To quote my favorite play Hamilton, “The World Turned Upside Down”.   I haven’t Mae any entries into the blog or a while.  The last few trips were woefully short and compressed, with growing children and their unique needs using up most of my free time on those expeditions.

In the interim, I have made a continued effort to Live.  Previously n my writings I have described the emotional drain that my work demands.  To truly make a difference, to care, to impart the positive energy that it takes to change the course of what is often some peoples worst moment comes at a cost.  I must give a piece of myself every time.  To somehow balance these energies has become a struggle and an art.  It is another job truly.  Maintaining presence with home and family requires  a balance.  I attempt to recharge and reset and clear my head. When home, I will often saddle up my horse and go trail riding for hours.  Thinking and reading and attempting to make sense of the world.  It helps. I have also developed a new habit to maintain this clarity.  A friend of mine and fellow doc, taught me to fly fish.  It was a fantastic gift.  This art seems to temper all of the stresses, when they begin to show weight.  There is something about the healing mountains and rhythmic water coupled with the task of finding fish. I can often do this for hours, heavy thoughts in time replaced by hours of thinking absolutely nothing.  The Art has a way of fixing those sort of ailments.

Mountain streams can be had within a short drive or flight from Texas, relatively speaking.   Taos New Mexico offers world class mountain and high desert fishing with fairly easily accessible streams to disappear in.   

I can still remember when everything changed.  I had quit my job for good reasons.  The corporation that moved into my old job aimed to bleed us dry.  Corporate ledges are cold and dark and factual.  No room for art or energy.  I came to a point in my life where I had to choose to participate in that sort of thing.  I chose not to.  It was in this way, that I came to leave that job and take several weeks off to mentally prepare for the next.   

Wuhan China they said.  I can still remember talking to my brother in law about a weird illness that seemed to be killing Chinese people in this place.  We shared online videos about the extreme ee measures the Chinese government was taking to stop its spread.  Something seemed off.  We watched it spread slowly across Europe,  laying waste to Italy and Spain.  We wondered why our government did not seem to be taking it seriously as we watched videos of Italians struggling for life in the hallways of their overrun hospitals.  I began to get nervous.  It would come here.  A Pandemic they called it.  It was spreading in ways that no one fully understood.  It often killed healthcare workers with brutal randomness.

We watched as the government did nothing to prepare.  The first cases.  Seattle, then New York.  Then everywhere.  Nothing we had in our vast array of healthcare treatments had any effect.  Then it was here as we knew it would be.  Our savings in shambles, due to the financial panic, I had no choice but to return to work.  The first few days, the cases were truly frightening.  The thing kills you slowly, enough so that you know what is coming.  I remember the look of fear in the eyes of the sick ones.  The warm return from my face no longer visible behind a mask and goggles.   

Would this take me?  I had not figured on something like this. A strange sense of constant dread began to envelop me at all times.  I could not shake it.  It seemed reasonable though, fear of something that was picking off healthcare workers around the globe.  There was no end in sight.  My was poor and I began to develop a sense of apathy and dread. The country had been shut down and left a pre existing trip and conference empty.  It was in this way that I came to Taos again, packing up my small speedy car and making the drive straight.  I hope to regain some clarity and purpose in those mountain streams.  

The drive was long but enjoyable, but I am tired.  A nice whisky from the store and a catfish supper with a room view of the mountains was a fitting end to a long day.  Tomorrow, the Red River awaits.

Day 10

We got up early again, and again put the kids in the vehicle sleeping.  We made the 10 minute drive to the nearest Discount Tire.  The manager there helped us, and he was extremely helpful.  We were back on the road in 20 minutes with a new fresh spare.  While they changed the tired, Amy and I got the kids teeth brushed and changed.  You know, efficient time management and all of  that.

We headed Southeast on that long stretch of highway through North Texas.  There was nothing much to see.  We listened to various podcasts, many of them interesting.  Somewhere along that stretch, probably an hour outside Fort Worth, we came upon multiple cattle next to the highway.  They had clearly escaped from someones place.  I pulled over and had Amy dial 911.  We reported these loose cattle, as a collision with such a beast could prove fatal for a weary traveler.  The dispatcher promised to send a deputy and we moved on.

Our progress was hindered in the usual Fort Worth traffic, but we made it through and stopped at Chick Fil A in Burleson, TX.  Here we met up with Shari so that we could drop Luke off.  Luke was initially crying that he didn't want to go home and wanted to continue camping, but that ended as soon as he hugged his Mom.  We ate lunch and let the children play a bit.  We all said our goodbyes and headed South.

Familiar territory appeared as we made the final couple of hours drive.  It was hot and dry.  There was some trafic about an hour North of home, but mostly smooth sailing.  Amy finished the drive.  As we pulled into the house, Amy stated that the Endeavor smelled like "engine".  I took the helm to back the ship into the storage spot and looked down to see the temperature gauge approaching red.  The Endeavor was failing, but she ,made it home.  Yes, she made it home.  The wear and tear had caught up to her, but she had done it.  It is likely her last trip.  I will have to thin of some sort of fitting end.  There are many memories in that ship.

Day 9

The drive out of the mountains always seems to take a while.  Amy and I got up early and packed and stowed everything, hitching the trailer up before the children even woke up.  We carried them to the vehicle while they were still sleeping.   We slowly crawled out of the campground and onto the highway.

The morning air was cool, and the weather perfect.  I looked in my rear view mirror at the towering mountains that grew smaller with our descent from altitude.  There was that sinking feeling, foreign, yet familiar as the realization of our return to our Lives was here.

The free RV dump provided by the city of Durango was closed for renovations.  We stopped at a local commercial campground and paid the 10 dollars to dump 4 days of waste water.  The Endeavor needed to ride herself of as much weight as she could for a long day of driving at altitude.  I handled the sewage while Amy got the kids teeth brushed and their clothes changed.  From there, we headed down into town and stopped at the local independent grocer and got some hot breakfast burritos.  They were just as delicious as I remember.

Bellies full, we headed across the high desert and down towards Albuquerque.  The mountains gave way to high desert, and we took it easy, trying not to stress the motor. The children completed more Mad Libs, and even convinced the adults to join in.  Howls of laughter ensued from the typical nonsense that are Mad Libs.

We made it to Albuquerque, and beat the traffic.  We made our turn East and headed across the high hot desert toward Amarillo.  I took a break for a while, turning the helm over to Amy.  We put on some storytelling podcasts and settled into the drive.  Suddenly, the Endeavor began to shudder violently.  There had been some rough pavement and at first we believed that to be the cause.  The shuddering worsened and I looked over to see Amy's knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel.  I asked her to pull over and confirm what I thought to be the case.  

Indeed, we had a blowout.  The right rear tire was nothing but shreds.  The asphalt was scorching as the weather was over 100 degrees.  I commenced the hot dirty job of changing a tire on the side of the interstate.  Cars whizzed by at 80+ mph ans I quickly changed the destroyed rubber.  We were back on our way in about 25 minutes.  We kept the speed low the rest of the way as another flat would render us crippled with no other spare.

We made it to Amarillo at around 8pm.  There are Discount Tire shops here, so the flat will be replaced under warranty.  We made it to the Amarillo KOA campground with enough time for the kids to swim.  While amy took them swimming, I made a dinner of corned beef and rice.  Full hookups at this place mean nice long showers and A/C.

Tomorrow begins the final leg home.

Day 8

We had to get up and move the trailer to a different site.  We had to piece together our camping reservation as the holidays had the campground at capacity.  We found our new spot and quickly packed up the trailer and moved it down .  We had a whitewater rafting trip planned and we had time to burn.  We headed down for one last round of fishing.  Harris caught one fish before we called it quits.
We headed into town to the outfitter.  We lined up with a group of people waiting to meet our guides.  They arrived in a old school busses that were painted white and towing trailers stacked high with rafts.  The guides seemed to be a rag tag band of college aged kids, many of them long haired and dirty in thee way that young hippie types are.  They told many corny jokes, but these seemed to entertain the younger patrons greatly.  We entered the river on the North side of town.  The float was relaxed and had just enough rapids at parts to keep the children entertained.  They were all smiles.  The older ones took turns setting on the front of the raft and jumping into the water.  At the end Nate was crying because he didn't want the trip to end.
We left from there and visited with my old buddy from residency.  It is always good to see them.  They also had several friends over and we enjoyed chatting and eating a good meal.  The kids had a blast as there were a whole herd of children running and playing. As usual, as the evening wore on and the children tired, the bickering increased.  We headed back to the campsite, our bellies full.  Tomorrow begins the long journey home.

Day 7

July 4th.  The annual ape of American summer. We were supposed to get up and go on a hike North of town, but the kids begged us to go fishing. We decided to Tyra our luck since we only had four caught fish in the freezer, and to cook fish for all but one child would surely end in a disaster. We headed down to the lake and wet the lines.  Within an hour, we had caught three more fish.  The children were excited and made plans to eat them for dinner.
We headed into town for the July 4th festivities.  We decided to walk through downtown and find lunch.  We stopped to eat at a cafe downtown.  It was busy and the service was absolutely terrible.  Amazing how a poor service experience can absolutely ruin a meal.
From there we left and headed to an outdoor festival in downtown Durango.  The music was nice and the children quickly joined forces with other kids and ran around the park playing games and tag in the way that kids do.
Shortly after, we met up with the cousins and got ice cream at a local spot.  The parade would pass right by the shop.  All of the kids lined up on the curb for prime viewing.  It was your run of the mill parade with fire trucks and local floats. The kids enjoyed it and had fun catching the candy.  We said goodbye to the cousins and headed back to the campsite.
Before we left, I had soaked the fish with lime and salt.  We rinsed them and then I laid out a piece of foil for each child.  I threw a dab of coconut oil on each piece and then laid a fish down on each. I brought out spices and had the children season the fish.  By this time, the campfire was nice and warm.  We laid the foil wrapped fish over the grate with hot coals underneath. They cooked to perfection while we prepared the rest of the meal.  The fish were bony, but tasted delicious.  The kids had smiles on their faces, deriving satisfaction from eating their catch.  We then made s'mores and slept well, bellies full and exhausted from the days activities.

Day 6

Grant and I got up early and attempted to fish the lake.  We were skunked.  Watching others fish gave us ideas on some different approaches for next time.  We came back to the trailer to find a breakfast of French toast and coffee.  We ate until our bellies were full and then packed hiking supplies.
The hike was North of town.  It was a several mile round trip hike to the base of "Engineer Mountain".  One of the highest peaks North of Durango.  The trailhead was just off the highway, and judging by the parking lot, it was popular. The hike started out in an alpine meadow and followed multiple steep ascending switchbacks into the mountains.  The scenery was beautiful.  The alpine wildflowers were in bloom and the weather was perfect.  The children did remarkable well. I only had to carry the littles for a short while off and on.  The hike terminated at a beautiful alpine lake where we stopped to eat lunch.  The peacefulness of this time only marred by a random text from my company asking me to work more.  I declined.  The kids, rejuvenated by peanut butter and jelly marched down to complete the hike. They were pleased by the remnants of the snow pack and snowball fights abounded.
We left the trailhead and headed to Purgatory resort to allow the kids to ride the alpine slide.  The resort turns one of the slope into an mountainside slide in the summer months.  We rode it last year and the kids begged to do it again.  July 3rd was of course busy and we had to wait approx 45 minuted to ride.  It was fairly hot for the mountains at 90 degrees.  The slide was fun.  The children ended up discussing who won what race and all of the usual pre teen braggadocio.
We left the resort and headed into Durango.  We were almost out of clean clothes and laundry needed done.  I dropped Amy and the kids off at a park in town, while I went to a laundromat to do laundry.  I left during the various wash and dry cycles to procure various provisions like milk and eggs.  Amy and the bunch ate at a local brew but but ordered me a bangers and mash calzone to-go.  It was delicious.
The Corps of Discovery and its respective crew of 6 cousins were camped nearby at Mesa Verde NP.  They happened to be in town for resupply as well.  The decision was made to link up at a local park. I met them all there.  11 children running and playing was fun to watch.  I enjoyed watching the kids trade stories and tall tales of their journeys and life since the last time they met up.  They all played until dusk and we then headed back to our respective campsites.
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July.  More hiking, and a parade and festival in the PM.  The kids have proven hard to get to bed as they are still excited.

Day 5

We spent the morning packing up everything and cleaning to trailer in preparation to push off.   It would be a long day of slow going, as most of the driving was mountain passes.  We turned course South and headed over the high desert to the mountains.  We drove over the Rio Grande gorge and some sort of artist community in which the desert adobe homes seemed to be painted an eclectic mix of colors and adorned with mirrors and trinkets.  We then slowly wound our way over the mountains.  The steep grades often limited our progress to 35mph or slower, while I again coaxed the ship as she struggled.
We decided to stop for lunch at a pullout high in the mountains for lunch.  Cabin fever had set in and the children had begun fighting and hitting.  The usual sort of thing that happens on such road trips.  As Amy and I ate, I sent the children to explore the surrounding area. Deep in some underbrush, they found an old welded bench with a mans name on it and a sort of shrine to him.  I suspect the deceased had his ashes spread at this spot.  The children had fun creating theories on what may have happened to him and why.
We continued on at a snails pace and turned North into Colorado.   We headed into the town of Pagosa Springs for a stop at a bakery for some treats and a resupply stop at the local Wal Mart for various dry goods.  Then West to Durango and our usual camping spot on the lake North of town.  The campground host was not very friendly.  We set up and cooked chicken tacos in the pressure cooker.  The children begged to fish after supper so we took them down to the lake where we tried our luck.  Nothing.  Tangled lines to show for our troubles.  We lit a quick campfire so the kids could roast marshmallows and then to bed.  Tomorrow is another day of hiking.

Day 4


We decided to forego hiking today and test out the fishing at the local fishing hatchery.  The Red River fish hatchery produced something like 175,000 pounds of trout to stock local rivers and streams.  Next to the hatchery, there is a small lake that they keep stocked with trout.  This lake is to be fished by children 12 and under and seniors over 65.  We took the children and let them fish.  A cool and scenic morning netted us two trout.  For the adults, keeping lines untangle and baiting hooks was a full time job.
We then headed back into Red River to check out a local burger eatery and perhaps ride the ski lift.  The youngest three were in a special kind of mood and bickered and fought the whole time I suspect the late nights and such are catching up with them.  We ended up taking most of the food to go and skipping riding the ski lift.
I texted my former colleague to set up a time to meet to fish.  He invited us down to his families place just North of town.  It was a nice adobe home, in the classic New Mexico fashion.  Bright Southwestern colors adorned the rich Southwestern architecture and the courtyard offered 360 degree views of the mountains and high desert.  We chatted for a while and he and I went to fly fish the Red River while the children and Amy went into Taos and the local toy store on the Plaza.
Fly fishing was an amazing experience. It was completely new to me and the learning curve was steep.  I am not sure I can go back to gulag fishing.  The experience of wading into crystal clear water surrounded by mountains, while casting the locally made fly in that rhythmic  way seemed to melt away all of the stresses of life.  In that moment, the water flowed, the trout were biting, and the air was clean.  These perceptions all blended into one sense and I achieved what I was looking for, if only for a short while.  I only got hung up on trees and slipped and fell in the water a few times.  The mosquitoes came out and we called it a day.  The number of fish caught did not matter, only that the river flowed and would always flow.
We hiked out the the river area and met up with Amy and the kids who had returned to the hatchery pond.  They had had no luck yet, but as the sun sunk, Alex and Grant both landed trout.  The light slowly faded and we packed up.  There were a few tears from those who did not catch fish but the tears faded to sleep as we headed back to the campsite.
We push off tomorrow and set course for Durango.  We will have to check the reports and there seems to be a forrest fire awfully close to town.  We shall see.

Day 3

After two long days of travel, I allowed the children to sleep in.   In fact, I enjoyed sleeping in almost as much.  Sleeping in meant getting up at 0730 instead of 0600.  I got up and made some breakfast tacos for the gang.  I figured such food might provide the appropriate energy for our first hike of the trip.
I started the generator while we cooked to charge up the ships batteries a bit.  The trailhead was only about 5 minutes away at the next campground up the river from us.  We made the trip and pulled in next to what looked like a horse trailer.  To our amusement, tied to the side of the trailer were a pack of llamas.  Apparently you can hire a guide an take pack llama trips up into the mountains.  We set out on the hike, a relaxing but uphill hike 3 miles to a turnaround point.  On the way up, there was the usual whining but they kids quickly set into a rhythm.  I would occasionally carry the smaller two boys but it wasn't a bad hike. The first hike is always somewhat difficult with the altitude and such.  We found a turnaround point and had lunch at a water crossing. The kids enjoyed playing in the water and trying to spot salamanders.
The hike down was a different story.  The younger two children ran out of energy and devolved into crying messes. I ended up swapping the two of them on my shoulders to give them a break.  Halfway down we encountered another family.  They turned our attention to an abandoned gold mine that was sort of hidden up a rock slide.  Amy and Alex continued on, while myself and the boyse went to explore.  Harris had brought a head lamp and we ventured into the cave.  The temperature suddenly turned cold and damp.  We walked in about 50 yards and that was enough.  The kids became scared and my common sense got the better of me. No gold was found.
We completed the hike to find Alex and Amy waiting.  We decided to head into Taos, about 45 minutes away for some fly fishing supplies and dinner.  As we pulled out and headed West, the beatiful mountainside gave way to a barren waste land as the Forrest had been sold off to some sort of strip mine.  It was sad to see.  The children asked why that sort of thing would happen.  I explained that this was why I was so adamant about protecting our countries public lands.  Once they are taken in such aa way, they will never come back.
Taos was an interesting city with an interesting vib.  It felt like a Southwestern South Austin in a way.  We found the fly shop and I procured my flies for fishing tomorrow.  The shopkeeper informed me of a pond that was good for fishing with children near the local fish hatchery.  We had been given advice from a colleague to check out the up attached to the local NPR station.  KTAOS is an NPR affiliate that is completely solar powered on the edge of town.  The interesting part is that there is an attached pub with a kid friendly outdoor area.  The whole thing overlooks TAos mountain and had a spectacular view.  The station had an interesting assortment of hippies and local families.  The DJ was broadcasting live from a studio in the middle of the bar encased in soundproof glass.  We found the outside and the kids had fun hula hooping and playing tag while Amy and I absorbed the view and atmosphere.  This Friday was also a special family night.  They had a large movie screen set up in the pavilion in which they were going to show Jim Hensons's "Dark Crystal".  Families are encouraged to attend and bring a mat to lay down and enjoy the show. There was families, couples and dogs al enjoying the signature puppetry of Jim Henson.  We ate dinner while watching the show.  The kids were engrossed in the film and left with all smiles.
We headed bad with enough daylight to start a campfire.  Harris lit the fire today and they again enjoyed s'mores while Alex, Amy and myself provided music with the drums and ukele.  The kids were a bit hyper after all the soda at the pub, but all in all a fantastic day.  Taos seems to be worthy of a repeat visit in the future.

Day 2


The crew slept well.  I got up early and mad everyone cream of wheat.  I had the kids help me get ready to push off as they are getting old enough for that sort of thing.
The journey North carried us through the usual seemingly endless miles of high plains.  What once nourished millions of buffalo and Native People, now reduced to corporate farms.  What a thing it must have been to see, the endless prairie, uninterrupted by fences or large irrigated fields.
We decided to take a different route West this time.  We would skip the usual lunch spot at Capulin Volcano, and take a course directly West. The road was much smaller, but it seemed to travel along some parts of the old SantaFe trail.  There was really only one stop on the desolate stretch of road.  The "stop" was really just a collection of a couple of buildings and a local mercantile.  Amy had looked up this shop on her phone and multiple travelers had raved about the home cooking and hospitality.  This would be our lunch stop.  We pulled in, letting the travel weary children run about for a bit.  Inside the store was a motley collection of local, jams and honey, jewelry, blankets, soda, and a counter from which you could order food.  There was no menu.  The lady behind the counter simply responded, "We have burgers and brisket sandwiches today".  A quick query of the children revealed that all but Grant would opt for the burger.  They were made to order and we made our way outside where they had a lone picnic table that overlooked the interminable grassland.  There was an arid breeze blowing, providing a sort of relaxation that was simple and elegant.
As we had gone into the store, we encountered an elderly man.  He smiled at the antics of the children, pleased to remember the simple jubilance of childhood.  The food was delivered to the table, and even Luke, who is normally picky made short work of the mean.  The brisket sand which was delicious, and the pinto brand that accompanied the meal was just as good.  They had a hint of the green child flavor in that New Mexico way.
We finished our meal and headed back to the rig.  The old man stopped us and asked us where we were from.   We discussed our travels and inquired some about his history.  He had moved to the area 65 years ago as a boy and has lived there since.  His face was sun beaten, weathered and tough in that old rancher way.  He seemed to have a softness there as he discussed years of ranching and memories.  He still ranches, but said he is to old to get up on his horse anymore.  He asked us about Austin, all his life having never traveled further than the Northern part of Texas.  We finished the chat and he wished us a genuine safe trip, and we promised to stop back by in the future, should life carry us this way.  He eats lunch at the mercantile daily and has done so for the past 20 years.
The route then carried us along the plains until it slowly climbed into the New Mexico mountains. Various podcasts filled the speakers to the children's delight.  One podcast in particular from an NPR segment told the tragic tale of a young man who had a severe head injury and the emotional roller coaster as the family decided to withdraw care and let him die.  It was a powerful piece and made for some interesting conversation in the car.
As we finished our trip, we had one last climb up a steep grade.  The Endeavor struggled mightily with this, all the while I vocally coaxed her struggle.  A machine cannot hear, but it seemed the thing to do.  Our campsite sits along a flowing river and two small lakes.  We decided to take the kids fishing, but this ended in disaster as there were any tangled lines and tears.
We returned to the campsite and cooked dinner.  A nice quiet evening was relaxing and we ate our stomachs full. There was some bickering as the kids ran out of steam.  Alex has since learned to play the Ukelele.  We got the campfire going and Alex decided to play "Riptide" on her instrument. Harris joined in on the Bongo drum and the rest of the family on vocals.  It sounded surprisingly good and I just sat back and smiled.  Great family moment.  We allowed the fire to burn down and as I sit here typing, I wait for t

Day 1

Another year has come and gone. It seem the gap between The Escapes are growing shorter and shorter.  In that time, as I described last year, I started a new job.  It was a necessary evil.  The reset was nice, but as is usually the case, there is the good and the bad.  For the past year, I have worked primarily in a smaller town North of my old job.  It is a town that is full of poverty and despair and all of the problems that go along with that.  It is a stopover for most.  Many live there, but many do not call it home.
This environment makes for an interesting job in the ER.  It is quite a thing to provide compassion and care for those who provide none for themselves.  Do do this job properly, truly correctly, one must dedicate a part of their soul to the Light.  To deal with the Darkness that comes from such an environment of costs some of your Light with every encounter with it.  "Compassion Fatigue" I am told it is called.  I suppose that's what it is, although I am not much for labels.   Nonetheless it is difficult to sustain such an environment long term, while avoiding self and mental destruction in the process.
I am to move to a different hospital in August.  Perhaps, the change will again help.  I suspect I am nearing my shelf life in this thing and have begun to think of an exit strategy.    The annual mental reset of our adventures only grows more important year after year.

The Endeavor

The families vessel for our adventures of rebirth and self discovery was dubbed "The Endeavor" last year after Cpt.  James Cook's famous vessel.  Separately she is a Toyota Seqoia and a travel trailer, but once lashed together as a unit she constitutes "The Endeavor".
She has aged quite a bit, and this will likely be her last ship.  I often ponder fitting way to put an end to her.  I daydreamed about setting her afire, as if that would in some way be fitting.  A homage of sorts to the scuttling of a ship once she is no longer useful. She will likely be sold off and used for parts.
In preparation for the trip and the annual refitting, she required extensive work.  Hatches and pipes had dry rotted and crumbled, and seamed and studs gap and leak.  I studied the living quarters extensively noting the aged appearance of the aluminum, years of use leaving scars and pits, wounds from strikes from hundreds of tiny rocks.  The powerplant, of the ship stands at 264,000 miles.  Hard earned work in which she performed admirably.   As I went over the powerplant studying each wire and hose, studying the fluids, I smiled gently and asked her for one more trip.  As we set out, The Endeavor groaned and roared, feeling the weight of what was once an effortless job.  But she still pulls,  as the powerplant roars, God she still pulls.

The Trip

We attempted to pack lighter this year.  It will be a shorter trip and we plan to save on some weight for the engine.  We loaded up as usual, batteries charged and tanks filled.
My nephew is joining us on the trip this year.  He and Nate are three months apart and almost function as brothers.  Surely some extra fighting, but hopefully not too much.
The usual route carried us through the familiar Central Texas terrain.  Interestingly, there seems to be much for green vegetation this time around. I suppose there has been good rainfall.  The children behaved well on this leg.  They have discovered the age old wonder that is Mad Libs. Amy and I chuckled to ourselves as the children laughed hysterically at the often obscene and absurd concoctions of a story.  We stopped for lunch at the city park in Sweetwwater Tx as is usually the case.  It was slightly cooler and breezier than usual.  After some playground time, we loaded up and made the long and barren drive to Amarillo.
The first stop was Pablo Douro canyon.  We arrived early in the afternoon, arrived and checked in.  We made the winding descent into the canyon only to find our assigned campsite was already occupied.  We had to drive all the way back up for a new campsite.  Thankfully, the new site ended up in a better spot.  We noticed wild turkeys marching through the campground and a nice shaded picnic table.
We set up and Grant noticed another boy in the campsite across the road.  They made fast acquaintances and began to play, throwing a football and telling each other stories.  Meanwhile, Amy got dinner prepared in the electric pressure cooked.  Lentil tacos were on the menu.  I finished setting up the trailer and we went for a short hike along a creek that skirted the campground.  We returned and Grant asked to go and make s'mores with his new friend.  As we ate, the boy ran back over and invited the whole family to make s'mores. We finished dinner and made our way over.  They were a nice couple from Midland with two children.  I suspect he or perhaps both of them were a firefighters as she was wearing a fire department sweatshirt and he had the handlebar mouse ache common among firemen.  They offered the younger children marshmallows and s'mores and we traded stories about camping trips, past, present, and future.
We thanked them for their kindness and headed back to the trailer to put the children to bed.  There was only moderate fighting over the sleeping arrangements.  It was a long day, but tomorrow brings the mountains.

Day 20

The long stretch begins.

We drove the first stretch for a long morning.  The mountains gave way to the scrubby hills of Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico.  It is unbelievably hot.   The temperature rose to 92 degrees before noon.  The ride was bittersweet as we climbed over Raton pass.  This pass signifies leaving the mountains and the Journey home to Texas.  It will soon be over.

We headed down across New MExico and stopped at Capulin Volcano National MOnument.  It is an extinct volcano that is now a park and makes for a good stopping point.  We attended a Ranger Talk and hiked to the bottom of the volcano.  The kids got some nice Junior Ranger patches for their troubles.  It was very hot but a nice break from the drive.

We continued along the plains of North Texas and into the Amarillo campsite.  It is windy and dusty.  We get set up and the kids go for a swim at the campground pool.

Tomorrow is the final segment.

Day 19

July 4th, the pinnacle of American summer.

We usually try to do something fun for the 4th while traveling, whether it be a local parade or celebration at a historical site.  We did a little research before we arrived at the shady campground.  I got up early and packed the trailer to leave.  We found out that there was a July 4th celebration at Fort Fetterman in Douglas Wyoming.  Fort Fetterman is an Old West fort that was an important stop on the Pony Express as well as the Western Migration.  The celebration was free and even included a pancake breakfast.  We arrived on the grounds and were greeted by a woman dressed in period Pony Express costume on horseback.  we continued onto the grounds and got in line for breakfast.  The breakfast was quite good and was pancakes eggs and hamsteaks.  The children were ecstatic as they filled their bellies with the free pancakes.

Afterward we toured the grounds and did many interactive activities with the kids.  Wagon rides, period children's games, and educational discussions with reeneactors were the activities of the day.  It was interesting to see the faces of the local folks, they seemed to be farmer types with weathered faces and thick working hands.  All enjoying the 4th and history.   With smiles on their faces, the children reboarded the endeavor and we headed South to Colorado Springs.

The Holliday eased the usual city traffic and we made good time.  We arrived at the campground and got set up.  I went to get some bbq while Amy did one last load of laundry.  Afterward, we packed a picnic and headed to downtown Manitou Springs for fireworks.  We ate at a playground but the kids seemed more interested in playing.  Little Nate found a little girl he was having fun chasing.  There was also an old time arcade there with plenty of games and little rides I remember from childhood.  The type of rides that could never be made again because of lawyers and lawsuits.  The two youngest rode the electric horses and tractors with huge smiles and laughter.  We then treated them to ice cream and staked out a spot at the local park.   The ice cream was good but the firework display was nothing special.  We had taken a shuttle bus downtown but we decided to walk the mile back to the campground.  The children were tired and fell asleep easily with a bedtime story.

Day 18

Time to head home.

We got up bright and early and cooked a large breakfast.  The kids of course got up early as well, excited to play with their new friends and their cousins.  We performed the usual prep for the ship and I rechecked her systems and all seems fine.  After breakfast the Officers of the Endeavor and the Corps of Discovery visited for a while.  We decided to head down to the South park exit together.

We got underway and made the drive to the entrance where we would take a family I true in front of the Yellowstone sign.  I looked in horror at literally 2 miles of traffic waiting to get into the park.  Yes, it is a good tie to be headed South.  The cousins did not want to leave each other but a long driving day was ahead.  I chose a more Southern route toward Casper Wyoming, so that we could trace some of the route of the old wagon trains.  Our route would carry us along various portions of the California, Oregon, and Mormon trails.  A long scenic drive south out of the mountains took us to a tiny town in central Wyoming. The children were hungry for lunch and we really don't like to get fast food.  We noticed a little Thai shop in the middle of town.  Amy went in an ordered us lunch and struck up a conversation with the lady working.  She was from Thailand and was in the US for the summer to help her daughter with the restaurant.  She was very interested to hear of our travels.

After lunch we traveled along various points on the trails.  We decided to stop at a spot called Independence Rock.  This is a large granite monolith in the middle of the prairie.  Its significance was that if a Wagon train could reach this spot by July 4th, they would likely make it over the mountains before winter.   The settlers also scrawled names and messages into the rock that are still viewable today.  We stopped and began walking around the rock.  A gentleman walking around stopped us and said "be careful around that side, there is a mean badger that is chasing people around."  About that time, we heard a shriek as a lady and her husband came jogging around the side. Apparently, this badger had chased them snarling and growling.  Of course the children wanted to go and see the badger and have it chase them.  Of course I refused, being chased by an angry badger was not in the cards for me.  This predicament was a first.  They settled on climbing the rock.  I do not care much for heights anymore, but the children had no problem scrambling all the way to the top.

We loaded up and continued the hour drive into Casper.  The campground was supposed to be a quaint place made from an old fort on a river.  The reality was quite different however.  There were rows of permanent trailer dwellers, many flying confederate flags and staring.  Oops.  It was too late to continue on, so we dropped the trailer and I holed up in there.  I figure I will just sleep and get up early in the morning and leave.  Not ideal.

Day 17

We again slept in trying to kick this respiratory affliction.  Still coughing and hacking we decided to go for a shorter hike.  We stopped by Old Faithful and let the kids watch the famous geyser erupt.  While we waited, they also used the time to finish their Junior ranger booklets.  The geyser erupted slightly late and we joined the throngs of people trying to edit the parking lot.

We decided on a short hike up to a Lake, called Harlequin trail.  On the way, we stopped at a Ranger station and the kids turned in their books and received their badges.  They were pleased as their Ranger hats appear to be coated in badges from all over the country.  The hike wasn't bad at all, and we took the time to relax and enjoy the sights.  We headed back to the trail head and called it an early day, heading back to the campground after stopping to walk the boardwalk at one of the geothermal features.

We arrived early at camp, started a fire and made hot dogs.  The weather had cleared from days previous and it turned out to be a fantastic evening.  The children made friends with some kids at a neighboring camp and they played all evening.  I love to see kids play like I remember doing as a kid.  The cousins arrived back at camp and joined the fray. The relaxing evening was topped off with s'mores and campfire scary stories.

I realized why I have become so uncomfortable here.  The rat race has manifest itself here and it was not always this way here.  Just today, we have watched, people speeding and passing others on blind corners, moving no parking barricades to park, walking dogs off leash.  Basically the selfish self absorbed type behavior I flee to escape.  It saddened me.  Such greatness to behold here, but they do not, cannot see it.

Tomorrow we pull anchor and begin the journey home.

Day 16

The Officers of the Endeavor continue to suffer from declining health.

We all awoke late today as Amy and I were feeling worse and thought rest might help.  We took care of some chores and met up with the Corps of Discovery to conduct a days hike.  We decided upon a hike around the Canyon area of Yellowstone.  It is a huge Canyon area with a large Waterfall that is described as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  We hiked along the rim at first.  Amy and I were feeling pretty rough.  The hacking cough has drained us of energy the past few days.  Our chests hurt and we experience coughing fits frequently.  Our stamina for the hike wasn't there.  The Endeavors crew broke off and took a different route back.  It was longer than expected and ridden with mosquitos but did pass through some interesting geothermal features.  The end of the trail was in a different spot than the vehicle so I left the others and hikes another mile to the car.  At this point the coughing got worse and I began to cough up some bloody sputum.  Whatever this affliction is, it seems to be nasty.  

Spent for the day, we decided to drive around looking for wildlife.  Of particular interest was the Lamar Valley in the Northeast part of the park.  Wolves can often be sighted here.  Scattered thunderstorms were present all day and I suspect this hampered our wildlife viewing efforts.  We saw no wolves or bears in this area.  Exhausted and I'll we headed back to the campsite.  Hopefully we turn the corner tomorrow.

Day 15

Weather in the mountains is a strange unpredictable thing.

We decided to get up early and make the drive down to the Grand Tetons.  Grand Teton National Park borders Yellowstone.  It contains an iconic group of mountain peaks and some great views. There is a particular hike we like to do when we are around this area called the Jenny Lake trail.  It is a great day hike with many different points to turn around depending on how long you want to hike.  A boat can even be taken part of the way if you wish.  The area however was under construction and the crowds have also seemed to make their way down there as well.

Since we were early, parking was no problem.  We found a spot and stopped by the visitor center to get Junior Ranger books.  Amy and I had been dealing with this chest cold and seems to have sapped us of some energy.  We walked the 2.2 mile to the far side of the lake.  Amy seemed to get sicker, began looking pale and I'll.  I suggested she take the boat back with our daughter and the baby.  I decided to continue on to a spot called inspiration point with the two oldest boys.  Together we formed an expeditionary force and continued on the steep trail to this area.  As we climbed the trail, a rolling thunderstorm bellowed in, dumping rain and lightning in the area.  Myself and the crew quickly found a large tree to seek shelter underneath.  I had two ponchos and we quickly covered the crew in them to keep them dry.  The steep trail is granite and quite slippery when wet.  We decided to press on since we were so close to our goal.  The crew showed no fear and performed exceptionally under the conditions.  One slippery rock could send one of us over the edge and tumbling to certain death.  One last switchback and we made it.  Inspiration point is a rocky cliff that overlooks the lake with the mountain range to your back. We stopped here for a while and ate in silence.  I looked back at the canyon and noticed a huge sheet of rain coming.  We quickly packed up and headed down.  Interestingly enough, Grant was wearing a shirt from Barbados.  A random gentleman on the trip noticed and asked him if he was "Bajan". He told them that my family was.  The gentleman, like myself, had parents from Barbados and we quickly exchanged pleasantries.  Small World.  We headed down to the boat dock and took the boat back across where we linked up with the rest of the crew.

We stopped at a Visitor Center on the way home for the children to finish their books.  The badges they earned were centennial special edition badges and made of wood.  We headed back to camp where I got dinner started and lit a fire.  Suddenly we heard the playful laughter and screams of the crew of the Corps of Discovery.  The crews joined together as only children can and laughed and played and had a generally good time.

Tomorrow I suspect we shall conduct a less strenuous hike as my cough and ill feelings seem to be getting worse.

Day 14

It appears Yellowstone has become more of an amusement park.  The true wilderness has died with the turn South

We let the children sleep in this morning as we figured they needed it.  Truthfully it was nice for us adults to sleep in as well.  We made the usual preparations to get the Endeavor underway.  The road to Yellowstone was short and followed the Gallatin river all the way to the city of West Yellowstone, which borders the park.  We decided that with the amount of laundry we had to do, we could find a laundromat and knock it out before we got into the park.  We found one just off the main drag.  Amy took the kids to a nearby park while I knocked out 5 loads of laundry.  With 4 kids, we sure travel heavy.  While that was going, I cleaned and swept the trailer.  I made the mistake of checking on the news while I waited.  I was bombarded with stories of a bombing of an airport in Turkey, and a mother who murdered her teenage daughters.  Mistake.  Perhaps I will turn North again after all.   I prefer the honesty of the wilderness.

We left the town and drove into the park.  I am not sure what I was expecting, as this is my eighth visit to Yellowstone, but the place is a zoo.  I do not remember this sort of crowding.  Immediately I am confronted with the behaviors of the rat race that I tried to escape.  Unsafe driving, tailgating, and throngs of people vying for parking spots.  We stopped at the Old Faithful visitor center for the children to get their Junior Ranger books.  They apparently charge for them here and the whole Old Faithful area was chaos.  Horns blaring, throngs of people loud and boisterous.  Amy and I discussed altering course for a new destination.  We both agreed we should have made the Left turn North.

We found our campsite among 480 others in the campground.  Luckily the family in the closest spot has many children, and ours seem to get along fine with them.  We ate chicken stew for supper and decided to take a drive in search of wildlife. I traveled to an area of the park that is usually good for that purpose.  Sightings of buffalo gave way to a rare sight.  A traffic jam directed our attention to a large grizzly bear slowly and purposely eating the carcass of a dead buffalo.  Despite the crowd, it was a pretty cool site to see.  Interesting how habituated the Bears have become that the crowd of people watching did not seem to bother it.  On the way back to the campsite, we out another good look at a black bear foraging for food along the road way.  Despite the Endeavor's Officers disdain for the spectacle Yellowstone has become, the crew seem to enjoy the wildlife sightings.

It has started to rain lightly, we will attempt a hike in the Tetons tomorrow.

Day 13

It saddened me some to leave Glacier.  Mostly, because I knew it marked the beginning of the end of the adventure, but also because it gave me a taste of that wild, that Wonderlust that always calls.  That pull away from traditional life and toward freedom.

Nonetheless, we got up early and prepared the Endeavor for the journey South.  Systems and fasteners, checked and all seemed sound.  We decided to stop at the Ranger station on the way out.  Harris had finished his Junior Ranger book, and Grant and Alex had finished a special Junior Ranger assignment that gave them a special badge for the centennial celebration of the National Park Service.  All were pleased with their accomplishments.

It was very slow going headed South to Missoula.  There is traffic like I have not seen before in Montana.  It was interesting to see various bumper stickers reading things like "Montana Native", or "Montana is full, I heard North Dakota is nice."  It seems the "discovery" of Montana by outsiders has the locals none too happy.  The traffic surely ads to the frustration.  I decided to stop at the Costco in Missoula to procure a generator.  I also got other various supplies for the trip.  Missoula seemed to suffer from the traffic affliction as well.  While I performed that task, I dropped the rest of the crew in down town Missoula.  There is a park with an old restored Carousel open for all to ride.  The children had been given tickets for a free ride at the campsite on the way up.  They were elated.  They could not stop talking about how much fun they had at the park. It's incredible how children can get so much joy from such simple things.

Amy drove the rest of the way, as I was tired and fell asleep in the Navigators chair.  We again, traveled through the rolling foothills of Montana.  We dialed up a Podcast we are fond of on NPR.  Story Corps.  It is the stories of otherwise normal people and their stories.  This episode featured a soldier who was the only surviving member of his Platoon, after a road side bomb struck in Iraq.  It was memorable because you could feel the anguish and guilt in his voice at being the survivor.  He discussed his draw toward suicide.  I cannot imagine such a hell, and I hope he is able to make sense of it all and press forward with his life.  It is a task easier said than done I am sure. We headed South along the Gallatin river in Montana and arrived at our campground.  It is a nice smaller campground on the banks of the Gallatin river.  There is some road noise and many mosquitos, but a relaxing spot nonetheless.  The kids bickered as they were tired from the day before. To our joy, they had an open site with electrical hookups.  The Endeavor could charge her battery banks and prepare for the next stop.  I will return the generator.  We ate supper and told campfire stories. The children are ready for bed indeed.

Tomorrow, the Endeavor plans to link with an Allied ship, piloted by Amy's brother and family, the Corps of Discovery.  The combined crew should have a world of a time in Yellowstone.

 Day 12

A long day it was.

We decided to try and make Ranger led hike at 0930.  It started at the visitor center near our campsite and was led by a youngish Ranger named Steve from Wisconsin.  We mostly discussed changes in the forest and various types of tree stands. We did get to see a large beaver swimming right past us as we discussed beaver lodges. I ended up carrying Harris for most of it.

We then got back in our cars and made the 1.5 hour drive over the pass to the East side of the park.  The hike we decided on was called Grinnell lake. It is about 3.5 miles each way and mostly flat, terminating in a wonderful lake with great views.  This is heavily traveled area for grizzly bears.  The children did ok.  I suspect the first hike tired them.  They did enjoy the suspension bridge that they got to cross over a rapidly flowing river.  We spent about 30 minutes at the lake.  They enjoyed drinking the lake water from this filtration straw that I bought.  We noticed that there was a group of people that had made their way to the lake from a tour boat.  I could see the kids were tired, so I decided to ask if we could have a one way ticket. This was no problem.  The problem was, I had parked the car at the trailhead, not the boat dock.  This meant I had to do the return hike by myself.  Not the best idea in grizzly country.  No worries,  I booked it back to the trail head, singing along the way, hoping to give warning to any bears that might be lurking along a blind switchback.  I only encountered one moose, who wasn't pleased with my presence, so I continued on my way.

I ended up beating the others back to the boat dock.  We piled into the car and made the drive back over the pass, stopping of rice cream along the way.  We made a stop at Logan pass again as the kids wanted to play in the snow.  We hiked halfway up and absorbed the view, while the children ran and rolled down the steep snowy hill.  To our delight the parking lot area was filled with Bighorn sheep as we got back down.  The kids were thrilled to see so many of them up close.  By the time we got back to the trailer it was 1030 PM, still daylight.

Tomorrow we steer the Endeavor back South