Not too far from El Paso, Texas, Hueco (way-co) Tanks State Park and Historic Site is a beautiful and sacred oasis in the desert at 4,400 feet elevation. People have come to this pile of boulders for over 10,000 years in search of rainwater and shelter. The site sits atop…
The Rio Grande River runs along the US border between Big Bend National Park in Texas and Mexico. Recent rain raised the fast-moving, muddy and silty water of the river to flooding conditions before we arrived. I was in “flood-watch” mode for several days before arrival (thanks to my PTSD…
Copper Breaks State Park in Quanah Texas It had been oddly dry for a few days during NomadFEST in October. Heavy rain moved back in during our stop at Copper Breaks State Park and dashed our hiking plans. A last-minute change in the travel schedule came when park officials…
First Visit to Texas My first time in Texas couldn’t have started out better! Descending 800 to 1,000 feet on a steep, winding road into Palo Duro Canyon State Park was amazing! Some of the turns were really tight especially with the car attached. Thick with red mud from recent flooding,…
Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque has been on our must-do list since fellow travelers told us all about their home town of Albuquerque and described the balloons flying right over their house during the Fiesta! The event was way better than their stories could convey. We had heard about the challenges…
Chaco Culture National Historical Park An unpaved and rough road led us into Chaco Culture National Historical Park through gorgeous desert scenery in early October 2018. The Jeep has high clearance, trail tires and 4-wheel drive when we need it; and it is great to have in remote and isolated…
To celebrate 15-years of marriage and a year after Ian’s transplant journey, Bruce and I planned a family trip to Mazatlan, Mexico at the end of April 2018. As it turned out, Ian had a hospitalization in March and wasn’t allowed to travel so soon afterward. We missed him greatly!…
Death Valley is the largest national park outside of Alaska at 3.3 million acres. I don’t know what I thought Death Valley National Park would be like, maybe a very hot sandy, flat kind-of boring place. Instead, it is one of the most diverse places, like Yellowstone but with weird…
Huachaca (wa-chew-ka) City is a great location to explore this diverse and beautiful part of Arizona. Close to the Mexican border, the desert landscape is offset by views of the Huachaca Mountain Range. Nearby Sierra Vista, the Spanish name for “mountain range view”. It accurately describes the many mountain ranges, including…
We loved the huge sites at Rock Hound State Park in New Mexico. The rugged slopes of the Little Florida (flor-ita) Mountains are the backdrop for this peaceful campground at 4,500 to 5,400 foot elevation. Collecting some souvenir rocks is encouraged and I couldn’t have been happier! We hiked on the…
