It has been nearly a week since you last heard from us. In large part, that was because we chose to spend Spring Break in a place that was above the cell towers in Arkansas.
As John Muir once said, “The mountains are calling and I must go.”
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It was the tail end of a 26-day camping trip that took us from Texas, to New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada and Home again. It was at the peak of the 2017 Phoenix heat wave — 117 degrees outside — and we were journeying toward a place known as the Valley of Fire.
I opened the car door at a gas pump 15 miles from camp. The wind blew the door wide open — as if it might rip it from its hinges. I stepped out into what felt like a giant hair dryer. I might have looked like Beaker from the Muppets if not for my shaved head.
“Thirteen bears.”
That’s how many the ranger said were frequenting the area where we camped in Glacier National Park.
“Mostly moms with cubs. So far, not aggressive. But, comfortable, which isn’t good.”
Those last words were from the park ranger I affectionately call Janice – because I don’t remember her real name.
So, we did everything by the book. Food stuffs, including our camp stove, went in the bear box. No scraps behind, not even bacon grease or food scraps on the fire. Nobody wants to wake up to a hungry bear tearing a hole in the canvas or you.
Still, the kids wanted to see a bear.
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Folks in my office often hear me say “I’m jonesing for some coffee.”
That addiction exists home and on the open road. When tripping, I meticulously scout area espresso joints, with a particular pension for micro-roasters who make their beans in house.
On our adventures, there is always a pressing search for 1) the perfect espresso, and 2) the perfect cup of coffee.
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Boredom can lead to interesting experiments. One of those experiments, when camping in Burleson, Texas, in 2014, was whether we could make s’mores in the microwave. In particular, would one of those giant marshmallows melt.
What happened was unexpected.
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In 2017, we were north of San Francisco, where we had just seen an old farmhouse that was used in WWII to watch the coast for enemy ships. The gem of history was amazing.
Then, we decided to continue further up to an overlook that supposedly had amazing views of the ocean. So, we meandered up the curved highway.
As we drove, my mind wandered. I felt my leg itch, so I reached down and scratched the scrapes I’d gained so far on the trip. As we neared the area of the overlook, we entered a heavily treed area — normally a source of comfort. But, at the start of the woods, there was a disassembled van. The engine was removed and tilted against the car like a lazy thief decided it was too much work. It had clearly been there for some time. Clearly cleanup crews didn’t often this way come.
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In 2017, we were camping on the West Coast near the Redwood Forest. One of our aims was to explore as many beaches as time allowed. It was a chilly morning, and we walked along the shore, letting our feet cool in the water.
This time, we would encounter a carnivore that would leave our littlest kiddo crying buckets.
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When I was 17, I got my first job at a movie theater. That job came with an amazing uniform — a fluorescent vinyl hat, apron and bowtie. I won’t ever forget that gig.
Over time, I worked my way up to Assistant Manager Trainee, and ultimately passed the exam to become an Assistant Manager. My boss for a season, Delibra Wesley — a woman with a gentle smile — affectionately called me Mac.
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With our trip to Florida coming up this summer, including stops at Biscayne National Park, Dry Tortuga National Park, and Everglades National Park, I’ve been planning to take the inflatable kayak along.
If I had the discretionary income, or if they wanted to let me demo one, I would love to try one of these fantastic Crystal Kayaks instead.
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When I bought our second new-to-us pop-up camper, this gash was one of the blemishes on the front corner. I credit this gash for being the reason no one had purchased the camper before we had a chance. Some folks saw a major flaw. I saw an opportunity to save money.
In a previous post about buying used pop-ups, I talked about how to get a great deal on a used pop-up campers. In short, it helps to know a bit about how easy or hard certain repairs are to make.
This particular gash looked like someone had a 2×4 fly out of the bed of a pickup and pierce the metal and plywood.
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#macbetrippin 