As we approach the year anniversary of receiving our teardrop, it seems like a good time to reflect on all the travel we have enjoyed. Here are a few highlights and some photos to go with.
We received the 5x8 Woody on March 23rd and by March 26th we were at our first campsite. We went to see the Painted Hills of Oregon. Spent a week at a dispersed site on the river with unseasonably warm weather. Fell in love with the trailer on the first night.
Our next adventure was a month-long trek through the southwestern US. We started on the rainy coast of Oregon and made our way south to California. First stop, the famous Redwood Forest. As it was very wet, it was wonderful to not be sleeping in a tent on the soaked ground. From here we headed inland and made our way to Joshua Tree National Park. Great place to explore and dry out after the wet start. Next stop was Arizona. We spent time at several locations over a two week period, allowing us to see the Red Rocks of Sedona, Maricopa County and finally to Petrified Forest National Park. All spectacular and worthy of a return visit in the future. Going through Apache, Navajo and other indigenous lands brought us to one of our favorite sites, Muley Point. We set up camp atop a mesa overlooking the Goosenecks Canyons for five days. Relaxing to beautiful sunsets, shattering tent poles in 50 mile per hour winds and seeing ancient ruins, such as, House on Fire. Making our way north towards Portland, we stopped at Arches National Park and Salt Lake City before returning home. Total miles/km put on the trailer, 1586/2556.
Once back in Oregon, we took shorter trips closer to home: Mount Hood National Forest, The Olympic National Forest and the Oregon coast. It is so nice to be able to just attach the trailer and head out. Also during this time we refined what we needed to take with us and made some modifications on the trailer, such as sunflower fenders (we used skateboard deck tape, which is strong and protects the fenders from dings).
Our final venture of the year was southwest US 2.0 with a focus on rock hounding. We started at Glass Buttes in Oregon where the roads and fields are littered with obsidian. Having collected plenty of amazing pieces we head to Idaho to look for opals and geodes. From here we headed to Utah to explore Zion National Park, Bonneville Flats and continue our geological adventure. It was in Utah where we needed to purchase a 5 gallon bucket for carrying all our finds. (By the end of the trip it was filled as well as any other container we had on hand). Next stop was outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. We explored the local art scene, the natural world and continued to appreciate all that this Woody had allowed us to do and see. On to White Sand National Park and southern New Mexico (there is even a campground here called RockHound State park). Leaving New Mexico back into Arizona and on to California. We had heard from a fellow teardrop trailer owner of an incredible desert with art installations throughout, Anza- Borrego Desert State park. Great suggestion, loved it! Heading north and along the coast of California we stopped in Big Sur then headed east to see the Sequoia National Forest. On our last night it began to snow which led us to the decision to head home early as we had not packed for cold weather. One stop at Shasta Lake (drought levels of water were shocking). And finally home having added an additional 2000 miles /3218 km on the trailer.
With winter fully arrived, we spent our time dreaming of new trips and maintaining the trailer. (Greasing the bearings, recoating the wood finish, building storage and cabinets, adding tiles to the cabin wall and keeping the battery at level.
Apologies for the long post.
Todd and Cindy Stewart-Rinier
Glad to hear you are enjoying your teardrop.