From Black Canyon’s hot and dry climate, we were quickly back in the land of mountains and cool winds as we drove north and camped for a night at Twin Lakes. It was Friday and the lakes were packed with campers, but we lucked into a space just up from the water in a cluster …
Tag Archives: hiking
Colorado: Black Canyon
From Ridgway we drove north and west into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I knew the least about this park going in but it was fantastic. Most areas of this park were open including the campgrounds, so we booked a night and planned on about two days to explore the park. We …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Central Virginia-a surprise hiatus
Long time, no blog! I had planned to spend a few days in the DC area and central Virginia for Halloween festivities and a horse race, which were fun diversions and a great time to restock, swap out clothes, and drop off items I found I did or didn’t need in the van (goodbye 2nd …
Vermont
I love Vermont. Beautiful scenery, cool vibe, most craft breweries per capita, delicious chocolate, chill people, and all the cheese!!! It was great to visit again and stop by some repeat spots, check out some new places, visit with family, and consume all the yumminess. After riding out a big storm in a nice tree-less …
New Hampshire
I got to New Hampshire just in time for the magical intersection of the long Columbus/Indigenous People’s Day weekend depending on where you are, and peak foliage color in the area, so everything was unusually crowded. Woohoo! I went on a few nice hikes in the White Mountains, the first of which was a quick …
Maine southbound
I was excited to hear that my friends Rachel and Ben and their little cutie would be in Acadia to celebrate Ben’s 40th birthday, so luckily my plans were flexible enough to allow swinging back through Acadia park to overlap with them for a few days. Plus, another visit to one of the best parks! …
Montreal area
I’d read about a resort town north of Montreal which was listed as a great place to experience the foliage of the Laurentian range, so I made my way in the morning to the lakeside town of Mont-Tremblant. Mont-Tremblant town is a beautiful small town on the lake with nice shops, cafes, and cottages, while …
The Van is Go 