We finally had a chance to hike! The weather is misty, but we hiked anyway! Our hike was about 5 miles and followed a creek. We crossed about 10 small bridges and the last one was a noisy swinging bridge. We saw several small waterfalls along the way.

And made it back just as the rain started. Good timing! The next day we headed for Texas. We arrived without a reservation and were turned away as the park was closed for a hunt. So, we went another hour south to a park on the Texas/Louisiana border that we have stayed in before. It is on a bayou and kind of eerie in the mist.

But it is almost 60 degrees, so even if it rains we shouldn’t be cold. After one more rainy day, three days of sun are predicted finally. We haven’t seen much of old sol yet!

Day 1    We are set to leave on our annual adventure with an 8 am ETD. Snow overnight means we must wait for the snowplow service to come and clear the drive. Okay, now it's 9 am and we are set to leave. Not so fast! We get stuck at the end of the drive! Denny runs up to get the car and a bucket of salt and we try again. Nope. We slide backward almost into a tree. Then we remember we have a cat, but more importantly kitty litter, with us. So, after dumping a whole box of litter on the drive, we are finally able to get out and on the road. Denny waits in the road while I drive the car back up and run back down the driveway. Final departure time is 9:45.

And yes, our 19-year-old cat, Kismet, who was supposedly dying from kidney failure 2 years ago, is alive and well and on her 3^rd winter vacation with us! We ended our day at a pet-friendly hotel in Effingham, Illinois, after 10 hours of driving. We are exhausted but there is no snow. It is above 50 degrees and tomorrow we will de-winterize the RV and start camping!

Day 2   After a bad night’s sleep (the beds were hard, and the cat meowed all night) we are back on the road. It is foggy but warmish, so we head to our second night’s spot in Arkansas where we de-winterize. It is now 60 degrees and we are able to go for a walk before dark! Even Kismet went for a short leash walk! Her old bones appreciate the warmth too!

Day 3    Finally, it’s spa day! As usual, it is foggy and misty in Hot Springs, but the temperature is in the high 60s. The price at Buckstaff Baths has gone up a bit but it’s still a bargain. I threw in a paraffin bath for my hands too! The masseuse told me I have very soft skin. I laughed and wondered who she had been massaging lately. Alligators? 😊

People filling bottles at one of the many free water-filling stations in Hot Springs.

We’re staying in a state park a little south of Hot Springs for a couple of days before heading towards Texas. There is a cold front coming and as usual we are trying to outsmart it!

After Santa Fe, I wanted to head into Colorado, but a lot of the mountain passes (as well as the campgrounds) were still closed. So we headed back down to Texas and one of our favorite parks, Palo Duro Canyon in Amarillo. Last time we were here, the campground headquarters burned down in the middle of the night. Thankfully, this time was a little less exciting, although still beautiful.

A large cave that we climbed into.

Our morning view from the motor home.

After a quick stop in Missouri, where we stayed at Meramec State Park and visited a few caves, it was on to a quick overnight in Illinois.

Trying to decide if we should go in....

The next day we stopped in Indiana to see my cousin who has been ill. Then we made a beeline for home arriving Monday, April 9th, one day ahead of schedule.

We were gone 85 days during which we drove 7500 miles, walked over 400 miles, and according to Denny, who keeps records of everything, went through 26 rolls of toilet paper. 😁

Now we have to do mounds of laundry, clean the motor home and get our taxes done!
Until next year........

When we turn toward home, it seems we don't do anything but drive. Although I want to be home to see family and kitties, I think we should make the trip home fun too.
So we headed toward Santa Fe by way of Flagstaff. Between Flagstaff and Santa Fe we stopped to see Meteor Crater. It is one of the largest in the world at almost a mile across and 500 feet deep. If the Washington Monument was placed on the bottom, it would just reach the top!

As we drove into New Mexico, we stopped at El Malpais National Monument, specifically to see Bandera Volcano and Ice Caves, short but interesting hikes.

Down into the ice cave!

And, again beautiful scenery!

We asked Trevor for suggestions of things to do in Santa Fe and he suggested Meow Wolf. It is a crazy interactive art event that defies explanation. It is in a large warehouse with multiple levels and has convoluted rooms and staircases and displays. You can touch almost anything and find something unexpected. You might open a cupboard and find a movie playing. I opened the refrigerator in the kitchen and found a small passage into another area. You could also enter closets and exit out the back into a new area. We were in a fluorescent aquarium at one time, a forest another time.

With the diver in the aquarium

Metal art

This is the only one at this time but they are opening several in other cities. So much fun! Everyone should go if they get a chance!

The next day we visited another national monument, Bandelier National Monument, which was home to beautiful mountain scenery, Frijoles Canyon and Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings. You had to climb four ladders to get into the top room, the Alcove room, which was up 140 feet. Denny quit after the first ladder. It was steep and quite narrow and he doesn't like heights. There had been some snow the previous night making it even more interesting. 😄

Halfway up, resting and waiting for my turn on the next ladder

What goes up, must come down! Down was a bit more scary!

Isn't he cute!

Denny got a photo of Abert's squirrel, native to only this region. Note the cute little ear tufts!