Archive for year: 2021

Death Valley National Park

July 23, 2021/3 Comments/in California, Death Valley, Hiking, National Parks /by Caroline

If I’ve learned nothing else from this past year, it reminded me how important it is to do the things you want while you can. As such, my travel list has grown substantially. It’s possible all this time at home has provided extra time for wanderlust and list creating.

Death Valley National Park was on my list because it’s a national park but it was never a priority. The hottest place on earth? Meh. I mean, what’s really great about that? Boy was I wrong! Death Valley is so cool! We were there for three days and only scratched the surface. Little Miss was supposed to join us but ended up having a conflict so we brought a couple friends. Traveling with friends is so much fun! We arrived in the afternoon and tried to squeeze in a few sites before dark.

At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America. The area is covered in salt flats that you can walk out on. We walked out a ways but the scenery wasn’t changing so we turned around. Apparently we stopped too soon and if you walk out farther the salt flats start to get really cool. Next time.

Right next to Badwater Basin is the Devil’s Golf Course. We almost didn’t stop here and I’m so glad we did! Pictures do not do the area justice. Those are not rocks but rather rock salt that has been eroded by wind and rain to create the jagged spires you see. They are fascinating to see in person!

As we worked our way back to camp we drove Artists Drive Scenic Loop. It’s an 8.5 mile one way drive that winds through hills splashed with different colors.

We had a little bit of daylight left after we finished the scenic drive so we stopped at Golden Canyon. We didn’t get very far in but what we saw was so cool. Apparently Star Wars was filmed in the some of the canyons back in the day and Golden happened to be one of the locations.

DAY 2

Our goal for the morning of Day 2 was the Ubahebe Crater and we stopped at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes on the way. If you haven’t been to sand dunes before, they’re similar to Las Vegas. Everything looks close but you soon find out your destination is miles away.

We planned to hike to the highest dune at only a mile away. Easy peasy, right? Not! We got 1/2 or 2/3 of the way there and decided we were good. The constant up and down sand hills is tiring. The dune we were going for is the tallest one you see in the right side of the picture below.

We read that it’s best to visit Ubahebe Crater earlier in the day as the wind picks up in the afternoon. That’s not a joke. We left camp later in the morning that planned so by the time we made it to the crater is was close to lunchtime. The wind is legit and was making it so hard to walk. You can walk around the entire crater but we opted for only a short section. Pictures do not do the crater justice. It’s huge and so cool in person.

The picture below is an accurate depiction of how windy it was. We planned to have a nice picnic lunch on the edge of the crater but instead huddled behind the truck in the parking lot.

If you are planning to visit the crater, the turn off of 190 is not well marked. We were traveling north on 190 and completely missed the turn off. Next thing we know we were at the sand dunes, which at this point we didn’t realize are after the turn off. Once we left the sand dunes we kept on driving and eventually realized we were driving west, towards the other exit of the park. Nothing like adding a bunch of unnecessary miles to the day!

After lunch we worked our way back to camp and stopped at the Keane Wonder Mill & Mine. It was a gold mine in the early 1900’s and we spent some time exploring the area. I love seeing bits of history and imaging what it would be like to be alive during that time. I cannot, however, imagine mining in Death Valley pretty much anytime of year.

After our mine exploration we headed back to camp. The boys had to do a little camper maintenance (change a broken leaf spring on a trailer) and they needed enough daylight to get the task done. Once the sun set, we watched a movie outside. Is there anything cooler than watching a movie outside while camping? I think not.

DAY 3

On our third day and final day in the park, we got up early to watch the sunrise at Zabriskie Point. It’s a short walk from the car but a very popular destination. Get there early to ensure a parking spot. This view of Death Valley is stunning. Even if you don’t get here for sunrise, be sure to stop by.

Our next destination was Dantes View, a viewpoint 5,500 feet above the valley floor. On the way, we drove through the 20 Mule Canyon which was a fun little side trip. Dantes View is 25 miles from Furnace Creek and not really worth the drive in my opinion. The view was nice but the drive was long and it was really windy up there. Personally, I’d rather have spent that time exploring the other areas of the park.

Next up, the boys wanted to ride Artist Drive so we picked up their bikes and dropped them off. Man, that road is steep! The picture below is one of my favorite from the trip. I was driving up the road and looked in my rear view to see this image. So I stopped and took a picture.

And they rode their mountain bikes which makes it extra hard. But now they can say they rode in Death Valley!

We visited in February 2021 and unfortunately, the Visitor Center was closed due to the pandemic. But we did get to see the iconic sign! The temps were perfect when we were there.

Our last stop was Harmony Borax Works. I had no idea borax is mined in California nor what it’s used for other than my favorite ant bait, but now I do! Borax was found in Death Valley in 1881 and a plant built shortly thereafter. The borax had to be hauled from Death Valley to the nearest railroad. They filled wagons, like the ones in the picture below, full of borax and then had 20-mule teams haul it 165 miles to the railroad. You know how on your box of borax is says 20 mule team and has a picture of mules and wagons? Now you know where that came from. Just another one of the many reasons I love national parks.

Unfortunately, our time in Death Valley had to come to an end but we will be back. There is still so much to explore. We stayed at the Sunset campground which is literally a parking lot. Most of the campgrounds in Death Valley do not take reservations but after speaking with a ranger, I learned they rarely fill up. We visited the end of February and the campground was hardly full. If you aren’t able to make a reservation I wouldn’t worry too much.

Full Moon Rising at the Sunset Campground in Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is barren and there is not much shade. I would not recommend visiting in the summer. The gas was stupid expensive so make sure you fill up before entering the park. I can’t think of any other tips other than to add Death Valley to your bucket list.

One our way home from Death Valley we stopped at Lake Mead for one night. We stayed at the Lake Mead RV Village at Boulder Beach. The sites are a little close together but you’re camping close to the lake so that’s expected. We weren’t right on the lake but it isn’t a far walk. Boulder Beach Campground is right next door and would be a great place to stay also.

In order to build the Hoover Dam, a railroad was built to carry the supplies to the dam. A section of the Hoover Dam Railroad system still remains and has been converted to a hiking/biking path. I LOVE the Rails-To-Trails system! This trail has five tunnels, gorgeous lake views, ends at the Hoover Dam parking garage, and there are signs all along explaining how the railroad and dam were built. Once again, the boys rode their bikes and the girls walked. If you’re in the area, I’d suggest checking it out.

That’s a wrap on the Death Valley National Park recap! If you’ve been to DV, what did you think? Hopefully you loved it it as much as we did!

A Solo Camping Trip in Joshua Tree National Park

April 23, 2021/6 Comments/in California, Hiking, Joshua Treee, National Parks /by Caroline

After hearing that I went on a solo camping trip, several friends commented that they’d love to embark on a solo trip but don’t think they could do it. First of all, you are stronger than you think and you can certainly do it! Second, if you’d rather go on a girls trip let me know and I’ll tag along. 😉 I wrote this post in a way that will hopefully take you on this journey with me. Grab a drink and a snack because this one is a little long!

I’m not normally big on birthday celebrations but I turned 40 this year and wanted to ring in the decade right. There was no way I was going to do anything remotely close to the normal grind on my 40th. I wanted fun, new and epic. The problem was that my birthday was in the middle of the week and my husband is out of PTO. At first I felt sorry for myself, then I thought about trying to convince someone to come with me, and then I realized that I can do things by myself. The idea made me a little nervous so I knew I needed to make it happen. And that’s how this trip was born.

Leading up to the trip, the campsite was booked, the park was researched, dates were taken off work, but I kept the idea very quiet. I told only a couple people who needed to know, like my husband, and a few coworkers who happened to see some cryptic markings on my calendar. By keeping it quiet I was leaving room to back out as I still wasn’t totally comfortable with the idea.

MONDAY EVENING: I decided I wasn’t going. I thought of all the reasons why it was unsafe, stupid, thought of all the what if’s, and firmly told my husband I was staying home.

TUESDAY MORNING: I was driving home from the gym, thinking about what I would do instead of solo camp and realized that I was giving in to fear and that I’d probably regret not going for the rest of my life. I got to work and mentioned this to a coworker who proceeded to give me the best pep talk (we all need someone like this in our lives!), wrapped me in a virtual hug and by the end of the conversation the trip was back on. But for real this time. I spent the rest of the day frantically shopping and packing. And overpacking.

WEDNESDAY MORNING: I planned to leave early Wednesday morning but ended up having to work for a few hours. I finally got on the road around 11am. Google told me Joshua Tree National Park (JT) was five hours away but with stops and such it took about six. One thing I missed driving solo is a navigator. I knew there’d be no gas in the park but had no idea where I would need to stop to get gas. I could have figured this out ahead of time but am not used to planning to this level.

There were still so many unknowns at this point on the trip so the decision of where to stop for gas carried more weight than normal. I knew I was getting close to JT and saw three names on a sign so I decided I’d stop at the last one which was presumably the closest to JT. Turns out, the last one is just a road. At this point I was regretting not stopping at every gas station I passed but I kept going. The point of this trip was to work on not letting fear take over. I saw a sign for an upcoming summit and assumed it was just the top of a pass. I guess it was but they also had gas! And the General Patton Memorial Museum and Matzner Tank Pavilion. That was a fun stop and a huge sigh of relief. I filled up on gas, took a few pictures and headed to JT.

Of course, I had to stop for the obligatory sign picture.

Shortly after I entered the park I stopped at the Cottonwood Visitor Center to get a map. There were six kids, probably more like college students, there also and they asked me to take their picture. They handed me a disposal camera and a polaroid. The encounter made me chuckle and also reinforced that I’ve lived long enough now to see my childhood regain in popularity. I guess that’s fitting for 40. I made my way towards the campground and enjoyed the quiet drive through the park.

Along the way I stopped at the Cholla Cactus Garden. Living in the desert myself, cholla are not new to me so this sign made me laugh.

I arrived at the Jumbo Rocks Campground just before sunset. Surprisingly, I still remembered how to set up the tent! I got everything set up and popped open a bottle of wine. I didn’t want to deal with cooking on this trip so I brought oatmeal bars for breakfast, wraps for lunch, and backpacking meals for dinner. The only cooking I had to do was boil water for coffee and dinner. Backpacking meals really aren’t that great when not backpacking but they still beat having to actually make and clean up a meal.

I ate dinner sitting in a chair and watching the sunset. At this point the stress of the day was starting to melt away but it was also starting to get cold. I retreated to my tent pretty early with the plan of reading but was so tired I crashed. Several hours later I was reminded of the downside to tent life when the wind picked up and it felt like my tent was going to fly away. This went on for a while so I ended up playing games on my phone for a few hours.

THURSDAY – MY BIRTHDAY!: When I awoke the next morning I was glad to see I hadn’t blown away during the night. I boiled some water for coffee and got back in bed.

I opened my book and started reading and since I had no required agenda, I kept pushing my self imposed deadline back. I read for an hour or two before finally getting out of bed to start the day.

I finally made my way out of my tent to explore the park. I had no real plans other than to stop wherever I wanted. The first stop was the Hall of Horrors. I wasn’t sure what that was and was surprised to find there was no map or explanation. Fortunately the area is really pretty and walking around is fun on its own.

The area has these huge rock piles surrounded by Joshua trees. For size reference, the trees are typically 20 – 40 feet high so those rocks are huge.

After the Hall of Horror I drove up to Keys View. The vista was pretty but there wasn’t much to do. I left and headed back down the hill/mountain.

Next stop was the Cap Rock Nature Trail. This is a super easy trail with an explanation of the flora and fauna along the trail. I took a picture of my 4Runner and an outhouse with the trees and rocks to share a little size perspective. Since I was solo there are no people in any of my photos so this is it.

At this point it was around lunch time and I wanted to go to the town of Joshua Tree. I stopped at the ranger station to buy a few things and a local cafe where I found a piece of peanut butter chocolate cheesecake (gluten free and vegan!) which I saved for later.

I had read that the Black Rock area was supposed to be the best in the park and that they have some of the largest Joshua trees. This area is not connected to the main part of the park and you access it from the town of Yucca Valley (right next to the town of Joshua Tree). The area was not what I was expecting. There were lots of Joshua trees but I found the ones in the larger park to be more scenic. The campground was also a little rundown looking.

I decided I didn’t want to explore any further and headed back to the main park. Once again, I could have used a navigator. I wasn’t using my GPS because I thought I knew where I was but I was wrong. After taking several wrong turns, I finally pulled over and started the GPS.

Pro tip: the Joshua Tree entrance seems to be the most popular and can get super backed up. Most importantly, they have the park sign blocked off so you cannot get a picture with it. Gasp! I know. Fortunately, I came in through the Cottonwood entrance and already had a sign picture but if you too are a sign picture junkie, make sure to visit one of the other entrances.

The drive into Joshua Tree National Park

By this point in the day, all the stress from the previous day was gone and I was loving life and my solo adventure. The next road I drove by said there was a trail so I took the left. This was my new plan. Just turn when prompted. The trail was the Barker Dam Nature Trail. JT has quite a few nature trails and they are all awesome and a great way to learn about the park. The first half of the trail takes you along rocks and eventually on rocks to the Barker Dam. Ranchers dammed the area years ago to collect water for their cattle. There was no water when I visited in mid-April but supposedly the area fills after rainstorms.

As you leave the dam area you enter a more traditional JT walk; through huge boulder fields and Joshua trees. It’s stunning, really. Towards the end of the trail there is a short side trail to some petroglyphs. This hike is listed as easy but there are a few areas around the dammed area where you are walking on rocks and down rock steps.

At this point in the day it was mid-afternoon so I kept telling myself after *this* stop I’m going back to camp to read and relax. And then I’d see another pullout and be drawn in. The next one was the Hidden Valley Nature Trail. A narrow gap in the rocks opens to a valley where a cowboy gang used to hide their illicit cattle. They’d rebrand them and sell them off in other states. The area is a big bowl surrounded by towering rocks. It’s a popular rock climbing area and I was able to watch a guy climb. I couldn’t see a rope so I thought he was free soloing (I watched Free Solo and am pretending like I know the lingo) which I was in awe of. Now that I’m home though I can see his rope. His climb was still incredible nonetheless.

This trail is listed as easy but that’s not true. The trail is just over a mile and there’s not much elevation change but there are so many rocks to navigate. On several occasions I though I was lost but someone had used spray paint to mark the trail. Not sure if that was legal or illegal but either way I’m grateful. I would not attempt this trail if you have any mobility issues. It’s a beautiful hike though.

View from the start of the Hidden Valley Nature Trail

And because it’s 2021 and we’re in the middle of a pandemic, I took a selfie with my mask. Because why not. The trails were much more crowded in the afternoon and most people were good about mask wearing when passing.

My book was finally calling me and I was ready to sit down. I took a few more pictures along the way, stopped at a few road side signs, and made my way back to camp. Once back at camp, I moved my chair into the shade, put up my feet and opened my book. Life. Is. Good.

There was a trail near the campground to Skull Rock. It’s a “famous” rock formation in the park. I figured since I was so close I couldn’t not see it. I put the book down, grabbed my backpack and hiked another 1.7 miles to see Skull Rock. I would say it’s the most overrated formation in the park. It’s hard to get a picture of it because there are rocks in front of it and there are people everywhere. It’s not too far off the road but I wouldn’t go out of the way to see it.

Once back at camp, I read until dinner time when I made another backpacking meal and drank some more wine. Dinner was not doing it for me but that might be because the cheesecake was calling my name. I decided to get the cheesecake from the cooler as a reward for when I finished dinner. I started with just one bite and planned to go back to my dinner but threw in the towel and ate cheesecake for dinner. It was heavenly and exactly what a girl should have for dinner on her 40th birthday. I even sang myself happy birthday in my head. 🙂

I alternated between reading, eating cheesecake, drinking wine and watching the sun set. This exact scenario is now what my dreams are made of.

Eventually it got too cold and I retreated to the warmth of my bed where I stayed awake until my book was finished. I read the Lost Apothecary and it was so good! One of the main characters is named Caroline so that was fun.

FRIDAY: Fortunately, there was no wind that night so I slept like a baby and woke up at 4:50am. A little earlier than I would have preferred but it worked. As I laid in bed waiting for the sun to rise, I listened to what sounded like two owls hooting. Maybe it was just one but the sound was alternating locations. And at one point the coyotes chimed in. This went on for a while. I finally got up when it was light out and made some coffee and took a few pictures of the sun rising. The campsites are close together so I was trying to wait a little bit longer before making too much noise. Around 6am I decided it was late enough and packed up.

The drive out of the park was breathtaking. I was driving east as the sun was rising so all the plants were glowing and the mountains were in layers. Once again I took way too many pictures. I stopped at the cholla cactus garden again and took a few (or 100) more pictures, stopped at the ocotillo garden, and made my way to the Cottonwood Spring Oasis.

Glowing cholla is one of my favorite things.

This landscape is so cool. It’s barren desert and then all of a sudden there’s a grouping of palm and cottonwood trees. Apparently this is the result of a crack in the earths crust.

I took a few pictures, walked around, and sat on a bench and listened to the birds chirping. There was a bird that was standing on top of a hill that had its wings spread open. It was the strangest thing. It was like it was warming its wings or showing off. I sat there for a few minutes expecting him to take off but instead he kept spinning in circles.

At that point it was time for me to leave. Someone was coming over at 4pm so I had to get back home. I stopped at the nearest gas station to get coffee for the drive home. Gas station coffee is hit or miss and this was totally a miss. It tasted like dirty water but that’s how it goes some days. And with that I was on the road home.

It’s taken me a few days to really digest my trip. I am so glad that I went and so grateful to everyone who encouraged me even when I started to doubt myself. This is the exact trip I envisioned when I wanted my 40th to stand out. I’m not sure if solo trips will be a regular thing in the future but I loved every moment of this one.

A couple things to note regarding Joshua Tree National Park. There is no cell service in the park. Like none. Pretty much as soon as I passed the entrance sign my phone stopped working. I do appreciate a forced break from the connected world so while this can be a little unnerving, it’s also always so lovely. There is also no water in the park. Make sure you take all you need plus a little extra.

Another Road Trip to Texas and a New Travel Trailer!

February 11, 2021/6 Comments/in Texas /by Caroline

In 2018 we took a road trip to Texas to purchase a new pop up. We just got back from another road trip to Texas except this time we came back with a new travel trailer! I’m not sure what it is about Texas but they always seem to be the only state to have what we want. I won’t lie, when I saw a dealership in Texas had the exact model we wanted and we had a free weekend, I got really giddy. A reason to take a road trip?! Yes, please. I immediately got to planning and a week later we were headed to Texas.

The dealership was in Amarillo, Texas so we had a 10.5 hour drive. There were a couple different ways we could go and after watching a video Through My Lens posted about a trip he took along Route 66, I knew exactly where our first stop would be. Tucumcari, New Mexico. Tucumcari is a small town on Route 66 and an hour and a half from Amarillo. (I’m sure we’ve all seen the movie Cars and know that Route 66 was hurt greatly when I-40 was constructed.) I’ve not spent much time on Route 66 but was really excited to learn the history of the town and find that some of the original motels are still in operation. We snagged a reservation at the Blue Swallow Motel and could not have been happier.

The Blue Swallow is one of the few remaining motor courts on Route 66. All the rooms have a garage to park your vehicle, there are chairs outside each room, bikes to use to ride around, and a common space complete with a washer and dryer. This is a hotel of my dreams. Why are these no longer a thing?

It was literally freezing outside when the sun set but I really wanted to sit in the chairs for a few minutes and take in the experience. I thought it would be good to document the moment but failed at taking the picture. Me and technology don’t always get along. My camera was upside down so you can see what it was resting on and I somehow didn’t realize I was taking the picture because I’m still looking at my watching trying to tell it to take the picture. Welcome to life with Caroline.

The rooms have rotary phones! Holy moly, dialing long distance takes FOREVER. Halfway through dialing I was struggling to remember the rest of the number. I dialed zero for an outside line and then dialed the number but I never could get the call to go through. That was a bummer but it was still fun to relive my childhood.

On our way out of town we spent some time driving around taking in the sites. Exploring new places is one of my absolute favorite things to do.

We had planned to stop at Cadillac Ranch on our way into Amarillo and even purchased a couple cans of spray paint. We spent too much time on Route 66 so we only got to see if from the highway. We had an appointment at the dealership and didn’t want to be late.

The next stop was the dealership to pick up our new travel trailer! I love the pop up and am still a little torn about moving on. I am a pretty sentimental person so I’m probably stuck on all the memories we created with the kids in the pop ups. The kids are older, one is technically an adult now, and are not as interested in exploring the world with mom and dad anymore. *tear* So I guess the travel trailer is an upgrade and a down grade.

Meet our new Winnebago Micro Minnie! I’ve never been one to name vehicles but I think we’re going with Winnie. Super original, I know.

Once we pulled out of the dealership we headed to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Getting a reservation on a holiday weekend was a little tough but persistence paid off (or obsession)! We didn’t have much time to explore the park but it was nice being in a peaceful setting versus a parking lot off the highway.

The sites were really nice and would be gorgeous in the spring or fall when the trees are full of leaves.

One thing we forgot to bring to Texas was a level. We installed level bubbles on our pop up so we do not normally carry a level. That was definitely an oversight. Our campsite was not level, it wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t perfect, but we made do. We tried using the level on my phone but I don’t think that’s meant to level a camper. That or we don’t know what we’re doing. Front to back seemed ok but left to right was definitely off. It made sleeping a little funky but we survived. First order of business with the new trailer is to install the leveling bubbles!

The next morning we woke up to a temperature of 18 degree. What. The. Heck. These desert rats are not cut out for this. We were so thankful to be in a hard sided trailer versus the pop up in this moment so we could quickly hook up and leave.

Last time we were in Texas the highway was lined with oil fields. This time around it was lined with windmills and cows. I had no idea Texas is home to the beef capital of the world but I can see why.

Highway lined with cows (all that black)

Driving home we went a different way, partly because we wanted to see new areas we have not been, and because we wanted to stop in Roswell, New Mexico. I had dreams of buying alien themed souvenirs for everyone we know. Unfortunately for us and possibly fortunately for everyone who didn’t end up with aliens they didn’t want, we had a navigation issue and ended up driving around the town. And by we I mean the navigator (me) was too busy staring out the window to realize the GPS was not set correctly. We did find a Welcome to Roswell sign on the way out of town so this is our only evidence of our time there.

I’ll leave you with a few random pictures to close out this post. We’ve been to and driven by White Sands National Park before but have never seen it from this angle. Usually we are right in front of it and it’s hard to see. It was so neat to see how much white sand there really is!

And just like that, 1,400 miles later we are home with Winnie.

Archive for year: 2021

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