I didn’t want to get up this morning. I didn’t sleep well and really just wanted to stay in bed. I could see the morning lights bleeding through the camper windows, so I opened one to peek out. Holy cow the sky was gorgeous! I leapt out of bed, shoved my feet into shoes, grabbed my camera, and ran outside. Some days I wake up and just feel like driving. At first I felt like I should leave Big Bend…
December 27, 2016 Twisted Shoe campsite Big Bend I wish I had my DR! 2 KTMs just rode by. Jealous! So many of these roads would be great for a little dual-sport or off-road motorcycle. I was sold my DR200 before I left town – it was just too awkward for me to load and unload on my own. I was considering getting a smaller dirt bike for the camper, but timing didn’t work out. My mountain bicycle also didn’t…
Solo camping navigating. I’ve been trying to teach Pugsly, but she just wants to sleep. Ow. Don’t mess with Texas. I learned to use duct tape to get those near invisible prickly pear prickers out! Works! It took me two hours to go 10 miles to my new campsite. It’s great! The Chisos mountains and the doggies are my companions. I got to do some outdoor reading, but this giant orange threatening wasp looking creature kept hovering around me, so…
First thing in the morning and I’m packing up when a Ranger stops by. I took a surreptitious photo while he was writing down my driver’s license info. They aren’t kidding around out here. He gave me a warning and I told him I was heading right then to get my pass. I did. Gotta carry tweezers when walking in the desert lest prickers get you. This one was stuck in Pugsly, and when I went to pull it –…
We’ve arrived in Texas! My friend in Cloudcroft, NM suggested I check out the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It’s not far from Carlsbad, so I made my way there for a camp-over. I wish I’d stayed to hike in those rugged mountains, because they really are impressive. I arrived there on a lovely and temperate Christmas eve but was too tired to explore. The “campground” was simply a large parking lot, with a lower section for tent camping and nice…
Carlsbad Caverns I’m not a big fan of the over-developed National Parks tourist attractions, so while I wanted to see caverns, I also didn’t want a circus like is at the Grand Canyon South Rim, for example. When I pulled into the Carlsbad parking lot, I immediately wanted to turn around and leave. It was Christmas Eve day and I mistakenly assumed most folks would be happily baking Christmas pecan pie for the Eve dinner. I was horribly mistaken. The…