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This is one place that Reece had on his list, and Claire and I had never been before, and Matt went when he was really young, so we were all looking forward to going here.

Since Phoenix is under 2000 feet in elevation and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is around 7000 feet in elevation and they are a little over 200 miles apart, we figured there would be a decent amount of elevation gain. So to take it easy on Moby (the van), we decided to leave Richard (the camper) in Phoenix. We dropped him off at a storage facility on the east side of Phoenix and headed north.

Matt was on a work call for most of the drive up, but the rest of us enjoyed the scenery and hills. When we left Phoenix is was about 90 degrees, but when we arrived in Flagstaff there was snow on the ground (although the air temp was close to 60). We were running a little late from things just taking longer than we realized, so we didn’t get to Flagstaff until late afternoon. We stocked up on supplies at Walmart and ended up getting a 4 person tent (for car camping), new camp chairs (Matt had been wanting them), and groceries for the week.

We started on our way, but then realized we had forgotten to get shoe spikes. (Grand Canyon’s website suggested those and trekking poles for trails at the top of the canyon.) We had researched and discovered that Walmart in Flagstaff carried them, so we actually ended up at the other Walmart in Flagstaff to get the shoe spikes.

By this time, it was almost dark and we were quite a bit later than expected, but we made the drive (which I’m sure is beautiful in the daylight) past the AZ Snowbowl, got gas at a town south of the rim, and then dinner at another town since we realized we wouldn’t be making dinner at camp that first night (unless we wanted to eat at 10:30 pm).

But we made it.

We started setting up the new tent for car camping and realized it didn’t have a rain fly. It was supposed to have one, but this particular tent did not have it included… So Matt and I slept in our tiny 2 person backpacking tent instead.

The nights were chilly (low 30s), but the days were in the 60s and sunny. As one ranger put it, “an April week in February.” And we were grateful there weren’t April crowds!

On our first morning there we went to the backcountry information office to see what our options were for getting to the bottom of the canyon and the CO river. He suggested doing some day hikes and then coming back before the weekend to book permits/campsites.

From there we hiked the rim trail around to the Yavapai Geologic Museum. We listened to a ranger talk about the geology of the Grand Canyon – fascinating. The rock at the bottom is older than any living thing that was ever existed. After the talk we continued on to Mather Point and the main visitor center. We watched a great video on the history of, and continued connection to, Native Americans in the Grand Canyon. We also got some souvenirs and made some plans for the week. Then we took the shuttle back to our van and returned to our campsite.

The next morning we shuttled out to the South Kaibab Trailhead and did a day hike down into the canyon. It was pretty incredible. We made it a little over 2 miles down the trail before we decided to head back up. We saw mules and a number of other hikers. It went well and we didn’t even need the spikes we had purchased because most of the ice had melted or become slushy.

After the hike we relaxed back at the campground for a bit before heading to Powell Memorial point for the sunset – which as you can guess is pretty amazing.

The next day we took it easy in the morning. We worked on some school, enjoyed watching the elk and the deer walk through our campground, and visited the Shrine of the Ages. The shrine is nothing too exciting, but it does have a cemetery outside of it. There were old and new graves, but the one that caught our attention was the memorial to the 128 people that died in a plane crash over the Grand Canyon in 1956 (36 years after the start of flight). You can read more about it here. It was part of why the FAA got started.

After the Shrine, we ate lunch and headed to the backcountry office to get permits for the weekend. Next, was the Desert View Tower near the east entrance. It was a tower built for tourism to attract people coming through the area. It’s a really unique build and has an incredible view of the beginning of the canyon and the Colorado River running through it. Unfortunately we didn’t make it to the top of the tower, but we enjoyed the views and some ice cream!

Then we headed over to Lipon Point to watch the sunset. We were there a little early and were able to get some packing done for our backpacking trip and cook some dinner. We waited for a while after sunset to do some stargazing before returning to camp.

The next morning we finished packing for backpacking and packed up our campsite. We parked at the Grand Canyon Village and headed out with our packs on the Bright Angel Trail. We hiked 4.5 miles into the canyon to get to Havasupai Gardens where there is a campground, toilets, a ranger station, and a lending library! We set up camp for the next couple nights and enjoyed warmer temperatures down in the canyon. We even borrowed a couple books from the library – including The Emerald Mile, which we started reading aloud down in the canyon. It’s a fantastic book – I had read it before and highly recommend it! We currently have the audio book and are continuing to listen to it as a family.

The next morning we woke and saw helicopters circling to pick up/drop off supplies at the pump station near the Gardens. Although not a typical backcountry sight, it was pretty cool to watch (and we saw many more of them throughout our time there). They are replacing the water line that runs from the north rim to the south rim that was originally built in the 60s. It provides all the water on the south rim. It’s a project that was started in 2023, but should be done this year. The aquifer on the north rim is of unknown depth and amount, but it seems to provide sufficient water so far!

After breakfast we headed another 3 miles down to the CO river. Unfortunately Matt fell and sprained his ankle within the first mile of our hike. He toughly/foolishly pushed through to make it to the river with us and then back up the 3 miles to camp. It was an amazing hike though, and it would have been a bummer if he had missed it. The entire scale of being in the canyon, is mind-blowing. It is awesome to see it from above, but when you get down into the canyon, you realize the sheer magnitude of some of the single features in the canyon – huge cliffs, spires, etc. It is awe inspiring.

We all made it safely back to camp and went to bed early. We packed up the next morning and prepared for the slog up and out of the canyon. We took it slow, enjoyed the majority of the trail in the shade, and made some friends along the way – one friend being an 81 year old man from CO who started hiking the Grand Canyon back in 1965 and has done it numerous times since then.

Then we celebrated with pizza and garlic bread before heading to Prescott, AZ and a hotel room for the night. We unpacked in their parking lot and enjoyed hot showers and soft beds. (And returned the tent and shoe spikes to Walmart!)

The Grand Canyon was for sure a highlight of this trip!

From Hueco Tanks, we drove over to Las Cruces, NM. We had done part of this drive a few spring breaks ago, so it felt familiar (a rare feeling on this trip!).

We stayed at the KOA so we could get some laundry done and take legit showers. They also had coffee and baked goods available every morning! We were planning on just staying 2 nights, but because of predicted high winds, we decided to stay an extra night.

The first day we were there we did some organization and laundry in the morning before heading down into Las Cruces. We also tried not to get blown away with the crazy winds that were happening. The amount of dust obscured our view of the Organ Mountains to the east. The wind was a little less crazy down in town (the campground is up on a hill outside of town) and eventually died down while we were there.

First, we stopped for groceries and a new camper tire (pre-emptive, no disaster). Next, we stopped at the National Chile Pepper Institute of New Mexico State University where they study and propagate many chile peppers. Then, we visited the Zuhl Museum on New Mexico State University’s campus. It was a super impressive collection of petrified wood, minerals, gems, dinosaur bones, etc. Definitely worth the stop! Finally we went to La Posta de Mesilla, now an historic and famous restaurant, whose location is where Billy the Kid and others were known to hang out at. We enjoyed good Mexican food – especially their fried ice cream! (Thanks for the recommendation, Chris!)

The next day was school and more ‘repacking of the boats’ (our term from the Lewis and Clark expedition signs in Chamberlain, SD for getting ready for the next section), and trying not to get blown away again.

We got up early the following day in hopes of getting most of our driving in before it got too windy. Luckily, we were only driving about 3 hours to Willcox, AZ. And even with many signs along the way that said, “Dust storms may exist” and “What to do in a dust storm”, we made it safely there without any dust storms. There was some wind, so our gas mileage was not great, but at least we didn’t get swept away!

In Willcox we stayed at another Harvest Host location – the Cattlerest Saloon and RV Park! After we got set up, we all went to the saloon for drinks – Claire and Reece had Sprite and root beer and were told explicitly that they could NOT sit at the bar. We had nice conversation with the several locals that were there, played some shuffleboard, and the kids practiced some pool.

We decided to boondock for a second night at the saloon, so we left the camper in the parking lot and headed to our intended destination – Cochise Stronghold. It’s a rock formation known for its climbing. It’s also a natural formation where a Native American chief (and his tribe?) holed up for 12 years. It’s like a natural fortress with high rock walls surrounding an area of springs and trees, etc.

The drive there took us through several large pecan(?) orchards – they were expansive! We arrived and discovered the approach was a short, flat walk to the outside of the formation. We did a couple climbs and were joined by a couple from the UK. It was a pretty perfect day to be there. Then, after lunch we hiked into the stronghold itself. Really amazing.

Before we returned to our camper for the night, we stopped by the sandhill crane overlook in town. It’s one of the migration spots for the sandhill cranes! There were SO many cranes. We’re assuming the same sandhill cranes that also frequent San Luis Valley in CO and Kearney, NE?!

The next day we enjoyed sweet beverages from a local coffee shop and breakfast burritos from a local food truck. A tasty way to start the day!

From there we drove over to the Titan Missile Museum just south of Tucson. It is the last remaining missile silo from the Cold War Era. We did a tour underground and they walked us through the 58 seconds that would have launched the missile (one of many missiles and other strikes that would have meant mutually assured destruction). Reece actually got to volunteer and was the commander that turned one of the two keys to launch the missile. He seemed unphased by it, but all the adults in the room were silent – a sobering moment for sure.

After the museum we drove to our Harvest Host location on the NE side of Tucson. It was a welcoming couple who have opened up their few acres to RV travelers. She was an artist with a nice studio – I got some cute earrings!

The next morning we left our camper at their house and went to Saguaro National Park. We stopped by the visitor center, took a scenic drive, and did a short hike. There were so many Saguaro cactuses, is was pretty impressive. Definitely not a landscape that we have spent much time in!

After Saguaro N.P. we stopped for Sonoran hot dogs (thanks for the recommendation, TJ!) before going back to pick up our camper and head towards Phoenix.

We stayed on the east side of Phoenix that night and even enjoyed a late night swim and hot tub at the campground. Our short time there was used for preparing for our trip to the Grand Canyon!

The next morning, we drove to the west side of Phoenix and dropped our camper off at a storage facility so we didn’t need to haul it up to the Grand Canyon (next post!).

Even though we left Big Bend, we still weren’t done with Texas! We drove northwest to Balmorhea to visit Balmorhea State Park. It was a tiny town, but the state park was pretty great. It’s a large spring (San Solomon Spring) that bubbles up from an aquifer. The aquifer is filled by run-off from the Davis Mountains about 100 miles away.

There is a pool built around the springs that gush over 15 million gallons of water per day. We got to swim in the pool. Even though you can just walk in, we all decided to jump off the 10 foot diving board at one end of the pool. The water is super clear and there are shallower areas with concrete bottoms, and then 20-25 foot deep areas with natural bottoms. We saw tons of fish, several turtles, and scuba divers! A really unique experience – especially in the middle of west Texas.

After swimming we drove northwest again towards Hueco Tanks State Park. (Huecos are gaps and hollows in the rock that collect and hold rainwater (tanks) in a very dry area.)

We arrived at our campground near the park around sunset. It was an adventure figuring out where our site was, but we finally made it.

The next morning we went into the park to explore. Hueco Tanks is known for its world class bouldering, but since we don’t do a lot of bouldering, we decided to find Kiva cave in the park. Kiva cave was a cave used long ago by Native Americans in the area. To find it, a park staff told us to leave the trail at a certain picnic area and go up to the right until we saw a duck rock. Then to look for an alligator rock up to the right of that. The cave was around there. She nonchalantly mentioned that it sometimes took people house to find the cave entrance if they’ve never been there.

Well, it seemed that luck was on our side. It did take some adventuring, but after putting all the pieces together, we found the cave in about 20 minutes! Inside we saw some amazing petroglyphs and some more exploring. Really cool. We were glad we stopped there, even if we weren’t taking advantage of the world class bouldering.

From Enchanted Rock S.P. we headed west towards Big Bend. We took 2 days to drive there (Texas is a large state!). We spent the night in Fort Stockton where we did a load of laundry, watched the Super Bowl, and finished the 1500 piece community jigsaw puzzle (about 1/3 of it was done when we arrived).

The next morning we picked up supplies and headed south. The landscape began to change and there were plateaus, peaks, and BIG sky! We went into the park at Persimmon Gap, stopped at Panther Junction Visitor Center, and then continued on to a campground in Terlingua, TX on the west side of the park.

The next day we drove down to hike Santa Elena Canyon and then stopped at several places on the way back – Sublett/Dorgan Homestead, Castolon Visitor Center, Tuff Canyon, Mule Ears Trail, and Sotol Vista for the sunset!

On Wednesday we drove into Chisos Basin in the Chisos Mountain Range – which is entirely in Big Bend N.P. Fun fact we learned – Big Bend is the only national park to have an entire mountain range within its borders.

We hiked the Window Trail in the basin. The window is the low point of the basin that all the water cascades out of when there is runoff. Needless to say, the entire hike there was downhill, and the entire way back was uphill!

Then we returned to relax and have dinner at camp before going to Sotol Vista again to catch the sunset and do some star gazing. Because of its remoteness, Big Bend is a dark sky area and is amazing for star gazing.

On Thursday we took it easy in the morning and then drove into the Terlingua Ghost Town. There was a cemetery – with lots of graves from the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918 and even a number of recent graves. We went to a neat souvenir shop, saw the old jail, and stopped in at a local artist gallery/shop.

Thursday afternoon/evening we went on a horseback ride! It was one of Claire’s Christmas presents, so she was super excited. The kids had only ever been on a horse at Chincoteague where they were walked around a corral. This time they each got their own horse. It was a 2 hour ride up to the top of a mesa and back around sunset. We had a great time!

On Friday we drove over to the east side of the park where we crossed over into Boquillas, MX! We took a ferry across the Rio Grande – which consisted of a gentleman walking a boat that we sat in. Matt decided to brave the walk across the river himself – and didn’t get swept away!

We walked into the town, had lunch, walked through a number of different shops that people had set up outside their homes, and saw the school/town. It was hot – as evidenced by Reece’s face in the family picture!

Upon returning to the US, we headed over to Boquillas Canyon and hiked in to see that canyon. Another beautiful place, even if it was hot. We were glad we weren’t there in July! Locals said it was unusual for it to be that warm, that early.

We headed back to camp and watched one more beautiful sunset from the campground before heading out the next day.

We had been staying at McKinney Falls State Park while visiting Austin and San Antonio, but we hadn’t taken the time to explore the park. On our last day there we hiked around and saw the falls, the homestead, and the old grist mill ruins. There were some neat features and tons of turtles! (We think Yertle the Turtle probably lived there!)

After McKinney Falls we drove over towards Fredericksburg, TX. We stayed at a Harvest Host location and when we pulled up to our spot, there was an armadillo scavenging around in the field!

We did not spend any time in Fredericksburg (even though we drove through and it was super cute and really busy), because we headed to Enchanted Rock State Park the next day. As we headed out on the trail, we noticed a guided hike that was just about to leave. We joined in and were thoroughly impressed by the ranger’s knowledge – geology, flora/fauna, and fairy shrimp. It was wonderful and educational.

There were a few other people on the hike and we discovered that one was a Colorado College grad from the 70s and is good friends with the owner of Poor Richard’s in Colorado Springs – a favorite place of ours. Small world once again.

After the guided hike we went in search of climbing. It was fun exploring and as we found a spot that looked promising, we were grateful that another couple came up to climb and confirmed the route we were on. It was a beautiful day at Enchanted Rock!

After climbing we visited the winery/safari tour place of the Harvest Host we were staying at. We saw donkeys, pigs, alpacas, peacocks, emus, zebras, and camels! We enjoyed beverages in Adirondack chairs overlooking Texas hill country.

Finally, we returned to our camper to see the armadillo again and fly the kite we had gotten in Galveston.

Grateful for the sunshine and current warmth of TX hill country!