austin, (5+ hours?!) Rob needed to get to the ER!  Thank heavens for great neighbors.  After meeting John and Susan (neighbors in the park) just minutes before, Susan offered to get Rob and I to the hospital about a 15 minute drive away.  

So, Rob has the FLU!!!  And we’re sharing this lovely little RV home of ours which means….yah, no way I’m getting out of this one.  But we’re both loaded up with Tamiflu and lo and behold, Rob is already seeing some improvement (and I am in no way gonna get sick!)  I spent the rest of the day taking random beer photography (ha!), watching the crazy peacock here strut his stuff, riding my bikes on some serious hills and generally staying busy. 

In the midst of it all, I realize that somehow we’ve already experienced a change.  Seems that if this trip is going to work, we’re going to have to learn to REALLY let things happen as they may.  The interesting thing is that at every stage in even so little time, each change of plan has brought some new delight.  I’m even feeling excited to put all of my pre-planning aside and watch as it all unfolds.  What will tomorrow bring I wonder?

French Quarter Festival Fun

New Orleans has come to be a second home for me.  My mother moved there 37 years ago so it’s a destination well traveled in this family.  With that, of course, comes the benefit of free lodging during the amazing yearly festivals the city has to offer.  16 years ago Mom started the tradition of holding a brunch the Sunday morning of French Quarter Fest and it has become a yearly tradition for me to attend. 

Growing over the years, French Quarter Festival now has 23 stages all within the Quarter which have a new act every 90 minutes for 4 full 10 hour days!  You do the math!  It is a free festival supported by sponsors and the sale of STRICTLY local spirits, beer and food.  Oooohhhhh, THE FOOD!   From traditional Cajun to the most contemporary, nearly every reputable NOLA restaurant has an offering.  Greens and jambalaya to spring rolls to bratwurst, and all of it great!

The music is equally diverse.  From with names like Irma Thomas and Aaron Neville drawing huge crowds to a middle school brass band being enjoyed by passersby, there isn’t one stage that doesn’t offer great entertainment.  Again, the entertainers are all Louisiana natives with the only exception being showcased on an international stage. 

I have to take a minute to give a shout out to New Orleans for it's festival management.  With crowds that literally consume the French Quarter, civility and order reign.  There are police, firemen, EMS and coast guard officials just about everywhere you look.  Miniature police cars - smaller than smart cars, folks - zip through the streets 24 hours a day keeping watch and there are the smallest ambulances I've ever seen at the ready. Contrary to many people's perception, the city stays amazingly clean with countless staff in motion sweeping and moving masses of trash.   I might mention here as well that almost all are wearing a smile and ready to help with whatever you need.  

A family favorite of the event is the cajun/zydeco stage where we spend hours dancing nonstop.  My amazing 81 year old mother is almost a legend for her love of the dance floor.  For a woman raised on a farm in Wisconsin, you would never guess for how solidly she fits into the local culture.  It makes even me wonder if there isn’t Cajun somewhere in our bloodline!

Add to all of this nonstop fun, we had a great time sharing Holy City brews with family, friends and festival goers.  We only have a small selection right now but all were equally enjoyed.  And I’ve found that people are more than willing to say cheese for a free beer! 

This morning, we pulled in the slide outs, disconnected and put New Orleans (and Mom 😚) in the rear view mirror as we set our sites on destinations westward.  As we now cross the border into Texas, the journey ahead starts to take shape and the sadness of goodbyes fades in the distance.

New Orleans – City of Senses

After a nice morning hike to a very interesting waterfall (it falls into a sink hole and appears to just disappear into the earth!), we were back on the road for the trek to New Orleans.  We visit my mom here almost every year for French Quarter Festival, a 4 day FREE festival with over 500 different acts on 23 stages throughout the French Quarter.  All of the food, beverage and music is locally sourced.  What started out being the city’s effort to get the locals to the Quarter has turned into an international extravaganza in its years in existence.  www.fqfi.org

From the very entry into the city, our senses are heightened.  Crossing Lake Ponchartrain, the sun glistens on the water around the seemingly endless bridge.  The cityscape rises in the distance and we can feel the energy reaching for us. 

We arrived late afternoon and got settled in our “slip” at a very basic RV park at a busy intersection.  With traffic noise being our new background music, we took a few minutes to get settled and then headed to the Quarter with my mom, Carol. 

On our next morning attempt to ride our bikes to the Quarter, we encounter potholes that shake us to the core!  Crossing the Industrial Canal is a fete of bravery, leaving us not sure we're willing to make the return trip!  Riding along the Lakefront on the other side helps to calm the nerves and the smell of the water makes us feel back home.  

Even on the short ride into town, the smell of roasting coffee and local bakeries wafts through the car. The scent of jasmine and flowering trees fills Carol’s courtyard and I swear every doorway has the promise of some culinary wonder! 

Perfect weather for the fest!

A casual stroll brings music of every sort to your ears.  Jazz, R&B, Dixieland and Zydeco spill from doorways and sidewalk performers.  People laughing, yelling, mumbling and singing and car horns and sirens abound.  Even at my morning yoga class, the sound of the Jackson Square jam session starts tuning up before 9am!

And then, of course, there is taste…this IS New Orleans, mind you!!  Crawfish and mustard greens and grilled chicken livers.  Jambalaya, creole, red beans and etouffee.  Café au lait and beignets and pralines! Noone would even think to question the diversity and splendor of New Orleans cuisine! 

Mom and I with our favorite dance partner, Keith

Yes, we’re back in New Orleans and our senses are piqued.  We’re walking miles each day from stage to stage, sampling amazing food and I’m dancing every possible cajun two step and zydeco dance that I can grab a partner for.   I’m enjoying being with my amazing Mom and the friends we’ve made here over the years and, for now, this is right where I wanna be!

From Panicked to Peaceful

It’s begun! We are off!  

The send-off party Sunday afternoon was a great success. Countless friends and family came, some of whom we hadn’t seen for 10 years or more.  From our kids to dragon boat to gospel choir to book club to neighbors – they all came!  Holy City is a perfect place for gathering.  Amazing beer, awesome food and a chill atmosphere –no party needs more!  Guests were treated to their first beer compliments of the brewery and the party lasted until closing time – well after the 6pm official end of the party itself!  If it wasn’t enough to have near 100 personal friends all in one place, watching them make friends with each other brings me as much joy as seeing them myself.  I have to say, I can’t imagine anyone is blessed with more amazing friends than I!!!

After the rousing event, we spent our second night ever in the RV in the Holy City parking lot!  Does the irony escape anyone?  Yup – the only night we ever previously spent “onboard” was the night we bought it in Indianapolis and drove it home.  It had no water (and thus no bathroom facility), a broken generator and a/c (this was JULY!), was in serious need of cleaning and we slept in a Cracker Barrel parking lot!!  Our newly refurbished “home” at Holy City was luxurious in comparison!

Morning dawns at Holy City - the day after

And today dawned calm.  We got moving early and by 10 were on the road with all errands run, the car parked for the duration, a final house check and full gas and propane tanks.  We even had a chance to pass out a few beers in the process – Half Calf coffee milk stout of course since it was still morning!  (wink!)  ONWARD!

And then I check my email.  Simple enough.  What could go wrong?  Other than our guesthouse caretaker deciding she changed her mind and was turning tail and running…nothing else!  Without getting into specifics – this is a BIG deal.  And we were on the road!  We were thankful to have to make a stop to pick up some items from my dearest friend Patricia on the highway outside Hilton Head and we shared lunch (on the side of the road - RV’s are really cool!) and commiserated on the complexities at hand. 

That's what good friends are for!

With some good advice, some creative thinking and some trust in the universe we decided to carry on.  And we’re rollin’ on down the highway!  (thanks, Derrick for sending the music file!)  We made 545 relatively uneventful miles today and pulled into Falling Waters State Park in the Florida panhandle 5 minutes before closing time.  We have a peaceful spot in a beautiful park on a post thunderstorm night … and life IS good and the universe IS good and onward we will go!

And the Next Adventure Begins!

It seems as though it's been years since I've been here...OH WAIT!  IT HAS! 


So many moments have passed that were blog worthy. From touring Colombia, South America with sailing friends, taking 2nd place in the breast cancer division at the World Dragon Boat Races in Australia, singing with my gospel choir in Lincoln Center and with James Taylor, a 19 day cruise around the horn of South America, - one would think that I would have posted sooner!


But as we all know, life moves quickly and moments pass and, well, sometimes stopping to record them passes too.  BUT the big moment has arrived and we are very close to embarking on the next great adventure!  Moonshadow strikes again - this time in RV form.  And to add to the fun, Rob and I are teaming up with Holy City Brewing in Charleston, SC to "share the love" along the way.



Beginning April 2, 2017, we will take off from the Holy City Brewing parking lot and set out on a five month adventure through some of this country's national parks.  With Rob's new Senior Pass in hand, we will hop from park to park to hike and marvel and make new friends. The friends part should be easy considering we'll have Holy City beer on board!


So, welcome back, faithful friends!  We look forward to having you along for the ride!