More things to Do in Texas

... (continued from Things to Do in Texas)

Visit The Alamo and the River Walk:

When in San Antonio you have to see The Alamo. I mean, it’s the iconic San Antonio attraction! A former mission, and the site of a siege which lasted 13 days, nearly 200 years ago, ending with all the defenders dead, and a chunk of the Mexican army as well, the Alamo is actually rather small, and unassuming. But the events that took place here were really instrumental in creating the Republic of Texas, and ensuring that all the states west of here became part of the U.S. and not Mexican. “Remember the Alamo!” is the rallying cry that created an independent Texas, and the history of the Alamo helps explain the special fervor of the Texan people for the ideals of freedom and national pride. Before walking through the Alamo and its exhibits, we watched the IMAX movie about the siege at the theatre across the street first. The movie gave a pretty good overview of the events, although I think Morgan found it a bit disturbing, as during the final battle scene he curled up in his chair and said to me, “Okay, I think the Alamo is dead”. There’s nothing quite like strong imagery to hammer home a point. Regardless, I do think that watching the movie first made it easier for the both kids to understand why remembering that bloody moment in history is important as we looked at the displays. (I also understand that to a 5 and 8 year old learning history can be pretty boring, but we keep persisting anyway, in the hopes that they retain something!)

So grumpy looking!

That's better

After walking through the Alamo we wandered along the canal section of the River Walk. Through downtown, the San Antonio River has been tamed and the bank developed with a pathway to stroll along many ethnic restaurants to choose from. The bank is full of trees, flowers, benches to enjoy the scenery & ambiance, hotels, restaurants, and history. Several arched bridges allow pedestrians to cross from one side of the canal to the other, and occasional vehicle bridges on street level above remind one that there is a bustling city directly overhead. At river level, it’s a bit like descending into another world. River taxi/tours ply the loop of canal closest to the Alamo enticing weary or curious tourists aboard. Both the kids wanted to take a ride, but we wanted them to walk and burn off energy. And it’s not that far a walk! We briefly rose to street level to explore through the La Villita (the site of the old village, now turned into artisan shops). The River Walk pathway continues on in both directions of the river where the canal connects with the main river but we stuck to the loop, so I can’t say what is beyond this area.

Keep the Tooth Fairy busy:

Always the show stealer!

Lily lost a tooth the day we re-entered Texas (after visiting the caverns) and Morgan lost a tooth on the day we left. Apparently Texas is a good place to lose baby teeth! Both times the tooth fairy found us just fine and the kids were thrilled. Morgan's penpal back home had told him a while back that the tooth fairy would bring him more money if he cleaned his tooth really good, so of course he had to clean it really really well (toothbrushes, soap & water, and such were involved). He was not disappointed. (Lily was pretty happy with her toothy reward too.)
  

Visit family:

Bob has extended family in the Houston area; a cousin, who upon hearing that we were in Texas promptly invited us to come visit her & her family. So after thawing out in San Antonio, we headed to Houston in beautiful weather. It has been years since Bob had seen her, and I never had met, but that didn't matter one bit! We parked the trailer on the street outside their house and spent our first night out of our home since we moved in nearly 7 months ago. It was a very weird feeling not sleeping in my own bed. But the company was fantastic, and the entire family made us feel extra welcome as we visited, had supper & then pretended that my wild kids would settle enough on their own to go to sleep in an unfamiliar bed. We could have easily stayed in Houston for a longer visit (after finding a close by RV park), but Bob and I were both a bit worried about the weather and our deadline to get to Florida. 

And so we said goodbye to Texas. The old saying about Texan hospitality has certainly proven true, as we have felt so welcome everywhere we have gone. As usual though, the weather seems to be dictating our travel plans and we have once again said goodbye to friends and family in favor of continuing adventure (and Feb plans in Florida).  

Things to do in Texas

We've been without solid internet for the past while, and so I am summarizing up our time in Texas as best I can. As always (and usual) I apparently am incapable of writing less than a small novella, and so have split this into two posts... 

While in Texas we have done a variety of things, such as:

Visit new/ old friends:

After seeing the White Sands of New Mexico, we turned south and west towards El Paso to meet up with the family of a (ex) co-worker of Bob’s. Meeting them was like meeting up with friends we had known forever. They were all so friendly and welcoming, I couldn't help but feel comfortable (and I tend to be pretty shy around unfamiliar people). The Rodriguez’s came over to our camping spot to take a tour of the RV, while I finished up laundry. Then we all headed out for supper at a little gem of a steakhouse in what felt like the middle of nowhere. There were no road signs for the place, but all the locals obviously know about it, as there were plenty of cars in the parking lot (there was even a horse in their horse parking section!). Cattleman’s is not only a steakhouse and working ranch, but it also has a variety of animals, a good sized playground and has acted as a movie set more than once. Lily loved feeding the bunnies & goats and Morgan enjoyed the playground before we headed up to the restaurant. We ate supper a bit later than anticipated, as we neglected to put our name on the list before going to visit the animals, and then had to wait for a table of 8 come open. But the wait was worth the wait. Even Morgan, my picky - often eats like a bird - eater devoured pretty much all the food on his plate.

Before leaving El Paso we stopped at our friend’s acreage for lunch & a visit, a tour of their house (I love their wall colors!) letting the kids get thoroughly drenched with their hose and jump on the trampoline before saying goodbye, with many hugs and promises to come back a visit again someday. It is a promise I hope can be fulfilled sooner rather than later. 

Leave:

Which you kind of have to do if you want to go see Carlsbad Caverns (in NM), and you’re already in Texas. From El Paso we headed east and a little bit north, crossing from Mountain Time (El Paso is on this), to Central, and back to Mountain. How confusing! This was our second cavern visit in just over a week, but the two are so different in appearance and feel that they were completely different experiences. The Big Room at Carlsbad is huge, and is deep underground. The domed ceiling is high overhead, the walls stretch away, and you find yourself in this vast space filled with fantastic shapes above, below and all around.    

 

It’s reached either by descending from the large, natural cave entrance on the surface, or by riding an elevator 700+ft down. Morgan was super excited about the elevator ride, so that’s how we arrived. Bob & Lily picked up audio tour wands (adult one for Bob, and the kids one for Lily), to provide a bit more interest to the 90 min walk. Both the kids quite enjoyed listening to the facts as we came upon the numbers along the trail. Most of the formations at Carlsbad Caverns are no longer growing and have a dull/ flat colored quality, rather than the peculiar glowy/ diffused light look of formations that are active, but that doesn't stop them from being thoroughly impressive.The size of many of them is mind-boggling. 

These caverns made quite an impression on Morgan as he commented that he should write about them in his Today book (school work), and then proceeded to draw a great picture and write sentences about the cave the next day when I handed him the book (he almost never volunteers to do school!!!) 

Pictures were allowed in this cavern, but it’s really hard to take good images in low light (at least with our camera), or get a handle on the sheer size of them. 

Say goodbye to the desert:

We've spent most of the past few months in the desert climate & surroundings. As we traveled south and east through Texas we have left behind the cactus & mesquite and re-entered a land of trees. Northwestern Texas is quite flat, dotted by low brush and pumpjacks. Closer to San Antonio is hill country and trees and in southeastern Texas (nearer Houston), the countryside actually reminds me quite strongly of south central Alberta. The land rolls in a similar way, and although the trees are of different variety, the way they dot the landscape is reminiscent of the pattern of crops & trees at home. I didn't mind the desert, but it's nice to be in familiar(ish) treed countryside. Evidently Mother Nature was feeling generous this week with the reminders of home, which brings me to my next thing to do in Texas. 

Freeze our butts off!:

I cannot believe we've come so far south and are dealing with the coldest temperatures we have encountered so far! Texas and much of the Gulf Coast has experienced some seriously unseasonable weather the past bit. It almost never freezes here and yet last week the area experienced a winter storm with freezing rain that shut down freeways, schools and created all manner of headaches. Hot on the heels of the first storm, storm number two has arrived. The first storm found us just outside of San Antonio, at Medina Lake Thousand Trails.This was our first experience with a membership campground, and the kids loved having access to an activity center where they could play with toys, watch satellite TV, participate in activities and get pretty much all the attention they could desire when the weather would have otherwise kept us stuck in the trailer.

We didn't have a lot of TV, or internet service at our site, but the deer channel was particularly fine.

We missed out on the freezing rain that caused so much trouble on the area roads, but did have to scrape our windshield off the one morning.Oh, the indignity! 

This second storm has found us much more exposed. We've actually traveled into colder weather moving east, and our truck & trailer are presently covered in a layer of ice and sleet sits on the ground outside. Bah! Oh well. Let’s just call this our winter experience for the year. At least, out of all this, we've learned that we can manage just fine in (not too far) below freezing temperatures. That said, hopefully this wintery weather heads back north where it belongs, soon!






We've had two whole nice days in the past week and on one of those days we decided to head into San Antonio…

White Sands

Six months ago we packed our sled into the under storage of our trailer in anticipation of visiting one place.  I’d never been there before – only seen it in pictures and mentions on a fulltime families Facebook board I belong to.  But it looked too cool to pass up, and I made sure that our route would take us by it.

The place: White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico. This 275 square mile landmark of white gypsum dunes is so large it is visible from space. This is the largest gypsum dunefield in the world and its geography is rather unique. The gypsum comes from erosion of the surrounding mountains, and anywhere else, the selenite (gypsum) would dissolve into the rivers and be carried away. Here, the land in all directions slopes down to the Tullarosa Basin, and water from the mountains collects here – and doesn't flow anywhere else.  As the lake evaporates, the dissolved selenite recrystallizes and then the winds carry the crystals from the lake area. The selenite is softer than your fingernail, and flakes easily into tiny, soft grains of gypsum. There’s enough gypsum sand here that it has formed into dunes over the last several thousand years.  A lot of dunes. Dunes that reach 50 – 60 feet high. Dunes you can sled on. That’s why we came.

It was a perfect winter day in the desert. Not too hot, not too cool, and the sky was a brilliant blue from horizon to horizon. As we neared our destination the landscape turned from the yellows & browns of the desert to a pale white until we were close enough to see piles of white sand spilling through a chain link fence alongside the highway. We had arrived. After a stop at the visitor center to watch a video & learn more about the unique ecology of the area, and what to expect out on the dunes and to purchase a disc sled for Lily (‘cause you know, one sled for two kids just isn't enough) it was time to head out on the road that would take us into the dunefield. On the edges of the dunefield, the sand creeps forward at a slow pace, and lots of plants grow in & around the dunes. Further in, where the dunes can move at a rate of 12-15 feet per year, it’s a sea of towering white, set against a backdrop of darker mountains (the source). The road is paved for the first couple of miles, but after that it’s just plowed around (and through) the dunes. Now, you might assume an area of desert sand dunes to be super dry, and at the surface it is. But just beneath the surface of the dunes is quite wet (and I mean right below) – a special feature of the area. I was surprised to hear the unmistakable sound of the tires splashing through water as we drove. The small puddles found only along this portion of the road did a fantastic job of thoroughly coating the undersides of truck & trailer in layer of white sticky sand. The stuff is soft and smooth, like talc, but sure does stick to everything and dries like a cement crust! (We brought the trailer in with us on suggestion from another full-time nomadic family that have been here several times. It was nice to have it with us for food, water, spare clothes & such, but it did get pretty sandy!)

We took a quick walk along the Interdune Boardwalk, to learn more about life in the areas between the dunes, and then headed to a picnic spot further in to have some lunch beside the trailer and try out our sleds for the first time. The kids were way more interested in sledding and covering themselves in sand than eating. While having lunch we were all startled by an extremely loud crack of noise that seemed to come from all around – a sonic boom from one of the military jets that also call this area home. That one, and the two others that followed (those were quieter) were rather neat to hear. (The monument is surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range, where the first atomic bomb in the US was detonated, and is still a very active military area, today.)

While sledding, Morgan busily tried to convince me (and anyone else who would listen) that all the white stuff was really snow – just special stuff that didn't melt. I finally got him with the question “So why are the crystals not six sided like snowflakes?” and then he capitulated. “Okay, it’s sand, I was just trying to trick you.” he said.  (I think he enjoys it when he can engage someone in a test of knowledge – see if they can out-trick him.) Once the kids had their fill (of the picnic area and of lunch) we moved on to find some taller dunes to slide down.

We definitely found some good ones. The road makes a big loop in the farthest section, and all we had to do was park in one of the many pull outs, pick a dune, and go for it. The sand isn't as fast as packed down snow, but you can still get moving pretty good. We visited several different dunes along the loop, finding that each one offered up a bit of a different slope to slide on, and something new to see on the windswept side (in a landscape of seemingly endless white dunes).

Morgan’s favorite way to get down seemed to be to hang on to the back of our big black sled and have it drag him down the hill (penguin slide style). Needless to say, he was quite thoroughly covered in sand from head to toe by the end of the day. Lily had lots of fun riding the disc sled and crashing at the bottom of the hills. It’s a good thing the sand is relatively soft! I tried out both sleds a couple times, and must admit it was rather exhilarating, but what I liked most was walking barefoot in the soft cool sand.

We didn't see any wildlife out on the sand (other than a couple of bugs), but we did see their tracks everywhere we went. There’s plenty of animal life out on the shifting sands, but most of it is hidden away during the day -except for the crusts of cyanobacteria. We found lots of that, but left it alone. It was just minding its business, doing important ecological things for the dunes and disturbing the crusts would mean a hundred years or more of disruption of its job.

Everyone spent several hours playing on and exploring the dunes, getting coated in fine gypsum and tracking damp sand (which hardens like cement) all over the trailer before we tired of playing and took one last walk on the Dune Life Nature Trail near the edge of the dunes. Here we learned more about the life of the animals (kit fox, lizards, birds, insects found nowhere else, snakes and more) & plants (yucca – who grows super long stems to keep it’s leaves above the shifting sands), cottonwood trees (which can still survive as long as a few leaves stay above the dune surface, even when everything else is covered), shrubs (whose roots create a hard sand pillar which remains long after the dune has moved on) grasses, and others) who call the area home. With the sun setting behind us, a full afternoon of exploring under our belts, and sand in our hearts & hair (and everywhere else!) we headed in to Alamogordo for the night. 

If you ever happen to be in southern New Mexico, make sure you come see White Sands NM. It’s definitely a sight not to be missed.  Just beware – the sand takes forever to clean up!

My travel philosophy

As we head east I have no desire to just drive across states to get to my final destination. I want to experience something of them. To get a feel, a flavor for each area. We've already seen a bit of northern & central Arizona and now we are working our way through the southern part.

Yes, we only have three weeks to get to Florida, but that doesn't mean we have to drive straight through and see nothing other than the traffic on the Interstate! (Booooring!). I really disliked the 3 days when we drove straight through several states at the beginning of November and only got a fleeting impression of them. That's not how I want to travel, and, I'd prefer never to do that again.  

And so, we've made it a point to make a few extra stops and add some adventure into our travel days (much like we did when we were way up north). This makes me happier because the adventure & fun should be in the journey and not just in the destination. We are on the move again, but don't have to be constantly moving. Rarely do we ever have to "be somewhere!", and I've had enough of the straight shot approach to get to _____(insert location here). Rather, I'd prefer to have the attitude of "we're heading towards ____", which leaves room for side trips and exploration.  

Which brings me to our GPS...

I have a love hate relationship with this little bit of technology, and I blame the GPS a bit for the unadventurousness of our travel days since December started. Don't get me wrong. It has been extremely helpful finding our way around cities or when the route is tricky or full of road switches. But often we plug in a destination and set off on the route it gives us. And then, you know, well that voice is telling us we have to go this way, so we'd better head this way (even when that route makes no sense!) Maybe, just maybe, I would like to go somewhere other than the fastest or shortest route. Maybe I would like to go a route that shows me something interesting along the way (well, except when it involves deadend roads - we've already had at least one crazy turn-around because of that.). Of course that's also when brain power should overrule the computerized program. We've had enough in vehicle conversations about this that he kids now regularly say "Use your brain!" if either of us makes a comment about the intelligence of the GPS's route.

Anyway, enough of my rant. We hardly used it up north, and we got along just fine. So in the spirit of adventure, the GPS will take a back seat role and maps, guides, curiosity and brain power will take the driver's seat. At the moment we don't know much about what to do and where to go as we head east toward Florida through southern New Mexico, Texas and those other states over east of Texas (time for a geography lesson!) If anyone has suggestions send them my way.

Eastward Ho! the McMillan's go!

Amazing Arizona Nature

Over the past few days we have traveled across the southern desert of California and Arizona. We had already explored some northern and central Arizona in November (Grand Canyon, Montezuma Well, Phoenix, White Tank Mountains), and I was a bit curious to see what the landscape to the south would be like. Arizona, is rich in natural wonders, everywhere we go. We traveled south from Palm Springs along the Salton Sea, continuing until the road meets the I8 at El Centro, where we spent the night. The next morning we got up and headed east towards Arizona. Practically the moment we crossed the state line we stopped at the Yuma Visitor Info Center (visitor centers are always a mecca of helpful info about fun/interesting things to do and are often our first stop as we move from one state to another) and happened upon the local farmers market. We took the opportunity to buy some fresh veggies (love farmer’s markets but we haven’t hit up any lately), grab lunch and play on the grass in the courtyard of the museum. Wow, I didn't realize how much I missed grass and greenery until that moment!

The I8 east from El Centro (CA) runs through some interesting country. It’s a pretty straight road, but the hills to either side of the road have all sorts of interesting shapes and the vegetation changes from barren desert to scrub desert, to an area of shifting sands known as the Imperial Dunes (which had many RV’s stopped and lots of tracks to show that this is a big area for the off-road enthusiasts) back to scrub desert and then, finally to the saguaro desert which we first encountered near Phoenix (which incidentally was only a short ways north at this point). 

It’s truly beautiful country, in its own way. The open landscape of the desert valleys always seems to have low mountain peaks in the distance, providing contrast.  And the sunsets are spectacular, as we were to find out shortly after we pulled into Picacho Peak State Park. The sky lit up with oranges and reds as the sun went down just off the tip of the peak to the west of us, and turning the other direction a nearly full moon rose above the distant mountains. So pretty. The park is named for the uniquely shaped hill/mountain which rises out of the otherwise relatively flat plain. Picacho Peak and the surrounding lower hills are the remnants of ancient lavaflows and so have an angular, bumpy look about them that is different from the farther off mountains. The campground sits just at the base of this hill, surrounded by saguaro desert. 

Watching the hikers ascend the trail to the top of the peak

View to the north

After working on school in the morning, we took the afternoon to hike some of the trails of the park. A short uphill trail took us to a small cave and nice overlook which provided excellent views of the surrounding area. We then stopped at the small playground so the kids could burn off energy before another hike (does that sound counter intuitive, or what!). A slightly longer (0.7 mile) Calloway trail took us up to the saddle between the main peak and a smaller peak to the east. The uphill climb gave us great views and a different perspective of the peak. The peak is tall enough that by mid-afternoon we were in shadow as we climbed. There is a trail that leads to the top of the peak, but we figured it was a bit too strenuous for the kids (I bet the view is amazing from up there, though). It was interesting to watch the hikers on the other trail climbing up and up until they were the size of ants as we ascended our own. On our own trail, we climbed up rough stairs, over rocks, past a variety of cactus, and desert plants, up to a lookout point with a bench. 

View from the lookout, facing southeast

I had expected this point to show us a grand vista of the desert or of the Peak, but nope, it faced out onto the Interstate, the small community of Picacho, and the farmland & mountains in the distance. Not what I was expecting, but interesting all the same, in that it provided a reminder that people might be just over the hill in an area that otherwise looks quite empty. The kids both decided to be tour guides on the way back down the trail to introduce Mom & Dad to the desert splendor.  It was quite cute. They took their job very seriously, and I was impressed to see that some of the information about cactus and the desert landscape & animals had sunk in (although Morgan still gets way too close to the cactus for my comfort – you think he would have learned!). 

The next day we said goodbye to the saguaros and entered into farmland areas (many of which looked like they had succumbed to drought), and a scrubbier landscape. Our driving day was quite short as our next destination was only 1.5 hours away and we arrived at the Kartchner Caverns State Park before lunch time.  Kartchner Caverns are an amazing set of caves that were discovered less than 40 years ago and has only been a state park since the 90’s. Two amateur cavers discovered these caves, explored and mapped them, and kept them a secret for many years before negotiations with Arizona State created a new state park in order to preserve this amazing natural site. It’s interesting that those involved determined that the best way to protect the caves from vandalism and destruction was to make them public in such a way that the government could monitor and protect them. The whole story of the caves and their becoming a state park is quite interesting. Basically the hills are full of fractured limestone and a wash runs right past and through the (rather unassuming) hill where the caves are, providing a relatively constant supply of underground water to the area. Over the course of 80 000 years or so the water dissolved away the limestone and hollowed out the hill. The dripping, running, and pooling water left (and still leaves) behind calcium (and other mineral) deposits which create fantastic shapes on the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cave. I so wish I had pictures to show, but cameras are not allowed inside the cave at all (as well as a long list of other things). The cave environment is much warmer than the surrounding countryside and much more humid too.  Every effort is taken to preserve the unique climate in the cave, and that includes reducing the contamination from people entering this environment. It is nearly impossible to prevent people from shedding (you name it), but the staff does their best to educate the visitors about why it’s so important to Not Touch!

There are two different tours you can go on at the Caverns. One takes you into the big cavern (which was where the caves were originally discovered) where a bat colony resides during the summer months (tours are only when the bats aren't there in order to not disturb the colony). The other leads you into the Rotunda/ Throne Room (which we took). Lily was quite concerned about going underground, but we encouraged her and let her know we would all be together in a group. The beginning of this tour takes you through two airlocked doors, past a misting system (which works to dampen the people and keep all of the lint/hair/skin/etc. stuck to us rather than floating around the cave feeding the bacteria), and then one more door into the cave proper.  Wow.  Just wow.  In the space of 90 minutes I saw and learned so much about the fantastic shapes that water and minerals can make.  Stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, shields, bacon, ribbons, flowing walls, and massive columns of minerals dazzled my eyes. All formed by water over thousands and thousands of years.  The caves are dimly, and selectively lit to preserve the environment (light is bad inside a cave) and to highlight the formations. After seeing all of it, I can completely understand why keeping contamination to a minimum is so important. What took Mother Nature so long to create can be destroyed in only a few days after a careless touch of a hand. 

The unassuming hill that holds the amazing caves

Lily was rather scared at first, but Bob & I took turns picking her up and pointing out all the amazing things right in front of her and she settled enough to even enjoy pointing out things herself (It’s not unusual for younger children to be afraid in the caves). Morgan, on the other hand, had listened to the guides warnings about not touching and kept pretty quiet for the length of the tour. This is quite difficult for my usually bouncy boy, and I was very proud of him. The moment we were back out of the cave into the bright sunlight, the kids both went bouncing and frolicking around like little puppies, letting off the energy they had stored up while underground. After our tour we watched the movie and went through the displays at the visitor center (backwards from the way most people do it, but I think having the tour and then getting the additional information really brought home some of the things we had learned during the tour), and then settled ourselves into the campground for the night. The next day we would say goodbye to Arizona and all it's amazing natural wonders.

Six Months

Six months ago we left our home in Airdrie and stepped into our new, somewhat unconventional life. 

Six months is not really that long, in the grand scheme of things, but it feels like a lifetime since we began this journey (trip, adventure... whatever you want to call it!). So much is different now, and so much is exactly (mostly) the same.  

Despite all the research I had done in advance (and I did a lot!), we were rather unprepared for the realities of living full time in an RV. There are plenty of accounts about what life is like on the road, but it doesn't really stick until you’re doing it for yourself. These past six months have been a huge learning curve, and challenging in ways I couldn't have even imagined when we started out. Flexibility and the ability to change plans are absolutely required for this lifestyle. And yet, it’s also difficult to live without a firm routine. It’s a balancing act that is constantly revisited and I’m not sure we’ll ever get it quite right.

We've hit plenty of road bumps (literally and figuratively) along the way, and faced a variety of issues that have made me question pretty much everything about life. This lifestyle has left us feeling rather isolated from the world at times, and wishing for the closeness of friends and family. But we've also seen some amazing things, gone places we didn't even know existed, met some interesting and friendly people, and had experiences we wouldn't have if we’d stayed in the house (and learned so much!). It hasn't always been fun or comfortable but I can certainly say it’s been interesting and I wouldn't take any of it back for a second! 

Every place we have been has left its mark in some way. Each has opened my eyes to the diversity of the land and the similarity of people wherever we go. I loved going up the Alaska Highway for a month of exploring some of the northern reaches of the continent. The long days and wide open spaces made the start of our travels feel like a true adventure. The transition from wilderness to metropolis as we traveled south through B.C. really brought home the fact that much of the country I call home is only lightly touched by human influence. Late October saw us crossing the border into the United States, making me realize just how much of a Canadian I am at heart (I constantly pine for my own country, even when it’s freezing cold!). We have seen the greenery of Washington, dodged tumbleweeds in Idaho, found snow in Utah, seen the lights of Las Vegas, explored canyons and cacti in Arizona, and experienced the diverse climate of California. From glaciers, to rainforest, to mountains, to desert and coast; we've seen all of that and more in the past six months. And that’s all on the western side of the continent. 

Much of our travel thus far has been dictated by two things – the weather, and my continued need for regular dental work (braces). These have often determined where we go, and when. At times they have prevented us from going some places (we passed all sorts of tantalizing places on our fast descent from Washington to Nevada to escape the snow – I have a whole new set of places on my bucket list now!), and others have caused us to stop where we otherwise wouldn't have (choosing Palm Springs, because that’s where the best flight price/ schedule was after Christmas). There are also places we have been that I would love to return to and spend more time there. Places that I didn't realize had touched my heart until after we had left them, and our desire to continue to see new places supersedes returning to them, at least at this time. I guess that’s all part of our own adventure, but it's hard to say good bye over and over again.

There are days when I want to pack it all in and head straight back to Alberta immediately and throw the kids back into a regular school (usually on days where road-school is going badly) and days where I can’t imagine returning to a house and a stationary lifestyle. We've all been longing for a bit of stability lately, but I also have no desire to stop traveling. There’s just too much to see to stop completely!  It would be nice to find a family friendly spot and spend a full month there, so we can recharge our batteries and really connect to the community (there’s a travel phrase for this: go deep instead of wide). But first…

 It's time to see some more of the country. We've left California and are heading east, towards Florida to attend a Fulltime Families rally and (finally!) meet up with some other families who travel as we do. On our way I know we will find so much to see and do. Places I (as yet) don’t even know exist, and places that are already on our list of “must see” locations. I know we will also have to bypass plenty of others, and add to our (constantly growing) bucket list, with the plan to cross them off that list someday!

Six months and thousands of miles (or kilometers) on our odometer have given me a greater appreciation of the sheer size of North America. I can totally see why it other families who are full-timing take several years to reach every state (and often their travels don’t include Canada or Alaska!). While I know that there is no way to see it all in a year, I plan to make the most of the time we have allotted ourselves and see as much of it as possible (we can always re-evaluate down the road if we're just not ready to stop!).

So, here’s to the next six months of travel. May they be just as interesting as the first six!

Cheers,

Janine 

A Rough Day

Morgan fell into some cacti tonight. And so, instead of a bedtime snack and stories, Morgan endured a half hour of Bob & I pulling needles out of his hands, legs, and backside before exhaustedly crawling into bed. (His final comment of the night to his sister was “Quiet Lily, I've had a rough end to the day”) He was a trooper and only cried a little bit, but boy, oh boy, parts of him now resemble a pincushion (a few of those spines went in deep!). Lily drew a picture to explain it all & make Morgan feel better. Note the spine on the lower left side, which is approx. 2 inches long. Ouch! I pulled this one. Bob pulled several more like it from his legs before they got back to the trailer, and we pulled countless small ones from his hands. 

Lily's picture for Morgan

I think (and hope) he’s learned lesson number one for desert living. Never ever fall into a cactus!

Of course, in retrospect, his crash into spiny misery was only the cap on a clumsy day. 

We took a break in our morning schooling to feed the ducks, swan & fish in the pond at our RV park.  The animals were quite appreciative of the treat and Morgan laughed at the fishy frenzy he created. He also somehow managed to jam a large piece of wood into his palm, which required my help to remove (think monster sized splinter from a wooden railing). Finishing up school, we headed out to swap hot for cool with a trip up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. 

Big tree

After ascending over a 1000 ft up a steep road to reach the tram station, the tram then rises a further 6000 ft, to 8516 ft above sea level on Mt. San Jacinto. That’s quite a change (it made my ears pop!). The valley floor is hot, dry, and very dusty & sandy.  As you rise away from the valley trees begin to appear on the canyon walls and the temperature drops. Reaching the top of the tram, a unique forest awaits exploration. As the whole area is surrounded by desert, only a few species live in this area.  In the winter, snow is often present, although there was no snow when we went up (other than small bits in the densest shade). It was a bit disappointing that there was no snow to play in, but it was a beautiful afternoon for a hike. 

(Desert life rule number two: you need to go up into the mountains for a change of scenery and temperature)

My favorite spot: Notch 3

We took the Valley View trail, a 1.5 mile loop, which has 5 different overlooks along a rough trail, providing absolutely beautiful views of both the valley and mountains. The terrain is rocky and the trail is often only marked by rocks or by chunks of logs on either side. Morgan always prefers to walk along the edges of a trail (or sidewalk, or anywhere else for that matter) rather than stay in the middle of a path. Usually he’s pretty sure footed, but during our walk today he wiped out at least four times. Each time he’d end up on his hands & knees or flat on his face.  And each time he’d pop back up yelling at the rock or log that had tripped him up and threatening to remove it and every other rock or tree from the area (or at us for making that darn log exist,) but never really hurt. This clumsiness often happens when he’s growing or when he’s extra tired, and he’s usually back to his usual mountain goat self in a day or two.  Usually he’s no worse for wear for these clumsy spells.

View of the valley at sunset

The hike was a bit more strenuous and took longer than expected, which meant we were all pretty tuckered out by the time we arrived back at the trailer. After a late supper back we figured we’d go over and relax in the hot pools (natural hot springs) at our RV park, before turning in for the night. Our trip to the pools went off without a hitch (although both kids were pretty wild), and we figured that the excitement of the day was done.

I couldn't have imagined that my boy would end up falling backward into cactus on the short walk back!

Hopefully tomorrow is a better day for him.   

Night, night

Sleep tight

And don’t let the cactus bite!

Christmas on the Coast

What to say…

Two weeks of holidays passed in a blur. It’s already Jan 5^th and I really don’t know what to say about Christmas. It feels too personal.

All in all, it was a pretty quiet trip to an area famous for things to do. We didn't really go and see the sights of the bay area. But that wasn't what we were there for.We didn't do anything special or exciting, except spend time with family. 

Which is perhaps the most special thing anyone can do.

I am so thankful that I (and we all) got to spend time with my grandma & aunts & uncles & cousins, whom I don’t see nearly enough of, and whom I miss more than they could imagine. I am thankful that our traveling has allowed us to visit, and a bit annoyed at myself & my dental appointments which also made it necessary to depart again before I felt completely ready. 

I just want to say thank you again to them all (since I know they’re reading, and too often I forget to say thank you) for the meals, conversations, outings, babysitting, laundry help & everything thing else. You all make us feel so loved & welcome. Miss you all already!

We took nearly no pictures, even though the camera was packed with us.  So, I have no pictures of family to share, except for a few of the kids on the jetty near the RV park in Half Moon Bay (lovely place, even if you do have to listen to the harbor horn every 10 seconds day and night). I will have to make do with memories.

Just a few of my favorite ones of our time there are:   

Lily charming her aunt & Grandma as they sat around my Grandma’s table playing princesses and making bead necklaces. 

Lily charming her cousins while playing on their skateboard ramp. Morgan wasn't as animated, but he also loved playing in his cousin’s skateboard ramp on the bottom level of their house (how cool is it that they have their own skateboard ramp!?) I heard repeated requests after Christmas for a return visit.

Morgan driving his remote control truck that he got for Christmas down the beach while his anxious mother kept watch on the waves. He delighted in digging holes in the sand with the wheels & walking on the edge of the surf.

Time tunnel! Well, not really, but there is a large, long, well lit brand new tunnel on the highway between Half-Moon Bay and Pacifica that we passed through repeatedly which never failed to grab the kid’s full attention. 

Watching my children enjoy their time at the museum at Coyote Point, and watching my aunt sharing in that enjoyment. 

Along the Pillar Point jetty, with the RV park in the background

The weather was absolutely beautiful, with blue skies, sun & welcome warmth. Often this time of year is marked by cool, windy weather, so it was an extra treat to be able to go out in short sleeves and watch the waves roll in. There’s something so serene about watching the ocean waves break against the shore, whether it be in gentle swells on a sand covered beach, or great crashes onto a rocky jetty. 

Some of the time there wasn't so great, as I spent a few days in bed with a vengeful tummy. (It happens sometimes when I've eaten something I shouldn't & then I must suffer the consequences until my insides have returned to normal). It definitely put a bit of a damper on my overall enjoyment of the holiday, though. Bob didn't seem particularly keen on taking the kids too far on his own, but they were pretty happy just playing in the sand on the beach or rock hopping on the jetty. They also made a friend in the campground and they all spent a fair bit of time playing the Wii, or playing outside. When it was time to leave, Lily was rather unhappy to be saying goodbye to another friend.   

It seems we’re always saying goodbye to someone. Maybe that’s why I don’t know what to say. This happy pause, where I have felt more included, loved and whole than I have in a while, had to end. I was already feeling a bit lost and homesick when we headed to the Bay area, and now I feel it even more so. Not necessarily homesick for “home” as a specific place, but “home” as a feeling of familiarity. After all, home is where your heart is. And I feel a bit like I've left a part of my heart behind in San Francisco… wait… isn't that a song already?