Posts Tagged With: walks

On The Rocks

California’s Joshua Tree National Park encompasses nearly 800,000 acres, including parts of two deserts; the lower elevation Colorado Desert and the higher Mojave Desert. Reg and I were here about 40 years ago, tent camping with friends Tom and Joan during a blazing hot spring weekend. Neither of us had much memory of the park, so we were up early to reacquaint ourselves and beat the crowds.

In addition to the Joshua trees, the massive rock formations draw crowds to the park.

While the park is large, the most popular sights are located in relatively small areas. We began our day with a short walk along an unmarked path through a spectacular maze of boulders. We turned back before too long, not wanting to lose our way. I’m sort of a chicken about that.

In 1994, Joshua Tree National Monument officially became Joshua Tree National Park, adding 234,000 acres. Much of the park is designated wilderness. There are no facilities beyond vault toilets, so bring a full tank of gas, your water and a picnic lunch.

In addition to Skull Rock, we couldn’t leave the park without visiting Arch Rock and Heart Rock, two more “must see” stops. It was a challenge to snap photos of the three iconic rock formations without the crowds. Even on a Tuesday with the cool weather and gray skies, parking was tight and visitors were scrambling all over the rocks…so don’t expect to have the place to yourself!

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Cactus With Charisma

Saguaro cactus welcome us to the trail with happy waves.

Tucson Mountain Park was our choice for a day hike during our short stay. The park has a network of trails and an abundance of saguaro cactus scattered throughout the mountains and valleys.
Unique to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, these slow-growing giants can reach 40-60 feet and live 150-200 years.

Saguaros have the classic cactus look, and are easily identifiable . Standing tall, arms pointing upwards, waving at all who pass by. They are the charming, charismatic hosts of the Sonoran Desert.

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Texas – Yesterday And Today

The Alamo was established in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero.

We arrived in San Antonio, Texas on February 23, the first day of the historic Battle of the Alamo that took place in 1836. It was also the first day of the annual commemoration honoring the battle. A sea of chairs were set up on the front plaza, filled with history buffs who listened to speakers commemorate the famous battle.
I’ll leave you to do your own research regarding the winners and losers of the battle.

We took a 7-mile stroll along the San Antonio River Walk, then joined the crowds for a waterside lunch.

The following day we left the city behind and found a place to stretch our legs and enjoy a quiet picnic lunch. The 12,000-acre Government Canyon State Natural Area fit the bill. With 40 miles of trails, we chose a combination that took up and around on a loop through changing vegetation. We even found a bench with a bit of a view for our lunch.

Next stop: Big Bend National Park.

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Miles and Miles of Sandy Beach

Not quite barefoot weather, but with the Atlantic Ocean in our backyard, we couldn’t resist beginning our week’s stay at Huntington Beach State Park with a nice long walk. We gawked at all the waterfront “cottages” just out of reach (usually) of the high tide line, although there must have been a recent storm with rough seas. Many of the private deck stairs had been, or were in the process of being rebuilt.

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Maine or Bust 2022: Around The Country Roundup

The state of Nevada stretches out ahead of us on our marathon drive home.

It’s been nearly a week since we arrived home, enough time to feel as though we never left. Funny how that works. Although we’ve made two other trailer trips across the country, this was by far our most ambitious, spreading from as far south as Sedona, Arizona and north into the state of Maine.

For years Reg and I discussed the wisdom of a truck and trailer purchase. It’s nearly impossible to justify the cost, so when we finally decided to take the plunge, we promised each other we would use it…a lot.
In the 6 years we’ve been trailer owners, we’ve done a pretty good job of keeping that promise. Thinking back through all our trips we figure we’ve spent the equivalent of 14 months worth of nights snuggling in a bed that is really just a little too small to be truly comfortable.

So, how did we fare on our 2022 road trip? Not bad considering all the doom and gloom reports of high gas prices (they were) and limited campground availability (they weren’t).

March 9 – First day on the road.


● Number of days on the road – 107

● Number of nights spent in campgrounds – 84

● Average cost per night – $58.00

● Miles traveled – 13,000

● Number of gas fill-ups – 45

● Total gallons purchased – 925+/-


Our cheapest gas was in Amarillo, Texas where we filled up for $3.40 per gallon on April 5.
Our most expensive gas was at Stove Pipe Wells in Death Valley where we paid a whopping $6.09 per gallon. Needless to say, we added just 6 gallons, enough to get us back to civilization and a somewhat more palatable gallon price of $4.69.

Our most affordable campsite was in Ozark, Arkansas, an Army Corp of Engineers site that set us back $9.00 a night. We spent two nights.
The biggest campsite splurge was in Williamsburg, Virginia where we were promised a lovely, large, quiet campsite for $108.00 (!) per night. When it turned out to be an equally short distance from a busy highway and a train track that ran commuter trains at all hours, Reg complained and got us a bit of a refund. This is all part of the fun…

53 days of hikes or walks for a total of 222 miles.

5 days of bike riding for a total of 79 miles…We had hoped to do more.

In the 6 years we’ve been trailer camping, we’ve visited 44 of our 50 states. It’s not likely we will add Hawaii to our list. Will we ever add North Dakota, Florida, Delaware, Rhode Island and Alaska? It’s hard to say. For now, Minnie is taking a well-earned rest, parked in Ashland, Virginia where she awaits our return to take her on another tour of the eastern seaboard.

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Maine or Bust 2022: The End or the Beginning?

Tomorrow we pack up our memories and say goodbye to Maine, a state we’ve dreamed of visiting for years. How lucky we were to visit beautiful Acadia National Park before the real crowds of summer arrive.

Acadia National Park – Ocean Path

Friends Jeannie and Jeff came up to spend our last day with us at our cozy cabin. After a short walk, we lunched, laughed and enjoyed the view from the porch as a rain shower passed over. All too soon it was time to say goodbye…or should I say, until we meet again.

While this feels like the end of our trip, we still have over 3,000 miles to drive before reaching home. I think we’re both ready!

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Maine or Bust 2022: Cadillac Mountain Redo

The sun was out and Cadillac Mountain was waiting for us. It was a great day for a hike and since we lost our reservation to drive up, we chose to walk to the top. The Cadillac South Ridge Trail was described as a moderately challenging 6.7 mile out and back trail. We felt we had a pretty good chance of summiting the 1,548 foot peak with enough energy left over to get back down again.

A sticky, muddy, puddle-strewn trail climbed steadily up, finally opening onto a mostly smooth, rock path. There were views in every direction and plenty of rock cairns and blue blazes marking the way. With the exception of several semi-intimidating rock scrambles (which required some booty-scooting on the trip down), we reached the summit right about noon. Perfect timing!

We made it to the top for a windy picnic lunch and a beautiful view.
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Maine or Bust 2022: The Northernmost Point

This little finger of land in Lamoine, Maine is where we’ll spend the next week before heading home.

We’ve reached the northernmost point of our trip and are comfortably settled in a spectacular log cabin overlooking the Mt. Desert Narrows body of water. We have plans to visit Maine’s Acadia National Park and hope to get together once more with friends Jeannie and Jeff…but other than that, we may just sit and enjoy the view from the deck.

Our host assured us there would be space for Minnie, and Reg backed her in like a pro. While he tended to all the details of parking her for the week, our host gave me a tour of our temporary waterside home. What a special place this is. Gorgeous inside and out…we may never leave!

After breakfast we took a short morning walk around the point, returning to enjoy a quiet Sunday watching the tide roll out…and then back in.

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Maine or Bust 2022: Main(e) Memories of Freeport

From our front porch we could see the finger of land across the water hiding Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Curious, we drove around and found a trail to explore, looping through the grounds and offering views of coastal tide pools, towering forests and an occasional wildflower.

Taking advantage of another beautiful day, we thought we had found the perfect outing. A short ferry ride from Portland, Maine took us across Casco Bay to Long Island where a 6-mile walk awaited. We packed our lunch and cashed in on the senior ticket rate, excited about our big, cheap adventure. Expecting a trail through the woods and along the shore, we were disappointed to find the walk followed a paved road through mostly residential neighborhoods. Even worse, there was not a public restroom to be found. Posted signs warned of poison ivy making a discreet duck behind a bush too risky for me. We called it quits and raced back to the dock to catch the next ferry back to the mainland, reminding us that you can’t win them all!

The weather took a turn for the worse, dumping buckets of rain. The perfect day to check out Freeport’s main shopping attraction.

L.L. Bean fans flock to the many specialized L.L. Bean stores in Freeport. But don’t expect too many bargains. While other brand name retailers offered 30-60% markdowns, Bean deals were few and far between.

With the return of the sun, we took a chance on another island walk. A 7-mile portion of the West Side Trail took us by foot from Fels-Groves Farm Preserve, across the bridge over Casco Bay and a circle around Cousins Island. We hoped for an expansive ocean view at trail’s end, but once again our expectations were dashed. However, we enjoyed the walk and appreciated the bench (where we ate our lunch) and the congratulatory signpost at the end.

We have one more week to enjoy the great state of Maine. This morning, Reg and I woke up to a new, gorgeous view through the trees and across the water to Mt. Desert Island that sits adjacent to Acadia National Park. We’re taking another lazy Sunday before joining the sightseeing crowds. More to come…

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Maine or Bust 2022: We Crossed The Line

After nearly 3 months on the road, we crossed the line into Maine!

First stop in the state of Maine – a short, 2-night visit with friends and former California neighbors Jeannie and Jeff at their lovely coastal home. Although the weather wasn’t looking good Friday morning, we donned our raincoats (just in case) and set off on a path through the 295-acre Beech Hill Preserve, hoping to take in the 360° view of Penobscot Bay, Camden Hills and the St. George Peninsula. Our hopes were dashed upon reaching the summit of Beech Hill as the clouds closed in.

We were able to have a look at the 1913 restored sod-roofed hut and the remains of a stone circle. Jeannie captured our hiking memories with her photos.

We tidied ourselves up and went out for dinner at Archer’s, a terrific seafood restaurant with a harbor view, where our evening began with drinks and Oysters Rockefeller. Thank you so much Jeannie and Jeff. It was sad to say goodbye, but you gave us wonderful memories and a perfect introduction to the state of Maine.

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