A Snapshot and The Scoop: Musings on a Human Tendency, An East Coast Epic Story

Once a paved road along 15 miles of Assateague Island, a few crumbling concrete slabs are all that remains of Baltimore Boulevard. Built in the 50's and destroyed by a northeaster in 1962. A short hike among the seashore dunes takes you to a bit of this road, where you can see for yourself the devastating power of the ocean in a fury. Is it ever a good idea to build so close to a powerful, nearly unstoppable force of nature? Why is it human tendency to push boundaries and attempt the impossible? Of course, the park would be completely inaccessible to all without a boat and perhaps an ATV without a few paved roads, but what cost comes with trying to maintain permanent structures on something as fleeting as a barrier island? Visit the park and perhaps you'll find answers there.

2019 Wrap Up: It Was A Quiet Year

Muted. As far as travelling is concerned, it's been a quite year for me. I've been just exhausted this year, which has led me to choosing to stay home more often than not, spending my weekends, long weekends, and even longer breaks around holidays lounging around my house and yard. I have been able to get out and run, though, so I'm still spending plenty of time outdoors - on both streets and trails- so I'm not lacking in the sunshine department at least. I did manage to get a few trips in this year, so read on below for a recap:

I kicked off 2019 by taking a week-long vacation to the deserts of Arizona with my cat. Hoodoo and I volunteered at an ultra race along the borders of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, then we took off on our own to explore the deserts for a few days before heading home. We saw quite a bit of Arizona on our trip, and are already looking forward to going back again in the new year.

We adopted a new dog, and I "had" to travel to pick him up from my friend/his foster mom in Oklahoma. Bullet is a gentle, incredibly affectionate shepherd and fits in with our family like he's always belonged. And yeah, seeing Julia and her family while picking him up was the icing on the cake.

Callie, Hoodoo, and I took a weekend in late March to run away and look for alligators, and to spend a night on the gulf coast. We found plenty of gators, and while Hoodoo didn't appreciate the wind off the gulf we still got in a gorgeous sunrise stroll along the coast.

Hoodoo's and my trip to White Sands National Monument (now National Park!!) was . . . not great. It began with a hot day and a spectacular sunset followed by a lovely and quiet sunrise, then devolved into chaos and whipping sand and a flying tent with its occupants (us) still in it. One terrified cat, shredded tent, and broken wrist later, I don't think I'll be visiting White Sands again for a while. It took me six weeks to physically heal, and probably way longer than that to get over the disappointment of that disaster of a trip.

Despite still being in a wrist brace I took off by myself for ten days of driving and travelling around the east coast on what might be my most epic driving adventure to date. I visited 24 states plus Washington D.C. in that amount of time, saw the borders of Canada and the Atlantic Ocean, hit a ton of state and national parks, and tent camped most of those nights. It was a much needed retreat from normal life, and one of my top adventures of the year.

For the second year in a row LeakyCon was hosted in Dallas, and for the second year in a row I got tickets! Eleven year old me would never have forgiven myself if I had the chance to see Tom Felton (who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films) in person, and I am thrilled that I went.

For the sixth year in a row Torrey and I headed to Colorado in August, where we spent a week hiking 14,000 foot mountains, camping, sight-seeing, soaking in hot springs, and attempting but failing to backpack in sand dunes (no more sand dunes for me for a while, dammit!) We also went to Pikes Peak for the Ascent and Marathon for the sixth time, with me once again acting as cheerleader. We've got 49 more 14'ers to hike, and I can't wait for the years and adventures to come.

In September Jared and I actually travelled together and spent a weekend on the Texas Gulf Coast celebrating a friend's beautiful wedding. Not only did I get Jared to travel, but I even got him to go swimming in the Gulf with me! Talk about miracles!

Another wedding, this time for my cousin, led me back to Nebraska in October, where I hung out with family and celebrated a couple's love by partying the night away. It was a super short trip for me, with really only a single day and night with my family before turning around and heading home, but it was all the sweeter for it.

A day trip in November when Torrey came down to my neck of the woods for a visit found us in gator country along the Texas coast, where we saw quite a few of these reptiles and also made a trip to see the gulf before heading home at sunset. A long day with many hours in the car, but good company makes the miles and hours fly by.

On a random Saturday in mid-November I was heading north to meet my dad somewhere in Oklahoma to exchange a precious package: the little kitten pictured above, now named Nova, had been hit by a car the week prior while on my way in to work. I found her, began her recovery, and proceeded to bombard my family with pictures and videos of the little kitten with a bobbed tail who just wouldn't give up. My sister decided she wanted her, so my dad and I met up halfway between our homes for lunch and to get Nova to her new family. It might be the craziest adventure I've ever had: driving 12 hours for a one-hour lunch and to exchange a cat, but who cares. Nova is happy and healthy and now I get to see her any time I visit! It's a win for everyone.

Again, it's actually been a pretty quiet year this year. I travelled the least amount this year since I started tracking back in 2014, and while it seemed like it was okay while it was happening I now wish I'd made a little more effort throughout the year. Of course, some things that prevented my travels were beyond my control, but there's always next year to be more enthusiastic. Anyway, the usual stats are below:

Adventures: 11
Hours: 986.86
Miles Driven: 18,298
Total Cost: $3,078.92
States Visited: 29 plus Washington D.C.
Hiked: 59.6 miles
State Parks Visited: 6
National Parks Visited: 9
National Monument Visited: 3
National Forests Visited: 3
Wilderness Areas Visited: 1
National Seashore: 1
Navajo Tribal Park: 1
Number of Nights Tent Camping: 12
Number of Nights Sleeping IN the Car: 8
Number of Nights Backpacking: 2
Number of Nights in a Hotel: 4
Number of Nights in a House: 10
Number of Nights in an RV: 2
Animal Companions: 31
Human Companions: 33 plus various wedding guests

2020 is a new year, a fresh start, and I may or may not already have all of my vacation time planned out for the whole year. I've got several week-long trips booked already, with the first one beginning in February in the deserts. I just know this year is going to be a good one, so goodbye to the adventures of 2019 and hello to the new ones of 2020!

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Layered Water, an East Coast Epic Story

While exploring a barrier island along the Atlantic coast I found myself deep within a loblolly pine forest, wandering around in search of wild horses. I couldn't help but wonder how animals (and some plants) survive on the island considering the salt water that surrounds it, surely flooding the island during storms, and the relatively high water table that can't make life easy. Further research reminded me of a very important fact, one that I'd forgotten: salt water is more dense than fresh water. In the little forest pools like those pictured above, salt water from the water table and floods rests at the bottom of the pond, while fresh water from rain floats on top. This layered effect provides the drinking water necessary to support large and small fauna like horses, deer, rabbits, and more, while also providing a water source for those plants that aren't as salt-tolerant as loblolly pines. It was a neat little reminder that nature really does provide, and that life will find a way.

East Coast Epic: Island Escape

Gladdened. Nobody wants to go to the beach when it's storming, but I wasn't there for the beach. Well, not just for the beach. I made my way from New York down to Assateague Island National Seashore on the Maryland/Virginia coast, bound and determined to visit ever since I began following their social media accounts. You see, Assateague hosts a population of wild horses, and even though I don't consider myself a horse person these particular ones captured my attention and practically demanded to be seen. It was storming when I reached the visitor center, and continued to storm as I crossed the bay bridge onto the island proper, where I was immediately greeted by a group of horses standing on the side of the road in the downpour. I found the campground and waited out the rain in my car, pouring over the island map and noting which trails I wanted to explore. The roads are minimal on the island unless you have a vehicle that can handle driving on sand, so I was confined to the paved portions and wherever I could reach by foot. Which wasn't looking like anywhere with the storm still rolling through.

Eventually the rain lightened enough for me to make my way to the oceanside beach, where I was pelted with rain drops and sea spray but didn't give a shit because I was staring at the ocean. The Atlantic Ocean, which I couldn't help but note the fact that I was supposed to be staring at the Pacific Ocean, perhaps right that minute, if things had gone the way I thought my summer was going to go. Instead I was alone on the other side of the country, and couldn't find it in me to be upset about that fact. I watched the clouds roil above me and the ocean churn beyond the beach and all I felt was a giddy happiness that can only come from being right where I wanted to be.

Eventually the rain parted and the clouds lifted and glorious sunshine filled the sky, but I wouldn't have cared if it had kept raining all day. I was on a barrier island on the Atlantic Ocean, I'd already seen horses and knew I'd be seeing more, and I had a dry car to sleep in if I couldn't set my tent up. I had no care and no worries. I began exploring the island trails, first walking along a boardwalk on the bay side of the island, suspended above the brackish wetlands while watching blue crabs scuttle among the reeds. Then I wandered toward the center of the island where loblolly pines tolerate salty conditions to form forests that shelter horses, deer, and other wildlife. From there I traversed the sea dunes, that first line of defense between the ocean and the rest of the island.

I spent a lot of time at the beach, driving to different areas and walking as far as I wanted. It was almost chilly after the storm, the sky still partly cloudy and the threat of more rain on the horizon. I saw horses almost everywhere I went, though none as close in the campground where I eventually pitched my tent among damp grasses. The horses on Assateague are wild, and I had no desire to get within any sort of distance of them, happily observing them from my car while watching some not-so-smart people approach way too closely. It was recommended all over the island to treat the horses like you would a bear, which was advice I wholeheartedly embraced. I really didn't want to be bitten or kicked, especially considering I was still sporting my wrist brace.

Evening on the island settled softly, and there wasn't a drop of rain overnight. I woke before dawn, which is pretty usual on my travels, and made my way to the ocean to catch the sunrise. I was surprised to see quite a few people milling around, though whether they were still enjoying themselves from the night before or were up early like myself it was impossible to tell, and it didn't matter. I wasn't there for them. I pointed my lens to the east and waited for the sun.

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Kitten's First Beach

I went to the beach! While spending a weekend on the Gulf Coast of Texas there was no way I could pass up camping on a beach. Callie has been to the beach with me a few times, but this was Hoodoo's first trip . . . and it didn't really go well. My cat has no problem with water, but he really doesn't like the wind, and guess what happens on the beach. When he wasn't distracted by blowing feathers and flying bugs, Hoodoo made it pretty clear he had no desire to hang out in the wind. He was fine in the tent and behind something blocking the wind, but if he was exposed he meowed his displeasure. The only exception to that was just before sunrise, when I went for a walk with him and Callie before the world woke up. Hoodoo was thrilled to chase the bubbles in the surf, even braving a small wave that wet his paws. He pounced at the washed up sea grass and pawed at shells and took more than a few swipes at Callie when she shook the saltwater out of her fur after taking a dip. All in all, though, I probably won't be taking my cat back to the beach unless I can stop the wind, but I suppose there has to be some places that Hoodoo just isn't a fan of.

Leave me a comment below and tell me if your pet has a place that they don't seem to like. Where is it?

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Nature is an Artist

I have been so lazy about writing lately; it's not that I don't have time, or things to write about, it's just that by the time I go to sit down and write about my adventures I no longer have the brain power to do so. I'm not making any promises about being better in the near future, but let's consider this a fresh restart. I am two months in to my New Year's Resolution to go camping at least once a month (so far so good!) and I took the above picture on my first camping trip of the year in the middle of January on the Gulf Coast. It was a gloomy, foggy, chilly sort of weekend, but the sun peeked out from behind the dense clouds for a couple of glorious hours in the evening, and the molted colors on this shell caught my eye. Given that the sun and the surf eventually bleach all of the shells on the beach a stark white, the oranges and purples actually made me stop in my tracks. Callie, who was with me and was used to me stopping randomly to stoop down and look at something on the ground, just kept going on her merry way. She only came over to investigate when she heard the shutter on my camera clicking as I tried to find the perfect light and angle to capture the shell. I finally achieved what I wanted, and kept going, only to stop a few feet away to look at another shell. Oh, the joys of beachcombing.

According to Plan

Contented. Sometimes on my travels things don't go exactly according to plan. Actually, more often than not things don't go the way I envisioned them in my head when I planned out my adventure, and those times are what give me my stories. Who wants to hear about a trip where everything was choreographed and rigid? They don't make for fun stories, and I find myself only sharing the times on my adventures where something didn't happen like I thought it should. Even my short weekend get-aways, with less room for error due to time constraints, sometimes don't go the way I want them to. This year's birthday trip was no exception.

I like to take trips every year to celebrate my birthday. Given that I'm a January baby you would think that my options are limited as far as celebrations can go, but I was never one to shy away from a challenge. When I was younger my birthday trips were usually limited to a single day, usually ice skating or maybe driving to a museum or something. As I got older and more independent, I started travelling (go figure, right?) Now, traveling in the winter has its own logistical difficulties, but I always seemed to manage ok. I started exploring outdoors in the chill of mid-winter, first in my home state, followed the next year with a trip to Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park with a friend, and the year after that (last year) I spent a week by myself in the deserts of southern Utah. That trip in itself was an exercise in changes to my itinerary, what with me getting sick and the blizzards I encountered. This year, however, I wanted to go somewhere warm. I envisioned sunny beaches with that sea breeze that keeps everything from getting too hot, camping out in my tent with my pup while wearing shorts and a tank top. Lucky for me, I moved to Texas almost two years ago and the gulf coast is only four hours away, plus previous adventures had led me to a tiny little state park with no crowds. A perfect get-away for the birthday girl.

The day I left home it was foggy, threatening rain. I'd checked the forecast obsessively, making sure I wouldn't have to change my planned location, though I wasn't opposed to travelling further south down the coast until I found warmer skies. The forecast promised the fog would burn off by noon, so I timed my arrival at the park for 11am to ensure I got the perfect spot on the beach. Setting up a tent, which is essentially a giant sail, by yourself on the beach takes some skill and patience, and with only one minor mishap where I had to chase down my rainfly before it blew into the alligator infested marshes I managed to get the tent set up and pitched tightly against the strong breeze, all while dense grey fog swirled around me. The sea was indistinguishable from the sand and the sky.

With the tent up, I waited. And waited. Noon came and went, and the fog only seemed to thicken. I took Callie on a walk along the water where she enjoyed chasing the waves and bringing me seagrass that washed up with the tide. If I wasn't paying attention I could have lost her in the fog that turned everything into the same monochromatic grey. Everything was diluted, even the bright red paint of my car. My grey tent with orange linings all but disappeared, and the only reason I found my way back to it was by walking along the edge of the dunes until I nearly walked into it. As 2 o'clock came and went, I crawled into my tent to try to keep my dog and I a little dry. It didn't matter; everything was damp from the fog that swirled around outside. Finally, an hour before sunset, the fog lifted and sunlight sifted in through the clouds, giving a false warmth to the drenched beach. I crawled out of my tent, but my hopes of lying on a beach while the sun warmed my bones had been dashed hours before. Instead I curled up in the last rays of the sun, wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, and read my book until the light became too dim to continue outside. The fog was moving back in from the ocean, and Callie and I crawled back into the tent for the night.

My one last holdout for the weekend was one of the spectacular beach sunrises that I've come to love so much, but Mother Nature wasn't having it. The fog that had begun creeping back in at sunset the night before enveloped everything in just as dense and damp of a mist as the previous day, and I found myself packing my tent just after what should have been sunrise. Instead, I got to watch the grey mist develop from a dark charcoal fog that blocked out all light into an ethereal landscape that held no shape or feature. After one final walk along the water's edge (only discernable by the wetness of the water washing between our toes, because we sure couldn't see much) Callie and I loaded up into the car and left the park. It wasn't exactly what I had envisioned when I thought about a beach trip for my birthday, but I find myself still happy that I went. Fog on the ocean and beach is something I hadn't experienced before, and now I can say I have. Next time though, I want some sun!

2016 Wrap-Up: Do What You Love

It's that time again, the time of year where I reflect on each of my travels, compile a list of stats such as how much I drove, how long I travelled, the number of miles I hiked, and so on. I've been a lot of places this year, and done a lot, but the definite highlight of my entire year is getting engaged to my best friend at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Read on below to see what else I've been up to.

At the beginning of January I spent a week in the high deserts of southern Utah and northern Arizona. Starting in Canyonlands National Park and winding my way through four of the big five national parks in southern Utah (Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion - I only missed Arches) plus several smaller parks in Arizona, I got my first real taste of winter camping in below freezing temperatures, blizzards, bad roads, and ice. Even with getting pretty sick during the first few days of the trip it was still an awesome taste of a new season in a familiar location, and something that I would love to do again. 

A short and sweet visit to some friends in Stillwater, Oklahoma at the beginning of February reminded me that the southern states get cold, but not cold enough to ice the lakes during winter months. We spent the weekend chatting, drinking wine, and exploring the area in and around Stillwater, a new town to add to my list of places visted!

I took off on Valentine's Day to explore my own little slice of East Texas, starting at Martin Creek Lake State Park, passing through a couple national forests and ending with Mission Tejas State Park. I made it clear to the Louisiana border and halfway south to Houston before completing my loop and heading home. 

The last weekend of February found me in and around Hill Country of central Texas. I visited several state parks, including Guadalupe River State Park, before meeting my little brother at the River Walk in San Antonio. Austin was stationed in San Antonio at the time and had the weekend off, so I made the drive to the area over a weekend and got to know the hills. I loved them so much I went back later!

At the beginning of March my sister came to visit me, and we took off to the gulf coast at Sea Rim State Park. I was kicking myself for not getting to the coast before! The ocean is amazing, and when we can camp right on the beach, falling asleep to the sound of waves and wind, it is heaven. Plus the sunrises are long and lingering, and perfect. Also, beach weather in March is something I can get on board with! Lisha and I made a stop at NASA too, taking one of their tours of the facility and making the nice weather in Houston last a little while longer before heading home. 

The weekend after St. Patrick's Day I headed north and east to Hot Springs National Park, the most urbanized national park I've ever visited. While I wasn't prepared for the buildings and crowds, even on the "nature" trails, I managed to find some solitude on the more remote paths. I also visited Ouichita National Forest on a whim, discovering several little recreation sites that I made a mental note to visit again during the summer.

I finally went backpacking in April! I received my backpack for Christmas last year but didn't have a chance to use it until April, when I ran away to Palo Duro Canyon State Park in west Texas. I took my favorite little adventure dog with me, and we spend two days exploring the second biggest canyon in the states, hiking 16+ miles and weathering a couple of thunderstorms while out in the backcountry. At least my first night was memorable!

At the end of April my dad and sister came down to Texas for a long weekend, and they, Jared and myself took off to San Antonio for our time together. We had originally meant to go to Houston, the coast and NASA, but Houston was under water at the time and we had to go with Plan B. Cue long days and nights full of drinking on the River Walk! We stopped at Longhorn Cavern State Park on the way, taking a tour of the cave I had visited on my February Hill Country adventure. It was the third year in a row that I had taken a trip with my dad, and I can't wait for next year's adventure!

Jared and I flew in to Orlando in May, visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and got engaged!!! He really did everything right, planned it all out, and just in general made our short stay in Florida amazing. Best trip of the year right here!

A short visit to Nebraska over Memorial Day weekend included lots of family time, a visit to a winery and a chocolate factory, and meals with friends. Long weekends seemed to be the main form of my travels this year, and there is nothing wrong with that. Short visits but plenty of them make the months in between seem not so long. 

The first weekend of June found me and Callie back in west Texas at Caprock Canyons State Park where we backpacked out onto a loop trail, hiked up and down bluffs and canyons, found a fern oasis and a bison herd, and located the sloppiest puddle of red mud for Callie to roll in. I turned my white dog orange.  

I went back to Sea Rim State Park over a weekend in June, spending two nights and two spectacular sunrises on the beach, with a full day of sunbathing and shell-searching in between. I finally saw a pack of feral hogs at a nearby national wildlife refuge (a Texan animal I hadn't seen yet) and tried to canoe out into the salt marshes with limited success. But really, there is nothing like those cotton candy sunrises. 

Also in June myself and two of my best friends managed to find a weekend that we all had off and met in Stillwater, OK again, this time to take a much-needed girls' weekend. We talked, drank wine, made s'mores and kayaked for the first time (at least, my first time)! I discovered a boat that I actually liked, and can see myself owning a kayak just as soon as I get a vehicle that can transport it. 

My sister and I decided on a whim to go backpacking in Great Sand Dunes National Park, and went for it over the weekend of the 4th of July. She hadn't backpacked before and I'd never backpacked in the park, so it was a learning experience for both of us. Our first night we actually stayed in a local campground and endured hail, lightning, thunder and torrential rain, making me very thankful we weren't on the dunes at the time. The next night, however, the rain cleared off and we headed out. It was amazing. I also took Lisha to Zapata Falls, introducing her to the so-cold-it-burns waters of the creek and the little canyon the falls cut for themselves out of the cliff. 

The last week of July wasn't a happy one; I lost my little love, Meeka, and ran away with Callie and a friend for a day just to get away from my own head. I find peace when I'm on the road and in destinations that are beautiful, so we headed to central Arkansas and Ouichita National Forest to do some exploring on the forest service roads. We spent all day in the Ouichita Mountains, revisiting the recreation sites I had found during my March visit, and finding a few new ones along the way. I also found the peace I was looking for, so that definitely helped. 

Julia came to visit me the first weekend of August and we spent a few hours one day canoeing around Caddo Lake State Park and the surrounding waterways. Hot summer days, green forests, good friends, and my dog make everything better, and were just what I needed.

My next big adventure of the year was the week I spent in Colorado with Torrey. We went all over the place, but focused our time on hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park (we touched a glacier!), backpacking a couple nights in Great Sand Dunes National Park, and being in Manitou Springs for the Pike's Peak Ascent and Marathon, as we have the past two years. 

I took nearly six weeks off of travelling to try to get myself pulled back together, but finally got back on the road at the beginning of October. I took my dog to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas where we spent two days hiking all over the small park, most notably to Cedar Falls, where Callie became the star of the day by diving into the plunge pool and entertaining the hoards of people lined up around the edge.

On one of the last days of October I took Callie out again, this time to Brazos Bend State Park and Galveston Island State Park along the gulf coast of Texas. We looked for and found alligators at Brazos Bend, and Callie saw the ocean for the first time at Galveston Island. It's safe to say she's a water dog!

I made a surprise trip back home to Nebraska mid-November, much to my mother's delight. It really was a three day visit where I mostly hung out with my family and took pictures of their cats. Ya know, as you do. 

Ten days before the anniversary of my personal-record-breaking hike I was at it again at Big Thicket National Preserve, hiking 20.42 miles in 7 hours, 8 minutes and breaking my personal best distance record yet again. This time, however, I had my little white dog to keep me motivated and entertained for the duration of the hike. This little terrier led me almost the whole way, and if she wasn't leading me she was right in step with me. She's the perfect hiking companion!

Weekend before last I met up with Julia again, this time at a cabin on the Blue River in southern Oklahoma. We talked, explored the river and woods, scouted out the nearby Tishamingo National Wildlife Refuge, and otherwise enjoyed the time we had together. 

My last trip of the year is the one I just got back from. I headed back up to Nebraska to see my family and friends for Christmas, and spent the week getting a taste of the winter I don't miss. I spent lots of time with family, had a little time to spend with friends, and started to wedding plan with my sister. I also took way too many pictures of my parent's cats. Yay for family!

I have obviously been busy this year, though I have to admit that my heart was into it more before I lost Meeka. Not only did I mourn for a long time, sucking a lot of my energy from me, but I also lost interest in planning any of my travels. I'm sure that has something to do with the lack of energy I've felt lately. I've also been sucking at writing, both on this blog and in my travel journals, but I've promised myself to get back into it during the new year. I have picked my travels back up in the past couple months, and I'm already planning several longer adventures for 2017, but I don't know about the smaller ones. I guess we'll see.

Below I've listed out my usual stats for the year. I have definitely increased my travels over last year, and I'm excited for what 2017 will hold!

Number of Adventures: 23
Time Spent Travelling: 1,504 hours, 46 minutes
Number of Nights Camping: 19
Number of Nights in Someone's House: 22
Number of Nights in a Hotel: 10
Number of Nights Driving: 2
Total Cost: $5.152.38
Number of States Visited: 10
Distance Driven: 23,387 miles
Distance Hiked: 148.39 miles
Number of National Parks/Monuments/Rec Areas/Wildlife Refuges:16
Number of State Parks: 11
Number of Human Companions: 44
Number of Furry Companions: 18

A huge shout out to every single person who accompanied me on my travels, and I hope you all know how much you mean to me. I wouldn't have traveled with you if I didn't enjoy your company!

Bring it, 2017!