Lazy Day Cabins and RV - Cloud Croft

Today we are headed up the mountains to cloud croft. Cloud croft was a finalist for the friendliest small town in America, it's also 9000ft above sea level. It was a gradual climb so the Dolphin didn't have a problem. It was beautiful up in the mountains, very different scene then what we have been used to. There was water! Tall pines, grass and lots of animals around, It reminded us of Maine. We stayed the night at a small quiet place called Lazy Day Cabins and RV. The owner Cody was really nice, the scene there was very relaxed and we had a great view of the mountains. Adam had a good time throwing his ball down the hill to us. He also liked playing with the horseshoes. Tomorrow we will explore cloud Crofts downtown area then off to Alamogordo.

Carlsbad Caverns

We are in New Mexico which means we gained another hour!! Yay, I love mountain time.
We headed for Carlsbad Caverns, the park was in the middle of nowhere, nothing but desert around. We ended up taking the elevator down because we were told it was over a mile walk just to get into the main part of the cavern. And not knowing how adam would handle being down there in the dark we decided it would be best. Of all the places we have beeb this was by far Adams favorite place! The path throughout the cavern was paved, had a bunch of hills and windy turns. We probably had the fastest time walking through the cavern, adam ran thw whole time passing people while saying hi and occasionally stopping to say "wow" or "oohh". He probably ran a good mile before he passed out.
The Caverns were awesome, we had no idea how big it was! It seemed to go on forever and at times looked fake, like it could have been a Disney World attraction. Only because of how big it was, it just seemed unreal. The camera had a hard time taking pictures of it so you can't tell much by the pictures we took.
After the Caverns we headed into carlsbad. We had some food out of a Mexican food truck that was really yummy. Gregg had a hamburger that was a beef patty, ham, hot dog, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole.  It looked amazing! Later we brought Adam to a big playground and walked around the carlsbad rec center. We spent the night in a small city park and plan to head to cloud croft tomorrow!!

Big Bend- Chisos Mountains

Our fourth day we decided to head toward the Chisos Mountains. The Chisos are one of the biggest attractions at Big Bend. They are incredibly beautiful and in the basin of the mountains they have a campground which we will be staying at. The Chisos are about 7325ft above sea level, the basin is about 5400ft, the road in warns RVS of steep grades and sharp turns and does not allow any rv over 24 ft to enter. We are only 21 ft so we didn't think much of it.. oh boy... the drive in wasn't bad, it was pretty gradual and only steep at times. The way down was so steep and had these crazy switchback turns. After we got to the bottom we were both very scared that we wouldn't be able to make it out. Even the amazing view of the mountains couldn't distract us from the fact that we may not be able to get out there. We even considered just paying to get towed out because if we tried and failed we wouldn't be able to turn around and go back down. After about an hour we decided we would just try to get out, even though we had just paid for the night I couldn't handle worrying about it all night. And, if we got out no problem we could always come back down and not worry about it any longer. So, we started up the mountain. The first part which is about a half mile long with a steady incline, has no area to get a running start so we start the incline only going about 20. About a 1/4 of the way up we are going about 10mph and it quickly went below to about 5mph.... I had a nervous giggle going on and Gregg was dead silent. But, we made it up the first part at a crawl. The second part is a mile long, extremely steep and has switchback turns which slow you down.  But, there's an area to get area head start. Again we powered on, trying to get as much speed as possible. Gregg was like a professional race car driver taking those crazy turns at about 20 mph and trying to keep the speed up. As we neared the top Gregg was holding his breath and I was laughing,  haha. Neither one of us could believe we did it. We figured since we did it once we could do it again so we headed back down to the campground to enjoy the rest of the day.
When we reached the campground we were notified that a mountain lion had been spotted in the basin the day before. It sound's really cool but also scary, these mountain lions can be aggressive towards humans and there were signs everywhere about what to do if attacked. They also warned you to keep children close... and to not even bring them on the trails.
Through all the craziness Adam had a great time here, there was lots of room for him to run around and play. He is really getting into collecting rocks and playing with his animals that Grammie and Grampie gave him for christmas. He loves setting them up on just about any flat surface.

Big Bend National Park

We drove much longer then we normal would just so we could make it to Bug Bend today. We got there just a half an hour after they closed the park so we made our way to the Rio Grande Village and stayed the night. It was a pretty campsite with lots of people.
The next morning we went to the visitor center to get our "back country camping" pass. It is only $10 and allows you to camp in back country campgrounds (so no water, bathrooms, hookups kind if like side of the road camping but much better!) For 2 weeks! We planned to stay here for only 1 week. We made it so our stays would make our way across the park to where we would eventually exit. After we got our pass we ventured over to Boquillas Canyon,  it was a little bit of a hike in but it was so amazing!! The canyon walls were probably about 300 ft high and very steep. The rock formations in this area are incredible. Adam fell asleep on our way in so when we got to the canyon we laid him down on some grass on the banks of the Rio Grande and let him finish his nap in the warm sun, doesn't that sound amazing?
After the canyon we went to the hot springs! It was a couple miles to get into it because we couldn't bring our RV down the whole road. It was very hot by this time so we all needed a little dip in the river. When we got to the hot springs it was all blocked in amd had little places to sit or lay down. It wasn't very deep, probably 2 ft or so but it was very warm, it comes out of the ground at 105. I was surprised, as hot as we were the hot water felt great! All three of us sat there for a bit then got into the river. There were a little bit of rapids right outside of the hot spring where kids jumped in and floated down the river to where they could get out again. We had a great time switching between hot and cold, we did it for a couple hours then decided to was time to go to our campsite for the night.
We stayed this night in a place called the Gravel Pit. It is a beautiful spot surrounding by mountains and by the river. Our spot was perfectly flat and covered with gravel, seemed to be very well maintained.

Caverns of Sonora

After lots of driving we tried to look for a place to stay and the only place that showed up was Caverns of Sonora, so we decided to check it out. It was a cute little place that had all kinds if birds running around like gaming hens, peacocks, and lots of morning doves. Adam loved all the birds. He kept trying to feed them sticks and rocks, he would walk after them and as soon as one would show any interest he would pull his arms in, turn around and giggle as if he was saying "tricked you silly bird". We met a great couple from California that were on a road trip in the opposite direction. They gave us a bunch of ideas and secret beach/campsites that the tourist usually don't know about.
We never did get a chance to see the Caverns but we heard they were spectacular!

Last day in Austin

We spent the night at a great little RV park in Austin called Oak Forest. They had a pool and a hot tub!! We spent some time lounging around the pool area. Adam loved playing in the pool, especially jumping off the side! The park was full of really nice people and there were kids around that Adam could play with. We met this one fantastic family who have become very successful living on the road fulltime. They were so inspiring to us, they even took the time to give us some ideas of how we could also be successful and make money on the road. It was so nice to see that people not only make this lifestyle a reality but also do it so well. They made us very hopeful for the future and made us realize that anything is possible out here. We can make our dreams come true, whatever they may be.
They generously gave us a gift of a book they just published called A Modern Day Guide To Massage For Children by Tina Allen. If you are at all interested in pediatric massage this is the book to get! They gear it towards children with great illustrations and stories throughout.
They have a little 5 yr old boy that Adam just adored! He even gave Adam one of his toys as a parting gift, so sweet.
We said our goodbyes and left the park late afternoon. We drove a couple hours until we hit a nice rest area off of I-10 and stayed the night.

Austin, TX Day 1-4

We got into Austin Monday afternoon and went straight to Zilker Park so Adam could stretch his legs. It is such a pretty park with a beautiful springs and a bunch of playgrounds. Adam played on an old fire truck and in the splash pad area (with no water). We walked down to the spring and played in the water for a bit, the water Is crystal clear and there are a bunch of turtles. It was so unique to see a beautiful spring g with wildlife and skyscrapers in the back ground.
We spent the night with RV Sherpa,  an organization that was l in Austin for SXSW. Luckily we were able to meet up with them for a day. They came to Austin to set up a temporary RV community for people to stay at a decent rate. We stayed outside of Austin in a town called Del Valle about. It was really neat out there, a big open field behind someone's house with a small pond. We even heard coyotes and a donkey at night.
Tuesdays morning we were able to talk to John (the RV Sherpa owner) and find out what his company was all about. He was a really nice guy and what he is doing is what I was hoping to find on the road. It is a good way to meet up with other travelers and be social. He is planning a music, art, and tech festival road trip soon and a trip to Burning Man and Coachella. We are thinking of meeting up with him for Burning Man.
We spent most of the day in Del Valle just hanging out but later in the day we went back to Zilker Park and went swimming then out to Phils Ice House for a burger. They have delicious burgers! I would highly recommend them.
Wednesday we went to the Austin Childrens Museum, the thinkery. Adam had so much fun, the place was huge. They had two levels and a huge playground outside. This is the type of place to buy a pass to and go for an hour or so, it can get very overwhelming. We were there for 2.5hrs and Adam was starting to get really upset at the end of it. But, he took a nice long nap after and we had a great night of sleep!
Today, Thursday, we explored 6th street and hope to make it out to some music tonight.

Rockdale, TX

This is a little more then half way to Austin! Our drive here was so windy! It made me sea sick... but we made it and stayed in a walmart parking lot for the night. We will head out first thing in the morning to try and make it to Austin around noon.

Palestine, TX

We have been here in Palestine for 4 days now. It has been so nice spending time with the Mitchell family. They have 3 amazing little boys that have been playing so well with Adam. It's so cute to watch them interact and play, and to see how much As am idolizes and adores the big kids.
They have an RV that is about twice the size of ours in an rv park near by that we were able to stay in. It definitely felt like luxury living! We had satellite TV, hot showers, a full kitchen, our own bedroom! We were so thankful to have all of that for a few days.
Today we had the pleasure to spend all day with them! In the morning we went to Dogwood park, the boys were able to run around and throw sticks in the stream.  They loved it! We stopped to have a little picnic and it started to rain, so we headed back to their house and the boys played all day. Later in the day they all went outside in the rain and played, adam loved it! but I think was a little confused with the rain and what it was.
Our last day there we had lunch with them and said our goodbyes. We were sad to go but excited to start our adventure again.

Boykin Springs, TX

We made it to Texas today amd got lucky again with a beautiful state park! This spot was located on spring fed lake, beautiful waterfalls and hiking trails. And the weather was perfect!! Adam loves playing in the water here, he sits on the rocks and puts his feet and hands in the water. Once in a while he tries bending down to take a drink out of the stream but gives up before he gets too soaked! There was also a little bridge he loved to walk on, we spent lots of time over by the bridge. We had a great time relaxing and taking in how beautiful everything was. In the morning we took a nice hike and Adam fell asleep in the carrier. :)

Holbrook Park

This morning was rainy and dreary so we decided to pack up early and try to get some miles in. We made it all the way to Sulphur, LA in a little state park called Holbrook Park. It was small and quiet, a man by the name of Harry ran it. He lives there with his wife and two daughters. Soon after we got there he brought us some bread to feed the ducks. The ducks were very friendly, they didn't run away when adam chased them, instead they walked towards him. The ducks even ate food out of Adams hand! It made him giggle :) We settled into our spot which was right next to the river, I desperately wanted to go fishing so I searched around and found some line, a hook and a gatorade bottle. All I need to go fishing! Unfortunately I didn't catch anything but I had fun doing it! Adam pretty much had free rein at this place since it was so quiet, he loved that! He played with the rocks, threw sticks and rocks in the water, played with the scuttlebug,  went on the playground, and just walked around and explored.
Later in the day Harry came over to our site and offered us to have dinner with him and his family. We accepted and had a lovely meal of red beans, rice, and sausage. They are very nice people, it was nice to chat and socialize with some local people.
This place had hot showers too! I have been spoiled lately with nice showers haha.

Baton Rouge, LA

We left New Orleans on a beautiful warm and sunny morning.  It was hard to leave but it was time to continue on. We headed towards Baton Rouge, we were running low on water so we had to find a place to fill up on the way. I found a place called Farr Park just inside Baton Rouge that would let us fill our tank for free. When we got there it was just so nice we had to stay. They only charge $10 a night for dry camping and they have hot showers!! It was about 80° and sunny do we got to pull out the awning for the first time. We sat under it with the chairs while adam ran around naked and played in a bowl full of water. It was perfect, so perfect that we didn't want to go and explore Baton Rouge at all. We did decided to take take a bike ride later in the day though, we biked out to the LSU campus and walked through their baseball stadium. Adam loved all of the stairs! 

New Orleans Day 2, 3, and 4

New Orleans is such a special town, there is culture just oozing out of every inch of the place. It is so difficult to take pictures of it all because they just dont do it justice. If i could take a picture that would also embrace the smells (cajun food, seafood, flowers, spring! ) and the sounds (blues, jazz, brass bands) of NO then that would be worth posting!

Day 2: We walked through the Garden District. Lots of antique stores and pretty houses. Then we went back to the French Quarter the explore more. The French Quarter is huge by the way. We saw lots of art and street performers, stopped and watched one magician and a group of dancers. Adam loved watching the magician. We walked through the French Market and got a painting done for Adam, it's his name spelt out in animals. Next, we found a little park with a playground. Adam enjoyed walking up the slide and riding it back down, he did this over and over again. He made a friend on the slide too! They were so cute together. There was a really cool scene in the park, there was a group of people playing some great music and another group practicing juggling knives. 

Day 3: We went back to the French Quarter and this time relaxed, tried to just take in our surroundings. We spent a lot of time around Jackson Square were there are lots of artists selling art, street performers, and music. I saw a second line for the first time, second lines are like personal parades! This one was for a wedding.  Then we brought Adam to the same park as the day before so he could play.

Day 4: In the morning we went to Jean Lafitte National Preserve. It is a trail, much of it boardwalks) through a marsh/river. We saw alligators, turtles, snakes, and a nutria. The afternoon we did some much needed cleaning and fixing up and got take out for dinner; boiled crawfish, gumbo, and rice. Yum!