I could feel the sun beating down, in spite of the protection the sunshade above offered. May flies danced on the water as Aspen napped on my feet and Porter fretted over a passing beetle. It was a day filled with good food, perfect weather, long walks, and a marvelous swim in the lake. The hammock beckoned for pure camping perfection.
Funny, isn’t it, how once you just STOP over-thinking, and take the time to listen to your instincts, the day just gets better? We hadn’t planned on spending the night in Monument Valley. We had booked through Sunday night at Overland Expo and planned a long driving day to Moab. Instead, by Sunday noon, feeling disappointed with our Expo experience, and fed up with the unrelenting dust and wind, we made a snap decision to just pack it up and move on.
Three weeks back from vacation, my mind is still swirling with all the stories I need to write. Although our road trip was a mere 17 days, we experienced such extraordinary diversity, it’s been challenging to put it all into words. First, a few facts:
Miles Driven: 3055
We just can’t get enough of Timothy Lake. Once again, as our anniversary neared, we eagerly anticipated another amazing weekend in high mountain lake country.
Six states. 3055 miles. 18 days. Not our most epic road trip, but pretty damn great nonetheless! Having just returned from our road~trip to attend Overland Expo, dozens of stories are swirling through my brain, waiting to jump onto the page. But as a teaser, enjoy these pictures of our “view from the road”.
Outback Oregon! The adventure begins.
Only 40 days to go until we attend our first Overland Expo! To say we are beyond excited is an understatement. Started in 2009 by Jonathan and Roseann Hanson, Expo has become THE event to attend each year in the United States. Jonathan was formerly with Overland Journal but now works full time, with Roseann, to make Expo the premier event that it is. The largest meeting of overlanders in the US, perhaps the world, Expo has become so popular that 2014 marks the first year it will be offered on both the west and east coast.
As I stepped out of the camper, I saw Jim already had a warming fire roaring. Porter, luxuriating in the warmth of his new coat, lay curled up on his camp pad asleep. Aspen inched closer to my chair, ever the lap Lab, wanting to be as close as possible.
We are not shy about proclaiming our great love for off-season camping. Nearly empty campgrounds and open beaches bring a smile to our face and joy to our heart. Add in a full moon, mid-50’s temps and no rain (in Oregon in January!) and we were in. For the first time in nearly two years we were joined by Jim’s sister Wendy, her husband and Jim’s best friend, Ken, and their two furbabies, Jenny and Lexi. Ken had recently returned from his second deployment in two years and also included a few of people in his unit, who joined in with their families.
Oh, the joy of a sunset. A sundowner is one of the favorite part of any day of ours, and we have experienced thousands of spectacular ones throughout the world. The end of one day, transforming into the night before the cycle begins again is consistently magical. This one, from the scenic coast of Oregon.
The pink limo pulled up in front of our camping cabin at the Graceland RV park. Taste buds drooling, we climbed in for our short ride to Marlowe’s BBQ restaurant, a BBQ institution in Memphis. The food was amazing as promised; BBQ chicken and ribs, creamy potato salad, tangy coleslaw, freshly made biscuits, and southern sweet tea. Life was tasty!
