Out of the Wilderness

Flag Photos and Cemetery Session

I like walking through cemeteries to see the birth dates and when they died. I visited a small one recently that had a person who was born in the mid 1800s. That fascinates me very much. What was their life like? What kinds of things did they do each day? Did they ever foresee cars, airplanes, the changes in music? I snapped a few photos then got way too distracted with a ragged, tattered American flag. With the sun setting behind it, I love how the pictures where looking (even with some dust on the sensor ). Here are photos from that afternoon. Thanks for dropping in!

-Out of the Wilderness

One Night in Palo Duro

I had just finished 5 days at Caprock Canyons State Park and if you read my blog consistently, you definitely know it’s become my favorite park to visit. But the thing is, my trip around the “south by southwest” wasn’t over. Next up was a beautiful location, another state park. This one is called Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

It’s just as pretty as Caprock Canyons but I’ll be honest. I checked in, drove down into the canyon where my campsite was located and my heart just wasn’t in it. There are a few reasons for this:

Coming from an amazing park, I wasn’t sure Palo Duro could measure up
Lots of flies
No internet or cell connection

That last one sounds shallow, I know. But coming from Caprock where connection was spotty, I didn’t think I could make it another 5 days with no phone or internet. Sometimes the truth is ugly. On top of that, I didn’t want to leave the trailer because of the flies. They were already getting in the trailer and I had just been there a couple of hours. Whether I was going out or getting back in the trailer, they were right by the door waiting to get in. It was frustrating and annoying. I thought that I just needed to gird my loins and endure this for the next 5 days and it would be fine. I’d focus on taking pictures, walking the dogs, swatting flies.

But that’s no way to enjoy a state park, even if it was gorgeous. So one thing led to another and without having to tuck my tail and run, God provided a way out and I took it. After one night, I packed up and headed east towards Oklahoma City (where I biked around and took pictures). The next destination was Tulsa, Oklahoma for a Judah and the Lion show. Check back in tomorrow for my recap of that fun night. With all that said, I DID manage to take a few pictures in the short time I was there. Hope you enjoy!

In summary, Palo Duro is pretty but for me it wasn’t the right timing. I’ll have to go back so I can really enjoy everything that’s there. But hey, take my advice, don’t go to Caprock Canyons first. Everything after that will pale in comparison.

Thanks for dropping in!

-Out of the Wilderness

Month-long camping south by southwest United States

What an amazing month-long trip! I started out in the panhandle of Florida, went as far west as Texas, then through Oklahoma and back down to Florida. It felt like two years but at the same time, it flew by. It was so fun (most of the time). Here is the list of campgrounds in chronological order and a favorite picture from each one. If you’ve never been to these parks, I highly recommend every single one of them!

Big Lagoon State Park, Pensacola, Florida (recap and more pics)

Fontainebleau State Park, Mandeville, Louisiana (recap and more pics)

Village Creek State Park, Lumberton, Texas (recap and more pics)

Mother Neff State Park, Moody, Texas (recap and more pics)

Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas (recap and more pics)

Copper Breaks State Park, Quanah, Texas (recap and more pics)

Caprock Canyons State Park, Quitaque, Texas (recap and more pics)

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, Texas

Longhorn RV Park, Alanreed, Texas

Bass Pro Shop, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Keystone State Park, Sand Springs, Oklahoma

H and G RV Park, Hazen, Arkansas

Sam’s Club parking lot, Tupelo, Mississippi

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Vegan dinner and pictures from downtown Oklahoma City

I just have to start this off by praising the delicious food from The Loaded Bowl (follow them on Instagram, too @theloadedbowlokc) in downtown Oklahoma City. I don’t eat out much but goodness gracious, I think I’m missing out if vegan restaurants are all as good as this one. When you go, get the “down home bowl” and thank me later. I’d show you a picture of my meal, but…. oops, I ate it.

I was in town just for an overnight stay in the Bass Pro Shop parking lot, which I wouldn’t recommend. Bass Pro is great. The road noise? Not so much. I felt somewhat safe but didn’t sleep well at all.

On the bright side, literally, I rode my bike around as the sun rose over the city. I snapped a few pics on my phone and want to share them with you now. Hope you enjoy and don’t forget… “down home bowl,” you’re welcome.

Catch up on my travels, including this south by southwest (literally, not the music festival) trip by going to my Camping Stories page. Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Sunset and moon photos from Caprock Canyons

I *think* this will wrap up my recaps of the best park I’ve camped in… Caprock Canyons State Park in Texas. What beauty surrounds us as campers in this park! During the day it’s bison, roadrunners, deer, prairie dogs, and much more. In fact, pictures that will be favorites for a long time are from the canyons, deer perched high up. Take a look here. The sun sets and then there is a whole other list of things to marvel over. Here are a few of my favorite sunset, moon, and stars photos from Caprock Canyons.