Val in Real Life LLC

Category: Exploring

Dive in to my adventures and travels of all kinds here. From outdoors to urban and via foor, auto, motorcycle, or as a full-time RVer, I’ve embraced adventures of all kinds.

  • Getting to Work at The Hike Inn

    Getting to Work at The Hike Inn

    I’m an unabashed fan of the Len Foote Hike Inn. It’s a place everyone should visit at least once in their lives and it’s one of Georgia’s amazing granola getaways…simple, peaceful, cozy.

    I’ve written about the Hike Inn before but back in February, I actually got to combine the Hike Inn with the awesome that is the Georgia Conservancy.

    But wait…it gets even better. You see, the Georgia Conservancy and the Hike Inn teamed up for a volunteer weekend so we could enjoy the Inn for a couple of nights at a discounted rate in return for some manual labor. Let me tell you, that’s a granola trifecta!

    The great folks who worked their tails off in the freezing cold.

    The Hike Inn…

    A refreshing five-mile hike to the lodge and all you need is your personal items. Simple as that. They provide the food as well as linens. There’s a sunrise room, showers, books, friendly staff and fellow visitors, and usually some sort of entertainment like a storyteller. The food always leaves everyone raving. The view is rejuvenating.

    The lodge is eco-friendly in both construction and operation so you can relax guilt-free. And relax you can in this device-free zone. People of all ages and experience come through the Hike Inn. And minus the distractions of our electronic age, these people come together to play games, do puzzles, and chat in the sunrise room.

    Even after a vigorous 5-mile hike, George was ready to explore the Hike Inn.
    Take a load off and soak up the Hike Inn.

    The Georgia Conservancy…

    In addition to the great work they do for our state and the fact that they’re super nice, the folks at The Georgia Conservancy also know how to run an outing. We had a great time paddling the Okefenokee with them because of their casual but attentive approach. I knew their handling of the Hike Inn volunteerfest would be no less fabulous. They did not disappoint.

    And while we’re still indie travelers by-and-large, I would happily sign up for one of their programs again…if I could manage to find one that fits into our bizarre calendar.

    Even with all we accomplished, there was still plenty of time to enjoy all the offerings…

    Volunteering…

    So as for the work, there was such a variety for all ability levels and inclinations from chopping wood, to clearing brush, to cleaning the game room. Everyone could do something, even the kids who came along. The Hike Inn staff members were amazed by what we were able to accomplish and that was even with having to call it quits early due to some surprise sub-freezing weather. It just goes to show how much progress can be made when a motivated group comes together to improve something they care about.

    A lovely place to thaw out your fingers after a cold, blustery day of outdoor work.

    Extra special…

    For ages, we’ve been trying to find volunteer opportunities that include kids only to come up empty. It seems the minimum age we can find for events has been ten but in most cases 14, usually because of liability. That makes involving Fred and George in community projects at an age when they’re most receptive (i.e. much younger) a bit difficult wouldn’t you say?

    Imagine my delight when this opportunity came up. I couldn’t sign up fast enough! We so appreciate the Hike Inn and the Georgia Conservancy for creating an event that allowed us to foster a sense of community in our little minions. Even though they don’t necessarily produce the amount of work an adult might, they still get to be a part of something bigger than themselves which plants the seed for greater involvement later on.

    Jester and Fred helped out with log chopping…they really did. Don’t let the picture fool you.

    The world according to Fred and George…

    So what did they think of all this? The Hike Inn was a huge hit and they’d readily tackle the hike again to be able to go back. George reports that using the loppers to cut away brush was his favorite work activity and he certainly went at it with gusto. Fred was fascinated by the wood chopper which remains his most distinct memory of the work portion of the weekend.

    The funny thing is that they were more inclined to work because it wasn’t at home. The contagious let’s-get-it-done attitude of our fellow volunteers certainly caught on with the them. Seeing other kids taking on some pretty big tasks motivated them to try some things they probably would have groaned about in their own yard.

    As far as the Inn itself, they both adored the sunrise room with all of it’s puzzles, blocks, and games but I think it was the wide variety of people to play with that made those activities stand out for them. Exploring the grounds held great fascination for them as well. Fred’s imagination was clearly in overdrive as he meandered about, mesmerized by the buildings and winter-barren forest.

    The moon was trying to compete with the orange glow of sunrise.

    Final thoughts..

    Obviously I had a great time on many levels. Aside from getting Fred and George a volunteer opportunity with one of my favorite organizations at one of my favorite places in the world, I got to work alongside some fascinating, friendly people. Of course, we got to experience of the granola trifecta in that regard, but even if you can’t make it to something that epic, by all means, at least do each one separately.

    So one last time, here are the links to get you started on fabulous Georgia adventures…and if you have questions, I’m always here for you.

    Now go!

    And now for your moment of green…

    They didn’t work us so hard we couldn’t get up to catch the first peek of the sun over the mountains.
  • Geowoodstock to TBEX: In and Out of the Land of Leopold

    Geowoodstock to TBEX: In and Out of the Land of Leopold

    So our Geowoodstock to TBEX adventure hit a few bumps in Wisconsin as we ventured into the Land of Leopold. But our tales were not all of misery. In this segment, we dip a little further in before we head back out…

    This motley crew got their Vitamin N at the fabulous Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

    Turning the tide…

    One of the places I have long wanted to visit is The Leopold Center along the Baraboo River for obvious granola reasons. Of course, dogs aren’t allowed so I did some investigation into potential doggy daycare for His Beagleness. In the end just didn’t feel good about the options so I trusted my gut and decided I would have to forego a visit on this trip.

    Not all was lost because Madison, WI is home to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. And my friend Tracy had recently moved to the area. And her boys are as fabulously geeky as Fred and George. And she offered to let the pup stay at her place while we all ventured to the Nature Center. Sometimes things do come together.

    Aldo Leopold Nature Center…

    After getting carried away catching up, we eventually made our way to the Center to let the kiddos explore. Being late afternoonish on a random weekday (a Wednesday I think), it was nearly deserted. With limited time, we skipped the museum part and ventured out onto the grounds to see what we could see.

    Focused mainly on just hanging out with our crew, I hadn’t lugged my tripod with me which was a huge mistake. There was so much to soak in I could have spent days shooting all of the plants and birds there. I did manage a few hand-held shots to give you an idea of the granola-naturey goodness…

    Granola mecca…the Aldo Leopold Nature Center
    Geeks gone wild….
    An surprise encounter with a Sandhill Crane made my day.
    “Pond”ering the green…
    The moan-inducing pie at Hubbard Avenue Diner. They are not shy with the coconut. That’s a good thing.

    Middleton…

    So on our way back to camp at Devil’s Lake, Tracy’s dining recommendation was sitting on my shoulder, whispering sweet nothings about the offerings to be had at the Hubbard Avenue Diner. Gee, camp food or likely the best pie I’ve ever tasted? Um yeah, I succumbed to the temptation of epic pie and we found ourselves having dinner in Middleton, a fabulous little town outside of Madison.

    George mocking my enthusiasm for mustard. And after I shared my pie with him. Booger.

    The Hubbard Avenue Diner is a throwback, nostalia-land kind of place in the true diner sense. Lots of blue, red, and chrome to fill out the retro feel. Dinner was fine for all of us but it was really just a technicality we needed to address before we got to the pie the Diner is famous for.

    Fred ordered the apple, George went for something blueberry-themed, and after some tough decision-making, I opted for the coconut cream. Fred, in typical pre-teen style inhaled his and reported that it was good. (That’s all I get these days…) George barely touched his because he was too distracted by mine. My pie became “our” pie…or rather, his pie that I got a few bites of. [Note to friends…you can measure my esteem of you by my willingness to share anything coconut or peanut butter. Clearly George ranks pretty high in my book. ;)]

    Anyway, adequately stuffed to the gills with fabulous pie, we took a little time to take a look around town. Things were pretty much shut down by that time, the streets quiet except around the diner. It was a striking place…clean, idyllic, approachable. Very cool. It even left an impression on little George who now counts it among his favorite small towns.

    But the best part was…the National Mustard Museum! Yep, as well as coconut and peanut butter, I’m a fan of mustard. So when we saw the sign for the museum I squealed with delight and ran to the doors…only to find I’d arrived after hours. Fighting back the tears like my ice cream had just toppled to the ground, I peered through the windows at all things mustard. Alas, it was not to be…

    Another great surprise discovery thanks to geocaching. Our quest for a Minnesota smiley led us to a boat ramp along the Root River. The beagle approves.

    Exiting Wisconsin…

    …because our time in Wisconsin had come to an end. We had two full road days ahead of us to get to the west side of North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. With an early morning appointment in Madison for a Blubaru oil change, we had to blitz camp break and haul ourselves there from Baraboo in time, then get to the business of covering some miles.

    Somewhere in Minnesota…

    Of course, the weather decided it would save rain for our last night so we’d have to be soggy packing up camp…which is really not good for a tent…especially when you’re not planning on breaking it back out right away for drying.

    So we pushed through as far as we could, hoping to get to Fargo and geocaching along the way as usual. This required a less-than-direct route to catch the corner of Iowa. It also put us trying to skirt St. Paul at rush hour. That cost us a good bit of time and with a wet tent that needed attention, we stopped at a hotel somewhere well before Fargo in hopes of giving Big Agnes some air as well as finding some laundry facilities. Ah the glamour of travel…oil changes, tent drying, and laundry!

    Camp Granola tent-drying technique. Make sure you close the stake webbing in the doors so it doesn’t blow away. Just a little hint.

    Looking back on Wisconsin…

    So our time in Wisconsin was a mixed bag but I do have to give the state its due. Wisconsin is entirely gorgeous. I generally save repeat visits for very special places and I think I’ll have a do-over with Wisconsin someday…a second first-date if you will. I’m certain it will be worth it.

    Many thanks to “old” friends for showing us around and letting His Beagleness sniff their house practically to pieces. You’re the best!

    And now for your moment of green…

    More like the moment of cute right?
  • Geowoodstock to TBEX: Into the Land of Leopold…

    Geowoodstock to TBEX: Into the Land of Leopold…

    So when I last left you in the tale of our Geowoodstock to TBEX expedition dear readers, Camp Granola was exiting Indiana. As I mentioned back in May, George had a “No State Left Behind” policy for our travels. And since we had to grab Michigan, we figured we might as well slip a little further north which is how we found ourselves in…

    Oh Canada…

    Originally I’d set ambitious sights on Point Pelee National Park. Well, as road trips go sometimes, you have to make adjustments. It became clear we simply weren’t going to make it that far, much less get be able to get camp set up at a decent time. So instead of pushing hard to Point Pelee we opted for a quick overnight stay in Windsor, Ontario which would give us a little more time in the Dakotas later on.

    George’s excitement for caching can be contagious. He just gets so giddy about filling in his geocaching map.

    With barely a dip of our Camp Granola toe into Canada, we blasted out our first international caches, much to George’s delight. We chose to explore a park that was ripe with caches and in true geocaching form, it was a great choice. Malden Park was a delight of lake and trails and we would have passed right by if not for our geocaching quest.

    In addition to getting an eyeful of exotic-to-us trees and plants, we got a very quick education on Canada’s mosquitos-of-great-size-and-voracity as we searched for a cache near a lushly-vegetated creek. Roadschooling at it’s finest folks! Why read about the insects of far-off places when you can actually go there and get a real experience. (Pass the cortisone cream please…)

    To the Land of Leopold…

    With the road calling us westward, we flitted back out of Canada and pushed through the great states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, our sights on Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin. A journey to the Land of Leopold seemed quite appropriate for our lengthy expedition. Having never set foot in the state before, I was very intrigued to experience the place that inspired Aldo Leopold to pen A Sand County Almanac. Call it a sort of tree-hugger pilgrimage if you will.

    Devil’s Lake State Park…

    In spite of the endless tolls and traffic through and around Chicago we managed to make it to camp at a decent time…which is good because Devil’s Lake is one of Wisconsin’s most popular parks and we didn’t have a reservation. This is the camper’s version of living on the edge. There were simply too many variables about when we’d make it to Wisconsin to set anything in stone. The way our trip was going, I wasn’t sure we’d arrive that night even though we were making a beeline for it.

    Our best times in Baraboo were taking it easy around camp…

    We did make it there, however, and all of the stress of the previous two-days of playing road warrior instantly evaporated as we entered the park and were treated to a fabulous view of Devil’s Lake. Not that I took any pictures mind you…you’ll just have to take my word for it. Or go see for yourself.

    Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised by the soft, inviting grass campsites and knew this would be a great home for a few nights. Our grass-covered campsite made for wonderful tent-pitching and sleeping…so soft and lush. Of course, a nearby playground with a dash of a few other kids meant Fred and George gave me their pleading eyes to be let off the hook for camp chore duty. Sucker that I am I agreed. They’d been pretty good troopers through those two blitz days and I figured they earned a break. (See, I’m not a total taskmaster!)

    Overall Devil’s Lake was an excellent park but we didn’t actually dig in to all the possibilities there. Sure we grabbed a few geocaches on some cool trails, but by-and-large we explored outside of the park or just loafed around camp to offset the hecticness of the previous legs of our trip. There were quite a few kids around during our stay and since the boys were content to get some play time with people their own age…and who aren’t their mom…I used my window of opportunity to pluck away at the keyboard in a fabulous, relaxing setting.

    On the Baraboo town square.

    A groovy Devil’s Lake bonus was that our campground loop ended up being perfect for a rare road-trip jogging session. Fred and George have a tendency to loaf around in the tent in the morning so I jumped on my chance to get in a quick 5K before they began clammoring for breakfast. The C-Loop at Devil’s Lake was fantastic because I could be in sight of our tent as well as check in with the minions as I trundled by. It was also a big-enough loop that I didn’t feel like I was running in little circles. Certainly I’d prefer a nature trail but you just have to take what you can get right?

    So our time at the park was fairly low-key, but that’s not to say there weren’t few extra-memorable moments. Like the night of the howlers. See, with Fred, George, and Dobby bedded down for the night, I settled into my usual perch in a chair at the back of Big Agnes to get some work done. I was trying to compose posts through the swarm insects attracted to the warm glow of my laptop display. Keep in mind this is harder than you’d think given the sheer volume of summer insect-life Wisconsin has to offer! I finally managed to find my writing groove when some fellow campers at the far end of the campground decided to partake of a late-night howling session…presumably at the moon, but it wasn’t even full at the time so I can’t be certain. Chalk that one up to yet another bizarre camping experience and an extreme test of my ability to concentrate.

    Baraboo…

    One of the places that required exploration outside of the park was the town of Baraboo. While our tendency at Camp Granola is to stick to parks, it doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate urban education, especially inviting small towns.

    Oh Baraboo, you made it so hard to love you.

    Baraboo is entirely cute and friendly but we did struggle there a bit. I loved the presence of the Baraboo River meandering through the city. It certainly gets granola points for that. But we couldn’t find a restaurant with an open patio to accommodate our furry Camp Granolan, a definite loss of granola points. We were all weary of camp food by this point and just wanted some good pizza!

    In the absence of patio dining, and weather too hot to leave Dobby in the car, we opted for take-out. We’d seen plenty of parks so a picnic seemed in order. I grabbed a pizza from the uber-friendly folks at Mama Mia pizza in downtown Baraboo and headed to our picnic destination, Ochsner Park. Except when we got there, we had a rude awakening because dogs weren’t permitted…at a park! By then, the pizza was getting cold, our hunger was getting the better of us, and frustration was approaching meltdown proportions for everyone…including the dog. So our fabulous picnic idea turned into divide and conquer situation. I set the kids up at a picnic table and ate my pizza in the parking lot, leaning on the back of the car with Dobby.

    Feeling slightly recovered with some food in our guts, we cut our losses in Baraboo and headed to a curious little place outside of town where we’d seen some cool metal sculptures. I thought Fred and George would get a kick out of it and I knew I would. Wouldn’t you know it, the place was closed and would be for the duration of our stay. So we didn’t get to venture into Dr. Evermor’s but we at least admired the few creations that were along the road. But it was hot, we weren’t entirely recovered from the foibles of the first half of the day, and we all realized it was time to head back to camp to relax.

    Just a hint at what’s inside Dr. Evermor’s. So wish we could have explored this fascinating place.

    Final thoughts…

    Part of our travel style here at Camp Granola is to just see what we can as we explore. We’re not much for scheduling activities. It adds so much pressure if you have a rigid agenda. Not only does this take the fun out, it also removes the possibility of discovering something by accident or something more interesting than what you originally planned. While that typically works in our favor, there are times it doesn’t. This was simply one of those times. I wish I could say I’m such a savvy traveler that nothing ever goes wrong but alas…not so much.

    The disappointing part is that I think I’d really like Baraboo under different circumstances but our time there was just unfulfilling. Not rife with tragedy or anything but definitely not worth the time and energy. That isn’t exactly what you’re going for on a cross-country adventure to say the least but not every minute is going to be fabulous. You just have to regroup and move on. Which we did of course. Stay tuned.

    So make me feel better. Share your trips-gone-meh stories…

    And now for your moment of green…

    Finally got to see Canada geese…in Canada. Are they just “geese” here?
  • Go For Gold in Dahlonega

    Go For Gold in Dahlonega

    So lucky Atlantans that we are, we’re just down the road from the fabulous town of Dahlonega. Centered on the old courthouse, it’s ripe with quintessential Georgia charm. It’s one of those places that makes you think “Wouldn’t it be nice to live here?”

    While Dahlonega’s shops and festivals are wonderful, today’s post is all about gold. Seems fitting with the Olympics going on and all. But first, a very brief history.

    The Dahlonega Visitor Center decked out in winter garb.
    Fred and George at the Old Courthouse. (BTW, the Fudge Factory is right behind that sign on the other side of the street. You know, just in case you’re feeling peckish while you’re in town.)

    Gold rush

    Dahlonega was home to the first major gold rush in the United States. Surprised? Well, 20 years before the 49ers went rabid in California, north Georgia hosted the beginning of gold fever in what was the home of the Cherokee Nation.

    So if you’re interest is piqued, here’s how to find out more.

    In addition to gold-mining artifacts, there are some insights into what the courthouse used to look like.
    Tools of the trade.

    Dahlonega Gold Museum…

    The Dahlonega Gold Museum is part of Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites and occupies the “old” Lumpkin County courthouse that’s smack in the middle of Dahlonega’s town square.

    It’s a small museum so it doesn’t require a huge time investment but it is very interesting. Definitely make time for the movie on the second floor. It’s a great overview of the gold rush days in Georgia and will give you much more insight into the artifacts housed at the museum. The exterior second floor entrance also provides a wonderful vantage point to look down on the town.

    For your geocaching pleasure, the museum is part of the Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites History Trail challenge. In this case, the geocache also happens to be a fabulous educational opportunity for kids and adults alike because you have to scour the museum for answers to questions that will give you the combination to the locked geocache. Excellent field trip for any type of student but definitely right up our alley here at Camp Granola.

    Weights and measures.
    Welcome to the bizarre world of gold-mining.

    Consolidated Gold Mines…

    Once you’ve gotten a taste of history at the museum, head over to Consolidated Gold Mine for some panning action and a tour of what was the largest gold mining operation east of the Mississippi. Again, the film at Consolidated is a worth the time for the insight it provides. Even Fred and George, at only 11 and 7 years old were rapt in wide-eyed wonder throughout the movie.

    The 40-minute tour is also very engaging simply to see the old mine shafts, some artifacts, and possibly a few bats. Plus, don’t we all look fabulous in hard hats? It stays a crisp, cool 60 degrees year-round so keep that in mind as you head in. Proper footwear is key as well. Check out the Consolidated Gold Mine website for up-to-date details.

    And of course, kids love the gold panning. Pretending to be gold miners certainly sparks their imaginations! Fred and George still love their little vials of real gold, even a couple of years after their last visit.

    Home of the Glory Hole, a 22-foot quartz vein that was the mother lode.
    Nothing appeals more to kids than doing it yourself and you know we’re all about getting into the action.
    Little prospectors in hard hats enjoying the tour.

    More Dahlonega

    Both the museum and gold mine are accessible year-round and in all weather. So rain or shine, cold or hot, you can enjoy these great destinations.

    Of course, Dahlonega is not all about gold. There’s lots of other great places to visit and they play host to fun festivals. For a quick starters guide, have a peek at this Southern Living feature on the town as well as the excellent Dahlonega Visitors Center website.

    If you are planning a visit, I recommend the Crimson Moon Cafe as well as The Fudge Factory a few doors down. They’re both right across the street from the museum so that’s about as easy as it gets in terms of navigating a new town.

    Oh, and if you want to blend in with the locals, don’t butcher the pronunciation of “Dahlonega.” I’ll leave it to you traveling sleuths to figure that one out on your own though. Consider it your homework assignment!

  • Geowoodstock to TBEX: Mega-hot at Geowoodstock

    Geowoodstock to TBEX: Mega-hot at Geowoodstock

    You know we love our geocaching here at Camp Granola. So what better place for us than the biggest geocaching event in the world, right?

    This year’s Geowoodstock was held in Sellersburg, Indiana and it was a first for us in many ways. It was our first Geowoodstock since we’d always had conflicts in years past and our first stay in Indiana. It was also the kickoff of our longest trip ever, five weeks on the road for what we came to call our Geowoodstock to TBEX adventure.

    Our largest log “book” yet…the Geowoodstock “X”

    Charlestown State Park…

    While many of our geocaching brethren stayed at nearby hotels, Camp Granola opted to camp…of course. So we set up at Charlestown State Park just a little north of Jeffersonville and the Geowoodstock festivities.

    It’s a lovely park set along the Ohio River on the site of a former World War II munitions factory. Unfortunately with all the goings-on surrounding Geowoodstock we didn’t spend much time exploring there.

    George admiring the candy-making process.
    Fred and George attempting to cool off in Jeffersonville.

    Jeffersonville…

    We did however, spend a little time in Jeffersonville, just south of Sellersburg. And you know I’m not Urban Girl but I really liked this little town. It’s the “quiet” side of Louisville and it was very charming in spite of the record heat. Small, very friendly, not too crowded in spite of the influx of geocachers.

    View from the Falls of the Ohio State Park

    The town played quite the host to the Geowoodstockers with welcome signs in almost every store and restaurant. Even the historic candy shop offered a tour that George was set on attending. With Dobby in tow we had to do some tag-teaming as usual, so Fred and I chilled out as best we could in the heat while Jester and George went on the tour. And the report from the Schimpff’s tour is that it was really cool and you should go too. (Sorry, this is the kind of info I get when I don’t go myself…)

    And, like I’ve mentioned before, the great thing about geocaching your way through a town is that you discover hidden little gems. We happened upon a great little garden that we would passed unnoticed if not for the high-tech treasure hunt we were on. In the course of our exploration we also found a groovy little needlecraft shop where I picked up some luxurious locally-grown and spun yarn…all sorts of granola knitting-tree-hugger happy.

    Our geocaching exploits also took us along the Ohio River that separates Louisville and Jeffersonville. The Falls of the Ohio State Park provides a lovely green space, clearly loved by local residents. It’s easy to see why. I know I’d hang out there a lot too.

    Melting at Geowoodstock…

    The main event itself was held at a large park near Sellersburg and was overshadowed by record heat. I’m pretty stubborn about enjoying myself regardless of weather and I have to say it was flat-out miserable. Sure, it was fun to be with so many other geocachers, trading pathtags and stories…but only in between trying not to pass out from the heat.

    Fred and George making good use of the shade at Geowoodstock.

    With very little shade and activities spread fairly far apart, it was hard to get excited about doing anything at all except sucking down water. The coolest place to hang out ended up being the playground which had a little breeze and a good bit of shade so we parked ourselves there for much of the event.

    So we made it through our first Geowoodstock but barely upright and hydrated. And with that we sent Jester back to Georgia while the rest of us continued on our way to TBEX…the long way.

    And now for your moment of green…

    The epic heat of Geowoodstock X made Camp Granola long for the milder temperatures of the Mojave!
  • George’s Birthday Adventure: The Long Road Home

    George’s Birthday Adventure: The Long Road Home

    When you’re facing the end of a trip, it can be hard to let go right? George’s Birthday Adventure had been truly epic and the 2,000+ miles back to Georgia seemed so boring. So in true Camp Granola style we opted to make it not boring…

    A quick stop at Lone Rock for a few pictures was necessary don’t you think?

    Four Corners…

    Which is how we found ourselves at the Four Corners Monument. With Geography George on board, there was really no passing up the only place in the U.S. where you can stand in four states at once. Well…stand, sit, break dance, make silly faces, …you know, whatever your particular idiom might be.

    While it’s worthy stop if you’re in the area, it doesn’t really require a lengthy visit. Once you’ve goofed around and done silly things in four states simultaneously, you can visit vendor booths where Navajo sell food and crafts. Other than that, just enjoy the desert view. It’s probably no surprise that without signs and flags, you wouldn’t know which state was which.

    Fred on our first visit to Four Corners in 2009.
    The Four Corners Benchmark
    A very happy George in four states at once.

    Things to know before you go:

    Cozy lobby of the General Palmer Hotel.
    • The monument is quite remote. It’s best to make sure you’re groovy on fuel and supplies before heading out. They do have rest facilities and some food but there’s not a huge variety if you have picky eaters in your midst.
    • The entrance fee was $3/person at the time of our visit so have cash handy.
    • Your canine friends can stretch their paws on the outskirts but they aren’t permitted in the central monument area where the benchmark is located. (Poor Dobby!)
    • Like pretty much everywhere out west, it can get really windy. Poor George was horrified when a piece of paper was unceremoniously ripped from the back seat of Blubaru as he opened his door. Lest he become a litterbug, he ran his little heart out to catch it so it didn’t end up floating around the desert.

    Durango…

    George got his geography fix at Four Corners and it was time for mine. I adore the San Juans and southern Colorado in general so we took the scenic route and wound up in Durango. And wouldn’t you know it, right at dinner time! Bummer, looks like we’d have to spend the night too, being so late and all. 😉

    Imagine my delight at finding a groovy old hotel that allowed His Beagleness to stay. And not only was it dog-friendly, it was all sorts of granola awesome. The General Palmer Hotel is an historic 1898 Victorian hotel located smack in the middle of downtown. I’m a total dork for unique places and this fit the bill well…very, very well.

    George loved the ancient elevator that could barely fit two people. I loved the original décor, rich inviting wood trim, and the small library in the lobby. This is a place that feels like home. Throw in a super friendly staff, free breakfast, and free wifi and you have a happy granola mom. I could be convinced to get out of my tent more often for places like the General Palmer.

    For our one night in Durango, sweet Fred opted in for Dobby duty in the hotel room with a pizza reward. That allowed the rest of us could head out for a geocache, a walk around town, and dinner inside a restaurant. With Dobby on board, we sometimes forget what that’s like!

    Alas, the road awaited us and it was time to get serious about getting back to Georgia.

    The General Palmer’s location makes walking around Durango easy.
    George loves root beer! Finding a new brand to try at Nini’s in Durango made it even sweeter.
    Couldn’t resist a shot of the cool bench outside Nini’s.
    So Camp Granola geek alert…Fred and George were very tickled by the small library at the General Palmer.
    Oh yeah, there are some excellent candy shops in Durango. Conveniently the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is right next to the General Palmer.
    How many layers of spray paint do you think are on these cars?

    Cadillac Ranch…

    But of course, no trip through Amarillo, Texas would be complete without a stop at Cadillac Ranch.
    You see, Cadillac Ranch consists of a bunch of Cadillacs sticking out of the ground. For your vandal-wanna-be pleasure, you’re allowed to spray paint the cars if you so desire…and if you bring some spray paint. Fred and George were purposely kept in the dark about this roadside weirdness because it wasn’t a certainty we’d be heading through Amarillo, much less have the time to stop. I didn’t want to get them excited if it wasn’t a definite thing.

    Unfortunately, this is where trip fatigue rears its head at Camp Granola. Mom, being too road weary to weather the hassle of stopping for spray paint, convinces herself that her young boys will simply be content with the oddity of seeing cars sticking out of the ground. Fred and George, too road weary to be their agreeable selves, got themselves in a snit because they had no spray paint. To be fair, they did eventually get over it and make the best of their time but I certainly didn’t earn any Mom-of-the-Year votes that day.

    In short, the next time we find ourselves rolling through Amarillo, I owe Fred and George another stop at Cadillac Ranch and a few cans of spray paint.

    Fred and George racing to see the buried Cadillacs.

    Stick a fork in Camp Granola…

    After our last hurrah at Cadillac Ranch (I guess that was actually a whimper!), we blasted through back to Georgia. With a 2 am re-entry back home, we put George’s Birthday Adventure to an end. Happy Birthday George!

    If you just joined us, you can find the full recap in these posts:

    [gallery_bank album_id=32]

    And now for your moment of green…

    Soaking up the last bit of Utah at Lone Rock just north of the Arizona border.
  • Camp Kids

    Camp Kids

    As you well know by now, we go camping. A lot. One of the elements of our adventures that helps things chug along is that I put my kids to work. I put them to work at home too, but that’s another post.

    At any rate, we just rounded out a 5-week camping adventure covering 18 states, one Canadian Province, and over 6,000 miles as we journeyed from Geowoodstock to TBEX and back to Georgia. While I obviously have a ton to share about that, I thought I’d start with how Fred and George help out…or how I attempt to empower and engage my little campers-in-training. (Cue granola-mom cheer with pom-poms…)

    Laying the groundwork…

    To be frank, if I let them, they would totally slack off and not help at all…which they have been known to do when I’ve not enforced camp chores. I’ve pretty much always had them help in age-appropriate ways even if it’s something small or even if it’s just taking care of their own belongings. It just sets the precedent that they need to help. Of course when they were littler, their duties were shorter and simpler but as they’ve grown and their capabilities have improved, I’ve slowly upped the ante.

    Why do they need to help?

    Oh so many reasons but let’s hit the big ones:

    They’re not whistling while they work but they are helping.
    • Pressure relief: If I’m doing every task, not only am I not going to enjoy the trip, I’m not going to have time to take them anywhere beyond camp. Might as well not even leave home.
    • Engagement: Working on projects together engages them and makes them pay attention to what’s going on around them. Eventually they even develop a sense of what their role is which leads to a grounded sense of self-worth.
    • Empowerment: All the “grown-up” jobs Fred and George are doing? Well, those are some mad skills they’re developing. Each new one they master let’s them build to the next step and eventually they’ll be self-reliant adults. I’m not interested in raising Boomerang Kids and these activities are life skills they can translate into all sorts of other arenas.
    • Paycheck: I buy my kids very little at this point in their young lives beyond the basics of food and clothing. They help out, they get paid, they get money to buy stuff. Pretty simple formula. And yes, attitude and quality of service effect their income.

    Getting down to business…

    So now that we’ve got the nebulous, why-making-my-kids-work-is-so-great stuff out of the way (and made myself sound like a total task-master of a mom!) let me put my pom-poms down and get real. (‘Cause you know that’s what we do here at Val in Real Life.)

    In camp life, there’s always the initial entry surge of camp setup. If you’re rolling in late or hurrying to set up before bad weather hits you, time is of the essence so that’s when it’s particularly important to have a well-trained camping “pit crew.” This is also crucial if you’re the only adult which was almost the entirety of our last trip. Juggling camp duties, kids, dog…and still being able to enjoy yourself pretty much hinges on the worker bees pulling their weight.

    The first order of business when entering camp is always getting the tent pitched and bedding in order. Shelter is king right? After we’ve settled on where to pitch the tent, that’s when Fred and George get to kick into high gear as helpers. They get to switch to low-gear once we’ve got our Home Sweet Home constructed.

    In spite of his sourpuss face, George reports that helping with the poles is one of his preferred camp jobs.

    Here’s just a short laundry list of camp chores we have just to give you an idea of the possibilities:

    1. Fetch little Gofers!: Fred is now tall enough (as tall as me in fact) to unload the roof box where we keep the tent, mats, and bags in transit. Before he was tall enough I would just toss everything down and let him take it from there. And by take it from there, I mean turning them into little “Go-Fers” and having them tote gear from car to tent. Sleeping bags and mats are light enough for even very little campers to handle. Fortunately my minions can now handle even our monster-sized tent, heavier chairs, etc. as well as unpack and repack them.
    2. Washing dishes: I still do the actual washing since their idea of “camp clean” is still well below mine. (Trust me, not pretty. We’re working on it.) They can however, rinse, set things out to dry, tote buckets, and help put things away.
    3. More Go-Fering: There is basically always something that can be fetched during the trip. Make use of your little helpers…it saves you more time and hassle than you can imagine. They eventually learn where things are kept so you don’t have to go through the painstaking instructions of where to find the item in question each time.
    4. Cooking: I haven’t set Fred and George loose on the camp stove or campfire just yet but trust me it’s coming. For now, they’re just my little assistants, honing their Gofer talents.
    5. Helping themselves: At the very least, I push them to take care of their own belongings and basic needs. The important part here is to set them up for success. They can’t get their own drinks or snacks if the food is inaccessible. So once we’re at camp, I keep the cooler and bins set up so they can manage it themselves.
    6. Give them a niche: I’m a fan of giving kid’s their own special job. Fred is typically the “Chair Dude” and George has become quite and expert bag and mat arranger. Once they find their niche, make it their job every time. Let them be the expert at their task. The caveat is that they will probably want to change things up at some point. Great time to train them on their next niche. George has now migrated into helping install tent poles.

    But Val, my kids are toddlers…

    Perfect! This is absolutely the best time to to get them started…when they actually get excited about helping and beam with pride at their accomplishments. Again, gauge your requests and expectations based on your kid’s abilities. Keep in mind, they might do it slowly (particularly the littler they are) and they might not do it exactly how you would do it, but give them the chance and don’t nit-pick. Give them a little help the first couple of tries to show them the ropes but after that, unless there’s a glaring problem, let them do it their way.

    And yes, at any age, it is a process to establish a camp helper rhythm. That process requires time, patience, and consistency…the parenting trifecta if you can reach it.

    Now for the rest of the story…

    If I’ve portrayed our camp life as a paradise complete with kids whistling while they work, so sorry to mislead you. I’ve laid out the premise but I’m going to get even more real now.

    Fred in action, helping roll up Big Agnes.

    In truth, sometimes Fred and George blow me away with their cooperation. Fred even asked several times on our last trip if there was anything he could do to help. The fact that my jaw landed on my boots should tell you that’s not a regular occurrence. My thoughts range of course from “Is he feeling ok?” to “Whoa, I’ve got this parenting thing going on!”

    More often though, they form The Resistance and I have to drag tasks out of them. They even like to vary the level of attitude so I never know what to expect. It’s a pre-teen conspiracy designed to test my sanity. If I can channel the depths of my granola mom self, we can usually work through it without too much gnashing of teeth. If I can’t, our trip doesn’t get off to a great start. The good news is that after the push to get camp set up, the bulk of the pressure is off and we can get to the funnest parts of camping.

    The world according to Fred and George…

    In the midst of writing this post, I asked them their thoughts on camp chores. They let loose with all sorts of disparaging comments on the horrors of my tyranny. Big surprise. (Side note: the teenage years are going to be a blast…)

    What they don’t know is that their behavior is giving them away. They may protest but I see the sense of satisfaction and growing maturity that comes with being challenged. I see their abilities growing and the confidence that comes with it. I see that they don’t act as spoiled and self-centered when they’ve been a part of the process. So that’s the private little conspiracy I have to combat The Resistance! And as long as I don’t let on, all is good.

    So what do you think? Do your kids help out at camp?

    And now for your moment of green…

    More help = less time setting up camp. Less time setting up camp = more time for what you came for… THIS.
  • George’s Birthday Adventure: The Utah Chronicles

    George’s Birthday Adventure: The Utah Chronicles

    So after escaping Death Valley remarkably intact, Camp Granola set off to Utah. We’re used to traveling off-season…one of the many perks of roadschooling. I had a slightly rude awakening however, realizing a bit late that it would be Spring Break for much of the country by the time we reached Utah. As Scooby would say…”R’uh R’oh!”

    A quick review (i.e mad scrambling) of campsites revealed that we were indeed up a creek. With a quick last minute reservation, I managed to land a campsite at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park near Kanab instead of one of the mega-parks like Zion. No biggie, I’m quite a fan of state parks since they tend to have a few more amenities than National Parks. Showers are a wonderful luxury aren’t they?

    The bizarre mixture of sand, mountains, conifers, and desert plants at Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a feast for the eyes.

    A Mad Dash to Utah…

    Anyway, at this point of George’s Birthday Adventure, we were trying to enjoy a few not-so-hectic days after the E.T. Highway/Vegas/Death Valley whirlwind. But with only a few days left and Utah ripe for the picking with places to explore, what’s a curious adventurer to do?

    George reduced to head and boots in the soft sand of Coral Pink.

    Well, the first step is simply to get there so we spent most of the day driving to Coral Pink Sand Dunes, then set up camp. In this case, with no official tent pad, we had some leeway where to pitch so we chose a spot as far away from the insanely noisy generator of our neighbors. Mind you, they had conveniently placed it as far away from their RV as they could and still have it technically in their site. But that’s a rant for another day…

    In any case, we were treated to what was probably the easiest staking job in Camp Granola history since we were pitching on gloriously soft sand. After the previous night’s tent-pitching nightmare, it was a very welcome and somewhat surreal.

    The breezes on the dunes even kept His Beagleness cool…and his ears aloft.

    This is what I’m officially dubbing “Camping Whiplash.” Cold, hard Death Valley to the soothing softness of Coral Pink? Camping Whiplash I tell you. (And I wish I could bottle the feeling of sleeping on that sand…all sorts of groovy goodness.)

    As you can imagine after a day of driving and setting up camp, we had little time remaining to do anything before dinner. That’s always a great time to take the opportunity to just enjoy the campground and hopefully achieve that “non-hecticness” I mentioned. In this time, George discovered the joys of identifying trees with the iPad, thanks to the Audubon app. Fred was quite content to venture out and get the lay of the land, no doubt crafting a fabulous internal story as he glided about in his ever-present black cloak. For me, it was just a breather to slow down and enjoy being outside with no agenda and to watch the boys enjoy being outside without an agenda.

    You’ve got two days, what do you do?

    First, clearly we needed to explore the park we were visiting. Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a more of an ATV playground than a hiker’s paradise, but even so it ended up being one of the boys’ favorite places in terms of sheer play value. They created their own civilizations for hours on the dunes because, even though is was quite sunny, the crisp temperatures in early April made for perfect all-day sand-play conditions. No need for complicated plans when you’re here…just park the kids in the giant sand box and let them get their fill.

    Cozy soft sand for a bed at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes campground.

    That pretty sand they were playing in? That comes courtesy the eroding Navajo sandstone that’s prominent throughout the American southwest and a fabulous confluence of factors including gaps in the mountains and the Venturi effect. As you can see from the images, the sand is a striking coral color. In spite of their beauty, the park actually exists in large part to protect the Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle that lives nowhere else. We did manage to get a glimpse of the little bugger but I never got a shot so you’ll have to find out more about them here.

    One of the really fun things about camping at Coral Pink was seeing tracks in the sand around your tent in the morning. Everything from bugs to deer seem to move through the campground and seeing the evidence is a bit of a rush. Be sure to tiptoe around the um…”brown jelly beans” many of them leave behind! Nature in all it’s glory my friends.

    Next up…

    Having spent one day cavorting in the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, we had one remaining day to spend in Utah and a lot of places to choose from. Let’s face it, Utah is overflowing with amazing parks but I had my sights set on Zion. Even though I knew it would be just a tease to go for one day to a park you could reasonably spend weeks exploring, I wanted to at least take a peek.

    The North Fork Virgin River is a fabulous playground.

    Given the epic-ness of National Parks in Utah, you can imagine that Spring Break was pretty busy there. In fact, it was a zoo. With His Beagleness in tow, we had to stick to the roads and the one trail he was allowed to stretch his paws on. Of course, this means we were in the thick of the zoo since the only dog-friendly trail is the Pa’rus Trail near the Visitor Center.

    It was quite a nice little walk with access to a stream to frolic in. And frolic they did, my Fred and George. Even Mr. Dobby got his paws wet, an activity he doesn’t undertake readily. Skipping stones and bounding through the stream, buoyed by the adrenaline rush that comes with ice-cold water on naked feet, Fred and George played happily for quite some time. Another simple day of exploration, Fred and George style.

    Dabbling in Kanab…

    So we’re on our last night of camping and feeling free and spontaneous. We decided to poke around Kanab with our remaining hours, finding a dog-friendly restaurant with a patio, Denny’s Wigwam.

    Now, I don’t normally go for kitschy…maybe I was feeling punchy as our trip was winding down because we found it quite entertaining. It was cowboy-themed of course, with fake western storefronts setting the stage around the restaurant. It was a quite fitting final hurrah before we said farewell to the great American west for the more humid climates of the east.

    The take-away…

    Wet fun even calms Mr. Tween.
    • Coral Pink was surprisingly fun for the kids and was a great alternative to camping at the the mega-parks. For one, they have showers. Two, tent-camping on the sand was all sorts of groovy. For some basic information, here’s a link to the park brochure.
    • Zion is simply stunning, as I knew it would be. I am going back without the dog…and off-season. Even if you’re not into backcountry hiking, the lovely North Fork Virgin River along the Pa’rus trail is a wonderland of exploration opportunity for kids and adults alike.
    • Kanab is a nice little town that’s big enough to grab some good food and resupply if needed. If you’d like a dose of cowboy kitsch, give a visit to Denny’s Wigwam.
    This big metal beauty stands guard at the entrance to Denny’s Wigwam.
    Geography George never tires of the license plate game, so imagine his delight at the display of plates from all fifty states.
    Some of the kitsch I mentioned…how about “Paul Bunyan’s” chair?

    And now for your moment of green…

    Ok, so it’s not Zion backcountry, but the Pa’rus Trail is lovely and a nice way to spend a day there.
  • George’s Birthday Adventure: Death Valley

    George’s Birthday Adventure: Death Valley

    I know I left you hanging on George’s Birthday Adventure with the story of the E.T. Highway but I promise I’ll keep sprinkling it in here between our other antics. It certainly seems odd to still be chronicling that trip when we’re already two weeks into our next expedition…the 5-week journey that I’ve come to know as Geowoodstock to TBEX.

    Anyway, our last adventure certainly didn’t end in Nevada. Which brings us to the next installment of George’s Birthday Adventure.

    Mom, can we go to Death Valley?

    So having successfully completed our geocaching expedition, Camp Granola exited Alamo, NV to return to (shudder) Vegas. You see, I had the great idea to run the April Fool’s Day 5K there. I thought it would be a fun layover for laundry and replenishing supplies and I also thought the boys would get a kick out of doing their first official race in Vegas.

    Get your adrenaline pumping in Death Valley with tent-flattening winds.

    Things didn’t quite work out as planned. It was a fun race with all sorts of silliness being April Fool’s Day (think wonderfully weird costumes). Unfortunately Fred and George just weren’t feeling all that spunky (car lag maybe?) so they weren’t interested in running their hearts out. Throw in a healthy dose of me clocking myself in the head with the car door less than an hour before the race and you have the beginnings of an advice column on how not to go into a race. Here I sit, two months later and I can still feel the bump on my noggin. Yes folks, I’m all kinds of slick.

    With the boys uninspired and my head pounding, running simply wasn’t the best plan. So we mozied through the race with His Beagleness and enjoyed the mountain scenery surrounding Vegas. George’s goal was simply not to be last and Fred’s was to be just ahead of George and me. Aiming high my friends, aiming high! Turns out George would have come away with the trophy for last place had he not set the “not last” goal. Like I said, it was an April Fool’s Day race and the joke was on us!

    Anyway, our plans after Vegas were somewhat loose since we didn’t have a campsite reserved in Utah until the following night. So when George chimed in with his desire to swing through Death Valley, we just decided to go for it…we had nowhere else to be really so why not?

    The near-death of Agnes…

    Obviously it won’t surprise you given the last-minute decision that we weren’t really up on our Death Valley info. This was very seat-of-the-pants so we hadn’t done any research into camping there. When we arrived at Furnace Creek and finally picked a campsite, imagine our dismay at facing our toughest tent pitch…ever!

    The scene of the “Pitch of Death” at Furnace Creek Campground

    Folks, you know I’ve done this countless times and I’ve got some fairly beefy equipment, but the gusts in Death Valley that day were fierce. Unlike the comedy of the Mojave, with it’s steadier – albeit still considerable – winds, this entry to camp was more than a bit dicey. The gusts went from zero to “Oh shit!” with nerve-wracking suddenness, unpredictability, and – just for our added camping pleasure – changing directions. Throw in the hardest ground I’ve ever encountered for staking and this had disaster written all over it.

    We managed to get maybe half of the main stakes in after relentless hammering, weighted the inside down with gear, and took a little breather. Big mistake. Before we set the side guy-lines, a gust came that flattened Agnes (yes, with all the poles in…) as I watched in helpless wide-eyed horror.

    After the initial heart-stopping shock, I had to down-shift into zen mommy mode…i.e. what’s done is done, it was time to simply assess damage and make a plan accordingly. The good news…no broken poles, Agnes is still quite functional. The bad news…wow, those are some bent poles! Seems our Agnes will be permanently listing to port…unless I’m ready to bone up for new poles. Needless to say, we promptly set the guy lines and Agnes held true after that.

    Stark and stunning….Badwater Basin

    Badwater Basin…

    With the tent as secure as possible, we hesitantly set out to Badwater Basin. On the one hand, we had only a few hours to get a feel for Death Valley, on the other, we weren’t sure our tent would still be there when we returned to camp. Sitting around camp making sure the tent didn’t fly away certainly didn’t seem like a lot of fun so we took our chances.

    A wet beginning to Badwater Basin.

    Badwater Basin was indeed well worth the risk. It really is an otherworldly scene, the giant salt flat surrounded by mountains. And given my geeky geologic tendencies, of course I was on the ground inspecting the salt grains at only a nose-length. And given my boys’ pre-teen senses of humor, of course they were laying on the ground pretending they were dead in Death Valley.

    Not feeling like we’d quite gotten a big enough taste of Death Valley by only visiting Badwater Basin (but still short on time mind you), we took a little ride through Artist’s Drive and Artist’s Palette. The drive was really quite groovy and I highly recommend it. As a drive it’s remarkably roller-coastery so lots of fun on that front. It’s also a geologic marvel in the variety of formations you roll through on the short loop. Even the non-geologists in the car were Ooo-ing and Aah-ing.

    The salt flat at a nose length. Check out those little tendrils! Who knew?

    Meanwhile, back at camp…

    I’m happy to report Agnes held her own during our absence in spite of the relentless wind. Having finally gotten the side guy-lines set before we left was more than enough to combat the gusts. Of course, the wind meant dinner involved a scramble of vestibule cooking and in-tent dining. Gourmet all the way my friends!

    Diminutive Rangers…

    So one of the things that many kids do when traveling to National Parks is participate in the Junior Ranger activities. We typically try to do them, although George is generally more motivated than Fred. This time, Fred was on board though. He found Death Valley quite enthralling.

    Pre-teen interpretation of Death Valley.

    So my sales pitch for the Junior Ranger program is that it’s one of the activities done on kids’ terms. They have an activity book they need to complete and once they do, they collect their Junior Ranger badges. The activities help them gather information on the park by examining the exhibits, going on hikes, or attending ranger talks. Having a purpose in participating engages them in discovering why that particular place has been set aside for preservation.

    Death Valley already had their attention just for being cool at first sight. But as they delved more in-depth they had a greater sense of the multitude of reasons for conservation, beyond just the “pretty” factor. And, as a little feather in my roadschooler cap, the Ranger who was working with them was delighted by their knowledge…knowledge she said most adults hadn’t absorbed. So a big “Hurray!” to Fred and George for being great little explorers.

    A job well done…

    You know I love to give credit where it’s due when I meet someone who is really good at their chosen profession, particularly when it’s also close to my heart in terms of nature. In this case I have to give a huge shout out to Ranger Dianne who was not only friendly and knowledgeable but who also ably handled a large crowd while working with Fred and George. She didn’t short-change them under the pressure of a bus-load of new arrivals. While I obviously appreciate it from a personal standpoint for my own children, it speaks volumes for the National Park Service’s values. At a time when the average age of National Park visitors is on the rise, they recognize the need to engage the next generation and treat them with as much consideration as adult visitors.

    Final thoughts…

    If you’re planning your own visit to Death Valley, here are a few things to keep in mind before you set out:

    Ranger Dianne swearing in Fred and George as Junior Rangers.
    • Remember, this is the middle of nowhere. Any supplies you need will be expensive and for good reason. Either stock up before you go in or get ready to pony up without complaint.
    • Absolutely pick up a map and study it. Do not rely on your GPS. It’s been known to be fatal.
    • Always have a supply of water. Remote doesn’t begin to cover how desolate it can get. Don’t underestimate dehydration. Even if you’re traveling by car, a break down without water is bad news.
    • As I hope I’ve illustrated above, the winds can be insane. Just be aware.
    • Death Valley is enormous…3.4 million acres enormous. You can spend a little time or a lot. Our brief visit has only whetted my appetite for more so don’t be surprised if you feel like you can’t get enough.

    Happy trails!

    And now for your moment of green…

    The colors and textures of the Artist’s Palette are most certainly soul-soothing.
  • Favorite Places: Great Sand Dunes National Park

    Favorite Places: Great Sand Dunes National Park

    We here at Camp Granola cover some ground but don’t necessarily get around to sharing all of that with you. Time constraints you know. Plus, many of the great places we’ve been were pre-Val in Real Life. So in an effort to at least share the high points of the places we’ve been…and to quit being a blogging delinquent, I’m going to start posting a short overview of some adventure past and why it’s so awesome that you should go.

    Granola Bliss circa 2009

    Pure bliss…

    This first installment is one of my favorite places in the world, Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. This is a must-visit if you’re even close to the area. For those of you who have visited, you understand the lure of this magical place. For those of you who’ve never heard of it, you are missing out.

    Home to the tallest sand dunes in North America, Great Sand Dunes is a bizarre, marvelous place that brings out my inner-geology geek. Nestled into the western edge of the Sangre de Cristo mountains near Alamosa, Colorado, the dunes are held captive by the mountains and framed by the seasonally-flowing Medano Creek. There are other places where dunes meet peaks but pay attention to the difference Medano Creek makes. Discover the joy of surge flow as you play in the sand while surrounded by grasslands and 13,000-foot snow-capped peaks. Granola bliss I say.

    There’s another world to discover in the remarkable sand grains of the dunes. I’ll spare you the lecture about what it means and the geologic history it represents but this falls in the ‘wow’ category. More simply, it’s just the prettiest sand I’ve ever seen…and I’ve looked at a lot of sand.

    Other groovy activities…

    There’s lots to see and do there. Absolutely bring a sled, official or improvised, for sliding down the dunes. If you’re timing is right and Medano Creek is flowing, be prepared to treat your mountain trip like a beach trip. Also consider hiking, birding, camping, and attending ranger programs. I highly recommend honing your photography skills if that’s your thing. There are lots of challenges and inspiration to be had here.

    On a personal note…

    When most people think “geologist” they think rock hound. Unfortunately that’s like thinking all doctors are neurologists or all football players are quarterbacks. In my case, while I do enjoy me some rocks, I get truly misty for sand and water, particularly creek and river water and how they move the sand and make lovely formations. So when you get to the Dunes, check out the sand and all the dark-colored heavy minerals in it. Get down close and take in the remarkable variety of sand grains. If you’re used to uniform beach sand, this is sure to surprise and delight you.

    Planning your visit…

    As usual, information is best straight from the horse’s mouth so visit NPS’s Great Sand Dunes page for details on how to plan your visit…but definitely get yourself to the Dunes.

    And with that, here’s a few more shots of Camp Granola’s last visit to the dunes in 2009.

    Sinuous and alluring, there’s no end to the wonders of the dunes.
    A 9-year-old Fred getting his Vitamin N in the sand.
    George, at a tender 6 years, never stopped smiling. His quote for the day: “I’m having more fun than you expected me to.” And the doozie? He said it was more fun than Gramma’s house. Folks, you have no idea what a statement that is.
    There’s really no way in a picture to give you a sense of scale here but that speck near the bottom is George. And how about those sexy bands of heavy minerals at the top? Groovy!

    And now for your moment of green…

    A gem in the crown of America’s national parks.
  • George’s Birthday Adventure: E.T. Highway

    George’s Birthday Adventure: E.T. Highway

    Dear readers, you’ve made it. Finally we’re at Episode 5 of George’s Birthday Adventure, we get to the main event, the reason for trekking across the U.S., the big kahuna — the E.T. Highway.

    This is where it all begins…

    Fast-forward

    This is the part where I gloss over the boring details of getting to Alamo, NV via the armpit of Nevada, otherwise known as Las Vegas. Many readers are howling with displeasure at the moment I know. But let’s face it, Vegas is the antithesis of everything I am so it shouldn’t surprise you in the least that I couldn’t bring myself to actually stay there even as an wifi-using, laptop-charging, showering, and laundry lay-over.

    That was the original plan since we were due to stay at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge which has none of those amenities and we’d be there for about five days. Instead, through a variety of odd decision-making we opted for cabins at Windmill Ridge in Alamo for the duration of the geocaching portion of George’s Birthday Adventure. More on that later though. Let’s get to the good stuff.
    View Larger Map

    The scene…

    Ok, the E.T. Highway stretches through the Nevada desert with little more than cows to keep you company. Fuel options are sparse to non-existent so you have to think ahead. The caches are usually about 1/10 of a mile apart along Highway 375, Highway 6, and a remote Forest Service road. They’re mostly film canisters hidden off the road a little bit. Given the exposed and open nature of the desert, they’re typically hidden in a small rock cairn, otherwise they’d just be floating about as cow entertainment.

    The first cache. Yes, that’s a giant alien in the background. It’s a theme around here.

    How this goes down…

    So what you need to envision is us blitzing (courtesy of Blubaru of course) from cache-to-cache every tenth of a mile along the dusty Nevada desert roads. One person hops/jumps/runs/sprints out to grab the canister, replaces it with an extra pre-signed one, and dives back into the car. While the driver blitzes to the next location, the passenger stamps the log with our team name and replaces the log in the container just in time for the next cache. This is the nature of tackling a power trail — the fetcher makes the next grab and the logger logs while driver drives. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Do that 1,500 times. Occasionally switch up driver, logger, and fetcher.

    et highway - val in real life
    A relatively clean Blubaru at #1. Yes, that says open range for the next 110 miles…and they mean it.

    Honesty time…

    You probably noticed I said 1,500 times. That’s a lot of times. At the outset when George got his heart set on doing this, my inner geocacher groaned. These are easy caches. It’s not about the challenge of finding clever, unique hides. It just sounded tedious. I wasn’t sure the boys would be able to stick with it and see it through.

    But I didn’t let on that I had my doubts. I didn’t want to inadvertently sabotage the effort with a sour attitude.

    Surprises and lemonade

    As I mentioned in the Mojave post, we were suffering from car fatigue by the time we got there and we hadn’t quite recovered yet. We were now facing many days back in the car for the most part. Groan. For my part I chose to make lemonade by practicing sprints to the caches for several reasons: time (so we could actually get this done in a few days), stimulation (break up the monotony), and prep for my upcoming Zombie Stomp (I needed to get sprint training in anyway).

    Yours truly at the halfway point. And I’m still smiling!

    Obviously we were successful and finished the entire series. It took us three full, grueling days. We even resorted to ten-minute lunch stops where we slapped sandwiches together and chucked them at the boys in the backseat while we continued with the caches. To say it was fast and furious doesn’t quite do this expedition justice. In the quicker sections we managed two caches a minute. That’s two rounds of drive, fetch, & log each minute. We were really good at it by the end!

    In all this I had many pleasant surprises.

    • Turns out there is a challenge to be had on a series of caches like this. It’s stamina and Camp Granola’s got it in spades baby!
    Fred and George (sporting an alien mask) feeling victorious at #1500.
    • George is one determined little dude. He went at this with all of his heart throughout the the series. He wanted this and he did it. That’s my boy! *sniff*
    • I can’t sell Fred short here. He did a lot of fetching too and with a great attitude even though this really wasn’t his idea of mega-fun. He gets high marks for cooperation…which is a big deal since he is a tween.
    • My car rocks! Blubaru handled the off-road conditions, constant sliding stops, and the abuse of careening up embankments like a champ. She was coated inside and out with Nevada grunge and will probably never be truly clean again but it was worth it. She earned her stripes…or whatever cars earn for a job well done.
    • Biggest surprise? It was fun. It was demanding in ways I hadn’t expected and giving George the chance to accomplish it was very satisfying.
    • Oh…and we discovered the Disapproving Beagle finds cows upsetting or possibly fancies himself a cow-dog of sorts. Ever been in a small car with a howling beagle? Can’t say I recommend it. I have to give him his due though. One cache had cows standing just about on top of it and his howls of protest chased them off. He was exceedingly proud of himself.

    Fin

    We did it. It was such an taxing undertaking I actually had a few moments of stunned disbelief at the end. That and pure exhaustion. Sadly, we still had to drive all the way back to Alamo…two hours away.

    My poor Blubaru at #1500. The inside was actually dustier than the outside.

    And thus ends days 6 through 9 of George’s Birthday Adventure. I would be remiss if I didn’t give a huge shout-out to the cache owners who put this together. As grueling as it is, imagine what it took to organize and execute this feat. And from what I hear, they’re adding 500 more this summer.

    So unofficial poll…how many of you might want to give it a go and how many of you think we’re just bat-shit crazy?

    And now for your moment of green…

    In between caches, we got to be amazed by Nevada’s deserts and mountains.
  • George’s Birthday Adventure: The Mojave

    George’s Birthday Adventure: The Mojave

    Well we’re at Episode 4 in the saga of George’s Birthday Adventure. This is where Camp Granola finally gets to breathe a sigh of relief for having finished the extensive (i.e. epically butt-numbing) drive from Georgia to California. To do this we set to exploring the Mojave Desert. Truthfully, with only one full day to visit, it was really more of a scratch-of-the-surface. A place so large and diverse simply can’t be explored in a single day… it is 1.6 million amazing acres after all.

    The obligatory park entrance shot.

    This will make you wonder of course, why we didn’t spend more time. Given the time-frame of this particular trip and George’s thirst for discovery, it was more of a whirlwind adventure of seeing a lot of different places. While we obviously all have a say in the matter, it was technically George’s trip so we let him determine our course as much as possible. With more experience and little guidance I’m sure he’ll become a more settled traveler and discover the joy of slowing down and digging deeper into the places we visit rather than blasting from place to place.

    Bad timing…

    Travel philosophy aside, here’s where you find out that Camp Granola doesn’t always have great timing. We arrived at Mojave National Preserve after the visitor center had closed for the day on Sunday. It turns out that it would be closed Monday and Tuesday as well…the only days we’d be visiting. Not much we could do about it; we didn’t have flexible enough plans to adjust for the problem.

    Fred and George getting revved about about being back in the desert.

    The lack of ranger information was a slight bummer. It’s not that you can’t explore a park without it, I just always enjoy the interpretive services they provide, even more so now that I’m pursuing my own naturalist certification for the Smokies. Plus I think it helps the little explorers understand more about the park, helping them put the pieces together as far as why the place has been set aside as a natural treasure.

    At any rate, a closed visitor center just means you have to embrace independent exploration, figuring out for yourself what a place is all about. Fortunately there were at least some brochures and maps to be had to get us started. We did have to leave minus our National Park Passports stamp but that’s how it goes sometimes.

    The Rings Loop…

    So, embracing the afore-mentioned spirit of independent exploration and going with the recommendation of our knowledgable camp host, we set to exploring the Rings Loop that sets out from the visitor center…closed as it was. The loop wraps around some super-groovy rock formations and ends with a climb through the Hole in the Wall that leads back to the visitor center. At only around a mile, it was an easy trail that allowed for lots of Camp Granola examination without having to feel pressed to cover a lot of ground.

    Far from barren, the Mojave is a delight of textures, shapes, and colors.

    The last time Fred and George visited a desert, they were only 6 and 9 years old. An additional two-and-a-half years at their young ages is significant gain in maturity and provides them with an almost new perspective on this dramatic environment. They marveled anew at cacti and the massive exposed rock formations that we don’t get to see in the lush southeastern U.S. Our leisurely pace let us stop, take photographs, call out into the echoing rock walls, and get lost in the geologic wonder of this remarkable place.

    The fun-factor of this loop was ramped up by the “rings” section that requires you to make use of large metal rings to haul yourself through the gap. This unique challenge for any explorer proved a little extra challenging for us with our little quadriped in tow. But the beagle proved himself game, only requiring portage in the steepest sections that his short little legs couldn’t possibly stretch or even jump.

    The only other complication was me climbing with camera gear and a not-terribly-light pack. Camera gear is notoriously heavy so hauling myself and gear up the rings was not at all graceful…not that I’m graceful even without a pack but you get the idea. At one point I even teamed up with another hiker who kindly gave me a shove from “behind” shall we say, in exchange for a hand up from above once I’d cleared the narrow, steep gap. Somehow I think I got the better “end” of that deal. (Ba Dum Bum!)

    Down time…

    After our little excursion and still recovering from the long haul to reach California, we all needed some time to chill and not be rushed and shuttled…which means some camp time was in order. Fred and George played freely while Jester and I got in some exercise to combat the marshmallow feeling that accompanies days on your rear in the car. You know, I prefer to roast the puffy confections, not impersonate them.

    Mojave camp life

    Unfortunately our efforts to combat Stay-Puft Syndrome were cut short by Fred and George getting involved in a sibling squabble. It seems several days of family closeness finally caught up with them. With some parental intervention and diversion, we got the minions back on track. It helped that George became enthralled with desert sage. He’s our budding chef (a skill and interest he did not get from me BTW) so he found wild-growing sage to be intriguing.

    It’s those kinds of discovery moments that remind me you don’t necessarily have to go deep into the backcountry to get your kids excited. Turns out he found his bliss right there at camp. Granted, we drove thousands of miles to get to that particular camp so it’s a mixed bag. Happy Birthday George!

    Random Thoughts…

    So my final (and horribly random) thoughts on our visit to the Mojave are such:

    Of course we couldn’t pass up an interesting cache along historic Route 66.
    • I really want to go back and explore more in-depth. I think I’ll continue to be astounded by it even after multiple visits. It ranks as a must-see in my book if you’re headed to the area.
    • Even though I would have loved to explore more, it was the right move to let Camp Granola have some down time.
    • I will forever find rocks totally fascinating even if my geologist memory banks are a little dusty.
    • Man, those are spacious campsites!
    • and…I love chatty campground hosts.

    That just about sums up Day 5 of George’s Birthday Adventure.

    And now for your moment of green…

    That’s what I call a nice way to finish off the day.
  • George’s Birthday Adventure: Episode 3

    George’s Birthday Adventure: Episode 3

    The saga of George’s Birthday Adventure continues as Camp Granola finally reaches the Mojave on Day 4.

    Show me the Mojave…

    After a grueling cross-country drive, we finally got down to Camp Granola business. Foregoing any extra stops in the fabulous states of New Mexico and Arizona aside from a couple of quick geocaches, we boogied to the Mojave National Preserve and to the beginning of our camping, which is obviously what we enjoy most. And it was a good thing we boogied…because in the Mojave, when you second-guess yourself and don’t take the appropriate exit, you find yourself going a long way before the next.

    Arizona scenery certainly makes the drive worthwhile.

    Having reviewed maps of the Mojave area before we left, I knew we’d still get to where we were going, even if it was the long way. In some ways, I’m glad we did. The Mojave is a marvel of diversity and also enormous. Had we gone directly to the campground, we would have missed much of the grooviness along Kelbaker Road which is vastly different from the Essex Road area. Since we were to only have one full day to see what the Mojave was all about, it was nice to at least glimpse some of the other wonders it holds, even if we wouldn’t be able to give it its due in terms of the attention it deserves.

    The flipside of going the long way is that we arrived to camp on the late side. Initially we pulled into the Midhills campground which was deserted. Upon arrival we discovered that the water system was under repair. And while we’re fine with primitive camping, we weren’t prepared to have hauled in all the water we needed for the duration of our stay.

    So, having come in the hard way, we continued on the “corduroy” road back down to the main campground at Hole In The Wall. It was worth the bone-jarring drive to have access to the little water we tend to use around camp as well as a friendly and informative camp host.

    Blowing in the wind…

    Rolling in late, we quickly grabbed a campsite at got busy setting up. And while I make that sound easy, this was one tough pitch. If you’re at all familiar with the winds that can blast through the southwest, you’ll understand the challenge of pitching a tent under those conditions.

    The Hole in the Wall Campground – our home for a few days. Not too shabby eh?

    A normal pitch for us involves leisurely installing tent poles, then the fly, followed by staking. In what the Mojave was dishing out that evening, there was no way that was going to happen! We had to employ a modified pitch technique involving frantically staking first (and giving the RV campers quite a good laugh), then installing poles and fly. Doesn’t make for the best results but at least Big Agnes isn’t floating across the Mojave as we speak. And yes, I did use my child as ballast in the pre-staking moments. Nothing is sacred when getting your shelter set up hangs in the balance. Plus, he makes a good over-sized rock.

    Settling in…

    This is where putting the kids to work comes in very handy. Fred was set the task of keeping the freaked out dog calm in the car. Dobby was impressively disapproving of the wind so all we could do to keep him out of the way was to let Fred comfort the little booger in the car.

    Georgie on the other hand was a big help once we talked him out of heading for the hills when we got there. Apparently the lure of the mountains was nearly irresistible to him and we had to convince him that setting up camp needed to be our top priority. Of course I was secretly quite tickled by his enthusiasm.

    After with a simple-but-yummy dinner prepped by Jester in the tent vestibule – another camping modification made necessary by wind, we drifted off to sleep early, completely exhausted. And that’s how we brought Day 4 of George’s Birthday Adventure to an end.

    And now for your moment of green…

    We only got a taste of the astounding Mojave Desert but it was worth it.
  • George’s Birthday Adventure: Episode 2

    George’s Birthday Adventure: Episode 2

    When we last left you in our tales, we had bedded down for the night somewhere in Louisiana. Running later than we’d have liked, we were pressed to get to Austin to retrieve Jester from his work-related visit. Having returned his rental car, he was sitting at the airport waiting on us so we couldn’t be leisurely in our advance through Texas.

    So off we rolled, finally free of the pounding storms that plagued us on our first day.

    Grave architecture in Justiceburg

    Texas, Texas, and (you guessed it) more Texas…

    Texas is rather large as you well know so there’s a variety of ways to cross it. We took the long way…not so much for the love of Texas but simply to head up into northern New Mexico and Arizona, thinking we might make a few stops we’d missed our last time through a few years ago. Plus, having spent the bulk of the first day of travel on interstates, I was due for some backroad driving, my favorite kind. Winding our way back north, we were treated to an up-close view of the quintessential Texas scenes of wind farms and oil derricks.

    And as we worked northward, we stopped in Goldthwaite and ate at a local restaurant (Peabody’s). While nothing earth-shatteringly amazing, it was definitely a welcome break from the typical interstate-exit food. Sadly, we were only flitting through and wouldn’t be staying for the town’s upcoming Goat Cook-Off that was so prominently announced on banners across town. I can’t tell you how fun it would have been to stick around for that!

    The intriguing geocache location in Justiceburg, Texas.

    Abiline busting at the seams…

    Pushing a little further, we ventured into Abiline hoping to bed down for the night. And here’s the problem with loosey-goosey travel…sometimes there are conventions in town that have all rooms booked. Not knowing exactly how far we would travel each day, we had to leave our plans open and so we found ourselves victims of a power-lifting tournament and had to move further along I-20 than our road-weary selves would have liked.

    Which is how we found ourselves in Sweetwater, Texas at yet another Best Western. Just as friendly and accommodating as it’s counterpart in Louisiana, we were quite pleased with our Best Western track record. I’m really not shilling for the hotel chain, it’s just that traveling with a pup in tow can be a difficult and I appreciate when it’s made easier.

    One of the saddest sections in Justiceburg – the three small graves in front of the parents’. Their children died at age 19, 9, and the day born.

    Geocaching pitstop…

    We’d almost made it through the enormity of Texas by the end of day 2 but still had a long way to go to reach the Mojave Desert. It was clear we wouldn’t make it there on Day 3, much less in time to set up camp so we pushed through to Holbrook, Arizona with little excitement, good or bad. We did stop to grab an interesting geocache at a remote cemetery in Justiceburg, Texas however. These kinds of geocaches always provide thought-provoking insight into a place.

    Examining the gravestones, you get a glimpse into the lives that have been lived in the area, leaving you to imagine what came between the dates carved into rock. From the heartbreak of a lost child to the obvious pride in a fallen soldier, there are countless untold stories in cemetery. Giving pause to consider the lives lived during such times as the Civil War and Great Depression does wonders for the perspective of your own life.

    Westward Ho…

    So Camp Granola continued westward quickly, wrapping up Day 3 of George’s Birthday Adventure.

    And now for your moment of green…

    A tree with the beginning buds of spring in the near-barren lands of a west Texas cemetery.
  • George’s Birthday Adventure: Episode 1

    George’s Birthday Adventure: Episode 1

    As you know, our little George has a great sense of adventure just like his mom. So as I mentioned a few weeks ago, he requested a birthday trip to Nevada so he could geocache the E.T. Highway. Given it’s distance from our Camp Granola home-base in Georgia, this obviously involves more than a weekend getaway. If you’re going to drag your whole family across the country, you have to make it worth the effort right? So with that we headed west to see what we could discover in addition to our geocaching destination.

    I also promised in that post that I would be making an effort to overcome my blogger delinquency and be more timely in chronicling the adventures of our road-schooling gang. This brings us to the first installment of our 2+ week cross-country expedition.

    Blubaru loaded and ready to take us across the country.

    Let the driving begin…

    I guess I don’t really have to tell you there are a lot of miles between Atlanta and Nevada. We were facing several brutal days of driving but the boys didn’t want to miss more of their homeschool classes than necessary so we didn’t set out until noon last Thursday, meaning we were cramming in a lot of travel in a short amount of time. It’s a faster pace than I’d like but it’s what we have to work with at the moment.

    At any rate, with classes behind us, we set off through Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, hoping to reach Austin by the middle of our second day. We chose the southern I-10 route since, while not as quick as I-20, it was a route the boys had never experienced…and you now we’re all about variety here at Camp Granola. Even without stopping and exploring a great deal, I was hoping they would at least get a feel for what the north section of the Gulf Coast was like…that is, as opposed to the southern Florida Gulf Coast they’re pretty familiar with.

    Dobby looking oh-so-thrilled about his dinner on the road.

    Slow, wet, and foggy…

    Our shiny, happy adventure started off sunny and inviting but quickly turned to an insane thunderstorm pounding courtesy of the great states of Alabama and Mississippi. Given the weather, our plans to explore along the way via geocaching were quickly squashed. We managed a few to satisfy George’s desire to get a cache in each state, but it was a tall order, not only because the storms were severe, but also because they was slowing us down so much that our geocaching time was being eaten away in large chunks. We did need to get out west after all.

    So with little exploration time at our disposal, we had to mostly be satisfied with the view out Blubaru’s windows. It wasn’t much but the boys did get to see and smell the Gulf Coast and marvel at the rivers and swamps of the southern deltas. They were sufficiently mesmerized by the early morning fog over the Mississippi River and Louisiana wetlands. And it certainly wet our appetites to return and explore further some day.

    I know, not a fabulous picture, but you do get an idea of what we were contending with on Day 1.

    A bang-up time in Mississippi…

    After slogging our way through Alabama and Mississippi, we were almost in the clear of the roughest storms. In fact, we’d managed to grab a geocache, a quick dinner, as well as some coffee and wi-fi courtesy of Starbuck’s in Mississippi. We had Louisiana in our sights when a traveler from South Africa, confused by driving here in the states, made a huge error in judgement.

    Blubaru, being as fabulous as she is, managed to stop short of the errant left-turner. However, the gentleman in the lane next to us was not as fortunate. Thankful our trip had not met an early end, we did have to pause our westward advance to provide assistance. Also thankfully, no one was injured so it was simply a matter of making a statement before we could move on.

    Stopping short…

    So with all of our delays, we were not as far along as we’d hoped. But we at Camp Granola know that delays are just part of the deal and, not only make allowances for those delays in our plans, but also don’t get our granola undies in a bunch.

    Weary from the day’s events, we stopped not far into Louisiana at a pet-friendly hotel. Here’s where I have to give a shout-out to Best Western hotels. Not only do they allow pets, they welcome them. With a pillow and treats for Dobby, breakfast for us, and all at a reasonable rate, I was a happy granola mom. So a big thanks to Best Western for making our trip a little bit easier.

    Thus ends Day One of George’s Birthday Adventure.

    And now for your moment of green…

    Camp Granola has left the lush southeast for the arid deserts of the west.