Van Voyage #2- To the SW in November

Vanlife Archive: November 12-24, 2020

Wed 11/18- left home, drove South through Alton, IL, slept in the van in Granite City, IL in a Fairfield Inn by Marriott parking lot. Slept great. Woke up, ran Mars, made coffee, left. It was like misting raing

Thurs 11/19- Left Granite City, drove to Joplin, MO. Cramps were so terrible, layed and moaned at a rest stop for a half an hour and tried not to die. I think I took a half of a painkiller I had leftover from getting my wisdom teeth out because I was so desperate to feel better and get somewhere with a REAL BED. Drove on and found a bnb in Joplin. $40, Kellie's place.

Fri 11/20- Kellie's bnb in Joplin.

Sat 11/21- Left Joplin, drove from MO to OK. Tolls were expensive. Found a campsite and booked it: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge.

Sun 11/22- Left WMNWR, drove into TX. No plan. Checked camping apps a few times and bnbs. Nothing. Decided after coffee and donuts from the drive -thru spot in Dumas, TX that Lake Meredith should be my destination. Tumbleweeds are hilarious omg. Also cut my leg on my kitchenette counter. So much fcking blood. Why didn't I round that edge.

Mon 11/23- Left awesome Cliff Lake Meredith after letting Mars play down in the red dirt and rocks. We saw deer later, and could hear them running all night. Their hooves sounded so cool. The weather was shitty and anyone but me would have thought this place sucked I think. I loved it precisely for that reason.

Today I woke up in a Best Western Inn Plus in Santa Fe, NM. It was a few blocks from Meow Wolf but it was closed for COVID. New Mexico's restrictions were super strict, so I found a bnb listing in AZ and decided I'd leave for that address and get the fck up out of NM. Santa Fe had SO MANY homeless people.

The drive to AZ from Santa Fe was awesome. 40 South through Albuquerque, then 36 South off exit 89 to Quemando (or something like that?) It took me through El Malpais National Forest. so cool! The mesas and stupas and mounatins appear on this uninhabited trail. Signs for ELK CROSSING and BIG HORN SHEEP CROSSING.

I start to feel really happy on this drive. I record myself giving myself a pep talk.

Mars and I stop at the "Railroad Trail," so he can run. We arrive to a cute cabin in the pines and I run.

Made a delicious salad for dinner, watched Chapelle's "Sticks n Stones," special. The bnb was so cozy and had Netflix.

It's now 7pm and I am WIPED OUT.

So excited for tomorrow.

Kiley