We didn’t plan on waking up to snow on Memorial Day in Estes Park, but it was well worth it. Estes Park, ~7,000” offers breathtaking 360 degree views. Mom and I know how to have adventures. We love to camp and I’m always trying to get her to come to Colorado. I had never been to Estes Park and the Sisters on the Fly were putting on an event on Memorial Day weekend. So we decided to meet in the middle—between Durango in Southwest Colorado and Leavenworth in Northeast Kansas. We stayed at Estes Park Campground East Portal. An easy drive from town and if you have ever been, the views in and aroun ..read more

The sun was setting when we got to camp. So I was very grateful for the year on the road and knowing how to set up, even in the dark. Overlooking the lake and on the mountain above the marina, we could hear people partying all around the Flaming Gorge near Dutch John, Utah. You could make assumptions about the age groups by the music they were playing and the number of woohoos per minute. Flo is still comfy. I know this by how long I wanted to sleep in. She caught a lot of eyes too. Between people driving by slowly, stopping to take pictures and ask we questions, she loves the attention. And I ..read more

When I wiped my brow, I felt loose sand trickle over my eye and onto my cheek. I clenched my eyes and mouth shut. I could feel grains of sand crunch between my teeth. It was extremely windy at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We tried to beat the heat by staying in the car and driving down the 4WD road but putting us later in the day meant higher winds in the dune field that afternoon/evening. After passing the “Point of No Return” where only high-clearance 4WDs are allowed, we took a break and had a picnic and short hike to the stream that helps carry the sand to the dunes. Crossing the st ..read more

The headwaters of the Arkansas River are in Salida, Colorado. We were here in 2017 as part of our big trip across the country and it was my most favorite stops—perhaps because the temperature was just right and we were right on the river. Or it was our last stop before coming back to civilization. We were right on the river this time too but down river about 10 miles at the Rincon campground. Flo, a 1947 Tourette teardrop trailer isn’t a one-of-a-kind, but I’ve never seen another one. But this one…how often do you see something like this coming down the road? I had to act fast to capture this ..read more

Writing from 8,200 feet/2,500 meters is what I’m talking about. August 21-23 we found a beautiful but hazy spot to spend my birthday weekend. Ray asked what I wanted for my birthday. I said I want to be nestled in the woods where it’s cool. We set off for the mountains on Friday morning and had four campgrounds in mind. Why? Because all of the campgrounds in our area—which also happen to be on the San Juan Skyway—were reserved except the first-come, first serve spots. We were about to embark on an adventure. First stop: Matterhorn just south of Telluride, full. Then we came across Sunshine cam ..read more

Each trip with Flo has been unique, but I don’t think anything compares to these circumstances: traveling alone, across two states, during COVID, to care for my mother. Before COVID, I knew exactly what I was capable of. Because of the level of ambiguity we live in, lately I have found myself questioning my abilities. I love audiobooks. Listening to this while on the road is bringing me back to center and realizing again what is truly important that we are often robbed of during ambiguous times: Imagination. As an adult, I have worked very consciously to live with faith in myself, not in fear ..read more

From Southwest Colorado to Northeast Kansas, one experiences the first few lines from the song, America the Beautiful. O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! With the mountains behind while traveling east, Colorado seamlessly turns into Kansas at the border. The first night in Flo was in WaKeeney, Kansas—hot but luckily Kansas offered a breeze, albeit 90F/32C. Laying in her even as the sun was down felt like lying in an oven—basting as the sweat rolls down the body with no physical effort. For those who know me well, I d ..read more

Homecoming’s are momentous occasions with much excitement and anticipation. Also, travel can be highly stressful during a Pandemic. Like most little kids, in the 3rd grade I would draw pictures of mountains with trees, flowers and birds. Sporting my rainbow Mork suspenders (from the 1978 hit TV show Mork and Mindy) and blue Nike tennis shoes, I drew a little Jeep way in the background climbing a snow-capped mountain in the clouds. Little did I know that I was manifesting my future of living in the mountains of Colorado and driving a Jeep (sans suspenders). As a visual practitioner, I continue ..read more

For the first 3 hours of the trip, it was just me and Flo. I didn’t know if I could hook her up and drive her over two mountain passes by myself, but I did! And there we are at Molas Lake getting ready to drive into our campsite. Ah, the freedom of hooking her up and driving her into the mountains. It was pure bliss! Until we got to campsite #4. I knew as soon as I drove in, I was going in at the wrong angle. It took me over 20 minutes of trying to park her in just the right spot. I finally gave up, drove out and turned it around going in the right direction and backed right in. Phew! I then t ..read more

She’s baaaaaaccckkkk! After nearly two years since we left Flo in Kansas and landed back in Durango, Flo has made her way back to Colorado. I know my mom has had fun with her—hanging with her Sisters on the Fly and traveling to music festivals throughout the Midwest. We have a tradition in our family. When you turn 6, you get to take a trip with granny to visit me. Heidi visited me in DC back in 2016. This year, Gunner took a roadtrip to Durango. The highlight of his trip: staying in hotels with a pool along the way (per his request). Within hours of Flo arriving in Durango, we had her registe ..read more