Staring at maps became my hobby while planning this journey. On the cover of my road atlas was a picture of Angels Landing that I looked at daily. I had been obsessed with hiking it for awhile and it is partly responsible for me embarking on a long US road trip. I didn’t want to hike it alone so the very first step I took in planning the entire adventure was looking at when REI Read more…
There are those moments when flipping through photos that you see a place and just have to see it in person. One of those places for me were the Antelope slot canyons near Page, Arizona. Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon are located within the Navajo Nation (the largest land area retained by a Native American tribe in the US). It is one of a few indigenous nations whose reservation lands overlap its traditional homelands. COVID Read more…
After a day spent at the Barstow / Calico KOA in the Mojave Desert, I was officially sick of the heat and decided it was time to take a break from Wolfie. I made the logical decision to head to the hottest place on Earth, Las Vegas, and they were warmer than usual and enjoying 120 degree heat. Knowing that myself and the few remaining electronics that hadn’t already melted would never survive, I found Read more…
I made the tough decision that I no longer wanted to constantly monitor wildfires and deal with smoke-filled skies and poor air quality. This was the only time on my trip that I made a change to the itinerary. I was going to stick to the central valley of California and arrive into Las Vegas two weeks ahead of schedule. Sticking to the valley meant that I was trading fires for extreme heat, another one Read more…
I was officially surrounded by wild fires and now that I was back in cellphone coverage I was constantly looking at wildfire maps and thinking about fires and smoke every day. The Dixie fire was closing in on Lassen Volcanic National Park however they were still open and I knew I had just enough time to see it. I was now in California and had a beautiful shaded spot at Shingletown KOA so I was Read more…
While shopping at REI in preparation for the trip I told the employee that was helping me that I was going to Crater Lake and she said she got goosebumps just thinking about that place. It was also a stop on the trip that I was really looking forward to. As soon as I arrived and unhooked my camper I couldn’t help but want to drive down and see the lake. That evening and all Read more…
Before jumping into the beauty along the Oregon and Washington border, I should first cover how I got there. I left a wonderful stay at Glacier National Park to travel through mountain passes and spectacular countryside with a stop in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I enjoyed walking around town, climbing Tubbs Hill in the park, and watching everyone enjoy the water on a beautiful day. Stayed at Tamarack RV Park which had a great location, tons Read more…
Perhaps it is too soon to declare a favorite, however I feel confident enough that this statement will remain true, “Glacier National Park is my favorite”, of the parks that I have visited. It is partly because I love the mountains and it is also due to how I felt as I was arriving. This was a park that I wanted to see on my own and have that time of solitude to really soak Read more…
Left the Devils Tower KOA and it was on to the Paradise Valley KOA in Montana. I was so excited to head into the mountains and was excited to see the snow capped mountains along the drive. It was my longest day of driving/towing so I was grateful for a good audiobook and beautiful scenery to enjoy. As I turned on the last stretch of road from Livingston, I agreed with the name of paradise Read more…
One of the last remaining states that I had never visited was North Dakota. As I couldn’t work it into the route with Wolfie, I opted for an overnight trip up to Theodore Roosevelt National Park while I was staying in Devils Tower. I drove up the eastern edge of Wyoming where it was only me and the pronghorns. The first stop was the Painted Canyon visitor’s center in the South Unit to get familiar Read more…
I was so excited to have family join me on the adventure and really excited to explore the sites of South Dakota across the Black Hills and the Badlands. Step one was getting there. Towing a travel trailer is a slow endeavor so I left Lincoln a day ahead of everyone to break up the journey into two days. I spent the night in Ogallala, Nebraska. The town has been used as a stopping point Read more…
I spent so many months planning and thinking about the trip and I was now at a stretch of days that I wasn’t looking forward to. I had just spent a wonderful long stretch in Upper Peninsula Michigan and now needed to hitch up and travel almost 900 miles over three days to get to Lincoln, Nebraska. The first stop was Oakdale, Wisconsin. I arrived at the RV park and got to work unhitching and Read more…