Finding the Middle of Nowhere, Part 1

It took us ten days on the road to find the middle of nowhere!  There were many times on the journey I thought we found it but it wasn't until Saturday that I concluded we really were...finally... in the middle of nowhere.  The trip this summer was planned to avoid the crowds and see some of America's less frequented National Parks.  We read and heard that many of the parks are very crowded now that people feel a bit more free to roam the planet.  Except to Canada, which we are still not free to roam into.  No hard feelings...well...almost none.  I miss it, but instead of sitting around missing it, we are enjoying the middle of nowhere, avoiding the crowds and giving some of the other parks a little love.

Sunset on the first night of the road trip, in Fredericksburg, TX.
Not the middle of nowhere yet!

Our first park was Big Bend National Park.  You may have heard, Texas is very large!  We feel like we drove through most of it to get to Big Bend!  After driving many miles on the flat west Texas highways the flat rocky desert gradually changes to a hilly desert with mountains in the distance.  It is like you are in a different state!  We enjoyed getting to know the small town of Alpine which was where we stayed.  Alpine is full of murals!  They are little surprises around every corner.

The murals of Alpine!  
Worth checking out, even if it is almost 100 degrees.
Yes, that is Hoss from Bonanza who is from Alpine.

We explored Big Bend and just had to do the most iconic hike to see one of the most recognized scenes in the park.  TJ rode his bike up and down the steep hills while the rest of us drove to the canyon and hiked to the Rio Grande River.  We saw Mexico, across the water, several different places in the park.  After driving to the three main areas closest to us, we decided we should definitely come back, when it is cooler outside!  The crowds were...minimal.  Nobody else is crazy enough to visit a park in south Texas in the summer.

At least it is a dry heat....🥵

Just a short hike from here....

To here!  Mexico on the left, USA on the right.

After a few very warm days in south Texas we headed north, expecting to escape the heat.  The best way to escape the heat is to go deep into a cave!  Carlsbad Caverns National Park is another, out of the way, park.  We saw that reservations were required to enter the caverns and they were sold out online for the day we were there.  TJ, being TJ, decided to just go get in the very short line with his Senior park pass and try his luck.  Lucky for me...he is a lucky guy!  We were given a ticket to enter and in a matter of minutes we were taking the elevator down 750 feet to the caverns.  No hiking down for us, we were on a schedule and only had a short time to explore.   Ahhh, nice and cool down there.  I am so glad we took a chance, it was amazing!  I wondered if I would feel claustrophobic in the caves but upon entry I realized there was no way it would be a problem.  It was like entering a gigantic cathedral that went on for a mile!  The lighting inside was perfect and highlighted the formations beautifully.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed this place.

I love how the two on the right side are just about touching, after hundreds of years!

Photos will never do this place justice, just go and see it for yourself!

 

After five days on the road and some pretty impressive parks it was time for a break from the trails and the oppressive heat.  Time to join civilization for a couple of days.  Santa Fe is a perfect mix of civilization and still a bit wild.  We enjoyed eating out at nice restaurants, walking the streets and looking at the galleries, visiting a church or two and playing a round of golf.  Playing golf on a road trip feels like a touch of home, since I spend at least two to three days a week on the golf course at home.  It is a familiar environment and an exercise my muscles are familiar with as opposed to hiking on steep trails.  We enjoyed our little civilized break.

To quote on of my sisters-in-law....
"I feel like letting my arms go!"

I had the same feeling here.
Gotta love air conditioned golf!

After a short break in Santa Fe, we headed north to find The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  Sorry to admit, a park I had not heard of until a few weeks ago.  Our original plan was to spend the next three days in Moab exploring Arches and Canyonlands.  After hearing how overcrowded the parks were this summer and how Arches closed for part of each day due to capacity crowds, our friend Roberto, refigured the route.  Sticking with our "less visited parks" theme we diverted to Montrose, Colorado and Black Canyon.  

To get to Black Canyon from Santa Fe, we passed through Durango, Co. and had lunch with a good friend of our son.  We had to stop!  What are the chances we will pass this way again?  After lunch, we drove The Million Dollar Highway to Montrose, Co.  There are many legends as to why it is called the Million Dollar Highway ranging from one vertigo challenged man saying he would not travel that road again for a million dollars to the legend that when it was built in the 1930's they used gravel left over from nearby gold and silver mines only to discover later that it was rich in ore and very valuable.  TJ agrees with the first legend wholeheartedly!  He drove the first five miles and I had to pry his clenched fists off the steering wheel and guide him safely to the passenger seat while I drove the remaining 80 miles of switchbacks up and down the peaks of the San Juan mountains through the San Juan National Forest.  It is a stunning drive but not for the faint of heart!

Not for the vertigo challenged!

Turns out Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one beautiful park!  TJ, again, decided it would be best explored riding his bike.  For whatever reason, cliffs and switchbacks do not bother him as much on the bike as they do in the car.  The rest of us, again, drove to the end of the park, hiked up and down the trail to get the big view and then pulled over at every lookout on our way down.  I had no idea what to expect from this park and am so glad we put it on our itinerary!  The canyon is deep and dark and surrounded by mesas and mountains.  

We also stayed in one of the most unique accommodations of the trip while in Montrose.  We had 2 rooms in the Old School House Lodge in Montrose.  An  interesting communal experience.  We joked that it had the makings of one of those novels like, "Nine Perfect Strangers" or "The Woman in Cabin 10".  There were the two couples traveling together (us), the guy riding a dirt bike from coast to coast, the young couple who had been in town for a month and were heading back to real life the next day, the mother and her twenty-something son who was taking a break from work, the couple no one ever saw and the woman who lived downstairs.  All the makings of a good novel!  The place is amazing and we loved meeting the other travelers!

Breakfast on the porch in the cool, fresh air!
Perfect!

Glad I have these groovy hiking shoes!
Painted Wall

We enjoyed our time in Montrose very much!  A two night stay makes a big difference when you are on the road for over a week.  We also opted to do take-out while there.  After a year and a half of not eating out, we ate out most nights on the trip up to this point and believe it or not, it felt so good to just stay in.  We played cards after dinner and one night we played dominoes with our new friends, the young couple who had been in town for a month.  We all commented on the fact that last year we would not have sat together at a table with 4 other people we did not live with and play dominoes together.  We all happily thanked our vaccinations for giving us the freedom to really enjoy playing a game together with new friends.  Travel is much different this year than it was last year, and it is a good thing!

Stay tuned for Part 2 when we reach the middle of nowhere.

If I Were a Bird

Here in Houston, the hot, humid weather has my migratory instincts in high gear.  If I were a bird I would be leaving this nest for cooler, less humid environs.  And...if I were a bird, I could just flap my wings and be on my way, no reservations or passports required, no Covid restrictions and no bags to pack.  Alas, I am not a bird so in order to address those migratory instincts, I have to make a plan, make some reservations, pack my bags, and organize my house before I can leave the nest. 

The pull of the red sand is very strong!

Normally, you know...pre 2020, my migration would be to Nova Scotia.  I had the drill down to a science.  I had a good idea of what to pack, what to do with the house, what flights to book, what awaited me once I arrived and what to look forward to for another summer, just like the past 50...or so...summers.  That all changed last year.  A giant wrench had been thrown into my migratory pattern in the form of a pandemic.  Much has changed in our world since last summer but in at least one respect things are just the same.  Unless I am a bird...I am not getting to Nova Scotia as things stand today.  This sad reality has forced me to commit to Plan B...again.  Plan B is getting a lot of play time and I sincerely hope it does not become Plan A in my life because I really, really liked Plan A.

I have spent many hours contemplating this summer's plans.  Do we stay home and hope and pray that the Canadian border opens sooner rather than later or do we go ahead and make plans based on the current data?  Currently, it does not look like the border will be open to us (fully vaccinated Americans who own property in Canada) any time soon.  Soon being by July 1 in my book.  I could stay home and sweat it out, literally, if I knew with confidence that on July 1 I could fly up to Nova Scotia.  Some things are worth the sweat.  But...I don't have much confidence that this will happen.  So rather than hang around, sweating it out and waiting for news that may never come, we have made plans to migrate elsewhere again this summer.

We figured our trip out west last year was a once in a lifetime adventure.  Who knew we would be doing a similar road trip again this year?  I still think last year was a once in a lifetime!  Already, I am treasuring the memories of that trip.  I remember the tentative feelings we had when we left home in a pandemic.  We were diligent in our safety protocols while we were on the road.  There were adrenalin rushes to invigorate us when we entered  a state we had never visited before and saw things we had only read about in history books and seen in photographs. All of those emotions paired with a constant need to be on our guard against an invisible virus made us feel very alive and aware.  We will never forget to appreciate the lack of traffic last year, the empty parking lots, the ease with which we came and went in and out of our national parks, or the creativity it took to eat, drink, travel and exist safely on the road during a pandemic.  For some reason, I don't think we are going to have the parks to ourselves this year.  We also won't live in constant fear of an invisible virus either, assuming vaccines indeed do what they are meant to do.  Win some...lose some.

Pretty sure things will not look like this again this summer.

This parking lot scene will be fondly remembered this summer.  I will try to channel this vision when we find ourselves circling a parking lot in one of our National Parks hoping to find a parking place.  Seems we were really onto something last year!  Who knew?  Hindsight...once again 20/20 or in this case 2020.

Our plans this summer started with our anniversary friends asking if they could stop by and visit us on their way up to Montana.  They were taking a road trip through several National Parks on their way up to Montana to visit their daughter, Marathon Girl.  They were going to see Big Bend National Park, which we missed last year and vowed to go back and visit someday.  We got to thinking, talked to our friends, and decided we would join them on their National Park visits.  They would continue to Montana and we would drop off in Park City where we have some amazingly generous friends.  

One night, TJ and I were sitting around and I had a thought.  It happens occasionally!  "If we can't go to Canada...or really anywhere other than the U.S., where would we like to go that we haven't been yet?".  The answer was, Alaska!  I proceeded to take a virtual trip to Alaska and saw many of the same summer flowers that grow in Nova Scotia, read about the similar summer weather and oohed and aahed at the photos and suggested we go to Alaska.  He was all in!  I love that guy!  He took the ball and ran with it!  

It has been nice dreaming about and planning another summer on the road.  I do think we may not be the only ones with this idea this summer.  I just hope Alaska isn't on everyone else's summer itinerary.  It would be nice to have that special feeling of seeing the beauty of our National Parks without having to stand in long lines or dodge and weave our way around hundreds of other well intended visitors.  We were so spoiled last year!

I have also upgraded my outdoor gear.  If we are going to do this, let's do it right this time.  I am now the proud owner of real hiking shoes.  My Brooks running shoes took a real beating last year.  I also think we will be doing some more serious hiking this year and need all the help I can get...sturdy shoes to the rescue.  TJ also decided I needed better biking equipment.  His decision...not mine.  The only way I am ever going to keep up with him on a bike is if my bike has super powers.  After witnessing several people cruising up the mountains in Zion last summer on their e-bikes, TJ decided I needed one.  Happy birthday to me.  

This is me after my first organized ride last weekend.
17 miles...uphill all the way 😂
and I have the tee shirt to prove it!

He has big plans for me to accompany him on some of those hilly bike rides on the road.  Not sure who this gift is for....him or me?!  At least this year I will be able to keep up with him and breathe at the same time.  I think it's time I sign him up for some yoga classes just to make it even!

Stay tuned for tales of life on the road.  We may not be escaping the heat for a week or two but we will certainly escape the humidity. "It will be a dry heat"...like that matters!  Say a prayer that the Edge Café (our car) continues to be trusty and road worthy and that we are able to keep our sense of humor and wonder during our hundreds of miles on the road!  One...or both of us does not do traffic very well.  Also, after a year and a half of social distancing...we really like our space!  And...believe me...if I were a bird...I would be on my way to Nova Scotia!  If the border opens...we will turn around (after Alaska) and make a beeline home and head to our farmhouse!

Finally, if I were a bird I would be a bluebird.  They winter down here and summer as far north as Canada.  Sounds good to me!  They are also beautiful...even the females.  Then there is this:

The bluebird is a symbol of hope, love, and renewal and is also a part of many Native American legends. The Bluebird is actually a bird that symbolizes the essence of life and beauty. Dreaming of bluebirds often represents happiness, joy, fulfillment, hope, prosperity, and good luck.

Wishing all of you a bluebird kind of summer!

Two Years is Too Long!

I told myself last year I would not complain if and when the roads were full and people were out living their lives again...even if I did have to sit in traffic and wait in a line here or there.  I spent too much time sitting around my house and in my backyard last year to get upset about traffic or waiting.  And yet, last week, I let the traffic get the best of me.  I am taking this as a sign that the rusty cogs of our world are beginning to turn.  This also means that the rusty cogs of my social life are beginning to turn and I gotta say... it feels so good!

Last week was a milestone in our family.  It marked the first time since June of 2019 (Kelly and Chris' wedding) that all four of my kids were together with us.  Two years is too long!  Through the pandemic we have missed all of the holidays together and countless random family gatherings.  We are all now proudly vaccinated and more than happy that we feel safe being together again.  Kelly, Chris and August made the big trip from California to Houston for the week.  They were coming just for a visit but when we realized Michael's birthday was the day after their arrival Kelly asked if we could save news of their arrival as a surprise for Michael. 

When I realized that 3/4 of the kids would be in town I just had to let the oldest know and give her the option of joining us...if it could work out.  It worked out!  She made the trip too...and we didn't tell Michael about her visit either.  Houston decided to treat us all to torrential rain for the entire weekend...we hardly noticed.  Michael was endearingly surprised when he saw his sisters for the first time in two years.  We pulled it off and it was priceless and a bit teary!

Reunited...and  emotional

Two years is too long!

The next day was birthday celebration day.  We had 2 birthday boys...Michael and Logan.  We also had 14 people plus 3 children (not that they are not people but they did not count for the food order) for dinner.  Definitely the most people I've had in my house at one time since before the pandemic began. It was amazing!  We were all so happy to be together.  Cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings and friends together for the first time in a long time.  Brought to you by vaccinations, air travel and a love for each other that we have missed sharing in person for much too long.

Happy Birthday to our guys!
Thanks for giving us a perfect reason to get together!

As if flying across the country with a baby were not enough, I "made" my daughter and her little guy get in a car and drive 5 hours to Baton Rouge, which turned into 6 due to traveling with a baby and ...traffic.  The baby stops were excpected, I have taken many car trips with babies and am very familiar with the drill, but the traffic almost made me lose my religion.  The trip was WELL worth it in the end!  We introduced my mother to her youngest great grandchild.  It was love at first sight!

She has always loved babies...and they love her too!

My mother had not seen Kelly in over 2 years and in those years, she got married and had this sweet little boy.  It was a much overdue reunion made even sweeter by one smiling baby boy.  Augie was born one week after my Dad passed away and I could not help but think at the time that the circle of life just goes on and on.  We enjoyed a couple of great afternoons with my Mom on her living room floor, baby talking with Augie and letting every one of his many smiles melt our hearts.  Turns out, he is a good little traveler....takes after his parents.  We both fought back tears when we left Mom's house the last time.  Who knows when they will see each other again?  Totally worth sitting in traffic.

Where I almost lost my religion and had to remind myself 
not to complain...for over an hour!

After a week of family celebrations, visits, dinners, outings and late nights the house was back to just the two of us.  I cooked more food and for more people than I have in a very long time!  When the week was over TJ promised to do the cooking (with his credit card) for the next week.  He did a great job and we agreed that we just lived two weeks that felt as close to life "before " than any since March 2020...and it felt so good!

4 generations!

Because I can't resist....highlights from the week that felt "normal"!

Are they here yet?

Let's just call this one precious angel!

Lego building

Who knew balloons could provide so much fun?!

I think all of us felt the same way at one point or another that week!
ZZZZ

Augie loved his new toy!

BBQ and crawfish...
teach your children well.