This is the first part to my best friend and my unforgettable 10 day road trip in 2018! I hope you come along for the crazy ride with us.
The adventure begun when I picked her up from the Denver Airport. We got some much needed Chick fil a and hit the dollar store picking up random snacks for our long trip ahead. I was excited to take her to see the beautiful Rifle Falls. This quick park and walk too waterfall is one that you cannot miss if you are traveling anywhere near I70 between Glenwood and Grand Junction.
With three cascading waterfalls and plenty of picturesque spots, its a great place to spend the day! Or even the weekend at the campgrounds. You can explore above the waterfalls as well. You’re likely to see deer and turkey here.
The Adventure Begins in Utah!
After getting much needed sleep, the next morning we got up and headed to Utah where we got to explore The Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. If you would like to read more on these National Parks, please check out the previous links out. Definitely love both of these National Parks. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting both a few times and plan on going back in 2022.
It was roughly a 5 hour drive from the Canyonlands to Leeds UT where we stayed the night in a brilliant little Airstream camper! Unfortunately I don’t believe they have it available any longer. But there are some other Airbnb’s around the area that I would recommend.
We stayed for two nights here so we could visit Zion National park! The plans were to do the Narrows there in Zion, but the night before we got to hike there was a huge flash flooding which shut down almost all the hiking trails as well as the Narrows. We were extremely bummed but enjoyed what we could do in the park either way.
Zion National Park Utah
Zion National Park is one of my favorite parks to visit and I plan on spending more time here in the future to really enjoy its beauty. The visitors center had some amazing treats, definitely spent more money in there than planned but so worth it!
Hiking Trails
Pa’rus Trail – 3.5 miles
Archeology Trail – 0.4 miles
Lower Emerald Pool – 1.2 miles
Grotto – 1 mile
Weeping Rock Trails – 0.4 miles
Riverside Walk – 2.2
Moderate Hikes
Watchman Trail – 3.3 miles
Sandbench Trail – 7.6 miles
Middle Emerald Pool Trail – 2.2 miles
Kayenta Trail – 2 mile
Upper Emerald Pool Trail – 1 mile
Canyon Overlook Trail -1 mile
Strenuous Hikes
Angels Landing – 5.4 miles
Hidden Canyon Trail – 2.5 miles
Observation point – 8 miles
The Narrows – 9.4 miles
Please remember that is is a hot park to be in, so don’t forget your sunscreen, water and hat!
Also be sure to keep your eye opened for a cute fresh fruit stand called Hirschi Produce close to Zion. We got some amazing juicy peaches from here. They use the honor system so please leave some money if you take anything! After hiking a bit, seeing some wild life and slipping on some mud, we headed back to our camper where we washed up and decided to go out to dinner in Saint George.
Saint George UT
We decided to go to the Historic District and eat at this cute little Italian restaurant called Cappelettis. We really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. The menu was well priced for the quality of food we received!
This town also had some very interesting sculptures like a giant spider but has since moved this art to a new location. But I encourage you to still go and explore the town and enjoy Art Around The Corner which I find very neat for this historic town! You can come support local and young artists by buying or leasing art! But also just please go and enjoy the beauty, time and talent these people have put into these sculptures!
If you want to read more on Utah please check out some of my other posts including Arches, Moab, Dinosaur and the Canyonlands!
Continue reading about my 10 day west coast trip with my best friend here! Next up The Valley of Fire!
Museums in east Texas and the Tyler area in the United States. Visit these museums to learn the history of Tyler.
History Museums
Cotton Belt Train Depot Museum
Opening in 1905 until 1956. The city of Tyler restored the depot to its original form in 2003 and has a volunteer staff of people from the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society.
Here you can walk through historical times and see history first hand. There are scale size models of O and HO railroads. And the Bragg Train Collection which contains Lionel Electric Trains that has around 1600 cars and 200 engines donated by Sharon Bragg.
This is a great place for family and adults.
Opened from 10am to 4pm, Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
Phone Number : 903-595-7232
Address: 210 East Oakwood Street Tyler Texas 75702
At this Museum you can see real historical memorabilia, hands on exhibits, military aircrafts, even a real flight simulator.
You can get a personal guide to walk you through the historical significance of each item in the museum. Getting detailed historical information. This is a great experience for your family.
If you or your children love aviation, then be sure to keep an eye out for the aviation camp during the summer where you can take a week to explore knowledge on History of flight, Learning how airplanes fly, learning about pilot experiences and even participating in a scavenger hunt!
This house is recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark. Originally built in 1859 when it was first called the Bonnie castle by its first owner Samuel Gallatin Smith who ended up being a Captain in the Confederacy. In 1866 Samuel Adams Goodman purchased the house and it became the family home for four generations and 73 years. The City of Tyler took ownership in 1940.
Today the house is still furnished with the items from the Goodman family. You will feel like you are walking through history as you lay your eyes on old medical books from the 1800’s as well as hand carved musical instruments amongst other items.
Address: Goodman Park, 624 N Broadway Ave, Tyler, TX 75702
You will feel like you’re walking through history at this museum. The main museum building is two stories full of items from the 1800’s-1950’s. There is also a pond, a chapel, waterwheel, blacksmith shop, a barn and a tractor building full of different kinds of tractors. And you have to be sure to visit the general store/ country store! With all kinds of handmade items you can’t get anywhere else.
This Museum was created to make sure we didn’t lose sight of where the city of Tyler had come from before the growing industry of roses and the Texas Rose Festival.
The Museum now has around 800 permanent art pieces
You can also find a collection of Mexican and Latin Folk Art here thanks to Laura and Dan Boeckman. But remember there are temporary exhibits here as well. Don’t forget to visit the gift shop
Price- $5 General Admission $3 for Seniors. Also free for Students and children under 12yrs.
This is a fun hands-on place to take your kids to get them engaged with education. You will find all sorts of different exhibits here including a meso america rock climbing wall, Buford kinetics, and imagination playground.
During the summer they offer several different kinds of events so keep your eye on that!
Price – $10 for adults. $8 for children. Military $7.
There are so many activities to do in east TX and Texas in general so please keep exploring! I hope you do get to visit these Tyler Museums when you get the chance!
Building out an SUV might seem intimidating especially with how big the Van Life scene is currently, and how beautiful most of the builds are, some of us don’t have the money to put into a van. Especially if we are not 100% sure if that’s where we want to live in full time.
So as i’m transitioning from working a normal stationary job to being a full time digital nomad, i’m trying to figure out if being on the road 100% of the time is what i desire or to have ways to go back and forth. So in saying that, I decided to take the less concrete route for now. So my dad helped me build a bed in the back of my SUV.
It doesn’t have to be expensive!
Now, I know most people think that it’s going to be expensive but it’s really not. I only spent $103.43 on wood for my platform bed.
The Build
The Measurements of the Boards
2×8 8 foot – 3 boards
Plywood 23/32 2×4 – 2 boards
1×8 8 foot – 1 board
3 inch screws on the side boards
2 inch screws for the top
We cut the boards to fit my car once we bought them. So these might not be the right size boards for you but this is what worked for mine! We wanted to make sure it was level since my back seats slightly sat up as well.
It came out very stable and secure and doesn’t move around. Now for the mattress part I personally did a Camping airbed and Costco roll up covered portable 2inch mattress. For the airbed I would suggest something like the POWERLIX or ZOOBELIVES. And for the Costco roll up, its a NovaForm Roll Out Lounger. I can only find them in store though. You can also get foam from a furniture repair shop if you want a thicker mattress and if you only want to deal with one mattress.
I didn’t do anything fancy for my build, I just wanted to be able to slide my boxes in and be able to sleep on something secure. You will want to make your own window coverings or you can hang up dark blankets over the windows with clips or pins.
Removable
We wanted to make sure I could slide it out if I needed to, but also make sure that I could lift it up to get to my emergency tire underneath the bed. But also wanted to make sure that I had plenty of room for all my stuff for my upcoming trips.
As you can see in the picture above, we built it into two sections. This gave me more compartments to store things I wouldn’t need 100% of the time.
Why am I doing this?
I love to drive, I love the freedom it seems to bring me and the places I am able to explore. I feel like having an SUV gives me more options on driving to secluded places compared to a big van or a RV. But you don’t have to build in a SUV, you can build in the back of your car. You can do whatever you feel comfortable with. Because at the end of the day, the most important thing is to just go, get out and explore!
Money doesn’t have to be a big factor if you don’t want it to be for building out an SUV. Gas will be the biggest consumer. And food, but if you make it a point NOT to eat out at fast food or sit down restaurants then you will save more than you could imagine! Get a camp stove, get some propane and cook every meal! There are plenty of food options for camping! If you want to check out my first night in my SUV build, then click here.
What questions do you have for SUV builds or camping in your car?
Palo Duro Canyon, The Grand Canyon of Texas…If that doesnt make you want to visit then i don’t know what will! Maybe the promise for beautiful sights, clean campgrounds, friendly rangers and unique hikes will attract you to this park!
Approximately 120 miles long and up to 800 feet deep and is considered the second largest canyon in the United States.
I personally stayed at the Hackberry campgrounds at site #021 and it was perfect for my vehicle. I felt like I had privacy but was able to talk to other campers if I wanted too! Also It was right next to the bathrooms which was very nice as well. It is dog friendly! So do bring your furry best friend to enjoy the adventure with you! Just keep them on a leash for their safety and others safety.
Palo Duro Canyon CCC trail
Places to Stay
Campsites
Campsites with electricity
Junipor- Has 18 campsites. 26$ nightly.
Mosquito/ Sagebrush – Has 47 campsites. 26$ nightly
Hackberry- Has 32 campsites. 26$ nightly
Campsites with water
18 sites. 16$ nightly.
Walk In campsites
12$ nightly. There are no designated spots for the primitive sites. Its first come first serve to approximately 40 sites depending on the weather.
Group Campsites
Wolfberry-250$ nightly. Maximum of 8 people per site including kids. Up to 72 people are allowed in this area and only two vehicles per site.
125$ nightly, 2 night minimum. 4 people per site. No pets, cooking, (except microwave) or smoking allowed inside the cabin. No fires are allowed in the fireplace if a burn ban is in effect.
Goodnight Rim Cabin
110$ nightly, 2 night minimum. 4 people per site. No pets, cooking, (except microwave) or smoking allowed inside the cabin. No fires are allowed in the fireplace if a burn ban is in effect.
Lighthouse Rim Cabin
110$ nightly, 2 night minimum. 4 people per site. No pets, cooking, (except microwave) or smoking allowed inside the cabin. No fires are allowed in the fireplace if a burn ban is in effect. This cabin is currently going under repairs as of Oct 18 2020.
Visit PaloDuroGlamping.com For more information on Glamping
Explore Palo Duro
With over 30 miles of driving, hiking, biking and even horseback riding, you can see all kinds of views from inside the canyon and on the rim. You can also bird watch and search for geocaches and there are multiple places you can stop and do some art or photography.
Meela and I settled down in our campsite for a few before heading back up the canyon to make a phone call to Mama to let her know we made it. Please note that you will more than likely not have phone service down in the canyon. But on our way back down we did stop at a quick trail called the CCC trail where you can walk across a bridge like structure. Looking off one side at the upcoming traffic from the bottom and looking to the other side to see the traffic coming down into the canyon. You can freely walk across getting close to the edges and climbing on top of the little mountain and seeing a beautiful 360 view!
First Time Camping Alone
This was Meela and my first time camping alone. I think its very healthy to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
After settling back into camp we cooked up some rice and chicken with fresh peppers and lime. Uncle Bens ready rice is a great meal to have camping! Lots of flavors to choose from.
My Dad and I built out the back of my SUV Rogue. Making a bed platform that doesn’t effect my car at all and can be taken out and stored when we are finished with this trip. In all honesty, if you are not claustrophobic then this is a great way to save money on the road! Im short enough that I can outstretch my legs and Meela either sleeps curled up by my feet or sleeps stretched out beside me. If you want to check out my post on my build for my SUV click here
Sleeping Inside My SUV
Important Items
The bright light you see in the picture above is a 2000 Lumens light from the eP 360 makers. Its a great item to have camping! It has 3 different lights and the two on the sides can detach and still illuminate.
Another important item is the Mini Solar Generator made by 4Patriots. Its great to charge your phone, laptop and camera’s. You can charge it with its Solar panel or through an AC cord. I think its nice to have both options. Its only 8lbs and has 300-Watt capacity. Check out the link here
Wild Life
You can see animals such as mule deer, cottontails, turkey, roadrunners and even the endangered species of mice called the Palo Duro mouse. As well as racoons, coyotes, Barbary sheep, bobcats and white tailed deer. And if youre lucky enough you will get to see the Texas horned Lizard!
There is also a wide varirity of birds. Great place to catch a glimpse of Canyon Towees, Golden fronted Woodpeckers and red tailed hawks.
Horseback riding
With 1,500 acres just for horseback riding, i think it’s a great place to bring your own horses (original Coggins papers required) or to ride the horses they have here with a guided tour at the Old West Stables.
Shopping
At the Trading Post at the bottom of the canyon, you can find souvenirs and food. Both meals and snacks. At the Visitors Center on the way down into the canyon you can buy pottery, books and jewelry and more. As well as find out information on the park and the history of the area.
Keep in Mind
Do not feed the animals. This allows them to have a healthy natural diet. Plus, its prohibited.
Do not liter! Pack out what you bring in. Don’t be a trashy person.
Don’t pocket the past. Leave the natural rocks, flowers and other objects undisturbed.
Acknowledge the fire ban sign at the entrance. Do not have a fire if there is a ban!
And watch your step, your childrens step and your dogs noses for Prickly Pear Cactus! There are quite a lot out there!
And finally, stay hydrated! Make sure you have plenty of water, sunscreen and hats for shading. It does get very hot here.
Here at the Dallas Art Museum you can step into multi era’s, mediums and cultures! You can see art work from Monet and Van Gough. Salvador Dali and Frederic Edwin Church. You will see Mummies, Pacific island artifacts and Asian relics. Contemporary art, American art, African art and everything in between.
BEFORE COMING
You will need to purchase your time specific tickets online. Also there wasn’t an ending time for the ticket when I purchased but that may change per day. General admission is free, but special exhibits do have a price. If you decide to park in the parking garage it does cost about 15$. I definitely think that its totally worth the parking garage fee because you just take the elevator up to the front entrance. And I felt safe being alone and doing this in the evening.
Take the elevator up and after that you will walk in and get your temperature checked and they will ask you not to have any bags on your back/shoulder because you’re more likely to knock something over.
Maya Stone
Coffin of Horankh
TIMES ITS OPEN
Closed Monday–Wednesday
Thursday: 2:00–8:00 p.m.
Friday: 2:00–8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
NEED TO KNOW
Sketch books and pencils are allowed. No other art supplies.
Do not touch any sculptures inside or outside of the museum.
Flashless photography is allowed. No tripods, selfies sticks or monopods.
No outside food or drinks are allowed.
Face masks required
No cash is taken, only contactless purchases.
OUTSIDE OF THE MUSEUM
Just outside is a beautiful park across the street called Klyde Warren Park that I suggest you walk through if you have time before going into the museum! You can park your vehicle in the museum garage and use the elevator and walk across the street. You can park here all day but you’ll have to get your car before 9pm.
Crow Museum of Asian arts is just down the street.
Perot Museum of Nature and science is not a far walk.
The Dallas Aquarium is only about a 15 minute walk from the art museum.
Klyde Warren Park, Dallas
Klyde Warren Park, Dallas
PLACES TO EAT NEAR
Of course the DMA cafe inside the museum is available. But other options include
Yes you can absolutely bring your family here, but you have to be mindful to keep them close and not let them touch anything. You can find employees in every room keeping watch to make sure nothing is disturbed.
It should be noted If your children are sensitive to nude art or even graphic art then I would suggest you be mindful here since there is art of both natures.
My Personal Favorites
Here are some of my personal favorites.
The Icebergs by Frederic Edwin Church
Frederic Edwin Church was an American painter from 1826-1900. He was known for his landscape, sunsets and waterfalls mostly on large canvases. He was a prominent member of the Hudson River School. This particular painting Icebergs (1861), was one of Church’s long-lost masterpiece, rediscovered in 1979.
The bright blue and the emphasis on the light is so beautiful. And this painting is really large.
A Mountain Landscape With an Approaching Storm, Claude-Joseph Vernet
Claude-Joseph Vernet was a French landscape painter. 1714-1789. He was well known for his Port Scenes and his Mountain landscapes.
Just looking at this painting I could feel the wind blowing, hear the trees shaking and see the sky changing from calm to unrest.
Frederiksborg Castle, Johan Christian Dahl
Johan Christian Dahl was a Norwegian artist who was one of the first well known romantic painters in Norway. 1788-1857. Some of his most famous works are View from Stalheim, Mother and Child by the Sea, and Winter at the Sognefjord.
The way he uses lighting in this picture as well as his other ones involving the moon is breathtaking! Looking at this picture up close feels like it was taken with a camera. Very talented man and a very good eye for beautiful paintings.
In Conclusion
If you are an art, history or cultural fan then I would recommend coming to this museum! Very good conversation starters for you kids, spouses or friends to be had here. I really enjoyed my time here and would absolutely go back to visit.
Where is your favorite Museum located? And why is it your favorite? Stay safe stay hydrated! Until next time! -Dass
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