Our first day traveling the scenic route of the Natchez Trade Parkway had been picture perfect. The weather was wonderful, the temperature mild, and the trees had just started to show their spring bloom. We started our day with the best Tamales we had ever had before hoping on the trace. Our first stop a... Continue Reading →
Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
After a not so pleasant start to our new adventure we finally made it to Gilchrist Blue Springs where we were able to secure a camping spot for the night. The sky remained overcast, but the rain had finally stopped. Although we are both native Floridians this is a park neither had visited in the... Continue Reading →
Alexander Springs: Not Just a Swimming Hole
Having suffered through two miserable nights of noise and rude neighbors we pulled stakes at Clearwater Lake Campground and headed for the campground at Alexander Springs. The Alexander Springs Recreation Area is well known for its first-magnitude springs by local residents and central Floridians. Pumping out 70 - 80 million gallons of crystal clear water... Continue Reading →
Clearwater Lake Campground: Worst Night Ever & Second Chances
Sometimes the most beautiful campsite can turn into a nightmare. This is one of those experiences. Taking advantage of the few cool months in Florida we try to get away for a night or two whenever possible. Since the Ocala National Forest is the closest national forest to where we live we tend to make... Continue Reading →
Hopkins Prairie: Sunsets & Chiggers
A long hot summer in Florida had passed since we took the trip that changed our lives forever. So when the first hint of cooler weather set in we headed to one of the three National Forests in Florida to spend a night away from the city. We chose to stay at Hopkins Prairie in... Continue Reading →
Florida to New Mexico: Trip Summary
After a miserably hot night in Mississippi we decided it was too hot and humid in the southeast to continue "tent camping" in our SUV. We skipped our planned stop in the Florida panhandle and headed back home. It would be a long day of driving. We were 13 1/2 hours / 794 miles from... Continue Reading →
Clear Springs Campground
If you ever want to know more about your spouse or loved one, just spend a few days on the road. We are like most married couples. The longer we are together, the more we become like one another. We mimic each other's habits, finish each other's sentances and have learned to enjoy the same... Continue Reading →
Peaceful Fort Parker State Park
We left Dinosaur Valley SP in Glen Rose, Texas and headed for Fort Parker State Park to camp for the night. We found a nice secluded spot in the back of the park and set up camp. We were the only residents in our entire loop. The weather was mild and we decided to take... Continue Reading →
Something stalked us at Bottomless Lakes!
After getting our geek on in Roswell we headed to Bottomless Lakes State Park to spend our final night in New Mexico. I was a little sad because leaving New Mexico meant we were headed back east and bringing our vacation to it's inevitable close. Fortunately it's really hard to be down in the dumps... Continue Reading →
Valley of Fires Recreation Area
After spending the morning at Three Rivers Petroglyph Site we headed to the Valley of Fires Recreation Area located .4 miles west of Carrizozo off 380. The camping area was divided into two sections. The first section is a paved area that sits above the lava flow and has a combination of electric and non-electric... Continue Reading →
Camping and Hiking @ Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
When I was little I hated American history class. I liked ancient history. I liked learning about how the earth was formed, prehistoric animals, and astralopitecus pitecantrus, but learning American history with all the dates, battles, land grabs and purchases really wasn't my thing. At the time, I was a forward thinker. I wanted to... Continue Reading →
When Free Camping IS Just Like the Picture
Do you recognize this place? It's another angle of view from the campsite in our header and our first free camping experience. After our busy day at Living Desert Zoo and Carlsbad Caverns we were ready to settle in and relax for the night. We heard there was camping available at the National Park and... Continue Reading →
Primitive Camping @ Brantley Lake State Park
Maybe it was the impression that TV shows like The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams had on our emotional development growing up, but it seems that when we spend enough time living among the animals they begin to feel like family. We really enjoy watching their daily routines and how they interact with one... Continue Reading →
Oh So Many Deer at Lake Whitney State Park
What a day this has been! We left the place of my childhood dreams and headed north. The clouds were building and it looked like we were in for a wet night. In all we drove 381 miles from Kincaid Campground with a stop in Waco before finally camping at Lake Whitney State Park. We... Continue Reading →
Bugs, Spiders & The Kincaid Recreation Area
We said goodbye to Falling Waters State Park and started driving west. Our plan was to make good time by driving the interstates as we headed to the Kisatchie National Forest and the Kincaid Recreation Area where we planned to stay for the night, but road construction, distracted drivers and more than our fair share... Continue Reading →