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Adventure
Travel
- United States
  - Alabama
  - Arizona
  - Arkansas
  - California
  - Colorado
  - Idaho
  - Illinois
  - Kansas
  - Kentucky
  - Louisiana
  - Maryland
  - Michigan
  - Minnesota
  - Mississippi
  - Missouri
  - Montana
  - Nebraska
  - Nevada
  - New Mexico
  - New York
  - North Carolina
  - Oklahoma
  - Oregon
  - Pennsylvania
  - South Dakota
  - Tennessee
  - Texas
  - Utah
  - Vermont
  - Virginia
  - Washington
  - West Virginia
  - Wisconsin
  - Wyoming
- Canada
- New Zealand
DIY
- Truck Camper Renovation
- Truck Mod
  - Warn Bumper & Winch Install
About Us
- Lexi & Chris
- Our Rigs

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Tag: Vermillion Hills

1970 Avion C11 truck camper parked next to a red rock hoodoo in Vermillion Hills National Monument.

Biking To White Pocket

Biking the rough pink sandy trail to the whimsical rock formations of White Pocket in Northern Arizona's Vermillion Cliffs National

About Author

Lexi lives in a truck camper down by the river.

Where We Are Now

Moab, Utah

Campfire Cooking

Breakfast

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Lunch

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Appetizer

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Dinner

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Side Dish

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Cocktail

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The only mules ears that are supposed to be in Big

The only mules ears that are supposed to be in Big Bend National park is the iconic rock formation. And yet, as we drive through the park’s back country, we encounter a veritable herd of mules and horses. ⁠
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Our first thought is “wow, wild horses!” I delightedly snap away. It isn’t until we are back in cell range that I start learning more about these hooved trouble makers. ⁠
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You see, they aren’t wild. They are domesticated livestock who cross the Rio Grande in search of relatively greener pastures in Big Bend. It isn’t as if a horse comprehends the reason for the rich wildlife is a concerted effort to protect native species or the damage these livestock cause. But these horses and mules can be incredibly harmful. ⁠
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Which creates a special kind of mess. These aren’t just the livestock of your average rancher loosing track of their herd. This is a national border. If the livestock from Mexico crosses the Rio Grande into the United States, following them across to retrieve them is can be an ordeal. But many of these ranchers are operating at a subsistence level, unable to afford building fences and corrals to manage the livestock. ⁠
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After testing programs that return the livestock to the owners and fining the ranchers, the park is now playing hardball, seizing the wayward steeds and auctioning them off. It can be devistating to a small scale rancher. But it clearly hasn’t stopped the livestock from wandering across the border. It’s an unfortunate mess that isn’t exclusive to Big Bend but the border makes the divide particularly divisive. ⁠
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For us, it’s a reminder of the incredibly nuanced balance between public and private property and where conservation comes in conflict with commerce and the grey areas that we all can wander into.⁠
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Sometimes, a charming wildlife picture is not of wildlife.

Despite its name and proximity to the Rio Grande,

Despite its name and proximity to the Rio Grande, the 50-miles of River Road offer very little in the way of views of this famous waterway. What makes the road notable is a different aspect of its location: within the borders of Big Bend National Park. ⁠
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River Road is a rough gravel combination of East River Road and West River Road traveling through the southwest edge of Big Bend National Park, roughly paralleling the Rio Grande. It’s hardly a scenic road, and its main function appears to be access to the 15 campsites located just off it or the Mariscal Mine, which appears to be the only notable landmark along the route to speak of. ⁠
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The park rangers that we talk to are slightly confused why we would want to drive the length. It’s relatively bland relative to the rest of the park. But for us, this through trip a matter of curiosity, more than anything else. ⁠
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And, hey. We still managed some fun pictures. ⁠

What's your favorite recent camping purchase?⁠⁠
⁠⁠
It's summer and I bet most of us can't help but invest in some new campsite convenience. We certainly have.⁠⁠
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Provisioning our camper has been a lesson learned over years. When we started this crazy journey (and for many years after) we only had a standard cooler. Not even some fancy super efficient cooler. It was caos with cheese soaked in melting ice, fruit smashed under shifting contence, and the occasional burst condoments.⁠⁠
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But for all of that, we have managed so long as we carefully planned our meals and never purchased parishables without a clear plan of when we would consume them.⁠⁠
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That last point remains the same but at least we don't have to worry about melting ice anymore. This winter, we finally invested in an electric cooler. It's extended the life of our parishable foods and freed up our options when provisioning.⁠⁠
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Most campers come with a refrigerator. Heck, ours did too. But that's long gone after we stipped the interior. One day we'll install some fancy fridge. But, in the mean time, I wish we had bought an electric cooler years ago.⁠⁠

Uh-oh⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ That is our first thought as th

Uh-oh⁠⁠
⁠⁠
That is our first thought as the park ranger turns off the main dirt road to drive down to our campsite. We approach, camping permit in hand. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Is something wrong?⁠⁠
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Big Bend has quite a few individual back-country campsites available. Most can only be reserved in person at Panther Junction. ⁠⁠
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When we find out that a site is available, we go ahead and fill out the surprising amount of paperwork to claim the site. It's a long drive to the middle of nowhere, and we are excited to spend the night far from anyone else.⁠⁠
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Yet here comes the ranger. We hold out the permit. But that's not what she's looking at. Her questions are about the camper. We laugh with relief and dive into a conversation about our favorite topic: our little home on wheels.⁠⁠
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I'm still not tired of talking about it. Do you have any questions about our Avion?⁠⁠

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Our Rigs

2015 Ram 3500 4x4 Truck in the Eastern Sierras

1970 Avion C11 truck camper overlanding in the Alabama Hills of California's Eastern Sierras.

From #vanlife to truck camper adventures, our travels are possible with our homes on wheels.

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River Road
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Moab, Utah

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