Exploring the American Landscape From Our Airstream
Shannon 
On our first day visiting Taos, as our very first activity, we visited the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church (pictured above) in the small suburb of Ranchos de Taos. We reached the 18th century church via a maze of narrow, unpaved, muddy roads with Spanish names. The plaza of the church is ringed by … Read moreStrong Southwest Vibes in Taos
When we originally planned our summer sojourn in Colorado, for this past week we had penciled in a stay at yet another scenic national forest campground near Salida/Poncha Springs — O’Haver Lake. But several weeks ago we reevaluated our situation and decided that we wanted to do something different. O’Haver sounds very charming, but it … Read moreChange of Plans in Walsenburg, and Technical Difficulties
One place that we did not want to miss on our grand summer tour of Colorado is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Although this park seems to be one of the lesser-known national parks – perhaps because it was only upgraded from a National Monument to a National Park in 1999 – we … Read moreEnjoying Dark Skies at Black Canyon of the Gunnison
After a somewhat jarring few weeks on our second Habitat stint, we headed to the mountains near Crested Butte to spend a week hiking, reveling in wildflowers, and listening to soothing river sounds. Fortunately, this has brought us back to our happy place. Taylor Canyon Our parking spot for the week was yet another lovely … Read moreWowed by Wildflowers in Crested Butte
After thoroughly enjoying our first experience volunteering as Care-A-Vanners with Habitat for Humanity in Pagosa Springs, Colorado in June, we adjusted our schedule for the summer to return to the very same place for another two-week commitment. We knew that the experience could be very different because of the composition of a new volunteer group, … Read moreCare-A-Vanning Redux in Pagosa Springs