Carmein Creations

February 16 - 26, 2025 Judy and David at the base of the Hoover Dam Route to date When you’re on the road, even the simplest things can turn into a saga—like getting your truck fixed. The Truck Chronicles It all started back at Picacho Peak, where we paid a Ford dealer $280 just to tell us what parts we needed to fix our emergency brake (but not actually fix it — no time for that). No problem — we’d get it done in Boulder City! Except, ordering parts was apparently too futuri

February 9 - 16, 2025 Our route so far - making our way around the US clockwise Death Valley is a land of extremes—both in beauty and in nature. We spent a week exploring its vast landscapes and still felt like we barely scratched the surface. The canyons were stunning, each one unique in its colors and formations. Some were stark and almost alien, so it makes sense that parts of Star Wars  movies were filmed here. It’s easy to imagine yourself on another planet. At the Top o

February 1 - 9, 2025 Joshua Tree National Park Stepping into Joshua Tree National Park feels like walking into a Dr. Seuss book—otherworldly, whimsical, and utterly mesmerizing. The twisted, spiky trees and colossal rock formations make you question whether you're still on Earth. We spent an unforgettable week exploring this unique desert landscape. Hiking Among Giants Most of our time was spent hiking through the park’s striking terrain. We climbed two peaks—Warren and Ryan—

January 27 - February 1, 2025 Our map - 5 months into the journey If you’ve ever wondered what life looks like inside one of those 55+ resort-style communities, let me tell you—it’s like summer camp, but with better wine and no mean councilors. Karaoke Night with Jeff, Laurie and many of their friends Laurie and Jeff live in the Robson community near Picacho Peak, where the sun shines, the pickleball paddles never rest, and there’s a social event for every night of the week.

January 19 - 27, 2025 Top of Tanque Verde Dome - East side of Saguaro National Park Alaskan RV Park, Bowie, AZ Tucson holds a special place in our hearts. When our kids were young, we visited often to spend holidays with my mom, who lived there. Now that she and my stepdad have both passed, returning felt bittersweet. This time, we experienced Tucson through a new lens—one of relaxation and reflection. Without the usual hustle of parenting or work on our minds, we found ourse

January 12 -19, 2025 RV Tour - 4 1/2 months into the year long tour - last stop White Sands National Park Leaving Carlsbad, NM, we journeyed southwest to El Paso, Texas, then headed north to Alamogordo, NM, near White Sands National Park. This 4-hour drive took us through three time zone changes—Mountain Time to Central Time and back to Mountain Time—leaving us slightly bewildered about the actual time. We departed a rather underwhelming but serviceable campsite in Carlsbad,

Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Park

December 27, 2024 to January 5, 2025 Lost Mine Trail, Big Bend National Park After celebrating Christmas in Dallas, we set out for Big Bend National Park, also in Texas. Texas is big! The drive, which took two and a half days (about 11 hours of total driving), led us through flat, dry, and largely empty countryside dotted with oil wells. Each day, we launched off unsure where we’d end up that night. The first night brought us to a dusty, somewhat forlorn RV park, but the seco

December 22 - 27, 2024 It was so special to spend Christmas with my Uncle Max and his wife, Aunt Nona. Uncle Max is the last surviving member of the family in an old photo we have. My dad is in the lower right corner of the picture, and Uncle Max is sitting on my grandfather’s lap. They grew up in a sod house and farmed during the Dust Bowl. Life was hard, but everyone in the family went on to live extremely successful lives. Uncle Max became a pilot and lived a rewarding lif

December 14 - 22, 2024 Leg 16 - Hot Springs National Park We’re just shy of four months on the road (a whole third of the way!), and things are starting to feel less like a daring adventure and more like an exciting new lifestyle. We’ve settled into a comfortable routine, and honestly, it’s been exceeding all of our expectations. Life is good - for both the cat and the guy Our latest stop was Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, and it turned out to be quite the gem. Gettin

December 9 - 14, 2024 Our campsite in Saint Bernard Parish outside New Orleans - the car is Nancy and Steve's rental New Orleans wasn’t part of the original plan, but when Nancy (David's sister) and her husband Steve called and said they needed some warmth in early December, we happily added it to the itinerary. They flew out to meet us, and wow, did we have a blast! Luckily, their friends who had been to New Orleans before gave us some great recommendations. We found a state

November 25 to December 9, 2024 RV Tour to date - Early December 2024 People often ask me how much of our trip is planned and how much is spontaneous. Our itinerary includes placeholders for National Parks and friends. For popular National Parks, we need to book six months in advance, and it's always best to inform friends of dates sooner rather than later. As of early December, we have booked eight National Parks through June, along with a few state parks near friends. The r

November 16-22, 2024 Working our way to Savannah Georgia Between The Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the South Carolina coast, we had three groups of friends to visit: Darren and Jen Strawn, whom we knew from Ann Arbor and hadn't seen in 18 years; Robert and Ginger Vobejda, who just joined us in the Smokies; and Claire Pomeroy and Bill Robertson, whom we knew from Minnesota and hadn't seen in 5 years. In each instance, I had never visited their current homes before. Th

November 9 -16, 2024 Campsite at Great Smoky Mountain National Park We continued to enjoy the best of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We have been traveling in the Blue Ridge Mountains through Shenandoah National Park (Virginia) and Asheville, North Carolina. In the fall, these mountains, offer a serene escape, where cool, crisp air and winding trails invite hikers to explore peaceful forests and stunning ridge-top views. The Great Smoky Moun

October 18 - November 9, 2024 Route to Asheville, NC We had allowed enough time to pass since Hurricane Helene, there was a good chance that we could find open roads to get to Asheville and see our daughter, Michaela. We took two days to get there with two stops in Tennessee - it was beautiful country. On the last stop we were only 2 hours away from Asheville, but it was very unclear if the roads were open on this route. Google had us going on a 5 hour odyssey to avoid a clo

October 11 - 18, 2024 Our route to Mammoth Cave National Park As planned - we headed west to get away from the east coast during hurricane season. Off to Mammoth Cave. It took 3 days to get there at our slow pace. We stopped at the West Virginia Fair grounds for a night, where we met a lovely couple there to help their daughter show off her 4-H goat. West Virginia State Fair Grounds Another stop in Salt Lick, Kentucky; the southern accent is becoming more pronounced for sure.

Late September, early October 2024 "People plan and God laughs". We went into this adventure knowing this would be true. We planned our major waypoints with the idea we will need to be nimble and flexible. Little did I anticipate that our dear daughter, Michaela, and her boyfriend Christian would have to weather not just one, but two hurricanes. From a distance, we, as parents, closely monitored the situation, feeling a great sense of relief knowing that they were both safe a

October 5 to October 11, 2025 Route to Shenandoah National Park Time to start heading inland. When we planned the trip we purposely avoided the southern east coast during hurricane season. Wow! We had no idea how bad the season was going to be this year. Off to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, not to far from Washington DC. What a gem of a park! It is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and runs north and south for 105 miles. It is filled with beautiful views of the mou

October 1 to October 5, 2025 Our route to Washington DC After visiting our friends in the Boston area, it was time to head down the east coast to Washington DC and see friends a long the way. Our first stop was Rhode Island, where we saw our good friend Joy LaFreniere. We first got to know Joy during the time we were considering relocating to Ann Arbor. Known as the Ann Arbor ambassador, Joy left us with such a positive impression of the town that we ultimately decided to mov

September 25 to October 1, 2024 Route to Boston Area After leaving Acadia, we made our way to the Boston region to visit some friends. Following recommendations from our friends Sapa and Thora, whom we had met at Cuyahoga National Park, we spent a night camping at a brewery in Boothbay, Maine. The experience did not disappoint as we enjoyed a pleasant stroll across a footbridge to a seafood shack situated right by the bay. Seafood abounds Lobsters in Maine - as good as it sou

September 19 to September 25, 2025 Route up to Acadia - the two campgrounds were close, as the crow flies, but an hour apart as the truck drives... We stayed at Acadia National Park for 6 nights. Initially, we were squeezed into a small campsite at Seawall Campground on Mount Desert Island, the park's most popular area. We had a packed day engaging in typical tourist activities like hiking Gorham Mountain, witnessing the thunder hole, and biking on the carriage trails. Despit

September 15 to September 19, 2024 Our Route to Acadia National Park Our upcoming destination was Acadia National Park, a 19-hour drive at RV speed. We allocated 5 days for the journey. First we stopped by Orchard Park, NY, to visit our friends Ray and Carol, whom we knew from our time in Ann Arbor but hadn't seen in over a decade. It's always enjoyable to visit friends, see their living environment, and catch up on their lives. We took a hike, had a lovely dinner and met for

September 9 to September 14, 2024 Route to date Cuyahoga National Park was next on the agenda; we found accommodation 10 miles away in Stow, Ohio since there were no campgrounds within the park. The bike trails both in the vicinity and within the park were a joy. Adjacent to our campsite, there was a lovely trail leading directly to the park, while within the park, two trails spanned its entire length (13 miles). Our electric bikes made the exploration so enjoyable.. The towp

September 4 - September 9,2024 Route to Ann Arbor Our journey led us to Sugarloaf Lake Campground near Ann Arbor Michigan, with a stopover in Gaylord for the night. Utilizing the Harvest Host app, we booked a spot at a business where we could stay for free by making a purchase. Our stay at Big Bucks Brewery included a delightful meal and of course, beer! Big Buck Brewery - Harvest Host - welcome beer after several hours of driving Big Buck Brewery overnight spot in the parkin