The last leg of this cross country journey had us reflecting on the trip and all the remarkable people and places we visited. As we journeyed up Hwy 395 on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, climbing into evergreen forests and watching the snowy peaks go by, we felt welcomed home to familiarContinue reading “Home, Sweet Home”
Author Archives: John & Armen Carlon
Home Stretch
As we crossed the state line from Arizona into Nevada, it started to feel like our journey was winding down, even though we had several hundred miles to go. We also were feeling the effects of closures due to the growing cloud of coronavirus. Since our options were dwindling for places to stay, we startedContinue reading “Home Stretch”
Bye, Arizona
Well, given that we didn’t have any solid plans for this cross country road trip, we had hoped for a little more exploration and flexibility than what we ended up with toward the end. We did have amazing luck considering how things have evolved over the last two months. We have been introduced to andContinue reading “Bye, Arizona”
Traveling Under The Cloud of COVID-19
As we made our way west, homeward bound, we continued to try and avoid population centers. We detoured off I-10 at Bowie, AZ and headed south toward Ft. Bowie National Historical Site, down a long, slow, gravel, washboardy road (thanks again, Google Maps!). There were quite a few cars there, and our ultimate destination wasContinue reading “Traveling Under The Cloud of COVID-19”
Sands & Springs
We descended the mountains of Lincoln National Forest into the town of Alamogordo, NM to buy food. This was the first time we’d really seen evidence of people scrambling for supplies, and we saw many shelves empty of paper products, bakery & dairy items, and zero eggs. Fortunately for us, we like stuff like organicContinue reading “Sands & Springs”
Racing the Closures
As we prepared to exit Texas, we had one more stop before crossing the state line into New Mexico. We turned north off I-10 and headed up Hwy 54 to Guadalupe Mountains National Park – ever heard of this one? Neither had we! From a distance, they were beautiful and severe. We had called aheadContinue reading “Racing the Closures”
Texas, Take Two
We began our route up towards the Texas hill country. We got a space in a park in Austin, and things were starting to become more clear that keeping a safe space from others was going to be a good idea. People in Austin hadn’t really got the message yet, because aside from SXSW cancelingContinue reading “Texas, Take Two”
Social Distancing on a XC Road Trip
I have to say something about the elephant in all our rooms. This thing happened (and is still happening in a big way). A new virus called COVID-19 has emerged in the world and is impacting life as we know it. It’s weird. People are falling ill, people are dying, people are scrambling to accommodateContinue reading “Social Distancing on a XC Road Trip”
Gulf Coast, Revisited
We really enjoyed traveling along the Gulf Coast when we moved eastward, and we decided to explore a little more heading west. John had set up a fishing trip in Orange Beach, Alabama, so we were able to get a really nice campsite at yet another gorgeous state park, called Big Lagoon, which was justContinue reading “Gulf Coast, Revisited”
West Coast Florida, Revisited
We had an opportunity to visit with some fine folks in Naples, Florida, so this set the route back up the west coast rather than going up the eastern seaboard. We spent one night before Naples back in Everglades National Park, but in a different area (it’s a huge park), and a new campground –Continue reading “West Coast Florida, Revisited”
John & Armen On The Road 