Restoring Faith in Humanity

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A secondary hope I had for this trip is that it would restore some of my faith in humanity.  After living for nearly a decade in Baltimore City, where the worst of people is on display for all to see daily, I had gown cynical.  I wanted to see people who were living creatively and full of life, not overwhelmed by programming and addictions.

I have found some of what I was looking for in the West.  It started in Texas with its independent spirit and gumption. In New Mexico and Arizona I saw people living off the grid and in small make-shift communities consciously living outside of convention. Some of the residents in small desert communities made a big impression upon me.  These desert people are not consumed by pursuit of fortune, prestige or ego inflation, but seem content to live simply and cheaply in a barren yet often beautiful landscape.  Between the solitude, surroundings and simple living, they seem more connected with something and at peace.  The central coast of California, so far, is where I have encountered people most full of life and living at a higher frequency.  I couldn’t get out of southern California quick enough, a place where indulging in ego pursuits and selfishness seems extreme, but 100 miles up the coast from Santa Barbra to the north everything changes.  The central coast has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world and the people are out enjoying it.  They are active, love to get out in nature and seem to fully appreciate the beauty that surrounds them.  Smiles are frequent and civility is the norm.

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Arizona Roundup

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Arizona exceeded our expectations.  After spending more than a week in New Mexico, we thought we had experienced the most varying landscape of our trip.  However, Arizona is not one to be upstaged by its neighbor.

We entered the State in dramatic fashion from southeast Utah, which upon entering you are immediately in the one of the most photographed western landscapes, Monument Valley.  Monument Valley is a place of towering monoliths of weathered rock standing like sentinels in the rugged arid vast expanse.  They are seen from at least 30 miles away and greet you with a strong, quite solitude, even when you get to the park and among the tourist bustle of the visitor center.  This is a Navajo Monument, and this being the case all of the prices are inflated, but the views from the road are free and almost as good as inside the park itself.  After leaving, the scenery calmed down a bit, perhaps in homage to the almost surreal visual experience awaiting us at the Grand Canyon.

Monument Valley – Left and Right Mitten


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Grand Canyon Tour

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We spent three days at the Grand Canyon, enjoying great views, learning a little geology, had a great hike and got caught briefly in blizzard like conditions.  On the last night we camped in below freezing temperatures and quickly learned our battery can not power our furnace for more than several hours…  Brrrrr,  it’s an adventure not a vacation.

New Mexico – Land of Enchantment

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New Mexico is fondly called the land of Enchantment.  I am unsure what the true meaning behind this is, but for me it describes the ever changing landscapes and history rich in Native American lore. We drove from the southeast to the northwest of the state and hit several points in between.  In New Mexico the landscapes seem to change dramatically every 30 miles or so.  One minute you are in a dry flat desert and the next climbing up a snow capped mountain surrounded by Ponderosa Pine.  We even found ourselves in areas where we were looking at 4 or 5 distinctly different landscapes at one time; desert, shear cliffs and buttes, canyons and Rocky Mountains.

Road between Taos and Colorado

Road to Pagosa springs
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Carlsbad and Valley of Fires

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South Eastern New Mexico is stark and barren.  This is desert flat country with large stretches of varying hues of beige punctuated with small shades of green from junipers, desert palms, prickly pear cactus and brown mountains in the distance.  In one of these mountains is Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

The National Park, one of the earliest, is remote but once inside it is every bit worthy of its designation and the trek.  The National Park Service has out done itself with a fantastic 2.4 mile trail and just the right amount of lighting to accentuate the features.  This place is of such uncommon grandeur and so other worldly that its description is defies my vocabulary.  On at least two occasions I turned a corner and literally lost my breath, something that has never happened before.  I have been in other caverns, so the subterranean world was not completely new, but this was an overwhelming visual overload.

Hall of Giants – Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Hall of giants #carlsbadcaverns #nationalparks
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Texas Roundup

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Texas is, well… Texas.  Coming from the east coast I have always had an idea of what Texas is and it did not disappoint, but it is also more than I expected.  It has a fiercely independent spirit and does not take its freedoms for granted even if some of them are harmful. Gun shots are heard regularly and driving fast is government sanctioned. It is true; everything really is bigger in Texas, especially the trucks. However, supporting small and local business is a part of the culture. The country music has an edge and leaves the popular stuff for Nashville.  Good Mexican food is everywhere and Sushi is hard to find.

6th Street in Austin:

6th Street

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The Campground Code

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Life in campgrounds and RV parks has its own code.  It is sometimes is almost an ideal community.  They are places where friendly waves and nods are the norm, and the conversations with your neighbor are easy and can turn into more.  If you are having trouble or need a ride, it usually is not hard to find if someone doesn’t offer first.  In many parks it is not uncommon to see expensive fancy motor coaches, next to very modest travel trailers and for the most part everyone is cordial.  Since close proximity is usually the case, as is sharing of facilities, model civility is practiced with the occasional less than desirable behavior. Commonly the park managers set the tone with cleanliness and regular maintenance.

General practices (in most campgrounds):

  1. Be respectful of neighbors
  2. Keep your campsite neat and leave it clean
  3. Be mindful and observe quiet hours
  4. Clean up after yourself when using shared facilities
  5. Make sure trash is properly disposed of, fire-pits are not trash receptacles
  6. Do not walk through your neighbors campsite
  7. Drive slowly, campground speeds are usually very slow
  8. All pets must be on leash except in designated areas, and always pick up after them
  9. Do not burn plastics and other objects that release noxious chemicals
  10. Extinguish fires completely when away from campsite
  11. Teach children proper campground etiquette

Riverwalk and Redevelopment

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Few things excite me more than urban re-creation; inspiring redevelopment that attracts people to live, work and play in the city.  I am not a fan of town centers, parking structures or a new building or two.  I love to see a city take a negative, like a derelict elevated rail structure that was considered and eyesore, and turn it into a unique park that attracts new development and becomes the center of the new community, as New York has done with the Highline.

I have heard about the Riverwalk in San Antonio but did not expect a beautifully landscaped, widely varying, 10 mile walk/bike trail that is spurring redevelopment and getting people active.  The San Antonio River is really not much of a river, more like a stream, but planners are milking it to the maximum. Most people are probably more familiar with the Riverwalk downtown and the main tourist area, but the new extensions are where the real story is, in my view. 

San Antonio’s Riverwalk:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alaynedunn/8570941976/

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Campground Review: Fort Pickens Campground

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Our first priority for this road trip was to escape the winter weather and find some warmer air to settle into.  After almost a week of traveling south, we finally made it to the gulf coast and were blown away with the beach scape that we found here.  The Gulf Shores National Seashore is incredibly beautiful, with miles of pristine white sand beaches and calm emerald green water.  We had no idea the Pensacola area of Florida held such a gem!

Luckily, Christian had planned ahead and booked a few nights at the Fort Pickens campground, which is within the National Seashore, and we were not disappointed.  In fact, we liked it so much, that we stayed an extra night to help us fully relax into our new life-style.  There are five camping loops within the campground (A, B, C, D, & E) and we had the pleasure of spending time in both loop A and loop E.

Our first two evenings were spent in loop A, which seems to be the most popular within the campground.  It’s separate from the other loops and has the added benefit of a lot of natural foliage around each campsite, which adds some privacy and good ambiance.

Loop A

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