Channel Islands National Park: We had heard this string of 5 protected islands referred to as the “Galapagos of North America,” which sounded pretty darn enticing. Only 20+ miles off the California coast, it is certainly worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of the mainland … no vehicles, no pets, no drones, no In’N’Out Burger …...
Valentines Day, 2025: Kanab, Utah. We braved the wintry weather for its annual hot air balloon festival, Balloons and Tunes. We had a travel buddy in Connor, our 3-year-old grandson, who had never seen balloons before. For Connor, and therefore also for us, it truly was “Love at First Flight.” Being from Phoenix, it was also “Love at First...
It’s been a while since we’ve blogged, because it has been a while since we’ve RV’ed — last summer’s trip to the Northeast, to be exact. We did take a (rare, non-RV) European river cruise in October, however … spending time in Prague, Czech Republic, then cruising seven days on the Danube River, then a few days in Budapest...
The last charming stops of our 2024 trip were in Kansas. Kansas gets a bad rap as being flat (always true) and boring (not always true), and besides being the geographical center of the country, it’s a state of farmlands and salt-of-the-earth Midwesterners. We’re always surprised to find little hidden treasures in Kansas! Strataca Salt Mine (Hutchinson...
It’s gettin’ hot. Summertime is here, and the living is definitely NOT easy, as the song goes. That’s the case nationwide, including in Independence, Missouri, just outside Kansas City, where we paid some sweaty homage to a wide variety of chiefs. President Harry S Truman The main CHIEF around Independence is their hometown boy, Harry S Truman, the...
Destination: St. Louis. This Mississippi River locale has something for everyone: music lovers, sports fans, history buffs, people who like Budweiser beer, and an urban park that is wayyy bigger than even Central Park. The Arch St. Louis is perhaps best known as the location of the massive national monument best known to most as simply “The Arch” —...
This trip has been full-immersion in all things Lincoln, and we’re starting to feel like experts in Sir Abe. We have visited his birthplace in Hodgenville, KY, walked where he gave his famous speech at Gettysburg, PA, etc etc etc, with all of the expected monuments and markers and statues. Lincoln Statue at Louisville, KY (note bird on head) Lincoln...
80% of the nation’s RVs are manufactured in Northern Indiana, and therefore you can find everything RV here: service, repairs, dealers, campgrounds and museums. All in the name of enticing you to “Go RV’ing!” Wait … we already have! Taking a trip to the RV Capital, while RVing in your RV, feels like a return to the mothership. Decatur, IN We...
We moved on from Pennsylvania to West Virginia, which is one of the five poorest states in the Union, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, Wheeling, WV was the richest city per capita in the U.S. during the late 19th century. But those days are long gone — so why oh why would we choose to stop here? It’s for prisons and palaces, of course, cuz...
Leaving Gettysburg, we headed to Southern Pennsylvania, where we considered the trials and tribulations of others, and endured tribulations of our own with the passing of our littlest traveling companion, Sprinkles. Lancaster Lancaster is the poster child for Amish country, and we envisioned country dirt lanes, smiling bonnetted-and-straw-hatted families, covered...