Turkey Bay, Land Between the Lakes 11.11.2015

After another very windy night we left Buzzard Bluff in the rain and backtracked to US 60. At Van Buren, Missouri, we detoured down MO 103 to see Big Spring in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The spring gushes an unbelievable volume of clear turquoise water from a karst bluff and is constantly growing because it dissolves a vast quantity of limestone every day. Continue reading Turkey Bay, Land Between the Lakes 11.11.2015

Buzzard Bluff, Missouri 11.10.2015

I was driving when we left Osage Hills State Park, but after an hour on the hilly, very narrow road with strong cross winds and wide loads of heavy equipment going the other way, I pulled over and let Dean drive. Continue reading Buzzard Bluff, Missouri 11.10.2015

She Drove in Oklahoma 11.09.2015

It was very windy again yesterday and it made the flagpoles bang all night. With the rocking camper and clanking halyards it felt like we were on a boat and we slept very well.

When we were young and rushed to drive long distances, I often drove two short shifts a day. After we lowered our daily mileage and stayed on back roads, Dean preferred to drive and I amused myself taking photos, crocheting and doing beadwork.

I was waiting for the perfect conditions to drive the truck: no rain or snow, little wind, little traffic, and a road with wide shoulders. When that didn’t happen after weeks on the road, I decided it was time for me to get behind the wheel. Continue reading She Drove in Oklahoma 11.09.2015

Antelope Crossing, City Park Stay 11.08.2015

We left a thermometer on the camper step last night and it recorded a low of 14 degrees Fahrenheit. We were glad that we slept in our warm sleeping bags.

Continuing east on US 64 we drove through beautiful Cimarron Canyon State Park and Philmont Scout Ranch. The State Park had a nice looking campground beside the river. Continue reading Antelope Crossing, City Park Stay 11.08.2015

Sulphur Soak & Eagle Nest 11.07.06

Of course we had to take a hot soak in Pagosa Springs. We chose to go to The Overlook, located in a Victorian storefront it has tile showers and multiple soaking tubs. The air was brisk but we stayed in the two pools on the roof overlooking the river. We smelled like sulphur for several days but didn’t mind. Continue reading Sulphur Soak & Eagle Nest 11.07.06

Petroglyphs & Wallmart Fail 11.06.15

We drove through red mud puddles to the Sand Island Petroglyph wall. It was covered with hundreds of petroglyphs including hands, spirals, a horseback man, antelope hunting scenes, Navajo style people, and papooses. Continue reading Petroglyphs & Wallmart Fail 11.06.15

Sand Island, Utah 11.05.2015

We woke up to gorgeous blue skies and sparkling new snow. The camper steps, truck, and running boards were covered with ice and there were icicles hanging from the gray water outlet, but no pipes were frozen.

We headed east on US 89A with a detour to enjoy driving in the snow on USFS 205. The truck handled great and the woods were beautiful. We found a campsite near AZ 67 where we could have stayed last night but it was not on any of our maps. Continue reading Sand Island, Utah 11.05.2015

Snow in Jacob Lake 11.04.2015

It was raining and cool in the Valley of Fire when we woke up and it remained stormy the rest of the day changing from rain to snow as we drove into higher elevations.

Back on I5 we crossed a corner of Arizona and went into Utah where we stopped at a coffee shop in St. George to buy plane tickets for our upcoming trip to Asia. As always, when using public wifi, we also used a private VPN service to keep our information secure. Continue reading Snow in Jacob Lake 11.04.2015

Crowbar, Las Vegas, Valley of Fire 11.03.2015

It was a very noisy night with howling wind, something banging and sand raining on the rocking camper. We were grateful for another hot shower and soak before leaving Delight’s Hot Spring Resort.

There were always vehicles parked by the one undeveloped hot spring in Tecopa so this trip we stopped to take a look. The people in the water said mud mites were not a problem despite the warning sign. Continue reading Crowbar, Las Vegas, Valley of Fire 11.03.2015

Badwater, Dates & Tecopa 11.02.2015

We went to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center to check on road conditions and the camper just barely fit under the covered parking. Most roads were still closed from the flash floods including CA 178 south of Badwater where 10 miles of pavement and roadbed were destroyed. The damage was so extensive, it took almost a year to repair. Continue reading Badwater, Dates & Tecopa 11.02.2015

Texas Springs Campground 11.01.2015

We took a last hot shower and soak then washed some clothes at the communal sinks. We were sad to leave but needed to move east again. Saline Valley was a great experience with friendly campers, informal disbursed campsites, exceptionally clean vault toilets, and eccentric art. There is no potable water or trash removal. Continue reading Texas Springs Campground 11.01.2015

Halloween in Saline Valley 10.31.2015

We went for a dawn soak in the Sunrise Pool, the upper pool at the lower springs, and met four people there who entertained us with stories of petroglyphs, local history, and clothes stealing donkeys. We were one of the few newcomers at the springs where many campers had been coming for more than 30 years. Continue reading Halloween in Saline Valley 10.31.2015