Road Trip, Take Two!

We are back on the road and are just settling into RV life again! After a short stay in Atlanta, a visit with family and friends, and a vacation with our kids and Craig's family, we picked the RV up from its resting spot in South Atlanta and headed back out west. Our goal this time was to get out west as quickly as possible and make up for the lost time by enjoying as many of the cities, and National Parks, as we could.

Our first two stops were single night stays in Meridian, Mississippi and Shreveport, Louisiana. Neither place was overwhelming, although we did have a bit of an adventure in a "nature preserve" in Shreveport. Looking for a place to get out and walk, we found a nature center that we first noticed was very muddy due to recent rain. While trying to walk slowly and carefully through the soggy parts of the ground, we learned we couldn't slow our pace because the mosquitoes would begin to attack us by the dozens. This place looked like an excellent setting for a scary movie. We continued and came to a swampy lake that looked like an alligator could jump out and devour Clay at any time. We ran past the lake but then were unsure of which trail would take us the right way. We had already seen a creek with two snakes underwater and were sufficiently creeped out. We then heard what sounded like someone speaking on a PA system far away, but we couldn't make out any of the words except maybe, "closed." A few minutes later, we heard a siren. We knew then they might be talking to us, and that we'd better run. Running through spider webs and more mud, we finally made it to the parking lot to see our truck was the only vehicle left in the parking lot. 

Sprinting to our truck, we jumped in and raced down the long drive to the exit, where we found a ranger locking the gate! We had a very confusing conversation with him as he explained the plan for closing us in, and how he was protecting us…anyway, he kindly let us out and wished us a good day, and it was still a good day until I looked down and saw two ticks on my leg. I looked over and saw another on Clay's ear. Craig pulled the car over on the side of the road, and we did body checks for ticks. The final score throughout the evening: Craig-4 ticks, Clay-4 ticks, Glenda-3 ticks. I'm the winner, I guess. 😩 

Our next stops include Dallas and Abilene, Texas, Roswell and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Durango and Mesa Verde, Colorado. All of these areas have different offerings, and we've enjoyed every one! Below are some pictures of a few highlights so far. 

Next, we are headed to Utah for about a week and then into Nevada and Idaho. We hope Canada opens their borders so we can go there, but that remains to be seen in the upcoming week. As we've said before, we wish you all could be with us to experience the peace we enjoy. As we travel along these beautiful country roads and highways, we continually pray for America and our world.

We'll touch base again as we are in the beautiful state of Utah. 💗

After setting up camp a time or two, it felt like we hadn’t missed a beat with our travels! 🚎

Here and there along the Texas interstates, we come across huge crosses like this one. They say everything is bigger in Texas! To us, it’s a welcome reminder of our faith and that God is bigger than all the concerns and worries of this world.

By far, the biggest thrill of our visit to Dallas was visiting with Craig’s sister, Kerry, and her beautiful family! Here we are with Kerry and Gary, after the amazing dinner they fed us!

We also got to see Kerry’s daughter, Corie, and her new baby! Baby Piper has not been out and about very much since her birth due to COVID-19. We were happy to see her, and to ooh and ahh from 6 feet away. 😊 She is truly a beautiful baby!

Checking out one of the local breweries in Dallas, TX.

Abilene State Park in Tuscola, Texas, has an incredible historical recreation and pool area, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was a part of the New Deal put in place by Franklin Roosevelt, which provided work to unemployed young men after the Great Depression. The task given to over 250,000 Americans involved forest preservation and various projects using native materials and thoughtful design to create iconic features in state and national parks across America. As we have traveled around the country, we have seen many major and beautiful projects that were completed by the CCC.

Nothing is better than an unexpected, wonderful experience. One evening we planned to venture to a local BBQ joint on the outskirts of Abilene, Texas. Along the way, we found Perini Ranch restaurant in Buffalo Gap, Texas. It was in the middle of nowhere, and we decided to check it out. After passing the cows and rustic exterior, we walked in and they asked if we had a reservation. 😲 We did not, but they squeezed us in—to a rustic picnic table in a cool breeze, under dense greenery and welcoming cafe lights. As she seated us, she told the cat napping there, to move. He did not. We said he could stay, and he did. 😺 With men in cowboy hats coming in and saying, "Howdy" to each other, and the rustic yet elegant ambiance, it afforded us a small taste of authentic Texas charm and hospitality, and a special evening we won’t soon forget.

We’re in Texas, boys. 🤠 A freckled cow at Perini Ranch.

The sleepy cat stayed with us throughout our dinner.

In Wylie, TX, right outside of Dallas, Craig threw some early morning horseshoes before we headed to Roswell, New Mexico.

In the event you didn’t know, the town of Roswell, New Mexico, has an alien theme throughout because many believe this town has had UFO and alien activity in the past.

Here’s the story: In 1947 there was a crash in a rancher’s field near Roswell, New Mexico. The rancher notified the Sheriff's Department and nearby Roswell Army Air Field. Exactly what crashed on that night is uncertain to some; the rancher and a few witnesses (the sheriff and others on the call) say it was a UFO and an alien body (or bodies) were transported from the crash site by ambulance to a nearby top-secret military site. The US Army initially said it was a weather balloon, an explanation they said sufficed at that time because they were actually testing top-secret Project Mogul. Mogul was an effort by the Department of Defense to fly an experimental craft near Russia to determine if they were testing nuclear weapons. The government states they could not tell the world what they were doing in 1947, and that the alien hysteria helped to conceal the truth. Still, many who claim to be witnesses to the crash site, or families of the witnesses say there was alien life involved in the incident. While the government says there is no validity to the claims, the town of Roswell still rages on regarding UFO sightings and aliens after 70 years!

The entrance to our RV Park in Roswell, NM.👽

The whole town of Roswell takes their alien heritage very seriously!

Even McDonalds gets in on the alien theme in Roswell with their spaceship-shaped dining area.

A current contest in Roswell challenges all to take their best selfie with this mural, painted on the side of a building in town, to win a prize.

Santa Fe, New Mexico had a very different and sophisticated vibe. We walked down the famous Canyon Road and enjoyed all the outdoor art. With more than 250 art galleries, this town is sure to please anyone with an appreciation of visual arts.

In Santa Fe, many of the businesses and art galleries were still closed, and the streets were almost bare. One man noticed we were taking a lot of pictures and asked where we were from. We chatted a few minutes and then he thanked us for coming to Santa Fe and supporting their city during this difficult time.

Even our RV Park owner had a hobby of collecting modern art and old vehicles and machinery. The machinery was the park's theme with all types of antiques scattered around the grounds, mixed in with modern art. It certainly went with the Santa Fe vibe and was a lot of fun to look at and read about the different pieces of history. It may sound boring to some, but it's been fun to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life, and to reflect on the historic elements of this country.

This International Harvester truck with wood wheel spokes had the keys hanging in the ignition. Clay is posing in the back of the truck.

This 1949 truck was left at an auto repair shop in 1951 and never picked up by the owner. In 1988 the owner of our RV Park purchased it from the auto shop for $50. After sitting at the auto shop for almost 40 years, the truck still ran and the new owner drove it to this spot in Santa Fe!

We also got to meet Mater, in person, if you will, from the Disney Pixar movie, Cars. 😂

In Santa Fe National Forest, we enjoyed serene walks in beautiful nature. On this day, it rained a few times and we ran for cover from large hail that fell on us several times during this hike.

Craig has taken some incredible photos of the nature we’ve seen. His gallery on this site has somehow been erased, but some of his most beautiful photography is on Instagram at craig_mac_photos.

A humorous sign on a Santa Fe hiking trail.

On one hike in Santa Fe, we came upon this car out in a remote area, half-buried in the sand, It made us wonder if it had fallen off a cliff at some point years ago. 😲

Another shot of the mystery car.

In Durango, Colorado we hiked more beautiful nature trails. This particular trail involved some 4-wheel-drive-off-roading to get to the trail head. The drive was intense but the 3-mile hike to this lake was lovely.

In Mesa Verde, Colorado, we visited the Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde means “Green Table”. Here you can see why this area is named such.

What We Learned: A butte is a small flat-topped or pointed hill or mountain. A mesa is a medium size flat-topped hill or mountain, and a plateau is a really big flat-topped hill mountain. A butte is what is left of a mesa. Hold on to your seat!…We have plenty of buttes coming up for you in our next post! 😁

Lots of Green Tables here. 😀 Multiple lightning-strike fires destroyed 450 acres of greenery here in July of 2003. This picture shows many of the trees that still stand, though burned by fire, and all the underbrush greenery that grows back much quicker than the trees.

An incredible highlight of Mesa Verde NP is the cliff dwellings that were built over 800 years ago by the Pueblo Indians. Long House, pictured here, is the second largest dwelling and has 150 rooms and 21 kivas (large rooms used for political and spiritual meetings.) No picture can do the size and detail of the dwellings justice; notice the square structure toward the right is four stories high.

Typically, these dwellings can be toured with a guide, and you can walk near and around the rooms. Due to COVID precautions, that was not available on the day we were there.

We stayed in Mesa Verde National Park Campground. It was remote and private. While outside the camper one morning, Craig spotted a large deer lying in the grass behind our camper. Once I came out to see, he got up and ate leaves from the trees before he strolled into the woods.

This picture is much like the previous, but in the evening, the sun will hit things differently every few minutes, making a new landscape.

I was amazed to see in Colorado what seemed to be the biggest dandelions on the planet! This picture shows the true and actual size of this dandelion, for those that don’t see these mammoths every day. I tried to blow off the parachutes, but they wouldn’t budge; I had to shake the flower like a thermometer for them to take flight! 🌻

We’ll see you soon, in Utah!