Guadalupe Mountains & the Chihuahuan Desert

I spent yesterday and today in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and it was awesome! The landscape is so different than anything I've ever seen. You're driving across a flat dessert and all of the sudden this massive wall of mountains appears in front of you. Yesterday I hiked Devil's Hall Trail which started right behind Pine Springs Campground, where I stayed the night. Today I woke up and got some photos of the mountain El Capitan which was pretty massive. This was the first of two El Capitan's that I will see this summer. A mountain in Yosemite National Park is also called El Capitan, and I may hike that one in a few weeks! Anyway, after getting some photos, I hiked part of McKittrick Canyon Trail. It was kind of spooky to hike alone, but luckily I saw a good amount of people on today's trail. Once I got back to my RV I drove to Carlsbad, where I will see Carlsbad Caverns National Park. I plan to attend the Bat Flight program and Star Party tonight, and go into the cavern tomorrow!

Remember the Alamo

I visited San Antonio this morning and got to see the Alamo! It's not as big as you would think, but it was pretty cool. Below you can see a militia impersonator that showed all of the gear that militia members usually carried. After the Alamo I went to the San Antonio River Walk, which is an awesome area under the main city streets with many shops and restaurants. I stopped at Guadalajara Grill for some lunch and then left to start driving toward Guadeloupe Mountains National Park. The scenery along I-10 was different than anything I've seen before. The drive also made me realize just how massive Texas is. I stopped in Fort Stockton for the night, and look forward to getting to the Guadeloupe Mountains tomorrow!

Alone in the Lone Star State

I've been riding solo for the past two days after dropping Megan off at the airport in New Orleans. Thanks so much for coming Meg, I had a blast and can't wait to see you again in Denver!

After leaving New Orleans, I drove to Houston and spent the night at Jus Passn Thru RV Park. I thought the name was fitting. This morning I went to the Museum of Natural Science in Houston and saw some awesome exhibits. There was a huge archaeological exhibit, a large gem collection, an exhibit on ancient Egypt, and a really interesting exhibit called Biophilia. After that I battled the Houston traffic and made my way to San Antonio, I plan on going to the Alamo and River Walk tomorrow!

Gators Galore

Had an EPIC day with Megan in NOLA. We went to Cafe Du Monde and got beignets for breakfast, and then did a bus tour of the city. This afternoon we went to Airboat Adventures and got a tour of the swamp! We saw a bunch of gators and birds, and even got to hold a baby alligator. I included a few photos for now but will try to upload some videos the next time I have a better internet connection. Also don't forget to check out more photos here.

Bars, Planes, and Birds in NOLA

Megan and I continued on to New Orleans, LA on Saturday and on somewhat of a whim, we were joined by my Aunt Kelly and Uncle Eddie! They got here shortly after us on Saturday, and we went into the French Quarter for dinner and drinks on Bourbon Street (WOOAAAAAAOOOO!). We went into the Cat's Meow (unfortunately the line for karaoke was really long), Tickler's Dueling Piano bar, and some others. It was a super crazy and fun night! Today we went to the National WWII Museum which was filled with super cool war info and artifacts. Also would highly recommend the movie experience: Beyond all Boundaries. After saying goodbye to Uncle Eddie and Aunt Kelly, Megan and I walked to Canal Street and checked out some shops. We also found a lady who put birds on our heads 😛. Tomorrow we are going to do a bus tour in the morning and then an airboat swamp tour in the afternoon!

Thanks SO much to Uncle Eddie and Aunt Kelly for a great time!

Florida Recap

A little behind on blog posts but here is an update about our time in Seagrove Beach, FL. The tailpipe and a small section of gas line had to be repaired on the RV on Monday (6/17) morning in Buford, GA. Special thanks to The Muffler Shop for helping me out! Once it was fixed, I drove the the RV to Seagrove with my sister Kayley, and my cousins Megan and Sean. We arrived late Monday night and got settled in, then spent the rest of the week relaxing on the beach. We had to avoid some storms on Tuesday, and although the water was rough all week, the weather was mostly clear after that. We went to Seaside one night for dinner and saw a concert, and we spent other nights relaxing and watching movies. Couldn't convince Sean to watch The Perfection with us, so Megan and I plan on watching it in NOLA. I think Sean was probably relieved that he wouldn't have to answer any more of my annoying questions when Megan and I left on Saturday morning :)

Overall it was a great time! Thank you so much to my grandparents for letting us use their house for the week, and thanks to everyone else who helped us out!

2 Parks Down

Left the Smokies on Friday and stopped at Clingman's Dome for some awesome views on my way out. Had a great time this weekend in Berkeley Lake, GA with my family. Congrats to Christopher on graduating! Getting a few minor things on the RV repaired on Monday morning, then heading to Seagrove Beach, FL for the week!

Day 3: Another bear!

Saw some amazing things today in Great Smoky Mountain National Park! Hiked Cove Hardwoods Nature Trail in the morning, and then drove to Cades Cove after eating lunch. Driving around Cades Coves I saw some deer, a turkey, and a bear cub that walked right in front of my RV! On my way back I hiked Laurel Falls Trail and saw what seemed to be a dead timber rattlesnake. Check out the Photos page for more pics and a clip of the bear walking by!

Days 1 and 2: An exciting start in SNP

Off to a good start this week. Made it to Shenandoah National Park yesterday and was welcomed with some amazing views on Skyline Drive. I parked at Pinnacles Picnic Area and hiked Mary's Rock.  Saw a black bear on the way back, it was probably 30 yards away from me. Luckily he saw me too and ran away! Booked it back to my RV after that while making lots of noise the whole way. I spent the night in Big Meadows Campground and checked out the visitor center there this morning. After that I left the park along Skyline Drive, and stopped for some photos and views along the way. I went to at Ballast Point Brewery on my to Greenbrier campground, where I'll be for the next two nights. Looking forward to going into Great Smoky Mountain National Park tomorrow! More photos here.

Embarking tomorrow!

Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving for Shenandoah National Park! I hope to hike Mary's Rock and spend the night before making my way to Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Wednesday. Can't believe my journey is really about to begin :)

Elk Neck Recap

Had a blast in Elk Neck State Park over the weekend. Spent some time hiking, swimming, cooking, and chilling by the fire. We hiked White Banks Trail on Saturday and saw a bunch of animals: bald eagles, hawks, snakes, turtles, frogs, lizards, squirrels, birds, and fish. The weather was perfect and the RV was great. Just a couple minor things to tweak before the long trip! Thanks again to Pete and Whitcraft for coming out!