Category: Category 1
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Hail, Red Rocks, and Hard Choices in the Valley of the Gods
I slept well. It was quiet. Real quiet. With the exception of the wind howling through the night, not a single peep reached my ears. My closest neighbor was maybe fifty yards away. Just far enough to feel like I had the desert to myself, but close enough that I wasn’t entirely alone in this…
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Ultimate Desert Road Trip: Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley, and Sedona Adventures
I left Monticello BLM and Valley of the Gods in a hurry. The sky had turned cloudy and gray, and I could feel the cold creeping in. Valley of the Gods is a 17-mile dirt road through sandstone buttes and mesas, sort of a smaller cousin to Monument Valley. The Navajo once called this stretch Tsé…
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The Last Great American Road Trip: Why the Next Five Years Are Your Final Window
Pack your bags now. The America you think you know is about to disappear forever. There’s a countdown clock ticking on the American road trip, and most people don’t even hear it. While everyone’s arguing about politics and doom-scrolling social media, we’re living through the final act of one of America’s most iconic experiences. The…
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From Frost to Firelight: A Day’s Drive to the Valley of the Gods From Santa Fe
Morning frost in the high desert, sandstone glowing like embers by sunset, and a quiet night with only the wind and the mesas for company. I hit the road at 9 a.m.—early for me on this trip—finally shaking off the last of the jet lag and finding my rhythm. As I headed north, it didn’t…
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From Bottomless Lakes to Santa Fe: Scootin’, Soakin’, and Splurging in the High Desert
After two solid days of rest and swim sessions at Bottomless Lakes State Park, I finally felt human again. Real, actual rest—the kind you feel in your bones. Lea Lake’s impossibly clear, bright blue water did wonders for both my body and my brain. Even if that wetsuit never sees the light of day again,…
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From UFOs to Underwater: Redneck Ferrari’s New Mexico Adventure
4k Miles. 6 States. 7 National Parks. 16 Days in a Van – Leg 5 Check out the previous leg of this walking wander here: Leg 5 Travel Map – 139 miles Unexpected Furnace Activation and the Question of Destination I got back in the van after exploring Carlsbad Caverns, and just like that—bam. The…
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From Dust to Depth: Guadalupe Mountains to Carlsbad Caverns
4k Miles. 6 States. 7 National Parks. 16 Days in a Van – Leg 4 Check out the previous leg of this jeopardized journey here: Leg 4 Travel Map – 32 miles From Dust to Depth: Guadalupe to Carlsbad Caverns I left Guadalupe Mountains National Park feeling… satisfied. Not blown away, but satisfied. It was…
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White Sands to Guadalupe Mountains National Park – SKETCHED OUT
4k Miles. 6 States. 7 National Parks. 16 Days in a Van – Leg 3 Checkout the previous leg of this maurauding march here: Leg 3 Travel Map – 207 miles Every National Park is worth visiting? I’ve now been to 29 national parks. Up until my most recent road trip, I had a saying:…
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Tucson AZ to White Sands National Park – Tired Trepidation
4k Miles. 6 States. 7 National Parks. 16 Days in a Van – Leg 2 Check out the previous leg of this journey: Leg 2 Travel Map – 454 miles Lordsburg KOA – A Flat-Out Dash Through the Desert It was supposed to be a short, uneventful two-hour cruise down Interstate 10 from Saguaro National…