Blog List

Celebrating Easter surrounded by God’s glorious creation was a gift. Oh what spectacular beauty we found in Big Bend, a massive 801,200 acre magnificent National Park gem! We also visited the nearby Big Bend Ranch State Park, another 300,000 expansive acres of desert and mountain vistas. We’ve enjoyed five days in this western Texas slice…

From the 1830s to the early 1900s, a significant influx of German immigrants settled in Texas. In recent census data, nearly two million Texans claim German heritage. Some of the notable towns birthed from this migration include Bulverde, New Braunfels, Boerne, Pflugerville, Walburg and Fredericksburg, all in Texas Hill Country. We were fortunate to spend…

Our first night of adventure began at the Texas Legato Winery Harvest Host. We were welcomed by fields blooming with blue bonnets and our gracious hosts. After a quiet night, we headed south to the magnificent hill country of Texas. We setup camp for three nights along Canyon Lake. With only one day to explore…

Before leaving Riverbend Retreat, we stepped back in time millions of years. Adjacent to our beautiful RV site, we hiked on the Dinosaur Trail along Rock Creek. We criss-crossed the creek when needed to keep our feet on the rocky, dry flats. With a brilliant blue sky, we savored the morning. After a mile or…

Many of you have asked when I would begin blogging again. I’ve been in need of inspiration and I’m happy to report that inspiration is brewing. Skip and I will soon be embarking on a six-week RV adventure. We’ll begin with a visit to San Antonio, then we will meander through Fredericksburg and South Llano…

In the past three days, Skip and I have journeyed back towards Minnesota through the country roads of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. We’ve camped at small city park campgrounds which is a new experience for us. These city parks are first-come-first-serve. For those of you who know me well, you know that winging it…

The final adventure of our 2022 Southwest Expedition brought us to a treasure of a national park, and one that is hardly known. Have you ever heard of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison? Until my dear cousin, Nan, told us we just had to visit this park, we’d never heard the name. Nan was…

As we crossed the border from Utah into Colorado, I searched Spotify, found one of my favorite songs from years gone by, and cranked up the volume. Singing along brought me back to the 1970’s when John Denver was popular. In fact, John Denver was the first concert I ever attended. I was in 8th…

Along the many miles we’ve hiked, myriad desert blooms decorated the edges of our trails. Their tenacity is laudable, their adaptability remarkable. Each one was a delightful discovery. Thanks to the PictureThis app on Skip’s phone, we learned their names. Here are a few photos of our favorites. We also encountered many types of shrubs…

Utah, oh Utah. We have loved your beauty! Our three weeks of exploring the Mighty Five national parks and more will never be forgotten. We hope you’ve enjoyed the journey with us. Our final adventure in Utah brought us to the Dead Horse Point state park. As we hiked the perimeter of the Shafer Canyon…