Tennessee and Georgia

The storm blew through the Gulf states and we blew out of Arkansas at sunrise Thursday. Not sure how far we would drive at the start of our journey home, we passed through Memphis and then Atlanta. It was almost dark at High Falls State Park in Jackson GA when we pulled into the Lakeside camp. That made for an 11 hour day behind the wheel. The most ever for a driving day in the van. The temps got into the low 50s. Perfect for a great night sleep. This is a sunrise picture Friday over the falls as we left on the final push to Marco.

A Full Day in Arkansas

Chris, Son the Elder, entertained us with a Wednesday morning text about a nearby destination, which holds a lower tier spot on his bucket list. Hence, we had to make Crater of Diamonds SP a part of our day. It was a worthwhile part indeed. This diamond mine attracts people from all over in hopes of digging, finding and keeping gem stones. Who knew Arkansas was famous for diamonds? Take another look at their state flag and license plate.

We did a little browsing through curio shops and on to lunch at the Fish Nest in Glenwood. A typical southern buffet with fried everything and foreign looking sides filled us up before grocery shopping.

Back at camp, we followed the incredible Hurricane Michael's path on our devices and killed a bottle of wine by a blazing fire.

Fwd: Rainy Day at Daisy SP

> The morning was pleasant by the lake with my book but quickly escalated into an all-day rain event. We were cozy in the van, making popcorn and immersed in our Kindles. Pasta, garlic bread, avocado slices and a nice red for dinner indoors and bed early.
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> We woke to a beautiful morning and enjoyed a lakeside breakfast. Hurricane Michael is a strong Category 4 storm this Wednesday morning; expected to hit Panama City FL early afternoon. We'll start our journey home in Thursday.
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Holding Pattern in Arkansas

The simple pleasure of just sitting by a lake with a soothing breeze and gentle waves lapping the shore can never be underestimated. Just sitting. Once again, we found a beautiful slice of nature at Daisy State Park.

From Wichita Falls, we ventured northeast to Arkansas on little state roads through lush countryside. A lovely and memorable drive off the interstate for a day in an attempt to steer clear from weather patterns emerging in the Gulf and effecting the states on our route home.

We decided to make our campsite overlooking Lake Greeson our home for a few days while we remain in a holding pattern for Hurricane Michael to pass through on Thursday. Not a bad place to be at all.

Wichita Falls TX

It was a rainy drive from NM to TX. At some places, the visibility was very low with fog or torrential rain. The temperature went from 65° to 82° within a mile. We just took our sweet time and rolled into Lake Arrowhead State Park, outside of Wichita Falls, late Sunday afternoon. The campground was sparsely occupied but we were assigned a site just yards away from an active, loud oil pump. Bizarre. We moved to another site with loads of fire ants and flies, then another with a soggy fire pit, finally another where we closed up with air conditioning and stayed indoors. We were told the area had four inches of rain that day. Reminiscing of how nice it was in the mountains with fresh, dry, cool air for sleeping. Oh well, back in the SE and deciding where to go as gulf Hurricane Michael could potentially interfere with our path home.

Moab

For being a global destination, home to the amazing Capital Reef NP, Torrey UT was a throwback little town to days long gone by. It was our first really rainy day as we departed Torrey for Moab, home to the final two of the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah. It was another scenic journey on UT 24 east. Goblin Valley State Park was a fun detour with magical rock formations under a moody sky. We rolled into Moab early afternoon and had lunch at Spokes, a cute bike-themed restaurant. Luckily, we were able to find a campsite right in the town of Moab.

After settling in our site at Canyonlands RV Resort and Campground we walked through town and did a little shopping. It's a big town filled with thrill-seeking, outdoor adventurers. Great vibe and lots of people keeping a basecamp to the wilderness in Moab. We even walked to the Moab Brewery and joined two strangers at a table for a lively dinner and conversation.

Dead Horse and Canyonlands

Another day, another natural wonder or three. Wednesday we took in Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park. We did short hikes in both parks and enjoyed the drama of the scenery. We were able to extend our stay in Moab for another two nights. It's nice to be in an urban campground for a change. We took an Uber to Sabaku Sushi and then a stroll for ice cream. Moab is a great town with loads of visitors.

East on Route 12

The All-American Scenic Byway did not disappoint. We drove east for the entire 124 miles. The landscape changed frequently with just magnificent colors and vistas. We took a detour to Kodachrome Basin State Park for our daily workout. It was an easy hike among the red rocks. On to Torrey UT, we were able to get a campsite at 1000 Lakes. We had an nice dinner at camp and enjoyed the stunning view out of the van's rear screen door. Internet is not so good as we travel this beautiful state, but we get lucky sometimes.

Leaving Las Vegas

Traffic was pretty heavy leaving Las Vegas on Interstate 15 north. Lots of trucks barreling down the highway. The desert landscape turned mountainous approaching the AZ border. Once in UT, we were traveling through scenic passes and red rocks. Very pretty. We stopped for groceries and fuel in St. George UT and took the last campsite at Snow Canyon State Park. Lucky ducks. Staggering beauty. We walked around the campground and took pictures with the serious Canon camera, which I will share once uploaded.

Bears vs. Cards

The bus left the hotel at 10:30am Sunday for State Farm Stadium in Glendale AZ. Fifty fans from Chicago were ready for tailgating enroute rather than in the parking lot. Way too hot to be hanging in the sun.

The game was super fun, especially considering the magnificent air conditioned venue and the Bears pulling off a win 16 - 14.

Exhausted from a long day, most of our group opted for a convenient bite to eat at the hotel bar before retiring to rooms early. There's talk of our next reunion in Denver next year. It's always great to spend time with Maggie and Kevin and their extended family and friends.

On to Wild Horse Pass

Bill took this cool shot of Saturday's sunrise over the van before we pulled out for greater Phoenix. After check-in at the Sheraton Grand hotel, Bill took the van to Motor Coach Resort (two miles away) to park for a couple nights.

Slowly but surely we met Chicago friends around the hotel for our annual reunion and Bears game. The pool was the only place to be in 100° heat. A large group took Uber cars to Tempe for dinner at Dierk's Whisky Row. It was loud and packed with students watching the Arizona State game. Good food tho and fun scene.

Autumnal Equinox

We left Kartchner State Park after an amazing early morning hike. The sun is low and hot, preventing anything strenuous after 9am. Haha. Crazy dry heat and blazing sun. It was a thrill to see a diamondback on the trail. I didn't even scream. It was such a beautiful setting, we lingered over Bill's pancakes and cold brew at camp before heading out.

Errands, late lunch at In N Out Burger and a short drive to Picacho Peak State Park and we were immersed in the most beautiful sunset. A perfect day all around.

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Another short day of driving and we were in Arizona. We pulled into Kartchner Caverns State Park around 1pm. Now our new fave of the trip. We had all afternoon to explore on bikes and just hang out playing cards and enjoying camp. We were treated to a brilliant sunset as we cooked dinner. It was the first night of the trip that we slept without the air conditioning. Heavenly!

Rockhound State Park NM

It was another pleasant day of driving on some backroads and Interstate 10 West out of TX on Wednesday. We passed a most bizarre art installation in the middle of nowhere on US 90: Marfa Prada. Google it. Didn't stop for a picture.

We followed Walter White's car into NM (timing is everything) and found our way to Rockhound State Park. Our fave camp of the week. The western flora and fauna were magical. We had a nice hike around the park before dinner at camp. A dust storm had us taking cover and the rain woke up in the night. The Thursday morning desert air was filled with the fragrant and robust smell of sage.

Davis Mountains

It was a perfect stretch of highway from San Antonio to Ft. Davis TX. There were no cars on the roads Tuesday as we made our way to Davis Mountains State Park. A beautiful campground with a nice vibe. After a quick set up, we hiked up a bluff and enjoyed the vista. You can see our camper in a picture. Cold beer, hot shower and cool mountain temps awaited us back at camp. Salmon on the grill with a nice Rombauer completed a perfect day on the road.