Carmein Creations

A year-long RV adventure across 37 National Parks comes to a close. Reflections on simplicity, resilience, and rediscovering the beauty of home after 30,000 miles on the road.

In our race home from Wyoming to Minnesota, we cut stops short to attend a dear friend’s memorial, reunited with loved ones, explored prairie state parks, and closed the loop on our year-long RV adventure

Mountains, hot springs, and memories—explore Grand Teton’s peaks, Jackson’s charm, and Thermopolis’ mineral wonders on our RV adventure.

Yellowstone’s geysers, wildlife, and wild beauty meet memories of loved ones on a journey through America’s first national park

From midnight floods to a tailgate mishap, our RV trip brings laughs before a peaceful stay at Montana’s Lewis and Clark Caverns, complete with hikes, stunning views, and cave wonders.

From burgers and breweries in Missoula to mountain roads and lakes in Glacier National Park—plus David’s side trip to reconnect with an old college roommate in Calgary—this RV leg was packed with friendship, scenery, and adventure.

A joyful visit to McCall, Idaho to see my sister Jan and her husband Mark—featuring lakeside hikes, a world-class music festival, a Greek-themed dinner party, and a thrilling ride on their new pontoon boat. Family, friends, and mountain beauty at its best.

A heartwarming visit to Union, Oregon to reconnect with lifelong friend Beth and her husband Steve. From mountain hikes and backyard cherries to hot springs and trailer factory tours, this stop was a joyful blend of nostalgia, adventure, and deep-rooted friendship.

Hiking through wildflower meadows, exploring mossy forests, ferry crossings, and fresh-caught salmon — our North Cascades and Seattle leg brought sweeping mountain views, big city errands, and a reunion with good friends.

Exploring Washington’s wild wonders and family roots: RV Tour Leg 39 takes us through misty Mount Rainier, a heartwarming visit with cousins in Grapeview, and lush Olympic National Park. Waterfalls, tidepools, Swedish dinners, and a geography lesson or two included.

Exploring Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington with visits to family and a friend, scenic hikes, Columbia River Gorge waterfalls, gourmet food, and a memorable geography mix-up

From biking the McKenzie Pass lava fields to joining a powerful protest in Bend, our Plan B detour to Sisters, Oregon delivered big skies, snowcapped peaks, and a deep sense of connection. Featuring ancient volcanoes, wide valleys, and one unforgettable croissant.

Exploring Redwoods National Park: Hiking among trees older than democracy, biking sketchy coastal roads, and savoring quiet moments at hidden beaches—plus Daphne the cat, fully embracing RV life (as long as the wheels aren’t moving).

Snow-covered passes, steaming vents, and a lava tube adventure—our wild, wintry spring visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park

Camping under redwoods, visiting friends, and reuniting with family in Santa Cruz County — a heartwarming, hike-filled stop on our RV adventure

May 16 -20, 2025 Judy and David on the High Peaks Trail After Yosemite, we were off to California (again)—a little farther north this time. We had a beautiful, twisty four-hour drive to Pinnacles National Park, made even twistier by the lingering distraction of a small catastrophe: in all the hubbub of dealing with the truck’s dead batteries at Yosemite, we managed to leave our Starlink antenna sitting on the bear box at our campsite. By the time we realized the mistake, we w

May 5 - 16, 2025 “Lower Yosemite Falls - Drevis, Linda, David, and Judy— nothing beats sharing these epic views with dear friends.” In my last post, I mentioned that what I missed most was my shower and my laundry room. That was accurate for my physical  life. But in truth, when it comes to my emotional  life, what I miss most is family and friends. So it was with great anticipation that we made our way to Yosemite National Park, where our friends Linda and Drevis were flying

April 30 - May 5, 2025 Peekaboo Loop Trail - Bryce Canyon We capped off our tour of Utah’s Mighty Five with Bryce Canyon National Park—and what a finale it was. Most people name Zion as their favorite, but for me, it’s Bryce. The landscape here is like a dreamscape come to life: a fairyland of hoodoos—those tall, skinny rock spires shaped by a freeze/thaw erosion cycle that leaves hard capstones perched on sculpted towers of softer rock. Bryce is a “look-down” park. The views

April 18 - 30, 1025 We continued our tour of Utah’s Mighty Five—Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Bryce. This leg featured two of those national parks and one quirky little state park with some movie magic sprinkled in. Double Arch at Arches National Park Arches National Park I tried so  hard to get a campsite inside Arches, logging on six months in advance to the second  the sites opened—three days in a row while camped at Mammoth Cave. But somehow, every attempt

April 7 - 18, 2025 Out here in the desert, some parks have you staring up in awe (hello, Zion), while others pull your gaze downward into dramatic, dizzying depths (looking at you, Grand Canyon). Canyonlands National Park manages to do both—just not all at once. We spent 11 days split between two very different sections of the park: first, The Needles District, where you hike among towering spires and look up at red-and-white sandstone marvels; then, The Island in the Sky, wh

March 23 - April 7, 2025 Judy and David on the Tour of the Ancients Late March found us weaving through the Four Corners region—where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado all shake hands. This area is packed with echoes of the Ancestral Puebloans (formerly the Anasazi), who lived here from around 850 to 1250 AD. Their cliffside homes, pottery, and ceremonial sites speak to a vibrant culture that thrived for centuries before moving on—likely pushed by environmental shifts.

March 8, March 17 - 23 Antelope Canyon, Page AZ At this point in our journey, the route became a bit, well, unconventional. We had been making our way around the U.S. in a clockwise direction, but once we hit the Southwest in late winter and early spring, things got a little squirrely. There’s simply too much to see in the Four Corners region (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado)—and the varying elevations meant we had to time our visits carefully. Some sites needed to wa

March 8 - 17, 2025 Our route - we are more than halfway! Zion National Park: Eight Days of Adventure and Awe After a quick stop in Page, AZ, we made our way to Zion National Park—our home for the next eight nights. (We actually passed through Page again on the way out, but I’ll save that for my next post!) One of the smartest moves by the busier national parks is closing main roads to private vehicles and replacing them with shuttle buses. This not only reduces traffic and pa

February 26 - March 8, 2025 Grand Canyon - Yavapai Point at Sunset We booked our campsite at Grand Canyon Trailer Village a year in advance, and it was well worth the planning. Our site was just over a mile from the visitor center, connected by a gorgeous paved bike trail that made getting around the park an adventure in itself. Our Campsite at Trailer Village View of Canyon at Sunset Epic Biking Adventures Biking in the Grand Canyon was nothing short of breathtaking. Beauti