As we approach the end of 2019 the plans for the next 6 months start to come together. We are now ready to wrap up the Roadtrip 2019 leg and are setting out before Thanksgiving.

Let’s get going already

Packing and loading are underway

Where to next?

This is the first year with us being more on the road through the holidays. This year we will spend some family time in Arizona and Christmas we will spend with just the two of us….the rig and Mr. Cooper included.

Right after Thanksgiving is simple but after that it may turn into some winging it as we explore New Mexico’s winter mountains followed by Texas’ winter beaches.

First up is Sedona, AZ. We’ve never camped near Sedona and we’re looking forward to heading there after Thanksgiving. Following Arizona, we’ll explore a some sites in central and northern New Mexico before heading south into Texas. Eventually, we’ll land at the gulf and on the beach. New Years on the beach…what could be better?

Intended route and sites

Desert landscapes, New Mexico mountains and Texas beach here we come!

We’re very much looking to repeat the camping on the beach experience without the humidity and heat we had last year! Pictures were taken on Padre Island National Seashore, August 2018.

Joshua Tree National Park

This is our 2nd visit to the park and I can envision a few more before I can say I’ve visited everything. There are numerous trails to hike and boulders to climb. Visitors can come in off of HWY 62 (North and West of the park) or HWY 10 (South end of the park).

This trip we focused on entering from the south and spending a full day with a hike and just exploring this end of the park. We hiked the Lost Horse Mine trail 4 miles and drove 18 miles into the back country on the Geology Tour Road.

Joshua Trees and Boulders

We climbed and walked around a couple boulder areas for fun. I’m still working on my boulder hopping skills (I really have none).

  • Arch, but noticed the Heart!
  • The Arch
  • Keeping it balanced

Hiking to Lost Horse Mine

Alltrails.com hike details rate the hike as moderate. It is 4 miles out and back and has 515′ elevation gain. Gold was mined from 1895 to 1906. This hike took us less than 2 hours. The trail is very rocky but not overally difficult.

Driving down Geology Tour and Berdoo Canyon roads

We took a short break before setting off and aired down the jeep tires. Unfortunately, the park brochures describing where to stop along the 1st 9 miles were unavailable; we just enjoyed the drive. After 9 miles, non 4WD vehicles can loop back to the entrance and 4WD vehicles are recommended beyond that point. We continued down through the canyon and out of the park. I enjoyed learning how to put these video clips together and a video sure does provide more context than a simple photo would.

Where to next?

Arizona and more desert then family time and enjoying Thanksgiving!