Off the path...

… we are good at that and we also enjoy doing it (unintentionally). While these lines are being written, we are sitting in the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico at 2238m. It will start to rain soon, it is already thundering quite hard, but currently we are a little used to enjoy our camp in the rain. More on that later. Now the first question is, how did we actually end up here? But first of all we would like to thank you all briefly for your participation in our trip. Somehow we didn't expect that, so even more we were pleased about every single comment, every message or every "like". Merci for that!

Memphis - we actually wanted to spend a night here. But because of the very touristy camp offer we decide to drive on and cross the Tennessee River to Arkansas. Incidentally, a state in which neither of us and probably Sir Quigley have never been. We land in the Mississippi River State Park, where we get hold of a wonderful place right on the water again. Since it is so beautiful here, we stay 2 nights and also put our canoe into the water. It is a great scenery on the water and surrounded by the woods. The raccoon visits us in the evening and the hummingbirds also come by in the morning - can it be nicer? Yes, while Joss drives his moped, he runs into a very curious family of armadillos.

After 2 relaxing days we set off again with Sir Quigley. Since Sir Quigley is still not running "completely smoothly" we definitely want to have the track checked again. The rear axle also lubricates, but we will clarify that at a later point. We find a trustworthy looking store and stop. Thompson Repair lets Sir Quigley directly on the lift and checks the track, adds the missing washers to the tie rod ends and determines that everything is safe. Even if it is only a short visit, it is always an experience to discover various treasures in such a workshop.

We drive through Arkansas, a state that is also affected by the current heat wave. We sweat well in the 90 degrees fahrenheit every day. It is Thursday, June 24th, at 100 degrees fahrenheit (feels like 110!). Chris (@ venture4wd) suggests a free campsite in the Ouachita National Forest right on the lake with few spaces, maybe a bit crowded and noisy at the weekend, but with toilets. We take the risk and drive through small towns and forests for a long time until we arrive and can hardly believe our eyes. It's so beautiful and heavenly here. One campsite is occupied, otherwise not a soul. Can it really be? We are located directly on the water with our own beach. It is precisely for these moments that we are on our way.

In the next 3 days nothing much is happening. In the water we recover from the heat, read, relax in the hammock, look forward to the morning geese or deer visits and simply enjoy the time and the peace and quiet. But after 3 days it is time to move on - otherwise we somehow feel like permanent campers, but we are not 🙂 and the Grand Canyon is still waiting for us.

We are still in Arkansas and the landscape is slowly changing. This will continue into Oklahoma - the next state we cross. Sandy and red landscapes now emerge from the wooded surroundings. Two weeks have now passed and we urgently need a real shower and the laundry also wants to be cleaned again. Oh, and Sir Quigley also needs another small repair - the oiling rear axle has to be helped with a new seal. So we land in a small town near Fort Smith on the Arkansas River. Joss repairs “if you don't do everything yourself 😉”, Lynda cycles to the laundromat and the shower is also enjoyed extensively.

A little anecdote from Lynda from the laundromat: the laundromats here in the USA are usually very tidy and also quite clean shops - but not this one. I arrive and no one is in the shop. The machine with detergent is empty and I am now wondering how I should wash here. Fortunately, shortly afterwards an elderly gentleman arrives who later turns out to be a retired truck driver named Darren. Of course, he knows the salon and brings his own detergent, which he is happy to offer me without further ado. For him it is a nice change to have a young woman as a conversation partner (by the way, those are his words ☺️). When another elderly gentleman comes along, but doesn't have enough change, I leave him my remaining quarters, as I had saved them on the detergent. And so it does Darren. A very nice encounter and once again the realization that you can pass on good deeds directly and that this sometimes triggers a chain reaction.

It is now Tuesday, June 29th and today we want to do “miles”. Sir Quigley would now like to be on the road a little longer, no longer oiling. We're going to Oklahoma and crossing the state. Our first smaller traffic jam near Oklahoma City, but then it goes on relaxed again.

We even drive a small section of the route on Route 66, which is also lined with tourist attractions. We drive all day and end up at a small, free campsite in the evening. Not that spectacular, but due to the announced rain it is a good place to stay overnight. Since the temperatures are much lower here in the evening, we are happy to take the cooling off and are almost looking forward to putting on sturdy shoes and a fleece again.

Wednesday, June 30th: we skip breakfast, because today, well today is going to be a tourist day. On the route towards New Mexico we also drive through a small corner of Texas, and while you're there, you take one or the other tourist attraction with you. We treat ourselves to our brunch in the world-famous Big Texan Steak Ranch. You can also eat here for free if you manage to eat a 72 ounces steak within an hour. Well, we decided to pay and take the smaller portion. But while we were there, a man actually did it within 41 minutes. We continue to the Cadillac Ranch - a work of art made up of 10 whole Cadillacs, half of which are stuck in the ground. Quite funny, especially because you can buy paint spray cans in the “entrance area” and immortalize yourself on these Cadillacs. But due to the ongoing rain, we prefer to spend the time in the moving van and so make it to New Mexico.

On this section of the route we also see some abandoned motels or petrol stations, which arouses a strange feeling to go through all the legacies.

By the way, this day was also our “AAA” day. We had to pull a truck with 3 men who are currently moving to California out of the mud and also help out a T1 driver with the necessary tools.

We're just across the New Mexico border and don't want to set up a great camp today because of the rain. There's Russell’s Truck and Travel Center, which also has a free auto museum (we're still on former Route 66). So we spend the night at the rest stop. Today with a snack in the van and a visit to the museum in between. Not that bad at all.

Today is Sunday, July 4th (if we had enough internet to actually upload the blog on Sunday). We wish all American friends a Happy 4th of July! We are still in the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico. Yesterday we had a great little hike to the Firewatch Tower on Cedro Peak at 2369m. A fantastic all-round view. The off-road vehicles that we encounter on the way to the summit are also a welcome change.

And so this blog ends. Tomorrow we will continue on our way to the Grand Canyon - right? You will read it - next week, the week after that, or the week after that ☺️