Colorado: Ouray

While we were in Telluride I overheard a man on his phone saying something like “well it’s not supposed to start coming down until around 6″, put two and two together to check the weather, and sure enough it was going to snow. 3-9” in the mountains above 10,000 ft (where we’d been the night before). In June. Now, the van is not so great in the snow with it’s dinky engine, 2 wheel drive, and being so heavy with all my junk in it, so this revelation put the brakes on our previously held idea to find some camping outside town that night and maybe have to navigate winding, narrow, steep forest service roads. On to plan b, which was to spring for a hotel in the smaller town of Ouray up the road. Shower, actual bed, and not having to pack up a snowy or rainy tent was well worth it.

Monday night in Ouray was not particularly hopping but we had a fun evening out getting some food and drinks while watching the snow come down. The most eventful part of the evening was spotting a cinnamon (brownish red colored) black bear rambling through town and escaping into an alley as some teenagers chased after trying to snap a picture.

The next day there was snow on the car and grass, and a lot in the mountains, but the roads had melted off in the early morning sunshine by the time we got moving. Kevin and I explored the town surrounded by glistening snowy mountains and walked up to Cascade Falls, wandered through Box Canyon park, and got to see some of the infrastructure on the steep canyon walls which are sprayed down daily in winter to create a world class ice climbing area. Apparently they have competitions and festivals there at the Ice Park which sounded super cool to watch but terrifying to do.

From Box Canyon we drove the fabled Million Dollar Highway to Silverton, which is packed with hairpin turns on the side of the mountains connecting these once booming mining towns. Whether it got it’s name from the high cost to build this crazy road, from the profits the mines brought, or whatever other reason, the scenic views were totally million dollar worthy. I didn’t even get carsick or worry about how close the road was to the edge of the abyss since I was too busy oohing and awing the whole way. Ouray was right to call itself ‘Little Switzerland’!

Silverton is a cute town full of mining history and is the destination of the Durango train that I lamented being closed a few days before. We could see the old-timey exhibits and storefronts in the area of town where the train rolls in- right down a main street. With most things closed partially we just got some pizza, wandered around, took in the views, and headed back along the Million Dollar Highway back to Ouray in the afternoon. There is no way I’d want to drive that road in the dark, that’s for sure. We drove to the town of Ridgeway for some tacos, and stopped off at this awesome hippie hot springs (clothing optional- we kept some clothing and I yet again saw a bunch of mostly old people butts).

We decided on a whim to stay one more night and do a jeep tour up a mountain pass, and went with Alpine Scenic Jeep Tours in a small group (with plastic between the three rows of seats to keep distanced and sanitizer galore) up some forest roads, through streams and over rocks up to Yankee Boy Basin. We stopped at beautiful waterfalls (one is said to have been used in a Coors commercial years ago), overlooks, and up into the mountains. I wasn’t originally super sold on the appeal of going up into the same mountains we’d been driving through in previous days, but I am so glad we did it. The expanse up past where most cars can access was exquisite and peaceful aside from a few hikers, off road vehicles, and others coming for this view. We finished the day with a burger from a fun, family-run spot in town and a drink at the hilariously named Mr. Grumpypants brewery which share a patio.

From Ouray we went up the road just a few miles to Ridgeway State Park where we camped for the night. We could hear the river rushing by and had a nice soft (by camping standards) elevated pad to pitch the tent which was a nice change. I attempted dipping my toes in the stream and it was… very cold. People were fishing in the stream, and in another area of the park we walked along the lake where people were boating, kayaking and paddle boarding. Such a change from Ouray so close by! It was flat, the air was dry, but still I couldn’t escape the beautiful mountains in the distance. What a fun few days.

Colorado: Durango to Telluride

After leaving the Sand Dunes we headed west and rolled into Durango pretty late in the evening. where it was rainy and gross, so we opted for a hotel to not mess with finding a wet campsite in the darkness. Plus, shower! And in the morning another treat awaited in the form of Oscar’s, a cafe where I shoved so much breakfast into my belly and had leftovers for later, and where they make the best hot sauce I’ve had in forever- and luckily they sell it and I have some for the road.

Most of Durango was still pretty much shut down, unfortunately, including the famed Durango-Silverton railway which was high on my list of to-dos but will have to wait for another time. After a quick drive through of the cute town, off we went towards Mesa Verde. We drove past more mountains, cattle pastures, Chimney Rock, and eventually saw the mesa rising from the flat land in the distance.

Mesa Verde national park was the most closed of the ones we visited, so deserves a repeat visit for sure. The bulk of the experience in this park is touring the ancient cliff dwellings which were not open, so we did a brief drive through the park and walked through the old kivas and remains of homes in another area you could tour on your own. Alongside the home remains is a reservoir created by hauling stones and creating mud walls to trap every bit of water in this high, arid spot. I tried and failed to imagine living in this kind of terrain hundreds of years ago. Thank you modern plumbing and grocery stores!

From Mesa Verde we set off to find a spot to camp for a night or two on the way to Telluride. It was a Saturday afternoon so most of the more accessible sites were packed, but Kevin had camped up in the mountains on a previous trip before climbing mountains, so up the narrow, rocky road we went for about 5 miles with a few stops to clear tree limbs that had come down in the rain the night before. Boy did that drive pay off. Wide open space, cool (okay, pretty cold and windy) clean air, gorgeous views, and almost no company save a few ATVers and one other camper and his dog. On an after dinner stroll we spotted a herd of elk in the clearing across the road, which was a special way to end the day.

The next day we went on a hike up to a waterfall at the base of one of the fourteeners he’d climbed up there, and as usual I trailed behind huffing and puffing at altitude, but I made it and we had lunch amongst the skunk cabbage and giant ant hills overlooking the falls and peaks. It was easier to enjoy the whispering Aspens and stream crossings on the way back down when I wasn’t quite so dead to the world.

This was a magical place to spend two nights, but Telluride was calling so back down the hills we went. A few miles up the road we stopped by Trout Lake with hopes of having lunch by the water, but the crazy wind drove us away quickly after just a snack. This turned out to be fine though, because it left me hungry and ready for the delicious pizza in Telluride about an hour later.

Telluride’s views walking down the main street is breathtaking. Sadly not much was open, including the free gondola into town, and of course no festivals that normally dominate every weekend here. I did find some gems like “Popcorn Alley” and a piggy statue, so that’s a win, and we were able to see the waterfalls from afar. Another place for a return visit one day!

Colorado: Great Sand Dunes

Driving around the dramatic Sangre de Cristo mountains and finding a collection of sand dunes in their shadow kind of messes with the mind. The area is arid and isolated for the most part, with expansive open spaces, some ranging cattle, and shrubs dotting the landscape, with the looming jagged mountains alongside. Such beauty!

After abandoning an idea to camp at a well known waterfall trailhead (too crowded and rocky road questionable for the van), we scored a sweet free campsite just across from the National Park & Preserve. We set up camp, made dinner while zoom chatting with friends, and had to escape into the van to eat as a lightning storm rolled through the area but the rain missed us. The sunset and views were pretty spectacular, particularly for a free site- my best understanding is that this used to be a state park paid campsite but something went wrong with the water line so they opened it up for free without water for whoever came prepared.

The next day we entered the park, which was partially re-opened with most trails and day use areas open but the visitor’s center and some other areas remaining closed. Our first stop was the namesake dunes. I, no surprise, was exhausted after walking up halfway, but we made it a few crests up and got a view over the sand and out over the hills. We hadn’t researched much and missed the fact that you can rent sand boards to slide down the dunes, but some very nice people offered to let us have a go on theirs. I’d gone sand boarding before in Peru last year and didn’t particularly want to walk back up if I slid down, but Kevin gave it a try and reported a fun time. His first run (snowboard style rather than sitting down) was slow, and the second ended in a minor fall and small sand burn, but no big prob. I, on the other hand, managed to get stung by a bee at the top of the dune. Of course.

The stream between the road and the dunes was running full thanks to snowmelt and the cool water felt really great on our feet after trekking around that hot sand under the blazing sun, and wiggling toes down into the cold mud in the running water was a next level treat. Many families with smaller kids were using the stream like a beach day and some even came prepared with shade tents and beach chairs. Very smart!

After the dunes we hit up a trail up the rocky hillside to the Mosca Pass., which is technically in the Great Sand Dunes Preserve rather than the National Park but it’s all adjacent by the looks of things. I was- surprise surprise- tired after the first 10 minutes of uphill in the full sun and dry air, but as usual I was glad I kept going once we got the shade of the trees and passed pretty cacti and rock formations along the way. The actual pass itself was underwhelming, but there were some great views of the sand dunes peaking out between the trees and cliffs on the way up. Quite the full day of fun!

Colorado: Outside Pueblo

After arriving back in Colorado from Iowa and spending a bit of time doing stuff around Golden, Kevin and I took off for a mini-tour of the state now that things are slowly reopening. I mean, I had to see some of this place before I take off after spending so long here, and what better way to social distance than camping and being outside. So he, being an excellent tour guide of the area having lived here off and on for many years, plotted a loop, packed our hand sanitizer and donned our face masks (when around people or inside), and off we went. The van was so happy to be on the road again!

First stop was south through the pretty, winding roads through the mountains and into the more open and arid areas near Cañon City and Pueblo, where we ended up staying over with Kevin’s friend who lives in the area. I learned all about some bizarro fungus that takes over ants and other insects and gets them to basically self destruct and spread spores thanks to the nature show we watched, but I digress.

On the way I forced us to do a drive by of a roadside attraction diner in the shape of a hot dog, and to swing through the town of Fairplay where the South Park show is loosely based. While we skipped the kind of cool looking old mining town replica exhibit. I of course required a photo op. Fun fact: I dressed up as Cartman for halloween in middle school with some friends. So little has changed. Sometime along the way we passed a bunch of high security prisons and I waved hi to El Chapo in there somewhere.

Further on we visited Royal Gorge bridge & park, where a bridge and gondola take you across the beautiful gorge (according to a sign there the difference between a gorge and a canyon is whether the top is significantly wider than the bottom) with the 50 state flags displayed along the length. It gave sweeping views despite the strong wind that day. When we arrived there was a thunderstorm blowing through the area a few miles away, so the gondola wasn’t running until we were about to leave. Good luck for us! It was rockier than usual but a lovely experience.

The next day on our way southwest we stopped by this rather odd but impressive site, Bishop Castle. Tucked away in the forest on a winding road in the middle of pretty much nowhere, a guy has been building this totally not to code castle of sorts. It’s pretty crazy. There are open doors to nowhere two stories up with just a chair blocking you from falling out, holes in the metal grate walkways, steep exterior stairs, even a dragon head looming out over the ever under construction affair. Signs at the entrance warn you enter at your own risk, which I understood as soon as I set foot in the place. I went up pretty high but didn’t dare walk over the bridges or up to the very top. What a project.

Next stop, the first of the state’s national parks we visited.

Iowa: Sioux City and a Pandemic Road Trip

Long time, no van travels! As I alluded to previously, once the Covid crazies hit I took a week to regroup and self-isolate in El Paso, then booked it to the closest person I felt comfortable shoving myself on for who knows how long, which happened to be my friend Kevin just outside Denver. More to come on Colorado adventures, but after a couple of weeks in his neck of the woods we took off to spend a little time at his mom’s house in Iowa to help out with some yard work, cleaning out some things, all that fun that comes with starting to prep for putting a house on the market in the future. We’d planned to stay for about 2 weeks, which ended up turning into almost 6. Crazy! The van stayed in CO so I didn’t actually get to scratch any new states off on my van travels map, but it was new ground for me.

We arrived for the Easter holiday and a spring snow, but most of the time there was mild weather with some nice sunny days thrown in. While pretty much everything local was closed as was the case nationwide, we were able to pop out for take out a few times into Sioux City, get to shops as needed, and even see some of the outdoor sights. One sunny day we went for a walk by the Missouri river and hung out, had had a picnic snack, did some outdoor yoga, and were serenaded by a weird dude singing Journey and Whitney Houston at the top of his lungs in a pavilion across the way. Another day we went and got some takeout coffee from a cute spot just across the river in Nebraska where the owners have built a serene garden seating area we were able to sit in and enjoy the sunshine, and check out the cool treehouse they rent out- I will be back one day to stay here, because tree house and coffee? Amazing.

Most days were filled with some projects around the house, aside from the cold, windy and rainy days that were better suited to binge watching the Mandalorian, Ozark, reading, and lazing. My minor contributions included painting an Adirondack chair, a table, and a mailbox post, digging out buckets of dandelions, helping spread mulch, and making some food here and there, including some birthday muffins for Kevin’s mom and a Mother’s Day brunch (wish I could have been with my own Mama but nice to celebrate regardless). There was lots of gardening, planting (even a few rows of okra, their family favorite), mowing, and other stuff I mainly watched from afar.

One weekend Kevin’s brother and his family came to visit, and they left the kids for a few extra days, so that was really fun to get my fill of playing with kiddos time. We discovered that the 8-year-old and I have the same size feet, and the 5-year-old and I have the same size hands, and in a game of tag the 8-year-old totally smoked me and I could barely keep up with the younger one, so that was a major self-esteem boost. Ha! They did attempt to teach me how to ride one of their tiny bikes with training wheels but my knees kept hitting the handlebars. Kids around meant making cookies, cinnamon rolls, getting donuts, basically treats galore, but on the flip side I successfully got one of the boys to try radishes, red peppers, green onions, and some other veggies that are usually untouched- success! We also managed to frighten the pants off them by showing them Jurassic Park… watching their faces and reactions was priceless.

When it was time to take the boys back to their other grandma’s house about 2 1/2 hours east, we made a road trip day of it and hit up a bunch of roadside attractions that could be viewed despite closures. We stopped by a cow statue at a fairgrounds, a theater dedicated to Donna Reed in her hometown, sighted Albert the Bull (largest bull in the country!), places Jesse James and Bonnie and Clyde pulled off heists, a tree in the middle of the road (nature’s traffic circle?), and stopped by a rest stop with a windmill theme. After dropping off the kids we did a tour of the bridges of Madison County, stopped by the super cute town of Winterset, home of John Wayne, and chatted with a man who paints Freedom Rocks with military themes- he’s aiming for one in each of the 99 counties and has 12 to go, and he wants to do one in each state eventually. He was at the original rock repainting for Memorial Day, so that was pretty cool to witness. We spotted another of the rocks in Winterset next to John Wayne’s birth home.

So while I did get to see my fair share of flat farmland and herds of cows, I discovered that there’s a lot more beauty in these scenes than I’d imagined. Also I discovered that they sell baby chicks in the hardware store there, so that was spectacular. Thanks for the extended hospitality, Iowa! One day when the world isn’t on lockdown I will be back to take part in the state fair and see a butter cow! Until then, back to the mountains.

FAQs from people I chat with

On the road again! Just kidding. Currently in pandemic life like everyone else except without my own home to be hiding away in, so crashing with a friend and invading his life for a while in Colorado and Iowa for the time being. As escapism, going to tackle the things pretty much every person I’ve met on the road asks and will blissfully imagine myself attempting to make my teeny half bed and hoping I closed my curtains well enough while changing clothes in a busy parking lot.

  • What do you do for the bathroom? Do you have a toilet in there? How do you shower? Nope, don’t have a toilet. Lots of van dwellers have cassette toilets, or even makeshift bucket setups, but I don’t have the space to spare and so far have been okay getting by without (plus not dealing with black water grossness is a plus). I use public restrooms first thing in the morning and just before parking for the night (many thanks to Walmart, Starbucks, McDonalds, Cracker Barrel, etc… I do buy something small almost every time I partake) when staying in populated areas, or restaurants or bars if I’m out already that night. When I can I use these to covertly brush teeth, wash face, and change contacts as logistics allow, but also have a sink in the van so I can get away with just being normal and using the toilet like a regular patron if there are other customers who give me weird looks. In parks and forest areas there are sometimes bathrooms, pit toilets, or portapotties somewhere nearby, but I have no problem using outside when privacy allows. I have my stash of tp, camping shovels, and thanks to a funny though actually super useful gift from my friend Jillian a bunch of dog waste bags which are the best for trail trash. My godmother gave me an emergency container/female urinal which is a convenient backup so far unused, but glad to have in case. Not too long ago I finally joined a gym, too, which is great for bathrooms and showers and internet and shames me into working out. I don’t bother showering daily or even close… I have a camp shower which I’ve only used once because until now I’ve had frequent people to visit, access to showers at campsites or gyms, and enough either real showers to get by every few days. The longest I’ve gone between showers is 7 days (hair worst on day 4, and magically nice again day 6?), and I do a baby wipe ‘shower’ in between. The upside of knowing I’ll never see most people again and having no one to impress!
  • What do you eat? How do you cook? Do you have a mini-fridge? I don’t have a fridge, just a giant Yeti cooler which conveniently acts as half my bed support at night and is a great chair when using the sink. I didn’t want to deal with major battery or solar power logistics for such a relatively short time, so the trade off of having to buy ice once or twice a week is fine for me with no chance I’ll accidentally drain my car battery or something. Only once have I had a heat issue where I wasn’t sure about the status of some foods, but this was after leaving it for a week in the Miami heat and humidity while traveling so not bad really. I had one gross day where some cream cheese tipped and that liquid that separates on top dripped into the ice water, and got super yucky and stinky and pink mold galore. Blegh! Lysol wipes to the rescue, and now drain completely to clean and air out once a month. I keep some condiments in big ziplock bags, and baskets to keep most of the food above the ice/water level, and a fridge thermometer on it to make sure it’s not too hot for safety. I do have a 2 burner camp stove, a small backpacking stove, and a Solo Stove to cook with natural fuel, but to be honest I don’t cook per say all that often. I do a lot of dinners of cheese and crackers, veggies and hummus, fruit and peanut butter, and meals from local places since this is part of getting the full experience of what different areas have to offer. When I am somewhere with space to cook, I make a bunch of things like rice or beans or soup that I can store for later meals. I do make salads, sandwiches, oatmeal, and quick more assembly than cooking meals. Let’s say I was super prepared for this current moment with lots of nonperishables to pull from in my mini-pantry! My abundance of pots, pans, spice mixes, and other little kitchen items came in handy at my less than prepared Airbnb in quarantine.
  • Are you making money on the road? How are you affording this craziness? Super basic answer- I saved for about a year actively and was lucky enough to have a super affordable situation for most of my time in DC relative to the average cost of living. Mooched off my godmother for a few months before hitting the road, too, which was a major help. While home for the holidays did some babysitting and pet sitting, and my hiatus nannying for friends came in handy, too. So far haven’t been anywhere for a long enough time to do any work on the road but who knows in the future.
  • Don’t you get lonely? I mean, occasionally, but I got lonely occasionally at home even with friends and family around. Doesn’t everyone? I’m used to being alone and have actually been more social with strangers than usual while on the road by necessity. Along the east coast I was able to visit and reconnect with a lot of family and friends so I really haven’t had that many stretches of solo time for the most part. I’m an only child, have lived alone for a while, and being able to do what interests me without worrying about someone else’s preferences is kind of nice. A few places would have been more fun for sure with company but I do travel alone frequently so nothing that unusual. Plus with cell phones, internet, facetime, and all that it’s hard to be unconnected for long. Perfect training for current lifestyle really!
  • How do you find places to stay? Do you just pull over to the side of the road or what? I totally admit that I draw upon the knowledge accumulated by others who know better and more than do I. There are a plethora of apps and websites that other users have posted good places to stay in cities, parks, public land, and wherever- my most used is iOverlander. Sometimes it’s a parking lot, sometimes an established campsite, sometimes a semi-legit spot, often great intel but sometimes out of date or doesn’t work out. I’ve found some spots on my own or sometimes just park on the street where I think I can blend in fine with no problems.
  • Why don’t you get a dog for company and safety? Well, I like dogs and all (really most animals), but that’s a lot of work and a big commitment! Aside from the cost, mess, adding another body in an already small space, and potential noise making it harder to go under the radar, animals limit where I’d be able to go. They’re not allowed in certain parks and on some trails, would make it harder to visit some people’s homes, and would limit how long I could go into attractions, restaurants, and just out and about since I wouldn’t want to leave an animal in a hot or cold car for long periods and don’t have an auxiliary AC/heating system. Sorry people with cute animals on Insta feeds, not realistic for me. Gonna stick to occasional pet-sitting for now.
  • What about laundry? Laundromats still exist! Crazy, right? Between laundromat visits (the detergent pods come in handy for sure here- lesson learned in Montana where I had to ask a random lady to take pity on me or sell me a capful of soap when the vending machine was broken once), I’ve been super lucky and been able to do laundry at kind friends’ and family’s homes every so often. Another added bonus of rarely seeing people I’ll see again or know is that I have little shame re-wearing semi-clean clothes a few times. Sorry, strangers.
  • Do you ever feel unsafe? Very rarely. I listen to my instincts and move on if a spot feels weird or off, I don’t tell strangers I’m chatting with exactly where I’m staying, I keep aware of my surroundings, lock my doors at night and while just parked, and share my location with someone I know each night when I’m off the beaten path. I don’t have a gun because I don’t care for guns and don’t know how or trust myself to use one, but also weapons are a hassle crossing borders between states and nations so I’ll pass. I have a camp knife, some pepper spray, and flashlight next to my bed and keep the keys in easy reach at night, and made sure to leave the path from bed to driver’s seat close and open when designing the van layout so if I need to hit the road quickly I can, and try to park backed in for that reason, too. Talking to strangers is great most of the time, but here and there I get a weirdo vibe and have made my quiet way out the door and onward.
  • What’s your favorite place you’ve been? Too many wonderful places to choose! Fall in New England and eastern Canada was pretty special, and a month in Florida in winter isn’t too shabby. Every stop has had some special memories so I guess time will tell what sticks out.

Nomadic life in the time of pandemic

So, I’m guessing you haven’t heard (ha) but there’s this little pandemic going around. And it has thrown a wrench in my year of travel plans. I know this is not the most important concern in the grand scheme of things with people getting sick, losing work, shuttering businesses, you’re familiar with it all. But it’s a weird situation to find myself in so here’s where it stands for now.

Things were just starting to be talked about as a real concern in China when I left DC last in February, and it was still only overseas so continued on as planned, no problem. Things remained pretty normal until around when I was in New Orleans, which is when several places in the US had started recommending social distancing. Few cases in the area I was at the time, no restrictions there, so after leaving human-laden New Orleans opted for places that were uncrowded which wasn’t hard along the Louisiana coast at the historic sites, small parks, and quiet towns I went through.

Arrived in Houston and went to a film screening which was still on, though not full and I had lots of space around me. Everyone was doing the full good hand washing, but there were still so many people out packing the patios of the bars and restaurants in the shopping center where the theater was. Texas and the county were recommending distancing but nothing official, and I think they had just announced their first cases and were getting their act together. Turns out my screening was the last before they cancelled the rest.

My show in San Antonio had been called off- which I was bummed about but totally understand with the crowd size and probably totally close seating- so went for a few days to the seashore where there was lots of open space, fresh air, and not many people. Gym and libraries were still open, restaurants still open, the whole works. In San Antonio after, same deal. Arrived in Austin and while I was there they implemented the take-out and to-go only, gyms, schools, and libraries closed, and some states started really shutting down, but not Texas. Got some take out, visited some parks, chilled with some nice people who still invited me to stay for a few days despite it all, and just hoped everyone hand washing and all that was enough. Some bars and restaurants were even boarding up their windows as a precaution since they’d be shuttered for at least a few weeks- it looked like a hurricane was expected on Sixth Street.

Spent a few days driving across the hill country through mostly closed towns, but in this county it was still optional to stay open through the weekend so I stocked up at a couple of wineries with my 6′ bubble around me (and admit I swiped a roll of TP from one fancy place in case I needed to barter. I’m not proud. But weird times and they were going to be closed in a few hours so… sorry, that place), took in the beautiful views, and made my way to a national park with expanses of open space. Big Bend‘s campgrounds were open and park open aside from the visitor’s centers, so I booked 4 nights at the campsites (a lot of the dispersed sites are on roads I’d never make it on) but by the time I was arriving they’d decided to close down all camping in the park after the weekend, so my 4 night plan was now 2 nights.

I stayed those 2 nights as planned, enjoyed being out doing something wonderful in relative isolation, With so much in flux I opted to just get a cheap AirBnB for the week to regroup and figure it out, make sure I don’t start showing any signs of anything, and be like everyone else and laze around binging on Netflix, snacks and drinks. I’m already through the last season of Orange is the New Black, the new (still not good but I’m invested) season of Friend from College, the latest season of Last Week Tonight, my DVR’d Jeopardy episodes (thanks, Pam!), all the Fallon Tonight Show (that’s his, right?) from home clips. Started an online 30 day yoga video thing. Been on a walk around this neighborhood. Enjoying cooking and having a kitchen (though I had to bring in a bunch of my own kitchen stuff… they had one fork!) and fridge. Finished a few books I was reading.

Many states are closing down state parks, campsites, some are closing rest stops, so between that and my usual sources of showers, water, bathrooms etc. being closed it’s tough to continue as planned. I always have the option of going home to my parents or godmother but (sorry to say it in public, family) they’re all in the higher risk groups and not only do I not want to bring any new germs their way, but it’s also like 30 hours of driving to get back to the east coast where it’s way more locked down and has more cases anyway. Since I’ve arrived El Paso has gone on a stay home order, so things are changing fast.

Anyway, long babbling boils down to that I’m waiting this week making sure all seems well for at least that amount of time, then unless things change going to take up the offer from a friend to come crash with them for a little in Colorado and go from there. Been over 2 weeks since I was in New Orleans, over a week since I was in Austin, and while I know there’s always a change of having no symptoms or having something show up later on, it’s my best option in case things continue to be shut down longer than I can stay in this rental. Weird times! I’m sure more updates to come but hanging in there, no job to worry about (though might be harder to re-enter workforce as planned if everyone else is out of work), no rent to worry about, so can’t complain. Doing a whole lot of nothing if anyone wants to chat!

Texas: Big Bend

Big Bend National Park is right on the Mexican border, in that little dip of Texas on the southwestern side. I’d booked 4 nights at campsites in the park piecing together what was available- the park itself was open, though the visitor centers were closed and staffing far reduced, but the campground reservations and operations are run by a third party so still open. By the time I arrived, though, they announced that all camping would be closed starting Monday, so I just had 2 nights and considered just cancelling it altogether, but decided to go anyway and just make other arrangements for after, and I’ sure glad I did go.

I’d heard that some parks were being crowded by people so I wasn’t sure how it would be, but I had plenty of room at my campsite and none of the trails were packed so it was usually easy to stay my 6′ away from people aside from passing on trails and sharing a bathroom (all the hand washing of course).

Big Bend is arid, with mountains, canyons, and desert, full of ocotillo and bluebonnets, yucca and cacti, piñon pines and mesquite trees, quaking aspens and cottonwoods. I saw roadrunners, squirrels, hares, lizards, and so many kinds of birds (but none of the bears, mountain lions or coyotes the signs warned of). Pretty much every five seconds I felt the urge to pull over and take photos but mostly resisted and just took in the view.

I arrived in early evening, set up camp, had some dinner, and drove to the other side of a tunnel to watch the sun set over the Chisos Mountains, and caught the red glow on the cliffs just across the Rio Grande. So far from any major urban area the sky was so dark and I just stood outside with my neck craned up at the sky for probably 30 minutes each night. Was able to pick out one or two constellations and a few stars and planets but special thanks to my stargazing app for the rest.

Sunday I had aimed to get up early to catch sunrise and get an early start, but when I popped my head outside it was cloudy so just crawled back into bed for a bit before finally getting a move on and driving up into the mountains to the Lost Mine Trail. It was a climb up to a view in all directions, so beautiful. But every trail I did in the park was beautiful so…

I recently had to toss my old hiking shoes and bought the exact same ones as a replacement and am still breaking them in, so wasn’t sure my feet could take a whole lot more that day (of all things, just got a blister on the outside edge of each big toe despite moleskin- any tips?? think I need different socks despite these being great with the old version) and it was not the middle of a hot sunny afternoon in the desert, so opted for a short trail down into the Santa Elena canyon, which is one of the most Insta-photo’d places in the park for good reason. Very short hike into the canyon and the vibrant green Rio Grande. Some people were kayaking and paddle boarding on the river and some were wading in since the water level was pretty low. I would have myself had it been less muddy and I had sandals, but alas.

Before heading back that day my last stop was the Langford hot springs just down the road from my campground. I wasn’t super confident the van would make it down the rutted road well so I parked halfway down the dirt road and walked the last half mile. The hot spring is enclosed by a small stone rectangle and is set on the back of the river, and despite the slight yuck factor of the gunk from the bottom of the enclosure coming up when you moved around, it was the perfect warmth after a day on my feet as the ambient air cooled with the sunset approaching. The hot spring seems to have once been an operating business with a bathhouse from before the park was established, but it’s abandoned now. The cool rock formations nearby have petroglyphs and pictographs from who knows when, too, and at this very narrow point in the river there are stands on either side of the river with crafts for sale though they were both unmanned when I was there. It would have been super easy to wade across to Mexico or back, though around the bend I did see a lot of lighting built on the riverbank so I assume it’s monitored somehow. Anyway, caught a beautiful sunset on the way back to the car and felt calm and fulfilled.

The following day I actually did get up early to pack up camp since this was closing day, and went back out to the Chisos Mountains to do the Window trail near the Chisos visitor center and campground, which was a pretty though rather uneventful trail for the first 2/3 down into a creek canyon, but was pretty magical once I rounded the bend into the canyon portion. Trees were flowering and full of buzzing bees, and a small stream of water was flowing down toward the point where it cascades hundreds of feet down the rock face. When it rains a lot apparently it can get slippery (yikes!) but lucky for me it was dry and easy to navigate, and was a gorgeous place to sit for a bit, have a snack, and take it all in.

What a wonderful way to end my time in the park, though the drive out through the western end of the park was full of surprises as the landscape changed abruptly to a barren area as the boundary neared. I wasn’t stopped at the border patrol station and took off toward El Paso for a little pause. So grateful to have these great memories to hold me over for the next week of corona containment just like everyone else.

Texas: Hill Country

I left Austin with a bag full of delicious take out from a taco place, and headed a few hours west through Texas Hill Country towards the town of Fredericksburg. Just before arriving I took a detour to the teensy weensy town of Luckenbach, made famous by a Waylon Jennings song with WIllie Nelson on the track. I 100% played it on repeat as I drove into town past the farms and fields, and it was the first song I heard the lone performer playing at the end of an open jam session at the Luckenbach store/bar/everything in town area. The saloon & dance hall also have hosted Willie Nelson’s 4th of July shows a number of times, had some recordings made there, basically a history of country music.

The “town” is basically just this one establishment and around 9 acres of land in a loop road. From what I hear it’s normally packed but there were about 6 people aside from me at this large outdoor space so I stayed for a drink, listened to some music, and camped out in their field overnight.

Just outside town I planned to go to Enchanted Rock State Park, which sounds beautiful but as soon as I got my boots on and stepped out of the car it started to thunderstorm so I took refuge in the van but it didn’t let up and was getting darker, so I abandoned ship and headed back to town.

The Fredericksburg area is a booming winery trade, about half of which were taking advantage of the last days before they’d have to close their doors. I stopped by one with a hilarious name but not great (too sweet) wine, one with adorable lambs running free, and one that was actually pretty good. The town is heavily German influenced thanks to their founders and has some lovely hotels and shops downtown. Would be a nice place to do a girls trip weekend for those nearby if everything were as usual.

Took off again and headed west, the landscape driving out was empty and gorgeous with wildflowers along the roadsides and the hills slowly transitioning into distant mountain outlines. I camped out at a picnic area, arriving just as a beautiful sunset began. The morning was drizzly and cold, but the mist dissipated soon as I went further southwest toward my next destination- Big Bend.

Texas: Austin

I’d been planning to visit my friend Kevin’s sister and her family in Austin before all the crazy came about, and they very kindly still offered to take me into their home as part of their social distancing group. I hung out for a few days with Darla, Jeff and their kids in a suburb of Austin where we watched movies and tv, played, ate, and got used to their new ‘spring break is going to last longer than we thought’ lifestyle. Initially they’d had plans to go skiing in Utah which were cancelled just before I arrived, so with them in town for longer I stayed a bit longer than I’d planned. In a sad twist of fate, had they been able to go on their trip as planned, they would have been flying into Salt Lake City the day the earthquake hit there, so sometimes things work out in a weird way- not at all to imply there is any good to be had from the earthquake and all affected, but at least there were fewer spring break visitors and travelers there to sort out.

While the fun crazy of SXSW I’d once planned to take in was a no go, and most sites were closed for good reason. I still tried to make the most of my visit by doing some walking and hiking at un-crowded sites, one day on my own and another with the family.

I went out to catch the view from Mt. Bonnell overlooking Lake Travis, which gave views of the tranquil lake and its many multimillion dollar homes, docks, and gardens. As more people had the same idea, I hightailed it out of there and went to the nearby McKinney Falls State Park to do some walking. The trail I took was almost completely empty once I ventured past the first area of water by a small cliff falls where kids and dogs were playing in the water on the warm afternoon. My trail took me past an old farmstead remains, old gristmill ruins, a small pond, woods with fern undergrowth, and more sunny arid areas. The highlight by far were the clusters of cacti and wildflowers bringing some much appreciated color to my day. How lucky to see the famous Texas bluebonnets in their almost prime!

Another day the kids, Darla and I went for a walk from the Barton Springs around part of Zilker Park with great views of the downtown skyline. We watched from afar as a child threw breadcrumbs in the river (or is it the lake there?) and attracted hoards of ducks, birds, turtles, and fish in a small cove. We practiced our aim by tossing stones at a rock target in the water. We did a nature scavenger hunt with the kids. The kids got tired and hungry until we had a picnic on a hill we had to ourselves. There were definitely other people out and about with the same idea who needed some fresh air and exercise, but everyone kept their distances and kept on moving or found their own space.

After lunch in the park they gave me a driving tour of the downtown sights. I’d been to Austin once a few years ago to attend ACL Fest with friends, so it wasn’t the usual day to day experience, and it sure wasn’t now either, but the upside of social distancing and most shops and restaurants being closed was that there was ample parking and we could hop out to sneak in some pics at a few of the famous murals around town. Restaurants as of now here are limited to drive through, take out, and delivery, so while the kids had been warned that it would likely be closed it was a happy surprise to find their fave ice cream stand open for take out. They talked it up big, but the Mexican Vanilla ice cream did not let me down. It was extremely strange to be on such a normally busy street with almost zero traffic and very few pedestrians out. On 6th street, normally crazy busy at the bars and restaurants it’s known for, some establishments were even boarding up their storefronts like before a hurricane as they prepared for who knows how long being unattended in strange times.

Before heading back home we did one last stop at a funky restaurant on Lake Travis which was closed but we could still look around at the array of sculptures and art around the grounds. The Oasis seems like it would be quite the spectacle on a busy night, and the view was worth going even without all the crazy art.

Aside from these brief forays out with caution and a bubble, we mainly kept to the house, which wasn’t hard given the cozy lounge areas inside and out, the pool and hot tub, and other great features a nice place in the burbs offer. At this rate I may just live here now.