In early 2020, our world was turned upside down with the news of a global pandemic. We were one of the last groups of travelers allowed on the slopes in Breckenridge that year, and as we drove home in the middle of March, we tuned into the unbelievable news. Ski resorts in Colorado and New Mexico were closing down for the season. Restaurants in most states would limit their service to takeout only. Masks, at first were discouraged. Then encouraged. Then required, depending on the state. And then fought over. Arriving home in Texas that March, we resigned ourselves to the idea that we’d be stuck at home for a while, along with the rest of the country (and in fact, the world).
Continue reading Plague Travels Under Open SkiesCategory Archives: Graveyards
A Masked Tour of Southwest Texas
The summer of 2020 was a chaotic time. The pandemic was still in full force, coming back with another wave after declining in cases for a month or so. Business were open to varying degrees, with varying restrictions, tending on the more lenient side in our part of the country. We had settled into a comfortable routine of working from home, cooking from home, exercising from home, entertaining adult and teenage children at home … the list goes on. July was the perfect time for a break from all that. Yes, travel would still present challenges, given the lack of available dining opportunities, but it was also an excellent time for exploring the world on a socially distanced agenda, which is our preference anyway.
Continue reading A Masked Tour of Southwest Texas
The Misery of Mile Nine
On the second weekend in May, a trip to Slaton, Texas, was in order. Has anyone ever said that? Why Slaton? A race (or for us, a run / jog), of course. The West Texas Running Club organized a run in Horseshoe Bend Canyon, a hole in the ground southeast of Lubbock. We signed up for the 11 mile distance, thinking that wouldn’t be too difficult after running a few half marathons earlier in the year. As a bonus, an event in West Texas would allow for a side trip to visit with a college student in Lubbock. The best laid plans …
Continue reading The Misery of Mile Nine
I’m Afraid We Used The Washer
Continuing a theme of turning the back or front end of work trips into productive exercise time, and with a week in NYC coinciding with the weekend for the Gorges Half Marathon in Ithaca, it was time for another very busy weekend. The fact that Ithaca is the home of Cornell University, of which at least one family member is an alumni, just added context. Running a half marathon for which we were minimally prepared was less a concern than seeing upstate New York – it’s on.
Continue reading I’m Afraid We Used The Washer
Motor City Laun Mat!
“Do you have a death wish?” inquired my teenager when I informed him of upcoming plans to visit this particular city. “Do you know where… and what Detroit is?” a parent demanded. Similar questions were directed to my co-traveler – “You realize that’s the murder capital of the United States?”
Continue reading Motor City Laun Mat!
Antebellum Cycling and Meat Pie Failure
Mission
In early 2013, a rare weekend came along in January in which neither of us had other obligations to attend to. We considered options. Last minute flight? Expensive. Road trip? Possible, however we’ve traveled to most places available by vehicle. Additionally, we always attempt to visit a new state on random road trips.
So similar to spinning a globe and making your destination spot wherever it happens to land, we picked a place. Somehow, we ended up here.
Bugs, Dolls, and No Good Food
When we first started traveling together, our time was extremely limited. There were kids at home, work obligations and school schedules. Free weekends were few and far between, and on the rare occasion there was one, we had a tendency to simply zone out and recover from life. Planning trips was a challenge. Not just because there was so much going on at home, but accounting for the travel time, the trip expenses, the reliability of vehicles – it was a monumental task.
One year prior, we had explored east Texas, which included several ghost towns, abandoned buildings, and some creepy graveyards. It was fun, educational and as required, allowed minds to unplug from life obligations. When we were planning our trip to Oklahoma a year later, we were hoping for a similar getaway. Instead of southeast, we looked our neighbor state to the north. We stumbled on an isolated farmhouse about an hour south of Oklahoma City. This would allow for time to decompress away from home while exploring an otherwise unknown area. A remote destination; we thought surely it would be similar to the east Texas trip – full of off-the-beaten-path exploration items.
Continue reading Bugs, Dolls, and No Good Food
Santa Fe, because Dave’s getting married
A year after our first trip to Santa Fe, we had the opportunity to return for a wedding. There wouldn’t be a flight for this trip like the previous one. We would need to get to Santa Fe in a car, which created a challenge since days off from work weren’t available. Santa Fe is about a 10 hour drive from home. But… we enjoy road trips – how difficult could this be?
Continue reading Santa Fe, because Dave’s getting married
The Locals Just Don’t Understand
Having started a slow cadence of travel when we could arrange child care and time off from work, we approached the end of 2011 and started checking calendars. Schedules being what they were, it turned out that children would be cared for during the New Year’s holiday., and we considered the possibility to get out of town for a few days. So, where to? The West Coast would involve a lengthy flights, the Midwest at the time didn’t seem particularly interesting (at least the parts within driving distance), and we’d already been to Arkansas, New Mexico and chunks of east Texas. Scanning the maps of the east coast, we spotted Savannah, tucked into the tall pines trees and coastal swamps and fields of southeast Georgia. The city itself is not directly on the coast, but its proximity to the Atlantic would allow for some time on the beach, the city history looked interesting, and neither of us had ever been there. Savannah it was.
Continue reading The Locals Just Don’t Understand
The First (Accidental) Tripping on a River
Arkansas was more of an accident than an organized adventure. Mid-2011, we found ourselves with an unexpectedly obligation-free holiday weekend (this is normally how the trips start) and debated our options. We had taken a few short road trips, mainly in Texas, and one quick trip to Santa Fe, NM, which involved air travel. Up until now, free time was limited with two school-aged kids in one house, full-time, chaotic work, school and sports schedules, and life.
The goal was to do something different, go somewhere new but within driving distance. A cabin in the woods sounded appealing, but … Texas. “Cabin in the woods” options are limited. We considered Oklahoma again, but since we had some extra time, one state further out seemed manageable. Neither one of us had ever explored Arkansas (or even been there), so the Ozarks it was. Searching the ever-expanding Internet, we found a tiny cabin on VRBO (exciting newness in the ancient year of 2011) which fit the requirements. Located in a town called Snowball, smack in the middle of the rolling hills of Arkansas, it looked like a promising fit for a weekend escape.
Continue reading The First (Accidental) Tripping on a River
graveyardsandghosttowns 