Big Skies and Big Distances at Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park is not on the way to anywhere. Situated at the southern point of the “dip” in West Texas, it is essentially a peninsula of the US with Mexico on three sides. The park is located in the heart of the harsh Chihuahuan Desert, and the park’s southern border is also the … Read more

Sun, Sand, Space, and Nuts in Alamogordo, NM

Driving from T or C to our next destination in Alamogordo was a challenge, because a weather front brought us 20 mph winds that whipped up the fine New Mexico sands into fog-like sandstorms. Despite the inauspicious start to our stay, we ended up really enjoying Alamogordo. We took our cues directly from our friends … Read more

Desert Immersion at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

One of our bucket list items for our time in Arizona was a visit to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, located deep in the heart of the Sonoran Desert along the border with Mexico. We weren’t sure whether the government shutdown would impair our experience, but we decided to stick with our planned schedule and … Read more

Quick Stopover at Red Rock Canyon

Following our stated intentions of slow and easy travel, we decided to break up our trip from Ventura to Death Valley into two segments, stopped for two nights at Red Rock Canyon State Park near Mojave, California. This park features colorful badlands-style rock formations as well as Joshua trees throughout the campground, so it really … Read more