White Sands National Park is one of our newest national parks. It was established as a national monument in 1933 and re-designated as a national park in 2019. This was just a half-hour down the road from Organ Mountains-Desert National Monument and couldn’t feel more … Continue readingWhite Sands National Park
Days 15 and 16: Pine Springs, TX → Las Cruses, NM We hit the road early, as it was Friday and we were headed to a first-come, first-served campground that fills up. We drove west through El Paso, TX, and then headed north to Las … Continue readingOrgan Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
Day 14: Alpine, TX → Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX I loved our stay in these parts, the Chisos mountain range and the Chihuahuan Desert, but it was by far the dirtiest of days. In addition to the dust storm on the way in, the … Continue readingGuadalupe Mountains National Park
Days 13 and 14: Big Bend National and State Parks, TX Big Bend National Park… my first national park of the trip, and it didn’t disappoint. This is Western Texas, rugged land. There were no camping reservations available in the park. They were operating at … Continue readingBig Bend National and State Parks
Days 11 and 12: Austin, TX → Del Rio, TX → Terlingua, TX We had a wonderful visit with family in Austin, TX, where we got to see my sister-in-law, her boys, and their beautiful families. And I met my newest grand nephew Jude. It … Continue readingAustin and Amistad
Day 8: Anahuac, TX → Magnolia Beach, TX. The next drive was uneventful. We headed straight to Magnolia Beach, TX, about three hours further along the coast. I’d heard about this beach when watching #vanlife videos. It’s a sleepy little town, with a beach on … Continue readingMagnolia Beach
Day 7: Schriever, LA → Anahuac, TX. Without a doubt the strangest day of the trip. I promise this will all slow down, and I’ll start posting just a few times a week, sometimes even less. As you’ll see, this day could be spread out … Continue readingHomeland Security, Tornadoes, Fish Heads and Alligator Egg Rolls
Day 6: Gulf Shores, AL → Schriever, LA. I decided to bypass New Orleans, which was hard as I’ve always wanted to go there. And then for the most part, I continued to avoid cities for three reasons: We were still in a pandemic with … Continue readingLouisiana Bayous and Plantations
Day 5: Atlanta, GA → Gulf Shores, AL. Some of the trip was meticulously planned. Some decisions were made on a whim. Days before departure, I had seen a cute little town in a movie – Fairhope, AL, near Mobile, AL. Why not? It would … Continue readingAlabama’s Gulf Shores
DAY 4: Atlanta, GA. We stayed through the weekend, putting some finishing touches on the van in the warmth of Atlanta and reorganizing everything. We had TOO MUCH STUFF, so we paired down again and left a box of clothes, shoes, and books there. This … Continue readingRegrouping in Atlanta