“The Night Before”

On Monday morning, we woke up and just relaxed. For various reasons, over the last several days, we had to be up and moving out pretty quickly. But we only had a short drive ahead of us that day, so we had a little more time to rest. It was nice.

They served free coffee and donuts in the lobby of the RV park, starting at 8:00. Obviously, Joe and the boys were excited about that! He took them over there and I stayed behind to get some things organized in the RV. I know it seems silly, but having a big bag of laundry and other things laying around can really impede on your space! I’m really growing in my respect for the Tiny House people. You just have to be super creative with your storage! But after this experience…I think we could do it. 😉

It felt good to get back to being organized again (although some things were still not unpacked from when we left!) [cringe emoji] The boys enjoyed playing chess in the lobby and then kicking the soccer ball in the field in the center of the park while Joe read a book. And EVERYONE enjoyed taking a real shower. The bathrooms were actually really nice!

When it was time to check out, we unplugged and packed up. But Joe and the boys wanted me to see the lobby and gift shop, so we stopped in quickly. It’s good that I stayed behind in the RV that morning, because there are tons of things in there I wanted to buy!! It was adorable!!

Thank you, Amarillo Ranch RV Park! We had a wonderful time!

As we were leaving, Joe saw a brochure for something that he wanted to show the boys on the way out of town. It was an RV Museum that was only a few miles away! We really enjoyed looking through all the old models. It brought back a lot of memories of camping when I was growing up, as well as of the people we used to travel with.

These two are what my sister and I grew up in…a pop-up camper and a VW bus! ❤

They even had the Flxble from the movie “RV.” So funny!

Right next door to the museum was an actual dealership. We were amazed at what the newer models have these days! And the price tag?? Whoa, buddy! We decided if we hit it big in Vegas, we would stop by and pick this one up on the way home. 😉

From there, we ran a few errands and then set out on the road. We were headed to another BW host in Stanley, NM…just outside of Santa Fe.

The landscape drastically changed from that point on. We’ve enjoyed driving through the big cities and seeing places where there was lots of activity. But all of the tight turns, stops, and heavy traffic are tough on Eleanor…and all of us! Now we reached the part where you just…drive.

You could see forever into the horizon! We actually found the desert to be so beautiful! And it was very peaceful…which seemed timely.

We were so excited when entered New Mexico. And the boys LOVED seeing the time change on their watches automatically!! What a welcome?!

When we stepped out of the car at the Welcome Center, we were surprised at how mild the temperature was! And there was lovely breeze. I was actually disappointed that we weren’t staying longer, after seeing all the sites that NM had to offer on the brochures. We honestly didn’t know very much about it, but now I’m SO glad it was part of our route!

From there, it wasn’t all that much farther to our host site. We drove in and out of little towns along the highway. After we started weaving around the mountains, the civilization trailed off and it was back to desert. But the GPS said we were really close to the house. Hmmm…

When you book your stay on BW, it shows you a picture of the host and also their house…but you don’t always know what’s surrounding it. In this case, it was just. desert. As we approached the house, we couldn’t believe it..it was wild!!

Joe, the host, and Pepper, the dog, came out to greet us. He helped us pull down the long driveway and turn around so we could hook up the electric. Pepper was VERY excited for the boys to come out of the RV and play. We talked with them in the driveway for awhile and then a storm was approaching in the distance. Check out this rainbow!! You can’t tell from the picture, but the colors were SO vibrant!

Also, as we stood there talking, the temperature must have dropped 10 degrees. I actually had goose bumps! It was about 61 degrees…much different from sweltering Texas!! The boys enjoyed playing in the “backyard” for awhile before we turned in for bed.

It was nice and cool in the RV that night and we fell fast asleep. We thought this little leg of the trip was going to be more of a pass through. Instead, we were becoming “enchanted” with New Mexico.

It was a lovely place to rest…the night before…

| The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. – Psalm 29:11|