We are finally moving again!!!

Good morning New England!

We've been lying low the last few weeks. It's been very hot here and we've all been a little testy and bummed out. Quarantine can do that. I'm sure you are all dealing with the same issues.

We had a little bit of forced family fun two nights ago with a camp fire & catching fireflies in a jar, which actually turned oft to be more fun than I'd hoped and less exciting at the same time. They don't really light up when in captivity. Oh well.

Texas is one of the few states that has been opening up campgrounds, parks, and restaurants. We still haven't gone out except for necessities.

We spent a couple of days this week trying to make a plan for our next steps. I created a 7 stop route that would take us through New Mexico, south to north, visiting all kinds of national parks, boondocking wonders, scenic vistas, and ancient wonders... I even built a PowerPoint presentation, including pictures of the proposed stops and available day trips. I was so proud... I sat Mike down and hit play and gave my little speech... afterword I looked at him, and awaited his response (hoping for a positive one of course.. "Oh wow Val, that likes awesome, great work..."). But alas, I had neglected to take one major issue into account... The Rocky Mountains.

Apparently, my route had us going up and down from peak to valley, back and forth from one side of the mountains to the other. All of which is a little too much for the truck.

So, I smiled (on the outside... my insides were crying... all that work and research, all those amazing bluffs, parks, natural mineral hot springs, and petroglyphs... they were not to be). I started remapping a plan, using my new map elevation skills, and came up with another touring route. And then the days news hit, and yet again, my plans were foiled. I40 was closed at Gallup, NM (the highest peak in the road through the Rockies) and they closed all the roads in and around the Grand Canyon. Many other parks were remaining closed in a similar fashion as well.

Ok... what then? We HAVE to leave our SIP park on Friday, May 8. We can't go to another Thousand Trails park for 7 days. Texas state parks and BLM lands were still closed to overnight use in Texas. I was really exhausted by this point. Exhausted and frustrated and disappointed.

Then... then, like the moment when the Who's down in Whoville awoke to a Christmas without things, Mike stared singing... "ah-who dore, ah-who dore, welcome Christmas, come this way..."

Oh wait, that didn't really happen... lol

But Mike did suggest a fantastic plan that was feasible, open, and of course, free. So we began researching, talking to other RVers in our forums, and making arrangements.

While we had hoped to be kissing Texas goodbye this week, we are sticking around. We are headed south to Padre Island National Seashore. Free to enter with our National Park Pass, and free to camp directly on the beach. We are all very excited for the change in scenery and to be returning to the Gulf of Mexico. Callie is excited to use her birthday surfboard.

I've read there is virtually no cell service there, but other campers have reported a decent signal using their OTR hot spot. So we don't know what we'll find when we get there, but it can't hurt anyone to be offgrid for a while.

We are hoping to leave today, to avoid the weekend influx. However, Mike is feeling a bit under the weather so far this morning, so we're taking it slow, and we'll see what happens.

If we are offgrid, I want to take a moment now to wish all of you mothers, step-mothers, fairy-godmothers, grandmothers, mimis, gigis, aunties, and rainbow mommies a happy mother's day. You are kind, you are loved, and you are important. I hope you are treated like the queens that you are on Sunday!

Until next time... stay tuned.