Catch Up in Colorado

(Connectivity is once again an issue. Hopefully, I can attach pictures to my posts as the trip goes on. I thought I'd do a catch-up post here to bring me to the present: Saturday morning.) 
 
Heading into Texas we realized that the odometer passed 40,000 miles. Yippee! Yahoo! The Sprinter is running like a champ; just really breaking into optimal performance. The Airstream however...a constant punch list of mostly minor quirks on any given day. It’s a great way to travel though. Especially in a pandemic. We haven't had to put on a mask since leaving Marco on Monday. 

We enjoyed being back in TX on Wednesday. It is such a diverse state with a legit feeling of distance between us and home. We stayed outside of Wichita Falls at the Ole Cotton Gin RV Park. It was fine. 

After an easy day of driving on back roads Thursday, we stopped in Amarillo for groceries before crossing into NM and then CO and setting up camp at Lathrop State Park outside of Pueblo. Lathrop was the first designated state park in Colorado. It is a beautiful park, well maintained and super clean restrooms. Plenty of daytime activities, too. Colorado is my spirit state. This is the first time in over 40,000 miles that we actually camped in CO. We've passed through all corners of the state, but first overnight in the Sprinter. 

After a lazy morning at camp and a three mile walk around Lathrop SP, we checked out and drove back south to Trinidad Lake State Park where we were able to get reservations for the weekend. Colorado is on a reservation only system with the pandemic and we've been really lucky picking up campsites at these beautiful places. The Carpios Ridge Campground is situated on a ridge 150 feet above the lake. We are enjoying great views from camp and the smoke from the wildfires in CA and OR is making for a moody, hazy backdrop on the mountains. We hiked the Levsa Canyon before showers and a wonderful steak dinner at camp. 

It's Saturday morning, I'm at camp with my iPad, all bundled up in long pants and a hoodie. Oh I love this weather!

Dodging Another Hurricane

 

Tuesday was a marathon day of driving. We really don’t like to push it generally, but we were on a mission to get far away from the wrath of Hurricane Sally. Sadly, she hit Gulf Shores AL Wednesday morning as a Cat 2 storm. We hunkered down in Gulf Shores during our evacuation from Irma in 2017. We had a blast in that area and pray the folks along the coast will rally soon.

After over nine hours in the van, we stumbled on Lake Claiborne State Park in LA. It was beautiful. The park had just recently opened after the Covid shutdown so there were plenty of campsites available. We settled into a lake front property and enjoyed the view after a long day on the road.

The Rainy Season in the Subtropics

Tropical Depression Sally formed outside of Marco Island and slowly moved through SWFL on Saturday and Sunday. We seized the opportunity to hit the road, confident in the Sprinter van, after nearly two weeks of emergency experimental repairs and reconfigurations to the solar energy components in Naples FL. It was a wet ride out of Collier County, with intermittent showers all the way up the peninsula.

 
One of the most notable moments of the ride was passing through Sylvester, GA. After a quick (wth?) Google search, we discovered that the 300 US flags decorating Highway 82 was a collective town effort to elevate the spirits of its citizens during the Covid pandemic. Shortly after that uplifting view, we arrived at the first camp of our September adventure. Chehaw Park & Zoo in Albany, Georgia. The $18 a night fee, for a reasonably well-maintained county park, was well worth the wooded parking spot. We opted out of showers though. Haha. We still have yet to stay in a paved parking lot off the highway, praise the Lord.

Tropical Depression Sally turned into Hurricane Sally and is expected to reach the Louisiana/Alabama coast Tuesday night. It’s been a busy Hurricane season, the likes of which has not been seen since five Atlantic cyclones in 1971 tied the 2020 season for activity. Global warming then and now, I guess. 

The Heat of the Summer

It took me awhile to get through "Next Year in Havana" but thanks to some insomnia, I was able to read on in the wee hours of the full moon Thursday. Bill asked me if the book made me want to visit Cuba. My answer: No. Although, I enjoyed the historical fiction and multigenerational romances spanning the 1950's to 2017, the country still seems kind of depressing. Beautiful but depressing. 

And speaking of depressing, instead of hiking mountains in cooler climes, we are back in Marco waiting out Covid-delayed parts and service for our Sprinter van. A major malfunction in the solar energy component has mechanics baffled. We high-tailed it down I-95, with drama-packed weather, to be back for Will's 27th birthday. I was thankful not to have to miss the first 9/2 celebration in his life. 

Despite the van woes, our fun getaway to the NJ Shore was packed with exercise and relaxation. Long Beach Island is a great place for long bike rides and walks. Cyclists and pedestrians own the beach roads. We even enjoyed some responsible Covid-era socializing with immediate family and friends. It was great to see a couple of Lapland ladies, too, while in NJ.