Author: admin

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Oh man, waking up and being at El Morro already was amazing! I finally got my coffee game figured out, so that was a great plus (no more instant coffee for me!!) I was the first one in the visitor center, and was able to chat with the park ranger a bit. Only a 4 mile trail, but apparently it contains some good views, pueblo Indian ruins, and some really cool written artifacts.

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Turned out to be one of my favorite parks so far! Roosevelt established this little park in 1906, as he obviously saw the uniqueness in it. This was a major stopping point for anyone traveling west, as early as the 1500s! Inscriptions from Spanish expeditions are present, along with Army generals and USGS survey folks. The main reason for stopping here? Year-round water of course! Throw in a huge slab of sandstone, and you get some serious message board action. This was even a stopping point for when the Army was trying out camel caravans for western expeditions. Yes. Camels. The mule won out over time. Anyway, it was awesome. If you’re in this neck of the woods you really need to visit this one.

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After leaving El Morro, I had my sights set on Petrified Forest National Park. Pulling up, I realize I’m pretty excited because the weather is perfect, and I’m still jazzed from my last park. I get in and inquire about camping opportunities. Back county camping only. Fine, I can handle that. The ranger I’m chatting with is super excited about this one spot in the park, so I sign my free camping permit and head on my way. Now, this area of the painted desert does not do well in photographs, but let me tell you, it was gorgeous. Sooooo many colors and variations in the sediment. And chunks of petrified woods literally everywhere.

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The wood is left over from the late Triassic Period I believe, when this area of Arizona was a rain forest. Shifting continents and changing climates obviously transitioned this landscape into the desert it is now, but some of the trees left over were washed into the river, where silica was introduced into their cells. Thus causing the rock appearance and feel to these tree trucks. I mean, you could still count the rings on these things.

After wandering for hours, I set up camp, and barely slept. It was insanely quiet, and I haven’t been that alone in a long time. Hope I get better at this…

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Well, back in action after my week in Pensacola. I’ve gotta say, I’m really glad I made the trip home. I got to help Cas finish up a bunch of things with the new house to make it finally feel like a home, I got to help my dad plant some citrus trees, and I got to watch UCF lose an amazing game to Duke. I kept telling myself, I know they aren’t going to win… But when they lose by one point in the last second of the game, you can’t help but be upset. Aside from all that, I got some much needed supplies for the next leg of my trip, plus some solid sleep. I’m content.

I landed late in the night at Albuquerque. My flight out of Pensacola was delayed, giving me less than 10 minutes to haul ass to another terminal and board my flight to New Mexico. I normally wouldn’t care if I had to spend a night in Houston, but my car situation was not going to allow me flexibility. Being parked on the Air Force base, I reallllly needed John to retrieve me. I had no room for error (well, I didn’t want to screw up his schedule). After power walking what felt like 3 miles (I learned all my moves from the old ladies at the local mall), I got on the last leg of my trip right before the plane door was shut.

The following morning, my sister was supposed to be on Fox and Friends on an expose named “women in law enforcement.” They flew her and her drug dog Lotta from San Diego to NYC for the bit. It unfortunately came on earlier than anticipated, so I missed the live viewing. I’ll have to wait until I have better service to see how it went. I’m not entirely trusting of Fox News, but from the texts I got from her, it seemed like they tried to pull some political questions on her after they said no political questions would be asked. I’m not surprised… I also hear they had the green screen displaying the Mexico border wall. Classic.

Anyway, after missing my sister on national TV, my brother-in-law took me on the flight line at the Air Force base to see the plane he’s learning to fly. I don’t want to get the name wrong, so I’ll just call it “tactical fat plane.” We got to walk around the cargo area, sit in the pilots chair within the cockpit and stroll all around the plane inside the hangar. It was really impressive. No pics allowed, so, sorry not sorry. It’s called “don’t get anyone fired.”

After leaving my private fat tactical plane tour, I found myself searching online for things to do in Albuquerque. Spoiler alert, there wasn’t a lot going on at 9am. After what I’ve heard about people’s cars getting broken into there, along with what I’d seen around town, I decided to hit a park just west of Albuquerque, and then continue west towards Arizona.

I rolled up on Petroglyph National Monument after leaving John. Based on the name, I expected to see some cool petroglyphs. I mean, that’s what any normal person would think coming to a place named after the damn things. Especially after seeing some other amazing artwork elsewhere in TX, I had my expectations pretty high. Well, there were lots of artwork pieces along these trails, but it was, shall we say, different. I swear, I don’t want to sound non-educated here, but it really looked like straight up kid doodles. Smiley faces, hand prints, some dumb looking animals. I found one cool piece that I really liked. The rest were similar to your kids drawing all over the walls in the house. They were apparently 1300 years old, and had tons of meaning. But get this, they don’t know the meaning because the pueblo people don’t want to share what it means… So you see my confusion. I guess I was just a little underwhelmed. And if I heard an expose come out in 10 years proving that all the “petroglyps” were a prank by the local kids, I would not be surprised.

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Next, I had my sights set on El Morro National Monument. It looks cool in pics, but more importantly, has a free camp ground. As I set off on my drive west, I see signs for another national monument that I apparently overlooked when planning. El Malpais National Monument. I decide to stop, I mean, at least I can get my notebook stamped, right? If it sucks I can just keep going. The visitor center is huge and completely empty. I realize that the Spring Break rush has finally slowed down, giving me hope that the next few weeks (before summer break) will be relatively easy for finding camp spots. Looking over the maps, I realize this national monument is massive. Much larger than the park I was originally set on. I ask for a decent trail from the lonely volunteer, collect my park map, and head out into the desert. This area is awesome because some 50 volcanoes spewed lava all over the desert. The hike I ended up picking had multiple lava tunnel caves, a volcano cone, and historic lava flows. Pretty cool shit.

I have to tell you though, I started hiking at the same time as a cute family. Husband, wife, three kids. I am very aware of them, but they seem totally unaware of me. I’m a little behind them, but realize I’m going to have to pass them soon, as the kids are slow. As I come over a small hill, the mom is peeing right next to the trail. I didn’t notice right away. but it’s obvious as I continue to walk. She apologizes, I apologize, and pass them as quickly as I can. I mean, who pops a squat in a DESERT with no trees, right on the trail. Anyway, I push the mental image out, and continue to hike.

As I’m coming down from the rim of the volcano trail, I shit you not, it happens again. I walk over a hill, to see the mom peeing on the trail. AGAIN! I was like “what are the odds this would happen to me twice….” Apparently pretty high. She’s laughing about it, and I’m trying to hide my mortified face. I basically sprint away this time. I do not want to run up on them again.

The end of the trail was on the Continental Divide Trail. Basically a brother to the Appalachian Trail. I was pretty excited to hike a bit along another large trail system, hence the photos. I didn’t know this, but folks will hike the entire Appalachian trail, Continental Divide trail, and Pacific Crest Trail. It’s called the Triple Crown. I met a husband and wife on the AT who had done all three trails. I don’t think I could see myself devoting so much time to an achievement, but it’s a nice retirement thought. Cas? What do you think??

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After hiking, I head to El Morro to camp. Only two spots left… I hope I can continue to get lucky. I’ll be checking this spot out tomorrow, then heading west across the Arizona state line.

The last few days have been packed with cool park visits. Leaving the Guadalupe Mountains, I traveled north to the New Mexico state line, and into Carlsbad. Of course, Carlsbad Caverns National Park was on my list, so I stopped in first thing in the morning to see what it was all about. Walking in, it felt a lot like Disney World. Long lines (more spring breakers), tons of gift shops, and trinkets with bats being sold at every corner. I try to sign up for a tour through a more secluded part of the caverns, but to no surprise, everything is sold out for the week. That’s fine, the self guided tour into the “big room” is all I was really expecting anyway.

As I use my National Park Pass to buy my entrance ticket, I realize that just 2 weeks into my trip, and it has already paid for itself. $80 for every national park, national forest, BLM area, anything and everything! Such a deal. As I stroll outside, the air is a cold and clear 51 degrees. A welcomed improvement from the low 30s I slept in the night before.

The path leading in is steep and ominous. The temp slowly rises as you descend into what appears to be pitch black. Once you’re down to where no daylight reaches, the park service has many lighting arrays highlighting the underground structures. There are cameras at every bend, watching visitors, and ensuring no damage is done to the fragile stalagmites and stalactites. I worry about the cave species and all of this lighting, but I assume park staff has their checks and balances.

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The caverns were AMAZING! I highly recommend anyone traveling in this area to stop in. The big room is the largest cavern in the Northern Hemisphere! Some 700 feet down, it’s like being in a huge concert hall with changing scenery at every step.

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About 2 hours later, I come to the end of the cavern trail, and end up, at….. A god damn gift store in the cavern??? And elevators?? Really???

So, I’m about to be upset about the gift store and the elevator, but it’s actually a pretty historic setup.

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After meandering through the gift shop, I decide to leave the park, as the crowds have picked up. I drive west, hoping to get to White Sands with enough daylight to play in the dunes. Coming down from a mountain top in the town of Cloudcroft, my damn check engine light comes on. Talk about some serious panic. Only scattered small towns are around, and being a Sunday nothing is open. Of course my mind wanders to the worst possible situations… As I come down from the mountain top and look west, I see White Sands. Too bad my anxiety was so bad at this point I couldn’t really enjoy this view.

Pulling into Alamogordo, NM I find a KOA with good reviews on Yelp. I stroll in, stressed about my truck, and stressed about trying to find a spot for the night. The guy at the front (Alan) is super kind, and tells me they are slammed packed due to spring break. I tell him I don’t need hook-ups, water, anything. Just a place to park. I think he was too nice to turn me away, so he allows me to parallel park near the bathroom for the night. I think he also sees I’m stressed (man I suck at hiding emotions) and asks if everything is ok. I tell him about my truck, and he comes outside with me and tries to diagnose what’s wrong. Super nice and helpful. As I find out, everyone I meet in this town is amazingly nice, especially the folks in the RV park.

I head down to Autozone in town to see what codes my truck is throwing. Hope it’s something stupid…. And it is! Oxygen sensor! So I buy what they have in stock, buy a O2 socket wrench, a pack of beer, and head back to the RV park. 20 minutes later, the check engine light is off, and I still have tons of time to go play in the dunes! On top of that, the couple next to my truck tells me the KOA lets you borrow sledding disks for free! Score!

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White Sand dunes is like the beach for these people. Tons of people grilling and tanning. But everyone is right next to the parking lot. A mile walk an there is noooooo one around. I’m told by the ranger that GPS and cell phones do not work out in the dunes, so I make sure to walk straight West out, and straight East back in. It would be very, very easy to get turned around out there. As I try to find the biggest dunes to ride, I realize it’s a lot like surfing. The dune behind the one you’re on always looks bigger… Also, these dunes are made from Gypsum from prehistoric lakes that are now long gone due to climate shifts. Making them hard enough to fly down, but still soft when you wreck.

Ok this post is long… One more stop…

After a night at the friendly KOA, I head north to Albuquerque. As I’m driving, I see the ground turn from the normal desert color palate to straight black. Wtf is this??? I see a sign for a BLM property and pull in.

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Valley of Fires apparently is a 5,000 year old lava flow that engulfs a section of New Mexico. It has similar characteristics to the Hawaiian lava flows (as the educational displays tell me). I walk the trail for a bit, then continue my trek North. My flight leaves at 5PM, so I have just enough time to visit a brewery with my brother in law before heading to the airport. On my return, John promises a visit to the airplane he is learning to fly (C-130J? That could be wrong). No pictures allowed of that, sorry!!

So this day was interesting. I roll out of my RV park in Van Horn, TX and start my way north to Guadalupe Mountain National Park. Thank god I realize that the western most counties of Texas are in mountain time, or I would’ve been sitting at the visitor center for an hour looking like an idiot. Campsites are first come, first serve, and I don’t have a great alternative. Hence the wanting to be early. So I get there, and of course the place is freaking packed. No car camping areas, so I snag the only tent site left. More spring break bullshit.

Once I get paid up and legit to stay the night, I head off to the trail that leads up Guadalupe Mountain, the highest peak in Texas. As I’m going up, I see what looks to be fog rolling in. Nope, that’s snow… Ummm… I don’t want to be up a huge ass mountain when it’s snowing! So before making it to the top, I turn around and get back to the campground right as it starts coming down.

So I wait that out, then head to a different area of the park to do some hiking. I’m over going straight up a mountain, and now it’ll be all slippery and shit. The area I go hiking has much less people, and more plant diversity, so I’m happy.

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So when I get back after my 12ish miles, I start looking where I’m going to go for the next couple of days. Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands National Monument, and Lincoln National Forest. Now, this is where it took a crappy turn. Due to spring break, there is no camping open, no cave tours open, and no RV parks open in those areas. Just too many people flooding in. So, being chilled to the bone (I was not prepared for the lower 30s), and being frustrated with spring breakers, I look for flights to Pensacola. Apparently you can get to Pensacola from Albuquerque pretty cheap, even last minute.

So I booked a flight. Monday to Monday. It’s that or find a cheap hotel in Albuquerque, which doesn’t sound like fun, or a good use of money. So screw it, going home for a week, then I’ll pick back up and get ready for my reservation at Phantom Ranch at the Grand Canyon.

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Not exactly what you’d expect to see in the Texas desert, eh? I had read about this Prada store in the book Atlas Obscura, but didn’t initially intend on taking this road. Well, I did. Story is that they were gonna build this small Prada store (not open to sell stuff or anything) as an art project. The intent was to let it rot over time. Maybe to show that looks fade? Who knows. But, the first night is was finished, it was broken into with all of the product (real Prada product) stolen. They redid everything with bullet proof glass the second go around, and maintain the art project instead of letting it deteriorate. The back side has a fence that apparently folks put locks on. I wasn’t about to waste a perfectly good lock…

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Backtracking a bit, I spent yesterday and last night at Big Bend Ranch SP. Talk about remote, rugged, and desolate… I drove the FM 170 along the Rio Grande, river on my left, and sheer mountain cliffs on my right. It was awfully beautiful in a terrifyingly rugged sort of way. The road was windy, and required low gear driving for a good chunk of the way. I stopped at a trail named Closed Canyon. Aptly named. The trail basically walks you through a canyon with 200 foot sheer walls on either side. Ok maybe 100 feet. Who’s counting.

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Next I ended up at a different trail on the FM 170. Ranchiors West? Something like that. Apparently my guide book is a liar, and told me that there would be cool canyons just 2 miles into this hike. Maybe my expectations were too high from the closed canyon trail, but I saw zero canyons, even 4 miles in! I also learned that it’s very easy to get lost in desert. Unmarked trails look identical to flood channels, and at one point I ended up at a 50 sheer cliff. That cannot be the way… So I backtrack for a mile, to realize that the trail IS marked, I just didn’t notice it. Apparently piles of stacked rocks pass as trail guides out here. Learn something new everyday…

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After my hike, I head to the ranger station at Big Bend Ranch SP, a simple 17 mile 4×4 trail leading past some of the most amazing rock formations I’ve ever seen. Even though the scenery is amazing, the road is so shitty I feel like my brains are going to be jostled out of my nostrils. Also, I’m going 25mph (the god damn speed limit) and people are flying by be. Like, do they just not give a shit about their trucks? Am I that much of a pussy. Probably both.

I finally get to the ranger station, and check into my site for the night. The ranger is very worried about me being alone, and tells me to make sure my mom knows where I am (I fell like people shouldn’t use that line, but maybe I just look really young)? I tell her I’m fine, and have a high clearance 4×4. My confidence was waaaaaaaay too high at this point. The trail getting in was shitty, yes, but not difficult. I expect the trail to my campsite will be the same. Wrong. So, so wrong. This 4×4 trail (if we can call it that) was an insane rock scramble up and down mountains. If I knew what I know now, I would not have visited or camped at this park. It’s beautiful, yes. But holy shit it was intense. I was the only camper for miles in back county. The silence was overwhelming. This park made Big Bend National Park look like a kids playground. Like one of those playgrounds that has that super soft spongy material so you don’t get hurt when you fall. What happened to the wood chips that used to stab you at all angles every time you fell?? Character building is being lost!!

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I finally make it to my site, and am struck with a bit of fear. Man, I am way the fuck out here. To chill out, I start planning the next day, and reading the brochure the ranger handed me. As the sun starts to set, I light up a campfire, and get some whiskey in me to chill out (thanks Paula and Eric).

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At 6 am, truck lights fill my camper. Why in the world is someone else at my campsite? I pull out the shotgun, and prepare to blow a hole in anyone that approaches the vehicle. But, they turn around, and park on the hill right above me. Creepy as hell if you ask me. As soon as the sun comes up, I pack up my things and head out. Back to the shitty trail, and back to the never ending dirt road. I won’t miss this place.

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But now there is a dilemma. With temps going into the 30s tonight, I do not want to primitive camp. So, I found a nice RV park in Van Horn, TX and am going to chill here for the night. Not too bad for $10. The people here are kinda creepy, so hopefully I’ll make it out. I’d rather be worrying about panther attacks than people.

As I write this, I’m sitting on my tailgate, shaded from the intense sun and howling winds. How did it get so damn hot so quick? I was not mentally prepared for 90 degrees today. The Rio Grande is just a few steps away, but its murky waters, fast current and steep banks keep me from jumping in. Too bad. That’s why I chose this site!

I have to tell you how I ended up here. Leaving Seminole Canyon this morning, I was hoping for an open slot somewhere in Big Bend. Surely they have at least one back county permit still available… The drive in along the border was beautiful and void of towns. I have 15 gallons strapped to my roof, but I am still cautious to stop whenever I can to fill up. All I need is to to get stuck somewhere out in the desert without gas and without cell service.

I was only stopped by border patrol once today, which is an improvement from yesterday. They all seem friendly enough. As I roll into Big Bend, the landscape is incredible. The Chizos (that could be spelled wrong) mountains loom in the distance as blue and yellow flowers line the highway. Lots of dumb people swerving around to take pictures. They make me nervous. Pulling into Panther Junction, the place is packed with kids and associated families. I realize it is spring break for Texas, and that is probably why it has been so difficult to find camping spots. It’s great those families are getting their kids outside, so I can’t be mad.

I walk into the back county office at headquarters, and take a number. There’s a huge table in the center of the room covered in maps. I love maps, so of course I sit down and start studying. When your number is called, you get the chance to plead your case to a park employee. Hopefully there’s room, and hopefully you don’t sound so incompetent that they don’t let you camp. As I’m sitting there, I hear a group of girls being told that there are no more campground or back county sites for tonight. But that they can go to a nearby town and find a hostel. I’m a little heartbroken, but I look up the town while I’m waiting, and it looks to be an artsy hippy town. Works for me. As they leave, the next gentlemen is up, getting a river float permit. As he is talking to the park employee, a young guy walks in, saying he will not need his permit for the Gravel Pits tonight. Their tent was destroyed in the storm yesterday. That’s a different story… A storm so fierce rolled in last night that just about all of Texas was under a tornado and thunderstorm warning. Winds were gusting up to 70 mph. The best part was that it hit right around 1 am, so most folks were unsuspecting. I had no leaks in the truck, so I was fine. But it made me wonder. I have all this gas on my roof, what happens if I get struck by lightning?

So, as my turn comes up to talk about camping, I snag the spot just given up, and head to the east end of the park. On the way, I stop at the hot springs. Filled to capacity with people, I opt to hoof it down to the main parking lot instead of waiting in my car for someone to leave. Why would I wait 30 min only to avoid a .5 mile walk? The springs are cool, but again, full of people. So I leave shortly after.

After that, I stop at a few more trails, then make my way to my campsite down a 4×4 trail. It’s named the Gravel Pit aptly, as that’s basically what it is. But its proximity to the river and to some back country make it appealing. I go for a short hike alone off trail. My first alone desert gallivant. I’m nervous, but can’t really understand why. I go balls deep in swamps here in Florida without a second thought, stepping over cottonmouths and pygmy rattlers on the regular. But here, it feels so foreign. I know I’m not an expert in this climate, and that freaks me out a bit. Regardless, I make it back to the truck, and try to prep for sunset. Hope it’s a good one.

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Off to Big Bend Ranch SP tomorrow!

Today started out as a dreary morning. Rain was in the forecast for the entire day, which makes it especially difficult to traverse some of the rocky terrain in central Texas. As I found enough cell service to check the weather, I noticed that my next big stop, near the Mexico border, was free of any rain on the radar. I made up my mind to get out of my camp spot at Colorado Bend, and head to Seminole Canyon SP, a 4.5 hour drive. Weather was shitty, so I didn’t feel bad skipping out on my last planned hike for Colorado Bend. Plus the fog was so dense, I wouldn’t have seen shit anyway. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. As I start my drive west and south, I pass more cows that countable. Gas stations are sparse, and the terrain is slowly changing to desert.

Driving along the border provides its own surprises. Two border patrol check stations were on my route. They take flash photos of your face and of your car. When I got up to an agent that seemed nice, I asked why the photos, and why the check points on American roads. He explained that illegal immigrants will grasp onto passing semis and cars parked getting gas, trying to get more interior. He also gave me some recommendations of where to eat in town. I suppose I seem to be no threat. As I’m driving to my next stop, I start to doubt why I made such a large jaunt south just to see one area. Maybe I should just follow the herd and go straight to Big Bend NP. But, already having made a reservation, I stay the course. Hell if I give up $18!

As soon as I pull into the park, my doubts quickly subside. This place has some amazing vistas and really ancient petroglyphs. I get in at 2, and sign up for the 3 o’clock tour. Feeling pretty lucky at this point! After checking out my campsite, and realizing it’s absolutely perfect, I start the mile hike down to where the tour starts. No point in wasting gas if I can get some steps in. A quarter of the way in, a park volunteer stops her truck and tells me to hop in. She’s the tour guide, and feels bad for me walking. I tell her she’s going to make me lazy! The tour starts at 3. The only reason I did a tour was due to the fact that you are not allowed in the areas where the cave paintings are without a tour. Too much vandalism. People suck. We already know this.

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The petroglyphs range in age from 4,000 to 8,000 years old, and are beyond words for descriptions. I’ll just show you some photos I took. I felt like a legit tourist today, and I give zero shits about it. After the tour, I head back to camp and watch the sun fade away. Desert sunsets cannot be captured in photos. Actually, none of this landscape is photogenic. The vastness, openness, strong breeze, and constant bird chatter is beyond what my Olympus TG5 can handle.

Oh man, Fifi, Greg and and I have been doing the grand tour of natural areas around Austin. Saturday was an awesome, adventure filled day that included McKinney Falls State Park, as well as Pedernales Falls State Park. Honestly, they had been to both of these places, and decided to make sure the order of travel was correct. What I mean by that is, we apparently had to do McKinney Falls first as the “fluffer,” then head west to Pedernales Falls.

We started at McKinney falls, which was an old volcano that spewed rock all over the place, leaving a moon-scape look with water carving crazy cool patterns in the rock. There were 2 falls, one that looked to be a smaller version of Hamilton Pools. Not glamorous, but a solid park for being 20 minutes outside of downtown. Camping there would be cool, as you’re very close to the city. Other than that, probably not one to have on the big road trip list like I had.

Once the fluffer was done with (keep in mind I really liked this park at first), we headed out to Pedernales SP, which is one of the Fifi’s and Greg’s favorite places. With Maya the dog in tow, we headed out to the main falls. It was awesome! Such a cool geologic feature with crystal blue water flowing over limestone, pooling in all sorts of cool little swimming holes. There were even tiny springs flowing into the main waters that were easy to identify. After climbing all over the main falls area, we went to a designated swimming area a little downstream. We ended up hiking the river for a few miles, and finding a plethora of flint chunks that appeared to be worked up by native Americans. No actual arrowheads, but lots of discarded attempts. We spent a few hours exploring, then headed back to Austin. Definitely recommend this one if you’re traveling in the central Texas area.

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After Peternauls, I was talked into staying an additional day in Austin. It wasn’t that hard honestly… On Sunday, we decided to hit up some state parks that they hadn’t been to. This included Enchanted Rocks SP, as well as Old Tunnel SP. Being a two hour drive west, we woke up super early to get there as soon as the park opened. On the drive in, you can see the huge pink granite mountain, which of course got us super excited to explore. When we pulled up at the gate, we were told that in order to enter the park, you have to reserve a time slot online. This was annoying, as we looked at the website before driving the 2 hours, and nothing stated we had to reserve a time. Oh well. We found some cell service, and booked the 2-4PM time slot, which just so happened to be the only one left.

So what are we going to do with 5 hours to kill? We decided to check out an additional state park, Old Tunnel. It was super small, like 16 acres, but had a huge colony of bats living in an old railroad tunnel. We ended up loving this tiny park, because it had tons of educational signage about the plants we had been seeing throughout all of our hikes. It was nice to be able to finally put a name to a face. Also, we finally identified a bird call that had been bugging the shit out of us. Canyon Wren. Cutest little fucker ever. 10/10 would snuggle.

After wasting as much time there as we could, we popped over to a town called Fredericksburg. I plugged in Yelp, which led us to the most adorable German bakery. Ok the whole town was German. I haven’t read the history on it, but basically a little Germany in Texas that is known for Peaches, wineries, and WWII stuff. The adorable German bakery would eventually be my downfall, but I’ll get to that later.

After stuffing my face with German sausage wrapped bagel things and delicious pastries, we ended up at Das Peach Haus, a winery on a peach orchard. We got a bottle of the peach wine, that, honestly, was probably a mistake. It was a capri sun. If you had taken an actual capri sun and left it out for two days, it would literally have more alcohol than the peach flavored cool-aid we drank. Regardless, we finished our peach juice, and headed to the next winery. This one was called Fat Ass Winery, and had a cute little tasting room right on the downtown German strip. A few drinks there, followed by some more town exploring, and it was time to visit Enchanted Rocks.

This state park was bad ass. You basically had free reign to traverse the granite mountain tops anyway you liked. There were some intense steep hills that really tested my old tennis shoes ability to grip the ground. I passed a woman who was crying. I passed a lot of people that probably should not have attempted that climb. Regardless, getting to the top, and rock hopping around that hunk of pink was amazing. Camping there a few days would be awesome. Can I just say that Texas parks really don’t care that much about accessibility? I feel like our FL parks make everything dumbed down so everyone can get a chance to experience it. I get that. And it’s awesome. But Texas basically says, “have fun getting up that super steep shit, PS we aren’t coming to get you when you get stuck.” I feel like they understand that some experiences can’t be made to where they are ADA accessible, and that’s ok.

So, after a successful day touring some cool new sites, we came home to have dinner, and for me to pack up for my departure. Last night, my stomach decided to tell me that I cannot eat bread anymore. I’ve been playing with the Keto diet, and been getting some amazing health benefits. My indulgence in German delicacies had come back to haunt me. It took me until noon to get out of bed and moving to the next state park, Colorado Bend. Even with intense stomach pain, I was able to get a hike in here. The camp sites are right on the Colorado River, and pictures do it no justice. Here’s hoping tomorrow is a better day. Going to try one more hike, then head South.

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Well, here are my Austin recommendations. Hamilton pools is a really cool spot that is a part of the Travis County Parks and Rec department. Make a reservation to get in, and go early! We had the place to ourselves for at least 30 minutes to snag some sweet pictures. We chatted with the park employee, and basically the erosion process erodes out the softer rock underneath, leaving the harder substrate hanging over. Also called a “grotto.” Maybe that’s right. Maybe not. I’m too lazy to look that shit up.

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Other fun places we visited included the Green Belt, which is basically tons of green space encircling Austin. Cool trails, a river, just overall accessibility that a city needs. It was crowded, yes. But seeing so many people out appreciating nature was pretty awesome. As Cas calls it, lots of life.

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We also visited Barton Springs, which is a totally concreted in spring that has public swimming. What is cool is that there’s a federally endangered salamander living there. Unfortunately, it was closed when we visited. But here’s a pic of the sweet educational kiosk.

During this trip, my buddy Felicia and her boyfriend Greg have been amazing to me. Inviting me into their home and basically being Austin tour guides. I am forever grateful for the super comfy bed and pit bull loving. Fi Fi (as I call her) has taken me to her favorite coffee shop, and some sweet bars downtown.

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A fun story about how I met Fi Fi… She was in Americorps when I was a biologist for the Park Service down in SW Florida. She basically decided for me that we were going to be friends. She volunteered to help me with shorebird stuff, scrub jay surveys, everything and anything she could shove herself into. We ended up on a few burns together, and just clicked. It’s hard to not love someone who has the same passion for you AND who is willing to work. And not that stupid pencil pusher work, more like, I’m going to kick ass for 12 hours then go home and run 6 miles to prep for a marathon kind of work. Plus she’s fun as shit to be around. Anyway, Fi Fi, wanted to work with birds. So, she hooked up with an Audubon gig in Pensacola, FL, and I talked my dad into letting her stay at our house back home. After that, Fi Fi lived with me in Panama City in a super small apt along with my ex-girlfriend. Regardless of the space, she was so awesome to be around, it never mattered that there was an extra person staying there. The only flaw I ever saw was that she watched the bachelor….. And I’d come home late to a teary eyed Fi Fi crying because her favorite girl did not receive a rose.

Regardless, this trip to Austin has been amazing so far. Excited for tomorrow (visiting a few more parks), then I head North to another park, then down south to the border.

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Have you ever seen that show called “My 600 pound life?” Well today should have been named, “My 700 mile drive.” Equally traumatic. A 10 hr drive to Austin became a 13 hour marathon. Regardless, day one is over, and I’m in the company of one of my best friends! Also I’m in the most adorable bed/sofa thing that I’m going to try and steal. They won’t notice….

If you’re wondering why I decided to haul all the way from Pensacola to Austin in one day, it’s because I hate Alabama, Mississippi, and most of Louisiana. I just…. always feel like an outcast in those areas. Just imagine Panama City but without the beach and college crowd. I originally was going to stop at Sea Rim SP, but, opted to spend more time with friends.

Some highlights from today were seeing my little sis in Mobile, AL for coffee, and the Louisiana welcome center. They had free coffee and adorable old ladies asking where you were from and where you were headed. Other than that, I learned that I absolutely hate Houston, TX. That place could fall into the ocean tomorrow and I’d have to try hard to not laugh. Never ending construction plus asshole drivers never makes for a good combo.

Anyway, I’m tired, I miss my fiance, and my cuddly cats. Should be a fun weekend in Austin, then it’s off to the Big Bend region.