It’s February — an odd time for an island time playlist. But, there’s something about chilly weather in February that leaves me dreaming of summertime.
So, put on some beach ASMR on your surround sound, put this playlist on your stereo, layout a blanket, and have a living room picnic. Create your own warmth and imagine the island breeze.
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“Are you good to drive to the top?”
That’s what the attendant at the entrance asked me.
“Yes,” I replied.
In truth, I didn’t know what I was saying. I had already driven portions of Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Seeing Pike’s Peak from a distance — it barely seemed GTSR’s rival.
It wasn’t until the bus lot mid-way up that my doubts began to emerge. Everything until then had been relatively boring. I even said to my wife once, “Is this it? This ain’t nuthin’.”
But, mid-way up, every car in front of us turned to park. But, I said I was going up. So, up I went.
My Honda Pilot was in 2nd the whole way, and I took my time. As we crept above the clouds, I could feel my hands involuntarily clinching the steering wheel.
My eyes watched the temperature gauge on my dash.
My wife laughed at me, because I avoided looking toward the drop. It felt to me as if looking outward would somehow compel me to drive over the edge, like I had seen one of the creatures in Bird Box.
We reached the top with the Pilot huffing and puffing. After I parked, the fan in the engine continued to run, like a dog on a hot day. (Thankfully, she recovered while we looked around.)
Despite the anxiety on the drive up, I was amazed by what we saw. 14,000+ feet above sea level, we could see far and wide in every direction.
I am not a fan of heights. But, I have often found that the places that feel most heavenly are in the mountains. If given the choice between beaches, plains, and mountains, I would take mountains every time.
After a bit at the Peak, we finally decided to venture below the clouds. That too was an experience, with the temperature station part way down to force you to pull over if your breaks run hot.
Perhaps the most fascinating thing we learned from our visit was that they use to race semi’s down Pike’s Peak. They also have a Pike’s Peak motorcycle race.
Those people be trippin’.
If you haven’t been to Pike’s Peak, you must go. If you do it to race trucks or motorcycles, let me know.
It’s always good for families to establish rules for the road. Ours have certainly evolved over time.
That last one is perhaps one of the keys to sharing space on the road. Our pop-up camper has a cassette potty. And, let’s be honest, nobody wants to slosh out rollers at the dump station.
In fact, our family potty policy is—you can pee in the potty at night or first thing waking up in the morning. After that, the campground bathroom exists for a reason. After those campfire snacks, a few extra steps on the Fitbit never hurts.
Thanks for reading this relatively useless post.
But, if it keeps you roller-free, my work here is dung… er… done.
I love pop-up camping. For us, waking under a canvas is a thing of beauty. A pop-up was the perfect compromise between a tent and an RV.
But, every once in awhile you happen upon something you haven’t seen before, and the engineering makes you say, “How neat is that? That’s pretty neat.” Lenny Pepperbottom would be proud.
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If you are new to pop-up camping, buying a used camper to save money can seem a bit intimidating. There are a wide range of things to consider. But, it isn’t nearly as confusing as it may seem.
You do want to know what sorts of things to look out for to know what you are getting into and also to leverage the best deal possible.
Problems or repairs can generally be categorized as simple ($15-$75), intermediate ($75-$200), or major ($200-$3,000). With that in mind, it makes negotiating a suitable price manageable if you know what to look for.
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We were camping in Sequoia National Park when we discovered Moro Rock. We didn’t have any expectations going in. But, the sign at the foot was unsettling. When they warn that snow can cause you to fall to your death or that you might be struck by lightning, you begin to take the height seriously.
The trek to the top was terrifying. At times, the rail along the edges was tall enough that Libbie could have slipped below and into the void. Other times, the rail was so low that with one stumble, it could have hit my shins and I could have tumbled over the side.
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If you know me, you know I am an audiophile. There is art in all styles of music. And my children would tell you that we are just as likely to queue up some clean hip hop (emphasis on clean) as we are a gospel track or indie ballad. With nearly 80 hours of drive time each summer, we have plenty of time for discovery.
In playlist 1, we went a little introspective and low-key. The emphasis was on the lyrics and poetry.
Sometimes you just need a pick-me-up while driving. Sometimes the lyrics don’t matter nearly as much as the feeling the song conveys. This playlist has a bit of that. (But, some of the lyrics are still spot on.)
Enjoy a smattering of uptempo indie rock, a touch of hip hop, even an instrumental track. Give it a listen.
Last fall I was camping with friends in Arkansas. It was one of those trips where a slow system of rain moved through and lingered for days.
Thankfully, one morning during a brief pause of rain, I took time to build a healthy fire—one that kept burning even when the rain returned. Note that we didn’t use any accelerants other than what nature provided.
It was a fire that was built with a simple understanding of what fire needs, and how it behaves.
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Some of the fun in camping is finding creative ways to solve problems. Many of those problems relate to storage space and creating convenience for activities. This gallery is a collection of some of my favorite camping hacks and mods.
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Groundhog Day is here. And with it, I found myself thinking, “If I could relive one day of camping, what would it be?”
My first thoughts were of those moments in the mountains in Glacier National Park—the day that went from 60s and sunny to sleet balls in a matter of hours. It was the place where a family of bears wandered directly through our campsite. But, that story can wait for another day.
Instead, my heart travels back to a trip that still makes my heart ache—the last trip with our dear puppy, Gidget.
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#macbetrippin 