Would we do it again?
That is always the question about any trip.
Winter camping? Yes. Having a flexible timetable is key because there could be situations where you need to make adjustments for winter driving conditions.
Texas in the winter? Yes. The weather can be unpredictable, but also very warm. According to the Canadians we met, Texas has the nicest weather with fewer people than some of the other warm states. We are looking forward to exploring the Big Bend National Park and someday camping on the beach down in the Gulf.
Pets on the trip? On this particular trip, we opted to take our dog. Doing this meant that we chose not to go to any national parks and that in some cases our hiking would be limited. Future forward, we'd probably leave the dog behind.
Biggest Surprises
Landscape: Hill Country in Texas. Just beautiful.
Daylight. We hadn't thought about daylight and it was dark between 5-6pm depending upon where we were. All of our camping has been in the summer and much of that in Idaho, Montana and Canada where the days are long and the nights are short. I think we got more rest on this trip that any trip we have ever been on as most nights we were in bed by 8:00 or 8:30pm.
Best Scenery: Yep, you guessed it. The drive from Ventura up the coast to Carpenteria, California. Having grown up in the area, you really don't know how beautiful it is until you leave and come back.
Favorite Camping: Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site. Wide open space, good hiking, and unexpected beauty.
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| Hwy 101 north of Ventura, CA: View of the Channel Islands, including Santa Cruz Island. |
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| Enjoying the Oak View sunshine on our way back up to Oregon. |
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| The last few days of our trip took us from Goodyear, Arizona to Eugene, Oregon. |
Tip: There are so many people flocking to Arizona that camping reservations would be a good thing. However, Texas was a different story. Not making reservations provides flexibility and would be a plus.
