Thanksgiving at the Redwood National & State Parks

December 4, 2024 ~ Crystle ~ 1 Comment

This Thanksgiving, rather impulsively, we booked a cabin with a river view in Northern California and invited some Army friends along. Original plans involved camping, but weather reports were shaping up to be very cold. A pivot to a VRBO rental was the right move for a gaggle of kids and some dogs. Our riverfront accommodations weren’t exactly close to the National Park, but it had a big kitchen, space for two families and two dogs. And a hot tub. Driving a little further out to the Redwoods was worth it.

Meeting equidistantly with our Southern California friends made the most sense, and how lucky we all are to have the most beautiful National Park between our respective cities.

Thanksgiving cooking was a breeze in the fully stocked kitchen, and kids were never underfoot with 5 acres to explore. Imagination led them to build their own fortress out of found wood and mossy materials. Eating, walking, talking and relaxing filled the day.

Black Friday was spent outdoors exploring the Grove of the Titans. I am still falling short on words to describe the sense of awe brought on by Redwoods the size of 10 school buses standing end-to-end (we estimated as much). Growth beyond any reasonable expectations, these trees towered over the forest, blanketing and darkening the forest floor. Ferns sprawled across the ground like the prairie grass of the Plains States. Green beyond imagination, with sagging moss and fallen trees, the Grove of the Titans (aptly named) showed us the truest grandeur the Earth offers.

Words cannot describe, and photos cannot capture the scope and magnanimity of this forest. Though I tried. I implore one and all to visit this incredible place to restore your sense of wonder and appreciation for the vastness of the world around us.

When in doubt, go to Arizona

July 7, 2023January 2, 2024 ~ Crystle ~ 2 Comments

I knew I missed Arizona, but I didn’t realize how much I missed Arizona. Our first stop after leaving the Phoenix airport was to head to Filibertos for a breakfast burrito, but forgetting their monstrous size was a wasteful, rookie mistake. Full, and tired from the early morning journey from Austin, we made the sluggish commute in an unfamiliar rental car through the desert, then ponderosa forest, enjoying the changing biodiversity en route to Flagstaff.

After moving to Texas almost three years ago our environment has been limited to humid hill country, with sprawling live oak trees and oppressive heat, lacking in the sharp peaks and valleys that we had grown accustomed to in Washington, Alaska, and Arizona. I’ve grown fond of my life in Texas, with friends and neighborhood familiarity, a good library job and routine, but I’m out of contact with the outdoors and it pains me. I feel unmoored. We try to get out of town to neighboring cities for concerts, festivals and outings, but overcompensating with cultural activities isn’t grounding in any meaningful way. So we’ve traveled further away to inspire awe.

While living in Texas we have had the privilege of visiting London, Dublin and New York City, and none of them, with all their treasures, heritage, and architectural mastery, have matched the natural beauty of Arizona. As much as I love a good museum in a major city, nothing beats gawking at a 1 mile-wide meteor crater with friends, or a gondola ride to the top of a mountain in Flagstaff with the sweet, excited children you’ve known since birth. A hot trek around Sedona for an aura reading with your best girls is sometimes exactly what is needed to achieve balance. Clutching selenite in a mineral shop to clear blocked energy sometimes works!!

Perhaps what I’ve been missing most are the deep connections we’ve built with dear friends over the years, connections that are severed when we receive orders. As a military spouse, I’ve quietly grieved the loss of roots and long-term community for nearly 12 years. I surrendered my stability to support a service member and the consequences of that decision continue to challenge my concept of place and belonging, and they’re beginning to do the same to my children. It can be very painful. But in a period of doubt and insecurity for us all, there is no better way to restore balance than to return to a place that brings joy, inspires awe, and fosters connection to dear friends. Even if just for a four-day. Thank you Arizona, and Austins!

White Sands National Park

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023 ~ Crystle ~ Leave a comment

When we moved from Arizona to Texas at the end of 2020, we made a stop at White Sands National Park. We had a great time sledding down the hills, ascending and descending various peaks, and collecting gypsum in nearly every seam of our clothes. White sands is a misnomer, the powdery substance covering the 115 square miles of the park is gypsum, a fine mineral that resembles sand. Believe me when I say I was vacuuming gypsum out of my car for over a year after this, and it’s still embedded in those shoes.

We were grateful to have an outdoor travel opportunity during our mandatory move amid the Covid-19 pandemic. It was incredibly stressful traveling during a time when vaccines were still in development, and nobody was really sure how susceptible children were, and how risky the symptoms would become. Every trip into the public was rolling the dice. Who else is relieved the darkest days of the pandemic are behind us? We still have not had Covid, and with 3-4 vaccines each, we’re hopeful we will never get it.

I highly recommend a visit if you find yourself in southern New Mexico or West Texas, and strongly suggest you also see Carlsbad Caverns!