Saturday, May 7, 2016 – Moraine Park Campground, RMNP – 7:20 am, 41 degrees We woke to small clicking and crunching noises outside of our tent. Having heard these sounds before in the Rocky Mountains, we had a pretty good idea what it was: foraging elk. We sat quietly in our tent, listening. Hooves casually click-clacked on the … Continue reading
Wednesday, May 4th, 2016 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Campground Site #67, 6:48 a.m. – 37 degrees The sun was just beginning to stretch her glow across the dunes as we broke camp and made coffee. It was a still morning, a few songbirds and snoring neighbors the only sounds in the campground. … Continue reading
May 2nd, 2016 – On the road from Northern New Mexico to Southern Colorado It was almost 1:00 p.m. when we crossed state line into Colorado. Within the hour we entered Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. We visited this park for briefly in 2013, climbed one of the tallest sand dunes, and then … Continue reading
Thursday, April 28, 2016 – Holy Springs National Forest, Mississippi It was wonderful waking up in our tent knowing that we had started the second leg of our voyage to Mount Rushmore and that we would be crossing another National Park off of our list today. A slight drizzle fell on the glistening green surrounding … Continue reading
Wanderlust 2013: 40 Days in Motion Day 1 – July 9th, 2013 Minocqua, WI 10:15 a.m. – 74 degrees It was a hazy, humid July morning when we embarked on our 2013 road trip. After waiting impatiently for a year to once again spend as much time as possible camping, exploring, and traveling in the … Continue reading
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky June 10th, 2013 Up at 8:00 a.m., we grabbed a cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant and headed to the meeting point for the Historic Cave Tour. This tour provides visitors with a history of the cave as well as a chance to see some of Mammoth Cave’s wonders. … Continue reading
Wanderlust 2013 The Pre-Road Trip Road Trip June 9th & 10th, 2013 Before we embarked on our 40 days on the road, we were able to fit our next National Park into a shorter road trip we took in June. On the move within 48 hours of D’s last day of school, we headed south … Continue reading
Now that the story has been told, what exactly did our Westward Wanderlust 2012 add up to? First, the quantifiable stats: Days on the Road – 23 Miles Traveled – 9,185.8 National Parks – 19 National Monuments – 3 National Forests – 26 States Entered – 15 WI MN SD WY MT ID WA OR … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 22 Willow Creek, Colorado July 31st, 2012 The morning dew had settled into small shadowed beads on the shell of our trusty red and grey North Face. This was to be our last morning waking up in the tent. The morning sun shined brightly on Willow Creek Reservoir. A slight breeze quivered … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 21 Hwy 313 Outside of Moab, Utah July 30, 2012 The sputtering blast of engine brakes jolted me from sleep. The car windows beaded with condensation from our sleeping breath and I realized how warm I was. Our mobile bedroom had become a steam cooker on wheels, poaching our sleep and sweat-saturated … Continue reading