Month: March 2022

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New Mexico for Mardi Gras

Living in New Orleans, there are few things that we look forward to more than Mardi Gras, and in 2022, the anticipation was greater than ever. Since COVID shut everything down in 2021, 2022 was poised to deliver something special, and it did not disappoint.

For two weeks, the Igoes camped out on the parade route, catching beads, eating, drinking and spending much needed and much missed time with friends and family. For those of you who have never experienced it, Mardi Gras for locals is not what you see on TV, it is not what you see on Bourbon Street.

Certainly, that exists, but where we watch the parades, towards the beginning, things are very family-oriented, and it is a one of a kind time in this city. In addition to the parades and parties, it is also worth noting that schools in the New Orleans area have the Mardi Gras week off, something not common across the country. This makes Mardi Gras a great time to travel, and this year, we took advantage.

Since our initial RV trip in 2018, I have been jonesing to get back to the Southwest, and it just so happens that three of America’s great National Parks are within an hour (or so’s) drive of El Paso. My wife and I did the research, booked an RV on Outdoorsy, packed up the kids, jumped on an airplane and headed out West.

I will say, first impressions of the area differ slightly from places like California or Minnesota. Frankly, when you arrive in east Texas, things are kind of reminiscent of the movie Traffic. Lots of small, crowded structures, dust and not a lot of green stuff. That’s alright, though; what doesn’t float my boat is a wonderful home for others, and we didn’t come for El Paso, we came due to the proximity.

We picked up a 32 foot RV, loaded up on groceries and drove an hour+ east to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. On the list of most frequently visited National Parks, Guadalupe is towards the south end; even most Texans I know haven’t been there. That said, it is certainly worth the trip (which National Park isn’t?)

We arrived late and spent the night in the Pine Springs Campground. This campground is RV friendly, although it has no hook ups of any kind. Frankly, it is simply a parking lot with RV-sized spots, but this worked for our purposes. It is also a few feet from one of the most popular trailheads, so it was a good place to start.

I want to mention at this point that if you are a stargazer, Guadalupe is a great place to be. When we shut everything down, we couldn’t see a light for miles that didn’t come from the heavens. The elevation, the distance from ambient light and the clear skies made for an amazing light show.

When we awoke the next morning, we gathered our things a headed up the Devil’s Hall Trail. This is one of the more popular trails in the park, and is also deceivingly strenuous. The first mile or so is a gradual incline up into the mountains, until a sharp downhill leads you into a wash that is only wet during the brief rainy season. We then spent the next three quarters of a mile jumping, crawling and climbing from boulder to boulder until we reached the end.

There were several times along the way when we (specifically the kids) wanted to give up and turn back, as it seems to be just the same thing over and over, but when you actually reach the end of the trail, you’ll understand why you came. The wash comes to a halt in what can only be described as a natural stairwell that leads up the side of the mountain. The picture does it more justice than do my words, but I strongly suggest you stick this one out until.

When we finally made it back, we ate and asked a park ranger how he thought we should kill the afternoon. He was not super helpful, but suggested the Smith Springs Trail, which also goes by Manzanita Springs. It was only a 2.3 mile loop, so we decided to give it a go.

The first spring, Manzanita, is only about half a mile in, and is about as impressive as a new pair of socks. Certainly better than an old pair, but not really worth going out of your way to see. The next mile was rough; uphill, in the sun, with nothing more than relatively barren landscape.

Again, we thought it might be time to turn back until we started to hear that wonderful sound, the trickle of water. When we reached Smith Springs, it all became worthwhile. The apex of this loop is a beautiful, hidden, shaded spring that brought us back to life just in time. The water was so cool and clear that I legitimately considered drinking it. It is funny how one great moment can make 2.3 miles totally worth it, and make the walk back down fly by.

There was one other trail in the park that looked interesting, the McKittrick Canyon Trail, but it was longer than we could manage, and we had only allotted one day to Guadalupe. We packed up Tess (the RV) and head northwest for Carlsbad Caverns.

One of the reasons we chose this trip was the proximity of the three parks to each other. The Caverns are less than an hour drive from Guadalupe Mountains, and that night, we stayed in an RV park in Whites City, Whites City RV Park.

If you search up this campground, you won’t find a website, only a phone number and only 2.5 stars in reviews. I found this place perfectly acceptable. When we arrived, it turned out that I had made the reservations for the wrong day, but they shifted things around and got us two nights with full hook ups. The site has few amenities and is pretty bare bones, but those of you who have traveled by recreational vehicle before know there are worse things. We grilled cheese pizzas that night (Ash Wednesday for you Catholics out there), got another wonderful view of the stars and hit the hay.

We got up early on Thursday and made our way into the park. We got our second passport stamp of the trip and headed into the cave. We had to book a reservation at Carlsbad prior to arrival on recreation.gov, but it was not difficult to get. This cave is a really cool experience, and definitely different from a cave like Mammoth.

One can take an elevator down into the heart of the cave, but you miss out on the really cool experience of the long trek into the darkness. We decided to take the one mile hike down into the cave, and then do the additional 1.2 mile stroll through the Big Room. It is hard to really describe this cave, other than to say it is awesome.

Carlsbad has every type of cave feature you might want: stalagmites, stalactites, popcorn, ledges, bottomless pits and on and on and on. I love caves, so this was one of my favorite parts of the trip, but I am not so sure about the rest of the family. While everyone thought it was really impressive, the cave’s accessibility was significantly limited by COVID. Carlsbad normally offers a dozen or more different guided tours, but because of the virus, all that was available was the self-guided tour of the Big Room. For me, it was totally worth it, but I wouldn’t hesitate to go back again if anyone else was interested.

We did not have definite plans for the afternoon, but felt like we had exhausted what was available with half a day in Carlsbad. We had planned to spend another night in Whites City and visit Sitting Bull Falls the following day, but we decided to maximize our time and head into Lincoln National Forest.

The drive to Sitting Bull Falls is beautiful and desolate. It took over an hour to get there from Carlsbad, and for the majority of it, there was not another car in sight. When we arrived at the recreation area, I was shocked to find a pretty well developed site and several other visitors.

If you are in this area, Sitting Bull Falls is can’t-miss. It is a hidden oasis in an arid environment where you can hike, picnic and even swim. The hike to the top of the falls is strenuous, but only about a quarter of a mile, and I strongly recommend it. The top of the falls is amazing, and you can wade in and out of the pools and climb on the rocks that define this wonderful area.

At the bottom of the falls, there is a well-developed viewing area that leads to the base, where you can swim and explore all the way to fall itself. It was too cold for us to do more than wade, but even so, this was an unexpected and fantastic addition to our adventure.

Because we had just a bit of extra time, we decided to make the long drive to the northwest and visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. I have always been fascinated by cliff dwellings but never gotten to visit one before. It was about a five hour drive, and actually took us past our next destination, but we figured it was better to use the time, rather than hang out in an RV park.

Side note, the drive to Gila (pronounced Heela) took us through Cloudcroft, NM. I only mention this because it was one of the most unusual and beautiful parts of our trip. When we drove through Cloudcroft, it felt like we were entering Brigadoon; it felt like we’d arrived in a ski resort pulled from a Bing Crosby movie. Keep in mind this was March, there was snow on the ground everywhere. There were adorable shops, restaurants, a brewery. I wished that we had the time to stop and explore, but I got the impression that if we had, we would never leave. Who knew such a place existed in southwest New Mexico.

After we escaped the lure, we finished the long drive at a KOA just outside Silver City (birthplace of Billy the Kid). Whenever we RV, the kids are always thrilled when we can stay at a KOA. They usually have the best amenities, this one did not disappoint (hook ups, arcade, shop, showers). We woke early the next day and finished the treacherous drive up to Gila, and were thrilled with what we found.

These well-preserved dwellings date back to the 1200s and while only occupied for a short period of time, are really impressive. The hike up is beautiful, and the views from the outside are really inspiring. That said, and Alyson agreed, actually being inside the dwellings is just sort of ‘meh’. The coolest part is viewing the homes set into the side of a mountain from the outside, but when you are actually in them, it just feels like any other old hut. I am really happy we added this excursion though, an 800 year old mountain retreat is really something to behold.

Our turn around was quick and abrupt, and we headed back southwest towards White Sands National Park. Just outside of Alomogordo, NM, this is one of the countries newest National Parks, and it is legitimately like no place I have ever seen before. We spent that night in, you guessed it, a KOA and made our way to the park early the next day.

We stopped at the Visitors Center, got our passports stamped and bought two saucers and some wax. I suppose I should elaborate. One of the main activities in White Sands is dune sledding, and the facilities are more than happy to provide the supplies.

An interesting thing about this gypsum covered wonderland, the park is hundreds upon hundreds of acres, surrounded by a government missile testing site, but visitors have access to only about 0.4%. In that 0.4%, you’ll get to see a world unlike any other. It almost feels like you’ve stepped onto another planet, until your one year old steals your sled and zips down a dune when you’re not paying attention.

My eldest daughter was super excited about sledding, but when you first start, you need to be sure that your expectations are tempered. The first time down the hill is slow and plodding, but the more you go down, the more the sand gets packed and the faster you’ll get.

Sledding is the primary activity in this area, and beyond that, there is actually not a ton to do. There are several trails, but none of them are long, and evidently, multiple people get lost and actually die every year, as everything looks the same. We found White Sands to be a great place to sled, to picnic and just experience something few people ever see.

At this point, we decided that the kids needed a break from the outdoors, and took them to Rocket City. This is a combination bowling alley, laser tag, arcade, oh, and it has a bar. It was nice to give the kids a break, bowl a few frames (my high was 143) and let them play a few video games. This trip was a very outdoors-heavy trip, and giving them a break really added to all of our enjoyments.

Aside from the sledding, the one thing that you shouldn’t miss at White Sands is the sunset. Every night, visibility-allowing, the park puts on a sunset stroll where a ranger (or in this case, an intern) leads a group out into the dunes, discusses the park and watches the sun drop. I have seen a lot of sunsets in 40 years (believe it or not), I am not sure any can compare to this. All I can do is ask you to look at that picture up top, and tell me if I’m wrong.

We spent that night in the KOA and woke up with the baby the next morning. Before leaving the White Sands area, we had breakfast at a classic diner called the Waffle and Pancake Shoppe. Food wasn’t a major part of our itinerary this trip, but this restaurant was awesome. Very old-school, mom and pop, there was already a wait when we arrived at 8 am on a Sunday. The staff moves people in and out so well, whilst still providing really high quality food, that we were out by 9. It was by far the best meal we had all week.

From there, we drove back into El Paso and stopped at the Chamizal National Memorial. This site had little to do with our travel intentions, but it does have a spot in the passport books, and since we had time before our flight, we figured why not?

This site commemorates an agreement between the United States and Mexico over a disputed area along the border. It is kind of cool, and the grounds would make for a nice event venue, but frankly, of all the National Park Service sites we have visited, this one may have been the most ‘blah’.

We dropped off the RV, hopped on board a plane and headed back to New Orleans. It is nice to get away from the city after Mardi Gras, but it was far from a relaxing trip. This was the type of vacation that it feels like requires a follow up vacation. If you are big on National Parks, heading out to El Paso is a great option, and these three parks are ones best visited during the colder times of the year. While I cannot give you a lot of recommendations for El Paso itself, I definitely recommend visiting Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands.

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RVing Through the Northwest

Since our initial RV trip through the Southwest in 2019, the Traveling Igoes have been itching to get back in a big rig and hit the open road. We had big plans for 2020, but a certain virus had even bigger ones.

When 2021 finally came along, and we all got vaccinated (at least those who could), we rebooted our travel plans. I had never been to Yosemite before, and no one in my immediate family had ever visited Oregon, so we decided this was the perfect opportunity.

The planning for a trip like this is pretty labor intensive, and by the end, we had about 70 pages worth of itinerary put together. After picking the dates, the next thing to do was pick the route. We decided to fly into San Francisco and pick up a recreation vehicle. From there, we would drive north along the coast through Redwood Forest, into Oregon and Crater Lake. We would then head back south through Lassen Volcanic National Park and Yosemite, and finish back in San Fran.

Beyond that, the trip would lie in the details. Once we figured out our dates (11 days in total) and our course, the next thing to do was to find the right rig. Two years ago, we found a great RV through Outdoorsy, so that’s where we started. We actually found the perfect fit for our family. A 24 foot truck with no slide outs, with unlimited mileage and generator use included. Unfortunately, about a month prior to leaving, this RV flooded, and our proprietor had to cancel.

Outdoorsy helped us find another option, which was a very similar 24′ Winnebago, the only difference being that this one was made in 1999. It had almost all 5-star reviews save one, that claimed it was old, dingy and worn down, and at this point, we had very few options. When we arrived, it seemed that all the reviews were accurate. Gertie (as we named her) was a reliable old bird with countless dings, scratches and stains. That said, she ran well, stopped alright and got us from point A to point B on time.

We landed in San Francisco, picked up Gertie and headed north. Our first stop was at the Full House house in the heart of the city. My daughter, a huge fan of Fuller House, was very excited. I found it rather pointless, but the main reason we take these trips is to bring joy to our kids, so if it makes Eileen happy, I can spare 30 minutes.

From there, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped on the north side for a picture. It was really impressive, shrouded in fog, but this point was also one of my biggest regrets. On the south side of the bridge is Fort Point, a spot where the kids can get their passport books stamped. We missed the turnoff, and in Gertie, it was too hard to make our way back. It was still really cool, but I not getting that stamp will eat at me.

We loaded back up and headed another hour north to Muir Woods. What a great introduction to what we were going to see. The approach was a big white knuckle-y in an RV, but once we got there, we realized how worthwhile is Muir Woods. Protected since 1908, this primeval forest is both refuge and laboratory, filled with old growth Redwoods reaching for the sun. In order to access this site at the time, parking reservations are needed, so definitely look into getting these well in advance. We did not spend a ton of time in Muir, but it was a great appetizer for a trip filled with some of the most amazing trees in the world.

Our next stop was at the Olema Campground, an RV park with easy access to Point Reyes National Seashore. This site had electrical hook ups, but nothing else, but for this trip, that was something. For those of you unfamiliar, RVs can hook up to electricity, water and a dumping station. While this is not vital, having hook ups does make life quite a bit easier.

In the morning, we met up with our guide, Frank, in Point Reyes, for what he refers to as a Point Reyes Safari. We followed him throughout the park, riding behind him in our truck, visiting various different parts of the site. We first visited the Cypress Tree Tunnel, which is really impressive, and something similar to what you see at old southern plantations.

From there, he took us to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. It was very unexpected how cool this would be. It is a trek to get there, and I doubt we would have done it if not for Frank, but if you go, this is the must-see part of Point Reyes. This lighthouse is so cool and so remote, it feels like something out of a fantasy novel.

The only thing I will say is that it was not super clear what we had gotten ourselves into with the safari. We thought it was going to be something like an off-road, UTV tour. Instead, we were following a Subaru around in our RV. It ended up being great; we saw plenty of elk and coyotes, but it is not exactly what I thought it was going to be.

Once we finished at Point Reyes, being sure to get our books stamped, we drove to the south end of Redwood National Park and spent the night at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground. This was by far the most amazing site in which we stayed. It was right on the beach, and the seascape looked like something out of a painting. The site recommended no vehicles larger than 24 feet, which worked for us, but I think they were being generous. The approach was extremely treacherous, there were no hook-ups, and we felt super out of place around all the small tents.

We made it through the night though, and headed for Fern Canyon. This hidden gem is wild to the point that parts of Jurassic Park were actually filmed here. The canyon is covered wall to wall with greenery, and can really only be called jaw-dropping. It is not simple to access, but it is certainly worth the effort. If you want to experience something that few have, something very different than anything I have ever seen, Fern Canyon is a great place to start.

We made our way out of the canyon and stopped at another one of the can’t-miss spots in Redwoods, Trillium Falls Trail. This is approximately a 2.5 mile loop which leads to a cool, but small waterfall. You should not let the size of the fall deter you, however, as this trail is beautiful start to finish. The one thing I would suggest is to start in the direction that has you finishing with the falls instead of starting with it. Saving the payoff for the end makes this trail all the more worthwhile.

We stopped at the Elk Creek Visitor Center to get our books stamped and pick up the Junior Ranger packets. This packet was straight forward, and the kids were able to finish it that day. Our next stop up the road was at the Trees of Mystery. The trip through the vast Redwood National and State Park area is littered with roadside attractions, and Trees of Mystery really caught our attention.

It is definitely a little kitschy and touristy, in sort of a Gravity Falls type of way, but my son really loved it. There are several aerial walkways that take you up into the trees, a bunch of really cool carvings out of the Paul Bunyan legend and a sky-tram that takes you several hundred feet up into the mountains. There is also a perfectly serviceable restaurant attached, which for those eating out of an RV fridge, really hit the spot. There was nothing overwhelmingly great about the Trees of Mystery, but my 9 year-old son really like it, and it was a welcome break from all the hiking (and driving).

We got back on the road and stopped at the north end of the park, at the Hiouchi Visitor Center, where the kids picked up their first of four National Park Junior Ranger badges. We spent that night in a KOA, with full hook ups, which was a nice break (and the only one). We have really enjoyed the KOAs in our two RV trips. The sites are not usually as unique or memorable, but it is nice to have a full set amenities. It makes roughing it in a camper not quite so rough.

The following morning, we met up with the guide from Redwood Rides, who took Eileen, JR and I kayaking on the Smith River. Clara was too young to go, so Alyson took her for a hike while we hit the water. JR and I were in a tandem kayak, which worked out well for him, whilst Eileen was on her own.

As this was the dry season, the river was not too high or too fast, but it was very scenic and a lot of fun. At one point, we stopped at a rock that Eileen jumped off of, and at another, we took a hike through Stout Grove, which was pretty impressive. I have been on more exciting rivers before, but had we been there in April or May, I think the water would have been a lot faster.

At this point, it was time to cross the border and mark off another state for our entire family. That afternoon, we crossed into Oregon for the first time for all of us. Our first stop was at a little visited Parks site, the Oregon Caves National Monument. I am a huge fan of caves, so I was really looking forward to this visit, but unfortunately, it was an extraordinary disappointment.

The caves only recently reopened and require guided, ticketed tours. At this stage, the tickets are only available day of, and cannot be purchased in advance. When we arrived, all of the tickets for the day were sold out. I understand the need for social distancing, but as we walked a decent hike in the park, it became clear that total, there were no more than 10 people in the entire area. Further, only offering tickets first come, first serve makes it nearly impossible for anyone from out of the area to visit. I wish I could say we will go back someday, but it does not seem very likely. Out of everything we did this trip, this was by far our biggest letdown.

We made our way from the Caves of Disappointment northwest towards Crater Lake, and stayed the night in Mazama Campground. This camp was very rustic, but it provided great access to the park. The next morning, we loaded up the RV and headed into Crater Lake.

Crater Lake is arguably the most beautiful place that I have ever been. That said, there is not actually all that much to do there. We drove the rim, which is about 30 miles around, and offers multiple amazing viewpoints. We stopped at one of the more frequently used trails, the Cleetwood Cove, which leads from the rim down to the lake itself.

During regular times, this is where you can pick up the boat that tours that lake and takes passengers all the way to Wizard Island. Due to COVID, it is not running this year; had it been, this certainly would have added something extra to our visit. The Cleetwood trail is beautiful, but the way back up, in particular, is extremely strenuous.

We followed this by completing our Junior Ranger packets and getting badges for the kids. We then traveled about an hour south to Crater Lake Ziplines. Eileen and JR love ziplining, so we always try to work this into our trips, if it’s possible.

Crater Lake Ziplines actually requires that you break yourself, so JR was not old enough to do the big zips. That said, they offer a smaller course for kids under 10 and under 70 pounds. He was a little disappointed, but once he got over himself, he seemed to have a great time. If you ask Eileen, she will tell you this was her favorite part of our entire vacation.

We spent another night in Mazama, then headed south back to California. Our next two stops were definitely my two favorite. Our first was at Lava Beds National Monument. This was a late addition to our itinerary, so we were not really sure what to expect. Frankly, it blew me away.

I think everyone else enjoyed it, but I loved this site. I could have spent an entire week exploring this vast network of caves. Volcanic eruptions in this area from past millennia have created a rugged, unique landscape with over 800 caves. We only had time to explore two, the Mudpot and Valentine caves. These caves, former lava tubes, are different than caves like Mammoth or Oregon, and are each unique. The park rates them based upon difficulty, so the two we did were more kid friendly. Like I said, I love a good cave, and could have spent a week at Lava Beds, but we had to move on.

The next stop on our whirlwind tour was Lassen Volcanic National Park. Compared to the other three National Parks we hit, I knew very little about Lassen, but have to say that of the four big parks, I enjoyed it the most. When we arrived, we went straight from the Visitor Center to the Kings Creek Trail. This is a hike that goes on for miles, but about 1.5 miles in, you realize why you came. The trail follows Kings Creek as it meanders across the park, and a great stopping point is the Kings Creek Falls, a stunning cataract that you can explore almost to the very precipice. On the way back, I strongly encourage you to take the left hand, one-way trail. While it is a tough climb up a few hundred stairs, it is one of the best parts of the hike.

We spent that night in the Manzanita Lake Campground, another rustic RV park, but it gave us great, quick access to Lassen. The following morning, we headed back into the park, turned in our packets for Junior Ranger badges, and went straight to the Bumpass Hell trailhead. My son was very excited about this, as, according to him, the name contains two swear words.

This trail is about a three-mile round trip, and while the hike is not as stunning as Kings Creek, the payoff is equally as impressive. Bumpass Hell is a live area of geothermal activity. It reminded me a lot of Yellowstone; there are boiling mudpots, acidic pools and sulfur fumes everywhere. It is a really stunning site, and it makes one wonder how long it must have taken Mr. Bumpass to find it so many years ago. We all loved our visit, and if I had to pick one National Park to go to, it would be Lassen.

We left Bumpass and Lassen, and headed into Chico, where we met my uncle for lunch at Nash’s. It was great to see family, and on a trip like this, getting the opportunity to eat something for lunch other than turkey on white bread was a welcome change of pace.

The next leg of our trip finally brought us to the grand prize, Yosemite. This park is a spectacular gem on the ring finger of the National Parks system. The valley is about as cool a place as you will find anywhere in the U.S. That said, we went in what is really the off season, so a lot of the water had dried up. While it may have been the off season, it was also extremely crowded, and in some ways, reminded me more of Disneyworld than a National Park.

Our first two hikes were Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls. The lower falls was still a trickle, but unfortunately, the Upper was completely dry. The hike on the Upper Falls trail, to Columbia Rock, is still a great one, with an amazing view of Half Dome, but it is quite strenuous.

After this, we spent sometime in Yosemite Village and picked up our Junior Ranger packets. This was one of my biggest frustrations. Since we started with our passport books and Junior Ranger badges, we have visited 47 National Park sites. Thus far, Yosemite has been the only park to charge for them. As this is one of the most visited parks in the world, I found this to be completely ridiculous, and certainly let the park rangers there know how I felt.

We left the park that afternoon, only about a mile out, to go horseback riding. All the guided tours inside the park are currently suspended, but this trail ride right on the perimeter was really cool, with several river crossings. The guides from Yosemite Trail Rides really did a great job.

We spent that night in Yosemite, in the Wawona Campgound. This site was actually pretty mediocre, but it is within the park, so that was a big bonus. On week days, the wait to get in can be up to an hour, and on weekends, up to three, so skipping those lines was worth roughing it a bit.

The next day, we took the Mist Trail up to Vernal Falls, and this was pretty amazing. If you stop at Vernal Falls, it’s about 3 miles in and out, with the last portion being 650 very steep steps. It is definitely worth it though, as this waterfall is nothing short of spectacular. During the spring, I understand that it is common for people to get quite soaked on the trail, but even during the dry season, the fall was still a sight.

We spent the afternoon on rented bikes taking a self-guided 8 mile tour of the Valley, then headed back to camp and packed up the RV for departure. We awoke early the next morning and drove back to San Francisco, ready to leave Gertie behind.

It is important to note for those not familiar with RVing that when you return the rig, it is expected that it be full of gas and propane, but emptied of everything else. When we got back, our proprietor was very gracious, and while Gertie was not always the easiest rig to drive, she got us there and back, so I have no regrets.

We took an Uber to the Intercontinental San Francisco, a hotel that is walking distance to Oracle Park, and we headed to the Giants game. We find it nice to give the kids a break from all the hiking and outdoors-ing with something a bit more cosmopolitan. We all love watching baseball, and going to new stadiums is a lot of fun. The Giants beat the Astros, and the game featured 7 home runs, which was a lot of fun. Oracle Park is pretty cool, with the bay just beyond the right field wall, but honestly, I was less impressed than I thought I would be.

After the game, we took a bus to Ghiradelli Square, as my daughter is obsessed with their chocolates. We got ice cream, looked into the bay at Alcatraz and had dinner at San Francisco Brewing Co. Frankly, I found neither the beer nor the food to be of any particular note, but it was nice to sit outside and listen to music.

We left early the next morning and made it back to New Orleans in time to start laundry. I had to work the next day, but the kids slept much later than normal. This was the type of vacation that almost requires a follow up vacation. An RV trip is amazing, but it is also exhausting. It is a great way to spend time with your family and to see vast parts of the country in one fell swoop. If you are planning one or even considering it, please reach out. I am happy to share the things that worked for us and those that didn’t. Until then, we’ll see you next time the Igoes go a-traveling.