I was just thinking

 

 

Sixty years ago, Judy and I got married.

 

Sixty-five years ago, I was a 15-year-old kid on a bicycle delivering newspapers.

 

 

Thursday

 

 

We were going to stay at South Llano River for a couple nights, but the heat is wearing us down.  (And by “us” I mean “me”.)  We drove on to Choke Canyon State Park for our last night out.

 

2026 Summer Trip Map link

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to get home to the air conditioning.  We can still be out in the heat there, but we can ration our exposure better from home base.

 

 

And now it’s Friday, and we’re there.

 

2026 Summer Trip Map link

 

Two and a half months.  Nine thousand miles.  It’s good to be home.

 

We’re planning our next trip.

 

Wednesday

 

 

South Llano River State Park

 

2026 Summer Trip Map link

 

The stop at Lum’s BBQ for an early dinner on the way in.

 

 

 

When we got here, we realized it was a perfect storm of conditions.  South Llano River is a Dark Skies Park; no outside lights at night.  The sky was cloudless.  It’s a new moon; no competition from the moonlight.  This was the height of the Perseids meteor shower.  We stayed up into the wee hours.  It was a slow start.  After 11pm we started getting some shooting stars.  The height was supposed to be around 4am.  We didn’t stay up that late.  We called it a night.

 

Morning light

 

 

 

A last look down into the canyon.

 

And south from the Texas Panhandle to Central Texas.

 

2026 Summer Trip Map

 

Abilene State Park

 

Sometimes

 

 

Sometimes we stop early in the day, it’s hot, and there is no shade to park under.  Can’t sit in the car and work with the sun blazing in through all those wonderful windows.  Found the solution.  Insulated window covers tailored to fit each window.  Installed them while we were at Becky and Brian’s house.

 

To attach them, we had to stick some metal bits on the window glass, and the window covers attach themselves magnetically.

 

Slick.

 

 

Along the way today.  Goofy rock formations in Southeastern Colorado at the Gobbler’s Knob rest area on Hwy 287.  Beehives.  Credit irregular erosion for their appearance,

 

 

Now at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/nW9EDRu4ypxqskFb6

 

Less than 100 degrees.  Slightly.  Very comfortable after the sun went behind the canyon wall.

 

 

 

Moving again

 

 

Hot weather, but that’s not going to change anytime soon.  Waved goodbye to Becky and Brian and headed east and south.

2026 Summer Trip Map link

 

John Martin Reservoir State Park.  We got a really good campsite right on the pond below the dam.  No close neighbors.

 

 

 

Hot when we got here, triple digits, but it cooled off to comfortable early in the evening.

 

 

Boulder foothills

 

 

It has been over a month of rehab (taking it easy) on my hamstring, and it should be okay now, so I decided to give it a test drive on the trails behind Flagstaff.

 

It was a good walk with uphills, downhills, and even a little bit of climbing to overlooks.

 

 

 

 

 

A little bit of a road out.

 

Not like anything I ever get to hike on the South Texas coastal plain.  It was a happy walk, very familiar terrain, and no complaints from the hamstring.