A Grand Experience

When we last left off, the gnome was en-route to a site in Sanford Texas. The campground upon arrival sat atop a bluff overlooking Lake Meredith in Sanford Texas. The site were spacious and fresh water provided upon entry. Additionally, the bathrooms were immaculate and had free showers! But the view though. 

The gnome sat dormant another night while Liz and I made camp in the tent. As the evening drew near, a storm was seen rolling in to the north. Lightning silently flashed the sky in the far distance. We tucked in for the night around 10. The radar said there was an 8% chance of precip and yet the rain drops coming in through the open top tent made us rap the rain fly for the night. 

We did not know what was in store. 

Around 1:30AM the wind started and didn't stop. Strong gusts pushed in the roof of the tent and rain pelted the fly above our bodies. Lightning was upon us and would light the tent with a crashing boom instantly. The storm had shifted and was right overhead. For safety sake, we pack the dog, tent and some pillows in the Subaru and got "comfy" for the night. Sleep finally came but was irked away with the rise of the sun on the vista. With eyes somewhat open, we gathered whatever belongings we had, got organized and headed out. Aside from the freak storm, this was a beautiful, well kept site with nearby lake like amenities and would visit again if in the area.

On our way out of Texas, we stumbled upon Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo Texas. We couldnt help but stop and take pictures of cars that had been stacked in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels who were part of the art group Ant Farm. The car shells have gained fame for their unique appearance that changes with each visitors spray of the can. Just remember to clean up the cans when done.

For the night, we made camp in El Malpais (Badlands) National Park at the Joe Skeens Campground. This site had about 2 dozen areas to camp which includes newly built pavilions and clean drop toilets. The location is fairly off the beaten path which made it a quiet night with very few neighbors. The local views and opportunities for exploration in rock crevices, caves and lava flow fields made this an ideal camp for the night. While in the desert, we couldn't resist buying sparklers at the local fireworks shop and doing some long exposure images.

On our way out of town, we checked out the nearby vista which was fun to climb around on. Our drive through the desert continued with a stop through the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest NP. Petrified Forest National Park is known for its fossils, especially of fallen trees that lived in the Late Triassic period of the Mesozoic era, about 225 million years ago. During this period, the region that is now the park was near the equator on the southwestern edge of the supercontinent Pangaea, and its climate was humid and sub-tropical. What later became northeastern Arizona was a low plain flanked by mountains to the south and southeast and a sea to the west. Streams flowing across the plain from the highlands deposited inorganic sediment and organic matter, including trees as well as other plants and animals that had entered or fallen into the water. Although most organic matter decays rapidly or is eaten by other organisms, some is buried so quickly that it remains intact and may become fossilized. Within the park, the sediments containing the fossil logs for which the park is named are part of the Chinle Formation

Off to Flagstaff we flew. The gnome set up camp at a free site off a dirt road north of town. We were met with a dozen other free campers who used the space to spend a night or two. Just driving through the town, we knew it was something special. The quaint local shops and unique spaces almost masked the sad homeless side which was seen on popular street corners and in the parks. Aside from that, the city had a great overall vibe to it. 10 outa 10 would visit again.

The morning after arriving to Flagstaff, we heard a rustle around 6AM. We peek outside the curtain and sure enough, we see Sara and Colin packing up their tent into the rental  car. They anticipated finding camp an hour north at the South rim of the Grand Canyon but were unable to secure a location where ever they went. They instead headed to our camp and spent the night in-tent. They were able to salvage their trip to the Grand Canyon that morning with a quick in and out of the tourist spots while Liz and I stayed around to explore Flagstaff and do laundry at the local coin-op. In the early afternoon, all parties were present in Flagstaff for the final push to Vegas and further to the main attractions; Dixie NF, Zion and Bryce NP.

Driving into Vegas at dusk, we headed to the airport car return to get Sara and Colin situated. The clouds were a beautiful pink and purple swirl ominously billowing above our heads. It may have been a sign of things to come. The rental was returned without issue and all four humans, one dog and a 33 year old camper headed into the Red Rock Canyon Nat Conservation Area to find some BLM land to camp. Little did we know that such a feat would be impossible to accomplish and leave us stranded with no where to stay for the long desert night in the deserted outskirts of Las Vegas.