Author: Aventis

Well, this is our last RV update and we know it is really late, but our spring and summer have been busy and our attention got absorbed by the new boat. However, we definitely want to share the ending to our incredible RV journey.

Way back in November, we were at an amazing RV park in San Diego. San Diego was a great place to spend Thanksgiving with the girls, but it was time to get on the road again. Having decided that we were not going to take the RV to Baja Mexico for the winter, but instead to FL to boat shop, it only made sense that we would go ahead and drive across the country the first couple of weeks of December. Our plan was to spend Christmas at an RV campground in Charleston SC so that gave us plenty of time to drive due east the 2600 miles to SC.

On our first day we covered our first 360 miles, which is a hard 7 hours pulling the RV. Stopping was a welcome relief.

The next day we hit the road and continued eastward, covering another 300 miles.

We stopped for two nights in Las Cruces, NM at a lovely KOA decorated to the hilt for Christmas. The view from our spot was spectacular.

We enjoyed shopping in the cute little downtown. For lunch we found an authentic Mexican restaurant where Addie and Shannon had a grand time talking with the local entertainers (macaws and parrots).

It was time to keep moving and our drive on this day would be over 400 miles as we made our way to Amarillo, TX. The morning brought very unsettled skies which always makes us nervous because we do not want to be caught in high winds while pulling the RV.

A little later into this drive we came upon White Sands National Park. Originally, we had planned to stop at this park, but after visiting Great Sand Dunes NP, we decided we had seen enough sand dunes not attached to water.

As we continued our drive northeast through New Mexico making our way from I-10 to I-40, we found snow covered mountains. Luckily, we did not have to get very close.

Every time we see a windmill field, we are still so amazed.

We stopped for three nights at the Big Texan RV Park in Amarillo, TX. With a chill in the air, we were feeling the signs of the season. It was nice to have the fireplace and be able to cozy up inside the rig.

We had a nice surprise – the RV park also had an event venue that was hosting a traveling Cirque Italia Show. We love the unique acrobatics of Cirque shows. Glad we got to see this Water Cirque show, but we are not in a hurry to see another Cirque Italia show. We do not recommend them.

Following the show we were starving, so we headed over to the Big Texan Steak Ranch. This was so Texas, everything was big, big, big. (The steaks were amazing.)

With more miles to cover, it was time to get going. Driving through TX to OK was very uneventful. We traveled the 270 miles to Oklahoma City KOA with nothing impressive to see.

We stayed for two nights, which gave us time to explore the area. It was a small town, so not much to see, but we enjoyed tasty beer at Bricktown Brewery.

With just over a 1000 miles to go, we were in the final phase of our journey. Great thing about this part of our trip is that we can be very relaxed. There is time in the morning for coffee and cuddles before we start our travels.

We traveled the 360 miles to Little Rock, Arkansas with nothing momentous to report from the drive. The stop in AR was very cool however, because it would be our last new state on this particular adventure.

The view we had of the Arkansas River and downtown from our site at the Downtown Riverside RV Park was absolutely stunning.

With two nights here, we had plenty of time to take a walk over the bridge and checkout downtown.

That afternoon, Addie made us go for a drive and find Little Rock High School. She wanted to see the site where in 1957 the National Guard blocked entry of the Little Rock nine from attending. We were all amazed to see that it was still a functioning high school.

Another 300 miles on the road and we made our way to Memphis, TN. We stopped for 2 relaxing nights at Jellystone RV park on Horn Lake.

We were getting close now. We made a quick stop in Alabama for a single night then it was up early and on the road to Greensboro, GA for another single night on Lake Oconee in a gorgeous spot over looking the lake.

It was time to travel our last 200 miles. This leg would complete our journey across the country, having traveled over 2600 miles from the CA coast to the SC coast. We landed on Edisto Island, SC and set up camp at Edisto Beach State Park for 2 nights. It was truly beach camping as we were only a few feet from the dunes.

There was still plenty of daylight allowing us the opportunity to spend time exploring the beach. The dogs were very excited about this. It was the first beach water they had been in since July when we were in Washington. Funny thing is the beach and water temperatures were about the same.

From Edisto, we were a little over an hour from Makenzie so she drove down for dinner. It was great to be able to meet up with her after her workday.

We love watching the sunrise or sunset over the water. We had an incredible view of the sunrise on this particular cold mid-December morning.

It was time to make our way the last 60 miles to Mount Pleasant, SC, where we would park the RV for the next 3 weeks and celebrate the holidays with our family and friends. We passed by Makenzie’s apartment on Daniel Island along the way.

December 14th was the official end of our cross country RV adventure. It was definitely bitter sweet. We were excited to be back on the east coast and spend the holidays with family, but also surprised how sad we felt about the end to this amazing adventure.

Since leaving Asheville, NC in November 2022 we had traveled over 30,000 miles through 27 states and visited over 100 National Parks and Monuments, State Parks, and historic sites. Of the past 450 days on the RV, we spent 430 of them sleeping on the RV. It was total immersion in RV living as we stayed in the full variety of campgrounds and RV parks across the country from high end RV resorts to no water or electricity at state and county parks. Day after day our eyes continued to see new things. It was the adventure of a lifetime. We are so grateful for the way things worked out and that we were able to have this incredible experience.

Our cross country RV road trip had come to an end, but we could not close out this blog without sharing some of our favorite holiday memories with family and friends.

After an amazing holiday season, we are excited to roll into 2024 and see what novel experiences we can revel in. The plan is to head to south Florida in the RV, find warmer weather and make some big life decisions as we plan for what comes next. There is no hurry as we are continuing to get Addie’s psoriasis under control, but lots of excitement about our next grand adventure.

No surprise, it has something to do with water…

Visit myaventis.com for our next adventure. See you there!

With a long day of driving ahead of us, we packed up, secured everything inside the RV, and said goodbye to Scottsdale. If all went well, the 377 mile trip would take us about 6 and 1/2 hours. That was a lot of miles for us to do in one day, but we wanted to test it out and see how we did.

The drive was easy enough and provided lots for us to look at. We drove through a sand storm in the middle of nowhere and as we looked closely there were people riding dirt bikes up the dunes. Very cool.

The landscape continued to catch our attention. As we went from windmill fields for as far as the eye could see, to hills made of crushed rocks, to what looked to be a strategically placed display of white rocks.

All of this fun stuff to look at was not enough to keep the crew awake.

We were excited to arrive in the daylight hours and get setup at Sun Outdoors San Diego at Chula Vista, CA. Everyone together for Thanksgiving was a dream come true. We had not seen Makenzie since May and Ella since August.

Makenzie was coming from Charleston, SC and Ella from Portland, OR, arriving midday Wednesday and staying until Sunday morning. Maho and Saba were not sure they were going to let Makenzie come without them.

We waited patiently and passed the time by beginning the cooking for the big eating event, and a special request of pizzelle cookies.

We are thrilled to spend some time in warm, sunny southern California.

The RV park had some great amenities that we were elated to get to enjoy with the girls. The heated pool, cafe, and poolside bar made for a fantastic first day.

Pickelball became a fast family favorite, making us laugh and smile. All three girls are really good.

It is a good thing our family does not mind close quarts and sharing space. So grateful for the foldout couch, but not really sure where Addie is sleeping.

Maybe in with Mak…

On Thanksgiving day we enjoyed some amazing food cooked by Shannon on the RV. Unfortunately, no one got any pictures, we were all too busy stuffing our faces. Everyone enjoyed leftovers, such as giant Thanksgiving sandwiches, all week too!

Everybody got to pitch in ideas for what to see and do. We all agreed on visiting the San Diego Zoo. First established in 1916, now covering over 100 acres and showcasing over 3500 rare animals, it was clear why it is one of the top things to do in the area.

Next on the list was a walk on the seashore. This experience came with an extra WOW as we found a large group of sea lions sunbathing on the beach in the protection of the jetty.

Seems like when the girls are around we are always trying new and different foods. This day was no different. We found ICEskimo, where they make Taiwanese shaved snow. We tried pumpkin snow with sweetened condensed milk. It was pretty tasty. We would definitely get it again.

The slot canyons in AZ had been so amazing that we were delighted to find some close by in San Diego that we could explore with the girls. It was a short hike to get to the canyons and once we did we found loads of people wanting to do the same thing. We all moved at a crawl as we wound through the tight but super unique spaces.

There were so many amazing things to see in this seaside town.

That afternoon, at the request of the group, we found our way back to the coast to check out another beach. It was a beautifully sunny, but cold and breezy, day.

We continue to see new things. Our last night together was extra fun as we got serenaded by a mobile one man band circling the RV park in the back of his pickup truck.

It was a wonderful few days with the girls celebrating the holiday and exploring San Diego. Unfortunately, it was a fast visit as they had to get back to work and we had to start making our way from the west coast to the east coast.

After the girls left, we spent our last two days at a site with a water view. We mostly just chilled, cleaned, and prepared the RV for the cross country trip.

It was an awesome week in CA. So much fun exploring a new place with all of us together. Our next time as a group will be Christmas in Charleston assuming we get there safely. A long trip ahead for us!

We made the short drive 2 hours straight south from Cottonwood to Scottsdale, AZ. Our home for the next 4 weeks is Eagle View RV Resort. Our original plan did not have us visiting Scottsdale, but sometimes plans have to be adjusted. 

The past few months had us questioning whether or not we should continue our epic adventure. Here’s why…

In late July, Addie developed a rash on her back that began as a small spot and spread across her back. We took her to the urgent care in Portland, OR and they described it as the Christmas Tree Rash and prescribed Benadryl, Claritin, and steroid cream. Over the next 10 days Addie took it easy, got lots of rest and and spent most of her time inside. We used the cream twice a day and she took lots of allergy meds. Her rash did not improve. It continued to spread from her back to her limbs and torso; it became painful, felt like needles poking her.

The next morning on August 10th, we were the first in line at the local urgent ER in Port Angelos, WA. They were unsure what it could be, but took lots of blood and said we should see a dermatologist when we get home. They prescribed an oral steroid, antibiotic ear drops (for ear infection) and more steroid cream.

We were excited to see that the drugs and cream were working. The rash quickly began to dry out and clear up. Addie seemed to be on the mend, just having had some freak rash that needed antibiotics to knock it out.

But then just a few weeks later in early Sept, it was back, but looked a little different. We first noticed it on the back of Addie’s knees. They became bright red with little bumps that were oozy and weepy.

Within three days it spread up the back of her legs, on to her torso, inner leg and even her arms. We went to urgent care in West Glacier, MT and they prescribed Cephflaxin (antibiotic) and Prednisone (oral steroid). These drugs dried the rash and we were good again.

Until the end of Sept. when started to see small red bumps on back of knees, torso, neck and face. We used steroid cream on them and they did not get worse. But then within a week she had bumps at nap of her hairline and scalp. We continue to use steroid cream there.

A reoccurring rash that keeps changing in form is not normal. The not knowing what this was, and the not being able to make it stop, was killing us. We knew we needed to get her to a skin expert, a dermatologist, but we wanted to do that in a place with good doctors in case we needed to see more than just that one doctor. We decided that would be in Scottsdale, AZ. The earliest appointment we could get was Oct. 17.

As we made our way there, her scalp continued to get worse. It weeped so much that it looked as if she just stepped out of the shower. We kept it wrapped in a headband, covering the gauze pads, so she did not leak on her bed and furniture.

Our appointment with the dermatologist was just a week away, but we knew we needed more support now. We contacted teladoc, they suggested steroid cream and hydrocortisone for her face and neck. It was a long week with no changes.

Finally, we saw Dr. Cumsky in Scottsdale; she was amazing! Immediately seeing our concern and wanting to help us figure this out. She took a biopsy from both Addie’s arm pits and ran lots of bloodwork. She prescribed Flocinonide (topical glucocorticoid) for her scalp, Doxycycline Hyclate (antibiotic), and Prednisone (oral steroid) all as things to get her body to calm down until we had the test results.

The meds worked well as we waited for the official diagnosis. Within just a week she looked and felt so much better. Her hair dried out, but also fell out. Which was extra unnerving as we waited.

Finally on October 30th, we got the diagnosis, severe Plaque Psoriasis. Relieved to finally have a name for the rashes, weeping skin and what we now know are plaques, we set out to do some research. Dr. Cumsky wanted to start her on a biologic (which is an injection). We quickly figured out that this can be a very effective, but expensive treatment option. Using a health share co-op instead of health insurance, we had limited options for coverage. Each shot costs between $600-$18,000 (that is not a mistake in the number of zeros). We landed on Yusimry, a brand new Humira generic. It would take 3-4 months to take effect, so she would need to be on another round of prednisone(3 weeks) and cyclosporine (until January) to control her psoriasis temporarily as we waited for it to take effect.

Addie was feeling better, we had answers, a plan, and a great doctor to get her back on track. It turns out Psoriasis is fairly common, 2% of all people living in the US have some form of it. It is a chronic (long-lasting) disease in which the immune system becomes overactive, causing skin cells to multiply too quickly. It will require constant monitoring, but is manageable and non-life threatening. We celebrated!

With the medicines taking effect, Addie was starting to feel and act like herself again. She began doing her jobs again, such as feeding the dogs dinner.

She was back to doing some of her favorite activities, including reading in the pool and swimming laps.

With a renewed focus on all of our health, we decided to try our hand at pickleball. We had a court just outside our rv door and the weather was perfect with bright sunshine and low 70s every morning. We got hooked, playing everyday for 3 weeks straight.

Addie even came out to join us some days.

Most mornings after we played, it was warm enough for a dip in the pool.

Halloween at the RV park was a first for us. They hosted a trunk or treat for the families in the park, as well as the local community. Addie got in the spirit of things and had a ball handing out candy.

Being stable for such an extended period of time gave us the opportunity to take advantage of some of the local activities. We attended a mixology class that turned out to be more of just a drinking event than a how to mix a drink class. The drinks were good, so we did not mind.

We happened upon one of the most amazing craft fairs we have ever seen. The town of Fountain Hills twice a year hosts the Fountain Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts. This festival has hundreds of booths of expert artists exhibits. It is a competition show where artists are judged for their work. We spent hours checking it out on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

We were excited to participate in a “Paint Your Pet” class offered by a local artist. It was tedious work, but it paid off. It was so much fun creating our masterpieces of Caper and Chance.

We spent lots of time sitting outside enjoying our site at the RV park. The spot next two us was empty most of the time and we had a large space to put up our canopy for nice shade.

Scottsdale was the perfect spot for us all to rest, recharge and get a little healthier. We are so grateful for this time and all the wonderful experiences we have shared together.

With Addie’s health under control for the first time in about 4 months, we decided it was time to continue our journey. The dogs got a haircut in preparation for what we thought might be warmer weather as we headed to San Diego to meet up with Makenzie and Ella for Thanksgiving.

Here we come San Diego!

Our time in New Mexico was loads of fun, but we were ready for Arizona. Our drive to get there provided lots for us to look at. The land was ever changing, so much to gaze upon and appreciate.

We parked the RV at the KOA in Holbrook, AZ just a few miles from the Petrified Forest National Park.

Excited to see an abundance of petrified wood, we entered the park at the north entrance. We were surprised to learn that the park follows a 28 mile road, mostly running north to south. As we worked our way south, we were delighted to watch the landscape change. The first stretch we encountered was the Painted Desert Wilderness Area, filled with picturesque canyons bursting with all shades of red.

The park goes right over a part of historic Route 66.

Next we came upon Newspaper Rock, home to a copious amount of petroglyphs capturing thousands of years of the human story.

This park also includes remains of ancient dwellings dating back to 1250 A.D.

Another unique land formation is the colorful blue striped hills known as the Blue Mesa. Layers upon layers, such a clear example of land development over time. It reminded us of sand art in the jar with its blue, purple and gray stratification.

We finally made it to the Petrified Forest. The ground was littered with all sizes of tree bits that had been covered up by sediment and starved of oxygen around 225 million years ago. As time passed ground water ran through the tree and replaced the plant material with all sorts of minerals and the fossils were formed. As you look at the remnants you quickly see that no two pieces are the same, each uniquely beautiful, erupting with color.

Another amazing feature protected by the park, is Agate Bridge. A 110 foot log that made a natural bridge. Back in 1906 when the land was first deemed a national monument, people were allowed to walk across the log. Today the ground on either side of the log is unstable and visitors are asked to stay off for everyone’s safety.

Also preserved as part of the park is a very unique, eight room pueblo made entirely from petrified wood, Agate House. It is thought to have been constructed and inhabited between 1050-1300.

A beautiful desert sunset to end an amazing day of exploration and our time in this area.

Addie had been talking about seeing the Grand Canyon since we started this leg of the trip back in May. We had finally made it. Our campground was inside the park at the Grand Canyon Village. Most National Parks do not have the capacity to handle a rig our size, so we were excited to fit here.

Our campground was full of the very tame local wildlife. The elk walked right through your campsite. It was mating season and they could be seen and heard bugling all over the campground.

We had another bit of wildlife that was a little less welcome, but very cool to see a long as it stays outside the RV and does not make a home in any of our stuff, Tarantula.

For a few weeks leading up to our arrival at GC we were not sure we would get to actually visit the park as they were threatening a government shut down. Lucky for us they got an extension. However, we showed up on Columbus Day and the visitor center was closed for the holiday and it would be closed for the next two days because of a shortage of workers, so no park movie for us. We were just excited to get to see it in person. It truly is a magnificent land formation.

Our second day at the park, we decided to do the well known Bright Angel hike. This trail takes you immediately down into the canyon at a steep grade on a number of switchbacks, which is the easy part. Every step down equals the same distance climbing back up. We went a mile down and decided we had seen enough.

We spent the afternoon relaxing.

Excited to see more of the Grand Canyon, the three of us head out for another day of sightseeing. From every angle the canyon seemed to go on forever; it is 18 miles wide, 1 mile deep and 277 miles long.

With more to see, we said goodbye to GC and drove 145 miles to Lake Powell Wahweap campground in Paige, AZ. This drive kept us sitting on the edge of our seats the whole way. It is almost impossible to explain to others just how incredible the landscape of the west really is. You really just have to see it.

We were thrilled to make it to Lake Powell, such a lovely spot. It would be a lot of fun to charter a boat for a week and cruise around the lake.

One of the have to things to do in Page, AZ is the Antelope Canyons. They have the Upper Canyons (above ground) and the Lower Canyons (below ground). We decided to explore the Lower Canyons. To get us in the right frame of mind, we were treated to a traditional Native American Dance prior to our tour. We entered the canyons by descending a ladder and then proceeded the half mile through the canyon and climbed a ladder out. The canyons are an amazing example of the power of water.

While we were in Page we got to see a partial eclipse. It was super cool to be in such an open space to take it in. The eclipse glasses made all the difference. Without them you might not have even known it was happening.

We spent the afternoon exploring Horseshoe Bend, another highly recommended activity for this area, which was just down the road from the campground. It was a short hike to get to the edge of the bend. We had never seen anything quite like it. Another spectacular example of the power of water.

With more of Arizona to discover, we packed up and made our way to Cottonwood, AZ. Excited to spend a few days in this more urban area. It was another impressive drive.

Our first day was a day of celebration! It was Shannon’s bday! There was some gift giving, eating and “spa’ing”. Happy Birthday Captain Shannon!!

Addie was quick to make friends, as we explored the town of Cottonwood.

We love a local community theater, so we were pleasantly surprised to see that we would be in town for the high school drama club’s performance of S.E. Hintons’, The Outsiders.

Our time here was extra special because Max and Julia (Granddad and Nana) came out to visit for a few days. We had a fantastic time discovering great food, visiting the historic copper museum, and wandering the old mining town of Jerome.

The small town of Jerome sits high on the hill tucked into the side of the mountain and is said to be haunted. The town has leaned into the idea with one of the most popular restaurants being the Haunted Hamburger, which we of course had to try.

The next day the five of us went to check out the town of Sedona, AZ. It’s setting is breathtaking; the red rock buttes that surround the city, catch your eye in every direction. While here we made sure to see Cathedral Rock, as well as visit a few of the many art galleries.

We had a ball exploring this sophisticated area of AZ with Max and Julia. It is extra special when we get to experience new adventures with family and friends. From here next stop is Scottsdale, AZ.

As we made our way south from Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado to New Mexico, there were plenty of cool things to see as the landscape continued to change and impress us.

We spent a really fun week eating and exploring in New Mexico. Our first stop put us in Santa Fe for 4 nights. We were welcomed to the area with a hail storm that started just minutes after we got the RV set up in her spot at the campground.

Excited to have some authentic New Mexican cuisine, the first night we treated ourselves to dinner and a show at the famous, El Farol. It was Addie’s first time to see Flamenco dancers and she loved it.

Everyone knows our favorite meal is always tacos, burritos, or nachos, so it should be no surprise that our plan was to eat out as many different places as possible while in New Mexico. A few of the restaurants embraced the celebration of the Day of The Dead.

With our belly’s full, we went exploring and found the Plaza in Old Town Santa Fe. Not our favorite shopping district, as the shops all felt touristy with low quality trinkets. The architecture though was so distinctive with the stucco and muted brown color.

Addie was slightly hesitant to let us have a date night knowing that she missing out on some very yummy food, but finally caved when we agreed to take her out to eat the next day.

Addie got her wish, even though the weather was fairly unsettled we ventured out and found tasty grub and refreshing cold beer.

Our time in Santa Fe was most enjoyable.

We made the short drive to Albuquerque for a 2 night stay. We set up quickly and were ready to go exploring by early afternoon. Restless to see the sights, we made our way to the Petroglyph National Monument. There are over 24,000 images here thought to be made 400-700 years ago.

All that hiking made us thirsty, we were thankful to find a refreshing beverage.

The next day we went to check out Albuquerque Old Town. Lots of neat shops and restaurants surrounding the town square center.

Our last morning in town we were up and out early, perched high on a hill with our eyes glued to the horizon, eagerly awaiting the sight of hot air balloons. It was the first morning of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and each of the elementary schools around the valley was going to be launching a balloon at 7:30am.

New Mexico did not disappoint. We greatly enjoyed all of our exploring, shopping and especially eating. From here we are headed to Arizona.

As we ventured on to see new things, we were in a bit of a hurry because we needed to get south before the snow arrived and we had plans to meet up with Melissa and Hannah near Denver, CO. The distance from Mount Rushmore, SD to Denver was more than we wanted to do in one day so we broke it up into two days and spent a restful night in Wheatland, WY right off the highway. We were very fortunate that we left the morning we did, as the wind moved in and they closed the highway to trucks and rv’s just hours after we passed through.

A small RV project became a priority as soon as we landed in Loveland, CO. Our bumpy passage loosened the pipes and we ended up with a leaky kitchen sink. Even though it took two trips to Home Depot, it was a much easier fix than many of our boat projects with our supplies and parts so easy to get.

Melissa flew out for a quick three night visit with Hannah, who now lives in Broomfield, CO and to see us of course. We found some fun things to do around the area, starting with a local craft fair.

We enjoyed a yummy dinner with an awesome view at Stem Cidery in Broomfield.

The next day we ventured into the mountains to Estes Park. The famous Stanley Hotel is located here. It is here that Stephen King is said to have gotten the inspiration for the book, The Shining, while staying in room 217. We took a guided tour of the haunted hotel.

Mel got to spend some time doing RV life us. Addie and the dogs enjoyed a few nights on the couch. It was a fantastic visit with Mel and Hannah, that went way to fast.

On our last day in the area, the weather was too amazing not to get outside. Within a mile of the campground was this really neat hiking spot, Devil’s Backbone. The dogs had a great time checking it out with us.

We saw another first while here, a truly western sight. God’s Country Cowboy Church with a horse corral in the middle of the parking lot.

Continuing our travels through Colorado, we made our way to Manitou Springs. We were excited to get to this area and check out Pikes Peak. Racing to the top of Pikes Peak has been on Shannon’s bucket list for as long as he could drive. We had an amazing fall day for our leisurely drive to the top during which time we enjoyed the audio tour.

We made it to the top, over 14,000 ft. Temperature was in the low 40s and the winds were whipping. The air was crisp, clean and thin. The views were spectacular.

Another recommended point of interest while in the area was the Garden of the Gods. A unique set of rocks just randomly placed between the mountains. We reflect often about how truly fortunate we are that we are getting to see all of things amazing wonders the United States has to offer.

We left Manitou Springs and headed to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Our drive from the Colorado Springs area to Great Sand Dunes was a magnificent exhibit of fall foliage, but not in the way that we are use to. The shrubs and ground cover were displaying brilliant yellows, oranges and reds all over the hillsides.

We landed at our spot for the night at Base Camp RV and soaked in the amazing view of Great Sand Dunes.

The dogs could not take their eyes off the tall mountain that blocks the wind and sands, creating the famous dunes.

Everyone knows we love a good sunset and the show on this evening was a sight to be seen.

It took about 30 minutes to get to Great Sand Dunes National Park from our campsite, which just goes to show how big that mountain really is. The sand dunes sit at the base and there is a ton of sand there. The distance from the visitor center to the start of the dunes is about 1 mile of all soft beach sand.

Back at our rv, it turns out the sunrise was just as amazing from this spot!

Still running from the cold, we continued our travels in a southward direction. Our next adventure is in New Mexico!

After a fascinating few days exploring Yellowstone, it was time to make our way to the next national park. The fastest way to Grand Teton NP was straight through Yellowstone. The drive was particularly fun as the buffalo were out and the dogs got to check them out, up close.

Our drive was only about an hour and a half, but boy was it spectacular. Especially as we exited the park and the Teton Mountains came into view.

We found our spot at Colter Bay Campground on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park and got all set up.

Eager to stretch our legs on this beautiful day, we put on our hiking shoes and walked over to the visitor’s center, which just happened to be very close, and then took an amazing stroll around the shore of Jackson Lake.

Our route back to the campsite took us through a fairly wooded area and it was loaded with things we had never seen the likes of before. The display and sheer quantity of mushrooms was like stepping into an art gallery. The path was saturated with them, all sorts of colors, sizes and shapes. They were glorious to look at, but not knowing anything about them, we did not take any souvenirs.

We had one full day at Grand Teton National Park and we wanted to make the most of it. Driving through the park, the views of these massive, jagged, rock formations was breathtaking. More than 8 of the peaks stand over 12,000 ft with one that is 13,775 ft. We especially loved the views from the Jenny Lake area.

Later that day we took a hike up the hill from our campground, to get a little different perspective. Our view of the mountains was nice, but the real enjoyment came from seeing so many animals in the wild that day.

Our day ended with a beautiful sunset over the water, behind the mountains.

We spent the next two days driving through Wyoming. The terrain continued to change and impress us with each passing mile. We saw lots of pronghorn antelope along the way.

We are driving along in the Black Hills of Wyoming looking at simple country side and then out of nowhere appears this crazy rock structure. The only one of its kind. It is no wonder that over 20 Native American Tribes consider it a sacred place.

We had an awesome RV spot at the Black Hills KOA, right at the entrance of Devils Tower National Monument. It was the first National Monument in the country, declared so in 1906 by President Roosevelt. In 1977, the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind was filmed on the spot where the KOA is today, so of course we had to watch the movie.

Devils Tower stands 867 feet tall and is a little over a mile around at its base. It is the largest example of columnar jointing in the world. It was a glorious day for an easy walk around the bottom of the tower.

It is a very popular place for rock climbers. We enjoyed watching them make their way up and down.

We continued our travels and made our way to another new state, South Dakota. The next few days would be spent at Mount Rushmore KOA.

Excited to see Mount Rushmore National Memorial, we headed out early to beat any crowds. Now that schools are back in session, this is not really an issue anymore. Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln completed the sculpture in 1941. It took 14 years.

It was a magnificent day, so we decided to take a less direct path back to the KOA. Highway 16A provided a very enchanting drive as we squeezed through three rock tunnels, took in the beautiful fall foliage on the single lane road and passed under artistically created log bridges.

We continued down the road and the views were unceasing as we entered Needles Scenic Highway. Not knowing what to expect, we were thrilled with each turn we took. You know you are driving through something really special.

A little further down the road we found a much softer grouping of rocks, surrounded by water. Custer State Park was also very stunning. All of these amazing sights were within an hour loop of the campground. It was a lovely area. This lake and rocks were in the second National Treasure movie.

Our next outing took us right down the road to Crazy Horse Memorial. There is a long story to this place. First conceptualized in 1939, this project is still a work in progress and looks about the same as it did when Ashley saw it in 1993. All funding has been from admission tickets and donations because the creator was too proud to take the $10 million offered from the federal government on multiple occasions to get the project finished.

A great day of discovery was finished out with a cocktail and a game of cribbage.

Time to continue our travels, from here we move south, running from the cold. Next stop puts us in Colorado.

After an amazing month discovering Washington, it was time to move on. We have so many more new and different things for our eyes to see. As we left WA, we drove through Idaho on our way to Montana.

We had a single night layover in Regis, MT at a cute little campground. Luckily, we were able to get Ashley out of jail and convince Addie that brothel life was not for her.

We continued our drive through Montana headed to Glacier National Park. The drive was absolutely stunning, so much beautiful country side.

We made it to West Glacier KOA Resort. It is considered a resort because it had multiple pools, a restaurant, ice cream shop, and mini golf, but the best part was the beer garden with a full bar in an old airstream camper. We had amazing weather while we were there making it an extra fun place to hang out.

It was time to check out Glacier National Park. The park got its name from its distinctive glacially carved landscapes. We know that many, many years ago the land was covered with glaciers. The glaciers still present today are in threat of disappearing in the near future due to global warming. We opted for the famous red bus tour as a way to learn about the park, its history and land formations. It also meant Shannon did not have to drive the narrow and scary Going to the Sun Road, but could instead just enjoy the ride. We had great seats in the back of the bus.

Day 2 at the park, Ashley and Shannon did a boat tour on Lake McDonald and saw the mountains from a different perspective, which was fantastic. It was even better because our tour was lead by a familiar voice from Boone, Katie Mac, who went to school with Mak and Ella.

We left Glacier and made our way south about 2 hours to Polson, MT. This KOA had a beautiful spot over looking Flathead Lake.

We drove around to explore the area and found the Selis Ksanka Qlispe Dam. Also excited to find the local brewery, Glacier Brewery. They had some fun homemade sodas, that Addie really enjoyed.

With the weather starting to cool down and the signs of fall upon us, we continued to travel south. We had a one night layover at Indian Creek Campground in Deer Lodge, MT on our way to Yellowstone.

One more day of driving through Montana, where we just continue to be amazed at all the different landscapes that we saw. We landed just outside the west entrance of Yellowstone at Grizzly RV, our home for the next 5 nights.

Super excited to see what Yellowstone had to show us, worried about crowds, we were up and out early for our first day. The day started with a yummy breakfast at Yellowstone Lake.

We had no idea what all we were about to see, hear and smell. We had a major science lesson in store for us. This park is filled with lots of natural wonders that you do not see most places. We were about to see fumaroles, mud pots, geysers, hot springs and so much more.

Our first day involved lots of driving around and taking in the sounds, sights and smells. We saw the Sulphuric Caldron, many Mud Volcanos, and even Dragon’s Mouth Spring. The pungent sulfur smells filled our noses. The ground in this area looked ready to explode at anytime. There was steam, bubbly water and hot air. Lots of signs saying watch where you walk.

We found the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, which was just a short walk to see incredible beauty. The magnificent carved canyon continuing to be shaped by a powerful waterfall into the Yellowstone River.

The Yellowstone River is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states.

We continued to be amazed by the quantity of distinctly different beautiful things there were for us to see. It seems every where we looked we saw breath taking sights and the Tower Falls did not disappoint.

And then in case you were not impressed enough by the land and water, what do you see, but a coyote and a some buffalo out for a stroll.

As we decided how to prioritize our time, we made sure to add to our list the Petrified Tree. What we did not expect is that there was literally only one, in the whole park.

As we continued to explore, we came upon Roaring Mountain. This crazy landscape is not capable for humans to live on but there are some micro organisms that thrive here in this steamy, explosive terrain.

Our next stop put us at what is called Artist Paintpot. As we walked around these mudflats, our eyes were taken with all the colors of the different pools of warm liquids. You can definitely see how the area got its name. The experience felt other worldly. Hard to explain. It was not like anything we had seen before. It is truly hard to explain the beauty of it all and yet the amount of questions it raises as to how and why and what it all is.

Our last stop of the day was at Blood Geyser. This geyser gets its name from the red color of the ground surrounding it which comes from the iron oxide in the erupting water.

Our second day of exploring we started our tour at Norris Geyser Basin, one of the most popular things to see in the park. It was another truly incredible thing to see and smell. So many visually crazy things to see and try to comprehend.

The colors around the water tell us so many things about the water temperature minerals in the water and minerals in the surrounding earth.

Driving around the park is just amazing, stunning views and changing landscape around every corner.

Another top attraction at Yellowstone is Mammoth Springs. They have a whole little community built around it. As you walk through these calcified stairs trying to understand how they were so perfectly formed, you are reminded that our planet has been through some crazy things. We talk often about what it would have been like to be the one who first came upon such odd displays of nature.

A little less impressive but still worth noting are the Obsidian Cliffs.

Our third day in the park started with a chilly morning. But we were up and on our way early as we headed to the number 1 thing to see at Yellowstone, Old Faithful Geyser. Appropriately named, as it erupts approximately every 90 minutes to a height of 90-180 feet. It was amazing to see. The underground plumbing system that allows it to work is truly fascinating.

The surrounding area is known as Geyser Hill and it has lots of little geysers that go when they want. This area is a hot bed of activity. Luckily they have great sidewalks and benches for waiting and watching.

One of the most watched geysers in this area is Grand Geyser. It has a much more erratic schedule, erupting every 9-15 hours. On this morning it was thought it would erupt between 9am-12pm. We waited for 2 hours. It was worth the wait. It was spectacular, lasting about 10 minutes. It was said to be one of its tallest eruptions, measuring over 200 feet.

Watching the water shoot in the air was breath taking. It reminds you of the finally of a fireworks display.

Also along this route was Castle Geyser. The height from its eruption did not measure quite so high, but it was still an amazing scene to see nature at work continuing to create new land structures.

Also mixed in with the geysers are many different varies of nature’s HOT TUBS. As the water pools on the surface, it presents in many different variations. Each one affected by the water temp, the surrounding ground and minerals in the water.

This would make an awesome backyard hot tub!

How and why the geysers work the way they do, has everything to do with their underground plumbing. There is still much to study and data to be collected on what is actually happening in the ever changing landscapes of the park. So much science stuff happening here. In the IMAX movie about how the park came to be as the first National Park in 1872, we learned that the park was not deemed a park because of the volcanic activity, but because of the sheer beauty and uniqueness. It helped that it was seen as unsuitable land for building and living on.

There is definitely one species that is thriving in this environment. That is the buffalo. Traffic stops for hours at a time as they wander close to the road.

In the early morning, packs of buffalo can be spotted soaking in the beauty of the new day.

Our fourth and final day at the park, we hiked a short mile and half to get an aerial view of Grand Prismatic Spring. This is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world. It was very steamy on this particular morning.

Yellowstone is a huge park. We were grateful to have had 4 days to drive ourselves through it and explore everything we wanted to see. Being in this hotbed of activity was super cool and interesting. To see this volcanic area at work in such a unique way is a good reminder that our planet is a living being that is still evolving.

Excited to see more new things, we journey north. There was a lot to take in on our drive out of Oregon, especially around Portland.

We arrived in Washington and our first stop was the visitor’s center at Mount St. Helens.

Then it was off to find our campsite and get settled in for our 3 night stay. We had a front row spot with easy access to Silver Lake.

This was a very exciting day for our family – Mak and Ella both started work at their jobs!

Eager to check out Mount St. Helen, we began driving in the direction of the mountain to get a better look. Turns out you can not get much closer than this without a long hike.

We hiked around Cold Water Lake to take in a different view of the beautiful mountain. This lake was created as a result of the eruption on May 18, 1980.

We decided to get another view of the mountain from on the water. We kayaked around the lake at our campground.

Time to move on, so we continued into Washington making our way over to the coast. We enjoyed a few nights at Copalis River RV Resort, which was on a small body of water about a mile from the beach that you would not want to get in to.

Luckily, it was only a short drive to the ocean. We checked out the shore and even found a local bar hosting a live band playing grunge music.

We went for a drive on the beach, which was incredibly wide. And then we went for a walk near the inlet where because it was low tide we were able to walk on land usually covered by water. Google maps thought we were in the water. They have extreme tides in this area.

We continued our journey north in WA staying on the coast. We traveled through the town of Forks, which we heard is the setting for the Twilight movies.

We landed at our new site, where we were excited to enjoy the beach for a few days in early August thinking it would be warm and sunny. Not exactly! It was foggy, cloudy with air temperatures near 70 and water was about 55. But it was beautiful and very relaxing.

This was an awesome beach for the dogs. They were very happy.

We made our way a little farther north on the Washington coast and ended up in Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula for 4 nights. Our drive to get there was rainy and foggy.

Ella took Friday off of work and drove the 4 hours north from Portland to join us. She came to see us for a few days. It made us all very happy!!

We met up with our good friends Kent and Kathy from Wind Ensemble who live in Washington now. The five of us took the ferry over to Victoria, BC. Addie was under the weather and hanging with the dogs on the rv.

We only had a few hours in Victoria, but did our best to check out the city. It is a beautiful waterfront city with many touristy shops and restaurants. Interestingly enough there were no real signs that we were in another country. We had a fun time exploring the large Chinatown and eating dim sum.

The next day, Ella motivated us to go for an early morning hike in Olympic National Park. Up, Up, Up we went and found some incredible views.

We had no idea how much water actually surrounded this area and were very excited to get to experience so much of it.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner with a spectacular view at Kent’s sister’s house in Sequim, on the coast. It was a beautiful afternoon for a kayak. We were hopeful to see a sea lion, seal or maybe even a whale.

While we were doing that, Ella and Addie had a sister’s outing. They went to see the Barbie movie and enjoyed a yummy Asian dinner.

It was awesome getting to spend this time with Ella. We were sad to have to say goodbye.

We drove from Port Angeles to Fidalgo Island not far as the crow fly but because we did not want to take the RV on the ferry at 6am, it was a 5 hour drive around the Puget Sound taking us through Tacoma and Seattle traffic.

We made it to Pioneer Trails RV on Fidalgo Island and got set up. This was our most northern camping spot on the west coast.

Kent and Kathy stayed close by for the week and we had a great time exploring the area together. Our first outing took us to the boat docks in Anacortes.

We took the ferry over to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and checked out the town. It was a perfect day to be out on the water. Once there we walked the docks and boat shopped. Such a beautiful place.

We drove a few miles north staying on the coast and explored the waterfront community of Bellingham. And of course looked at more boats. Lots of Indian influence in these communities. Beaches here are so different from the east coast.

We decided to do a little hiking in Deception State Park to try to get a good view of Deception Pass. Another beautiful day that we were given to make the time exploring that much more wonderful.

We had a great week wandering the areas surrounding Fidalgo Island with our good friends Kent and Kathy.

It was time to see more of WA. Our travels took us south and inland and along the way we found smoke from the forest fires in Canada. It gave the sun a mysterious glow and distorted our view of Seattle.

Our next stop would put us in Olympia, WA for about a week. We had a nice spot hidden in the tall trees. Not great for Starlink, but very good for keeping us cool.

From here we were close to Kent and Kathy’s current home on Lake Lawrence. We were excited to have some of Kent’s yummy cooking.

The four of us went to check out Mount Reiner National Park. Addie enjoyed a day at home alone. It was very cool being able to see the glaciers on the mountain.

After that cool experience we needed a refreshing beverage, which we found at Base Camp. Normally packed with hikers and climbers, it was quiet because of the fires and smoke.

We took a day to explore Seattle with Kent and Kathy as our guides. We walked all over the downtown area making sure to see Olympic Sculpture Park and the Space Needle. We even made our way over to West Seattle which gave us an amazing view across the bay at the city.

The main event of the day was our trip through the Chihuly Garden and Glass Art Museum. Even though we had just seen an exhibit of his work in St. Louis we were thrilled to see it again. Such incredible glass work with spectacular colors and shapes.

To round out our city tour we made sure to walk through Pike Place Market on the wharf and in doing so found the famous first Starbucks (opened in March 1971) and the Seattle Great Wheel.

After our days of adventuring it was nice to be able to come back to a campground that was dog friendly. There was lots of space to walk and a great dog park with dog friends.

Shannon is always thinking and planning for the next great adventure and at the top of his list is a bike trip. As part of the necessary research, Shannon and Kent went Adventure bike shopping in Tacoma.

RV Aventis finally got the name recognition she deserves with a new personalized license plate.

Ella came back for a quick weekend visit. Turns out we were only about 2 hours from her at this location. The four of us met up with Kent and Kathy and had a nice walk around Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

We worked up an appetite with all our fun exploring and decided to enjoy some yummy local food out.

Our last day with Kent and Kathy was bitter sweet. We went out on the pontoon boat and had an awesome day on the lake with Kent as our boat captain. It was marvelous paddling around the lake. It was awesome to be back on the water together again. So many fun boating adventures we have shared, looking forward to sharing more in the future as we both embark on our next grand adventure.

On our way back to the rv from their house, we were surprised to see that a super kind human was sharing the bounty of this week’s crops. These zucchini were not your normal grocery store veggies.

Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Ella. It was time for her to head back for work and for us to continue north.

Our last few days in Washington were in the Lake Pleasant area. The spots were a little tight, but we had a nice view of the water.

We took some time to visit a few of the local wineries in the Woodinville area. We had a nice time tasting wine and small bites at Ste. Chateau Michelle.

We also very much enjoyed the wine and the environment at Januik. These wines are a little more reasonably priced than most of the wines we had in Napa and Willamette.

We even found a local whiskey distillery that people said has an amazing peanut butter whiskey milkshake, so we had to go and try it. They were not kidding – it was super yummy and you definitely only need one!

We made our way east through WA seeing cool things along the way. The landscape is always changing.

Our last night in the state was at Moses Lake, basically just a stopover for a night before venturing into Montana.

It was an awesome month spent exploring all the wonders of Washington, getting to see our dear friends Kent and Kathy and having them show us around their home state, and of course having extra time hanging out with Ella. From here we continue east in search of more amazing adventures.

As we traveled north up California, redwood trees lined the road. It continued to be a beautiful drive as the river and road shared the same path through the giant trees as we made our way to Oregon.

Our first stop in Oregon was at Grants Pass, where we spent two days just chilling and enjoying our splendid location by the river, watching the tubers and rafters float by.

From there, we had an easy 3 hour drive on the scenic byway as we made our way further into Oregon on our way to Crater Lake.

Crater Lake was the first National Park where we actually got to stay in the park because they had campsites just barely long enough for our rv. So this was our first time really boondocking with no water, electricity, or sewer facilities for us to tap into. It was a good opportunity for us to test out our fresh water tanks and solar setup.

We took a Trolly tour around the lake. It was very informative and our tour guide was extremely entertaining. An 11 mile stretch of the road was closed for repairs which have been going on for a few years. For some reason, on this morning they decided to let our trolly go all the way around the lake and test out the road. We were the only people who got to drive all the way around the lake in over two years and it will be a number of years before they finish the project and allow people to go all the way around. Turns out, they decided it was too dangerous as we almost got stuck several times. We were the only ones to go around and it will be about a year before they try again. Because we got to go all the way around, we got to see Hellcat viewpoint, which visitors have not been able to see since the construction started. It is a stunning lake with breath taking views. Such an incredible color of blue.

The next day we went on a hike in the park to find the wildflowers and boy did we. So many colors, sizes and shapes all blanketing the hillside where a creek makes small but beautiful waterfalls. The Crescent Castle trail was amazing.

We found a great walk near the campground, Annie’s Creek trail where the dogs got to cool off in the snow fed stream. Even on this warm afternoon the dogs could only be in the water for small amounts of time.

Back at our site we enjoyed a yummy dinner on this beautiful summer day.

We went over to the park at night to take advantage of our marvelous surroundings and watch the sunset over the mountains. The reflection on the lake was just as stunning. We tried to participate in the night program to learn more about the dark sky, but the clouds interfered with the ability to use the telescope. It would be a great place to view the night sky, as the light pollution is non-existent.

As we left the lake, our drive to Eugene gave us lots to look at. An amazing reservoir, smoke on the horizon from wildfires, and tall pine trees for as far as our eyes can see, it looks exactly like what we thought Oregon would look like.

We enjoyed one quick night in Eugene and then got up early to make our way to McMinnville, OR to meet up with Don and Mel. Our campground was within walking distance to a large waterpark that had a giant 747 on the roof that housed one of the water slides.

Chance is a great helper and especially loves to help write the blog.

Don and Mel came out for a visit to enjoy Oregon wine country with us. The first stop on our Willamette Valley wine tour was Amaterra Winery just outside of Portland. We choose this location because Ella will be working here starting in just a few weeks in the lab.

Don traditionally does not drink wine, so our goal with this trip was to expose him to a variety of wines, so he could hopefully expand his palate.

We spent the afternoon visiting Ponzi Winery taking a closer look at the inner workings of the wine making process.

The next day we went out adventuring and found ourselves partaking at a few more wineries, Left Coast, Sokol Blosser and Willamette Valley.

Ella joined us on the RV after 4 days of non-stop driving across the country with her backseat and trunk full. She was moving to the Portland area to begin her new job. We were excited to spend the next three days exploring more of this wine region with her and helping her see the other side of the business she was getting into. We toured the cellars at Archery Summit, walked the grounds at Elk Cove and we sat among the grapes vines at Domaine Serene, all while tasting the unique offerings that each winery had available. It was a delicious learning experience.

Don and Mel stayed at a neat little VRBO that was actually a guest house on a vineyard. We had a great time hanging out there with the dogs in the spacious yard.

After 5 fun days of wandering through wine country, we had to say goodbye to Don and Mel. It had been a quiet week at home for Addie and the dogs. The laws in Oregon do not allow anyone under 21 in any of their wineries, breweries or bars.

As a special treat to Addie, we wanted to do something we knew she would love. Lucky for us, the small town of McMinnville had a local community theater and they happened to be preforming, Pride and Prejudice. After enjoying a delightful dinner at a hometown favorite, the four of us walked over to the little playhouse for the show. It was the smallest theater we have ever been in, only seating about 75 people and they were sold out.

The next day we helped Ella move into her new place in Beaverton, OR. She found a great townhouse with a room to rent. It is a nice space and an easy 20 minute drive to work.

For our last meal with Ella we wanted to it to be somewhere special, so there was only one possible place that could be. We were very excited to get to enjoy the food and wine with Ella at her place of employment, Amaterra. It is truly a beautiful location with delightful wine.

We were sad to have to say goodbye to Ella, but we had to keep moving and she needed to get settled before starting her new job.

It was with a heavy heart we saw our last sunset in Oregon. It was time to continue north and let our eyes see new things. We had one more state to see on the west coast and friends to find in Washington.