Retirement trip

Franksville, United States

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0600

HOME! Maiden trip complete, 22 days, 4150 miles, 17 RV parks, 9 states, 3 national parks. Dana and I learned so much along the way and got to experience some of the best times. Of course we had some hiccups, but absolutely loved traveling the country, meeting people, seeing beautiful places and being together. All in all, it was a huge success! I think we were in Kansas and I asked Dana, 'where and when is our next trip?' She said 'I need to be home for a few days before I can even think about that!' I will give her a few days before we decide what comes next but what ever it is, it will be great!

Knoxville, United States

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0600

700 miles today, longest day driving on the trip. Kansas and Missouri were nice but we did not see anything we felt compelled to stop and see so were all about getting miles behind us. We did arrive in Knoxville around 9:30pm which was the first stop on our trip and will now be the last stop. We will spend Sunday catching up with family before heading back to Wisconsin on Monday.

Long day driving in the 24th, nothing photo worthy.

Retirement

GG’s 24th great grandchild

The boys 😃

Oakley, United States

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0600

Left Taos but stopped at the Rio Grand Gorge before heading home. What a treat that was, taking in the gorge and the Rio Grand River that created it. We also spotted a ram that was lounging on the rocks. We were able to take many pictures and enjoy the treat! From there we started heading east and landed in Oakley Kansas for the night. Northern NM and south eastern CO were very scenic and we enjoyed the views. 420 miles today, making tracks home.

Pretty houses leaving Taos

Rio Grande Gorge

Spot the ram

Got pretty close and ge didn’t seem to be bothered

Lunch

Changing landscape entering Colorado

More mountains in Colorado

Getting flat… neverending roads

Taos, United States

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

What a beautiful and somewhat emotional day we had in Taos today. The bulk of the day was spent at the Taos Pueblo, where we learned a lot, and were both quite moved by the people we ecnountered, their culture, their history, and their stories. First of all, and importantly, we learned that the difference between a reservation and a pueblo is this; A reservation is land that, after confiscating from Native Americans, was later given by the US government back to Native Americans. Pueblos on the other hand, have been continuously inhabited by Native Americans, at no time has the land been interfered with by the government. Consequenly, the community and it traditions and customs have been passed down a continuouis line, including the dwellings that people live in. Taos Pueblo is over 1000 years old with the original structures being west of the current structures, which have been in place over 700 years. Taos is also a UNESCO World Heritage Stie. We had a 30 year old female guide named Bear who spent a good amount of time sharing about life on the pueblo past and present. She answered many questions and shared a lot. We both left there with so much appreciation and admiration for the Native American way of life, particulary in the deep connection that they have with the earth they live on. It was truly a beautiful experince. There were 3 instances that I (Dana) recall on this trip that I had very long and meaningful and at times emotional discussions with random people. Two of those ecounters ending in long grateful hugs upon deprture. One of those encounters happened here on the Pueble in the shop of one of the Native artists. The people here have shown themselves to be so very connected to this place, and to all of humanity. When I say here I mean New Mexico in general, and quite a bit more so on the pueblo. It was just an all around beautiful experience. The rest of the day was spent with a restaurant lunch, bison chili for Randy and lamb shepherds pie for me, comfort food!, then meandering around the shops in the historic part of town.

Road to Taos Pueblo

The road to the Pueblo

Bear

The community part of the Pueblo is surrounded by a wall.

Pueblo cemetary, this one is full, there is another somewhere.

Pueblo cemetary

Pueblo cemetary, this one is full, there is another somewhere.

Pueblo church, no photo’s inside.

Church at the Pueblo. No pohotography allowed.

Homes with drying racks and hornos in front

Drying racks for animals. Bear said they do not use them now because they attract wild animals and it wouldn’t be safe for the visitors.

River running from their mountain through the pueblo is their water source. The total tribal land is about 95,000 acres.

Think of modern condos… the upper stories are indivual homes and require a ladder to access.

Think of modern condos… the upper stories are indivual homes and require a ladder to access. Drying racks and hornos in front of homes..

River running from their mountain through the pueblo is their water source. The total tribal land is about 95,000 acres.

Think of modern condos… the upper stories are indivual homes and require a ladder to access.

Lunch spot

The original Overland Store. I could have spent a fortune here!

Historic Taos

Old Church in Historic Taos

Taos, United States

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

After our day in Sante Fe yesterday, we landed in Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Spa and RV Park. Our camp spot was probably our favorite so far in that we were at the base of the foothills and had trees around us. We decided not to enjoy the amenities at the spa and got on the road about 9:30 for Taos. We took a scenic route and visited the small village of Chimayo (Chim Eye O). Our stop was to visit Santuario de Chimayo one of the most visited churchs in New Mexico. This church is a pilgrimage site and has over 300,000 visitors each year and some say the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the US. Dana and I have never seen or experienced anything like this. People from all over the world visit this church for its ‘holy dirt’ in hopes of healing themselves, or to experience a spiritual pilgrimage. Many walk from far away cities, some barefoot, some with crosses on their backs. The story is that a crucifix was discovered in the dirt here, and when it was moved into the church it kept relocating itself to is place of discovery in the ground, illuminating the dirt. There were shrines with tens of thousands of photos of people, as well as childrens shoes in the shrines devoted to children, that people have left or sent, each one having a story and families seeking hope. There are postings asking for prayer for the people in the photos. The grounds were pretty sprawling and the shrines and statuary were everywhere. From there we travelled ‘across the mountain ridges’ which offered spectacular views. We landed in Taos and were settled by 5. It was actually nice to set up while the sun was still up! :-). More adventures exploring Toas tomorrow.

Leaving Ojo Caleinte

El Santuario de Chimayo. No photographs allowed inside

Statue in Honor of the pilgrim

Plaque on the pilgrim statue: Come pilgrims from the four corners of the earth, the Lord has invited us to walk to His shrine if love in Chimayo. Here we will find the “holy dirt” that strengthens us and purifies the faith that takes away our pain.

Doors to a chapel

Interesting chapel

Three cultures

So many photos

People leave momentos everywhere

Shrines with photos

Shrines

One for each of the seven days of creation

I suspect all the crosses were left by pilgrims who carried them here on their backs

Santo Nino Chapel, dedicated to children. No photographs allowed inside

Shrine dedicated to children

Got pretty high!

Beautiful scenic mountain drive

Stopped for a view

Entrring Taos

Ojo Caliente, United States

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

We woke in Santa Fe this morning with a lot of sights to see. Santa Fe was such a nice town. We liked it a lot more than Albuquerque. It was definitely higher end shopping, dining, and lodging, and the downtown was very quaint. There were 3 churches on our agenda, the first being Loretto Chapel to see the “miraculous staircase”. Its’s a neat story to look up if your interesed. Unfortunatley the Chapel was closed for upkeep so we didn’t get to see it. The next church stop was San Miguel Church, the oldest church structure in the United States! While the church has understandably undergone some changes over the years it was really facinating. Notice the huge stone buttresses and bell tower. There were such interesting things to take in inside as well. Notice the pics of the alter screen, the ceiling, and the sacred offerings that people have left on the bell support. The last church was The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. While stunning with some grandeur it didn’t have the opulence that you would typically see in a cathedral basilica. It was lovely with colors and design details in keeping with it’s location in the southwest. We saw the exterior of a house that is claimed to be the oldest house in America, but Im not convinced. Some of you will remember Jaxon’s friend Ky, who attempted to ride one of Danielle’s horses… we bought him the TShirt that you’ll see in the photo’s. Our last activity was the Georgia O’Keeffe museum gallery, with another unfortunate timing for us, in that 3 of the galleries were closed for some kind of construction work. The galleries displayed her work chronologically and it was her more known work from her later years in the southwest that we did not get to see. We did enjoy what we did get to view. We had to drive an hour north of Santa Fe for RV lodging, which got us a little closer to our next stop, Taos.

Loretto Chapel

First Indian of North America to be sainted

Randy wondering why anyone would want to walk a labrynth

Altar panel

Beautiful font

Font and sanctuary

Sun through stained glass

Oldest and longest venerated image of Mary in the United States

City bldgs

Oldest church structure in America

Impressive buttresses

Santa Fe, United States

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

We didn’t drive very far but we had a great day exploring the Jemez (Heymez) Pueblo and Jemez Hot Springs. The drive up to the Pueblo was a beautiful canyon two lane hwy, it was a lovely drive. First stop was the Jemez Pueblo, one of 19 remaning pueblos in New Mexico. We learned about their culture and history in the local visitor center and museum, before taking a 1.5 mile hike into the Red Rocks. This was a beautiful hike as you can see from the pictures. We also extended the hike from the trail into the less trodden Slot Canyon where the canyon got so narrow I could touch both sides. I could only imagine what the narrow canyon would be like in a big rain storm, not the place to be! This was a gorgeous hike and we loved it. After the hike, we traveled a few miles north on canyon highway 4 to Jemez Hot Springs. We decided on a 1 hour soak in the 4 outdoor pools. It was so relaxing soaking in 104 degree waters outdoors, listening to the nearby river and birds, very zen. After our Hot Springs soak, we made our way to Santa Fe for the evening.

What’s left of cactus flowers

Heading into slot canyon

This family had 3 little kids and those kids were leading the way. Such a great thing to do with children.

Cutest little tree

House

Jamez Canon hwy

Jamez Canyon hwy

Jamez Hot Springs

Morning smog over Albuquerque

Leaving Albuquerque

Starting the canyon drive

A gift shop and lots of historical and cultural information in here

Horno, outdoor bread oven

Adobe

The trail

Slot canyon

Rocky terrain up Slot Canyon

Slot Canyon

Albuquerque, United States

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

After our boon docking experience, we headed down the mountain. It was slow traveling with so many switch backs we lost track. I don't think we got over 25 miles an hour for 50 miles, it was amazing! As we came down out of the mountain, we passed through a small town called Hillsboro. I saw a group of people on the side of the road playing instruments. We pulled over and found that every Saturday morning a group of people who call themselves The Pickers get together for a spontaneous jam session. Some are locals, some come 30-40 miles away just to sit around the circle and play music together. They had guitars, fiddles, violins, mandolin, flute and a washtub bass. It was so much fun to hang out with them, we thoroughly enjoyed their music, and experiencing this local tradition. One woman who was in the circle did not play an instrument but recited her own poetry that was truly amazing! It was very reflective of life here. Hillsboro is also famous for Sadie Orchard who opened brothels, worked as a prostitute, build and operated hotels, restaurants and drove for a regional stagecoach line for 14 years. We also visited the small local museum where Dana purchased a book on Sadie's life. After our spontaneous stop, we finished our drive with a restaurant lunch stop in Truth or Consequences then on to Albuquerque. February 18. Since we were staying at this site two nights we decided to leave the RV at the campground and UBER’d into Old Town Albuguerque. We spent the entire day there, walked 4 miles. Old Town is a bit of a tourist trap. Once you’ve spent a few hours going through the shops and galleries it all starts looking the same. We did buy a beautiful piece of pottery by a local artist as a momento of our trip to the southwest. We were also on a quest to find little gifts to take home to the grandkids. We had a few delighful conversations with local, who have all been so friendly and kind. Had two great meals in town at the Sawmill Market, which was very much like Milwaukee’s Public Market with gobs of choices. Iat was pretty great. We also enjoyed seeing collector cars that gathered in the town square.

Emery Pass over a southern section of the mountain

I (Dana) bought a book about her.

The Pickers. So great to hear they’re spontaneous music.

Love

Right at home

Hitchhiker

Gila, United States

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

Woke up this morning in Deming NM and set off for today’s adventure, Gila (pronounced Hee La) Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The 2.5 hour drive to get up the mountain, through the Gila National Forest and Gila WIlderness was stunning. There are actually two roads to choose from that join together for the last 20 miles or so to the cliff dwellings. One road is not recommended for vehicles pulling trailers or RV’s over 25’. Since we are right at that limit we chose the least treacherous of the two, The Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway. It was typical twisty hilly mountain driving and very beautiful. At the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Visitors Center we learned about the inhabitants of the dwellings. The Mongollon (pronounced Moe Ghi Yon) people inhabited the cliff dwellings 750 years ago. Two or Three families amounting to 70ish people give or take, would have resided here together. Like other cliff dwellings that we saw in Arizona last year, no one knows why the people abandoned their pueblos and moved on. We headed for the trail head where we met a ranger who gave us last instructions and information before we started the 1 mile, 1 plus hour hike up the mountain slopes to the dwellings. I would call the hike moderately difficult with 16 flights of stairs and rough terrain. Admittedly I (Dana) was just a bit concerned about the high elevation for us flat landers but with a few breaks along the way we did okay. The thigh burn was real. Exploring the dwelling was fun. The walls would have been plastered and decorated with petroglyphs. We observed foundations inside that would have once been walls. It was really something to contemplate that we were inside the home of someone who lived here 750 years ago! Somewhere inside the cliff cave there was a corn cob, that we somehow both missed, that was 700 years old. We’ve had our share of cave experiences this trip. It was 3:30 by the time we were done and ready to head back down the mountain so we decided to boon dock rather than navigate the mountain roads into the night. We found a camping area that accommodated probably 10 campers, but the sites were nicely spread apart with vegetation so we felt like we were alone. I think there were four other spots taken there. After setting up we foraged for wood and had a nice fire. Once we burned what we had we were inside as the evening was very cold. We learned a lot about boon docking and would probably not choose to do it in the winter when we need heat as the furnace fan drained our batteries pretty fast. The coach was cold but we stayed warm under our covers, where I stayed until Randy got everything back up and running and a little heat going. Fortunately Randy brought along a battery jumper so he was able to start the generator and charge up enough to get our slide retracted. It was still a great experience and I’m really glad we stayed on the mountain. It was just beautiful under the stars listening to the nearby Gila River. Tomorrow it’s back down the mountain with Albuquerque in our sights.

Petroglyphs

Petroglyph

Petroglyphs

The exit to continue on the hiking trail

Boondocking

The resource center

Deming, United States

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

It was a very short 20 minute drive this morning from Alamogordo to White Sands National Park. At the Visitors Center we learned how the gypsum sand dunes form, as well as some interesting information about prehistoric times. Gypsum is very soft and delicate, which translates to very fine soft sand. Under the sand in the mud and clay lay thousands of ancient animal and human tracks. These 23,000 year old tracks are the oldest known human foot prints in North America. Nowhere else on earth do so many ancient prints cover such a large area. We drove an 8 mile loop with audio tour through the park, with fun stops for photos and sand sledding along the way. I wish we could upload videos to Jauntlet, but the pics will have to suffice. We pulled over in the park and had lunch inside. After White Sands we drove an hour and forty five minutes to Deming NM, and stayed the night. Deming is our jumping off point into the Gila National Forest and Wilderness tomorrow.

She looks at home here

Sand mountain snow mountain

Looking for hills

Picnic area

Lunch enjoying the landscape outside

Heading toward Deming NM

Alamogordo, United States

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

Originally we had planned to head to White Sands but the beauty of this trip is we can change our minds! :-) Dana suggested we get off the cow path and explore the Lincoln National Forest in the Sacramento Mountain Range. After a Walmart grocery stop we spent a couple hours driving some beautiful windy mountain roads. This meant we were not going to make it to White Sands today. We stopped in the quaint little ski town of Cloudcroft to stretch and explore the local shops. We then headed to the Alamogordo KOA for the evening. I found a car wash (or in our case a RV wash) to clean the RV. Days on the road road with rain, snow and mud, I wanted to get it rinsed off. Dana might have thought I was nuts but not the first time nor the last probably! Just as we pulled into our camp site we noticed the poor guy in front of us having a time. First his sewer hose came out while he was emptying his tanks. As he was fumbling around trying to get control of the large spewing rv hose, he fell into the now wet muck and broke the water spigot, we then had front row seats to New Mexico’s version of Old Faithful! (Picture attached). Poor guy. Once the water was under control, we had dinner and finished wathing Oppenheimer. We plan to stop at Los Alamos in the next few days. Life in the RV is going well. We pretty much have everything well organized and very efficient for all uses. We’re eating better than we do at home.

Drive through car wash?

Artesia, United States

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:50:00 -0700

We left Lubbock and stopped by Camping World to fill up propane, quick and easy. After a brief discussion if we should go to Carlsbad Caverns or straight to White Sands, we decided we should go to to see the cave and boy were we glad about that. WOW, words or pictures can not capture the stunning vastness of Carlsbad Caverns. There are over 30 miles mapped of this cave, 750 feet / 75 stories below the surface. We hiked just 1.25 miles and were amazed with the size of it. The part we walked is the equivalent of 6 football fields, in some spots up to 170 feet from the floor to the ceiling. We could not imagine being some of the first people to explore these magnificant caves with limited lights, ropes, and ladders made from wire and rope. Again, shout out to the National Park Service for the great job maintaining this treasure. I would put Carlsbad Caverns on my must see list! Stopped for the night in Artesia, NM, headed to White Sands tomorrow for sand sledding after a trip to the grocery store.

Guano = bat poop

I’m sure this is a phenomenal sight, but I’m (Dana) glad we didn’t share the cave with bats today. We passed a location where people gather at dusk to witness “bat flight”, where 100’s of thousands of bats spiral up out of the cave.

1.25 mile Trail we walked around the big room

Randy pointed out for size/space perspective

Person so far away you can barely see him

Randy pointed out for size/space perspective

Randy pointed out for space/size perspective

Lubbock, United States

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0600

375 miles today and we are still in Texas, Lubbock to be exact. Having dinner out at Bone Daddy’s for some Texas barbecue. Headed to The Retreat RV park for the night and get some laundry done.

Old cowboy hitchhiking through Texas!

Honey Grove, United States

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0600

Just a quick overnight stop at Honey Grove in time to watch the Super Bowl and get a good nights sleep. Started our day this morning with very windy conditions. Dana driving now, sun is shining and 55 degrees.

Dana fixing lunch on the road

Looks like a trucker to me!

Hot Springs, United States

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0600

We spent the last two days in at the Gulpha Gorge Campground, part of the Hot springs National Park after a short drive from Little Rock. We dealt with a drizzle all day but as Dana likes to say, 'There is no bad weather, only bad clothes.' Fortunately we had the right clothes and umbrellas to enjoy the day. We learned that the hot springs are from rain water 4000 years ago that has seeped through 5 layers of the earth, was heated then pushed back up the the surface where it is 145 degrees. Hot Springs is a National Park and is known for it’s unique and abundant natural hot springs, rich history and many bath houses that were established in the early 1900’s. It also has hosted baseball spring trainings (including Babe Ruth) and gangsters (including Al Capone). We toured the Fordyce Bathhouse, now the visitor center and museum. Dana and I could not leave town without the full experience of a hot springs bath. I must say it was a great experience and was so happy we decided to do it. (Dana here; I truly loved our Hot Springs visit. While we meandered around town under our umbrellas I was really feeling the sense of how we are all a part of something so much bigger, contemplating this beautiful hot clean 4000 year old water springing up all over, literally by the hundreds of thousands of gallons a day, and wondering if in 4000 years people will be enjoying the same water that fell on our umbrellas all day. It is all spectacular. Also notice pics of Anthony Chapel. A 15 minute drive from down town Hot Springs. This beautiful glass chapel is in a gorgeous wooded setting with gardens. It’s a popular wedding venue. I think it would have been even more impressive had there been some sunshine, but it was beautiful nonetheless). I wanted to get settled by 5pm to make sure we could see the Super Bowl. We are somewhere in northern Texas (ok, technically Honey Grove) with limited cell or internet access. Fortunately I got everything working by the end of the first quarter only to see the 49's lose a heart breaker. Congrats to the Chiefs, two in a row! Heading for White Sands New Mexico. Looking at a full day of driving tomorrow unless we see something interesting along the way!

Removing the microwave to try to find the source of a water leak.

The men’s bath room was much more opulent than the women’s.

Bath House Row

Pretty much what my (Dana) bath was like, minus the electricity 😆.

Fun.

Hot Springs Public Water Station, one of 8 or 9 in the town. A constant stream of people filling every kind if large water container. None of the spring water is cooled before it is pumped to the dispensers, so it’s always hot at the fountains and filling stations.

Anthony Chapel

Little Rock, United States

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0600

We woke up a bit later than planned but who cares, we are not on a schedule! First stop was Little Rock Central High School, built in 1927 for $1.5m. At the time it was the largest and most expensive high school in the nation with peak enrollment of 2,476. The building is stunning. Central was well know for the international coverage of the Little Rock Crisis in 1957. The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine brave African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School. They were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by the Governer. President Eisenhower deployed the 1st Airborn Battle Group to Little Rock, who assisted the students and kept the peace on the students 3rd attempt at attending school, and for months afterward. This historical event was one of many during the Civil Rights Movement. The National Park Service has done a outstanding job of sharing this important event in our history. Dana and I both left there more educated and moved by the experience. Early afternoon we made our way to Hot Springs where we will be staying for the next 2 nights.

Little Rock, United States

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0600

This morning, we packed up and hit the road about 9:30. First stop, Bridal Cave, rated as one of the most scenic caves in America. Bridal Cave was spectacular, Dana and I both enjoyed the tour and learning about the cave. Somewhere between breaking down camp and the end of the tour, we decided to head Little Rock, AR. We stopped at a KOA for the night and will tour Little Rock tomorrow, heading to Hot Springs for the next 2 nights.

Camdenton, United States

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 19:00:00 -0600

Arrived in Camdenton, MO at Red Oaks Resort and RV Park, very nice park. Got settled for the evening around 7pm, decided we should try to get into the campgrounds before dark! :-) Tuesday morning Dana asked 'honey, do you know why we don't have any water?' All I could think was let the adventures begin and can I finish my coffee first? Fortunately, it was only a frozen hose, and I had a backup, 10 minutes later, back in business. Uncle Ross picked us up bright and early for a full day of exploring Lake of the Ozarks. They have a great location on the lake with a 'million dollar view!' Can't wait to come back to see the finished dock and shiny boat parked out the back door! Aunt Jackie got off work around 2pm, great afternoon and dinner in the evening. Hung out at the RV until we were all ready for bed! Wednesday morning Uncle Bob and Aunt Marsha picked us up around 10am for another day of exploring including the Bagnell dam built in 1931 on the Osage River creating the Lake of the Ozarks. LOTO has over 1100 miles of shoreline, more than the state of California, who knew? Spent the afternoon hanging out at the house. Can't wait to come back and see the finished 4 season room and deck. Stacey came over after work and joined us for dinner, it was great hearing family stories for the past 2 days, back to the RV around 7pm this evening. Finally getting our blog started, hope to have more frequent updates going forward!

Settledfor the night

Ready for anything!

Bagnell Dam

Hannibal, United States

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 10:10:00 -0600

Second day of our trip, first stop to explore something exciting. We stopped in Hannibal to visit the Mark Twain Museum. I did not know he was a paddle boat apprentice captain. We also saw 14 original Norman Rockwell oil paintings along with a signed lithograph’s of their original sketches . All works were Rockwell’s illlustrations for Tom Saywer and Huckleberry Finn.

Welcome to Hannibal!

Knoxville

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 13:40:00 -0600

We got on the road about 12, first stop Knoxville, Il to see Riley, Megan, Ramsey, Ryker and Rayden. We had a great evening and dinner. We spent the night with Mom and Tom, last night in a real bed for a while!

Bon Voyage!

Rayden has changed so much in 2 months!

Smiles all around!

Thanks for putting us up for the night!