A beautiful sunrise greeted us as we packed up camp and headed into Grand Junction to the Honda dealership. Since it was Saturday morning and we figured it would be busy, we arrived early to join the service line.
While the car got tuned up, we hopped on our bikes and explored the nearby neighborhood. We didn’t have to go far before we stumbled upon a local coffee shop! For the next hour, we relaxed and enjoyed the cozy atmosphere with lattes. Lots of regular customers, sometimes with a dog or two in tow, filtered in to pick up their favorite drink. It was a beautiful, cloudless morning with a crisp breeze that put just enough chill in the air to remind you it was surely fall.
We made our way back to the dealership, loaded up the bikes, and set out again! By late afternoon, we crossed the border into New Mexico. There were only a few campgrounds to choose from near Questa, as a lot of options at higher elevations had already closed for the season. We pulled into Goat Hill campground just before dusk and quickly got a fire going. Only a few other sites were occupied: a couple of RVs, and one other brave soul in a tent. The temperature dropped through the evening, leading us to pile on our layers and keep the fire going. After enjoying a hot meal and soaking up the warmth from the fire a while longer, we turned in early.
The next morning we woke up early to start our full day on the road. I didn’t have a thermometer to check the temperature at the time, but I’d guess it was 28F! Didn’t bother me much until I emerged from my sleeping bag, then I was sure to keep moving to stay warm and get things packed. Tim had already emerged from the tent and started working on coffee. I was so thankful! This would mark our last time camping as the rest of our journey would be spent visiting and staying with friends and family. While I was excited to continue heading east for all of our visits, it was definitely bittersweet to close out our camping days!
We hit the road by 6:30AM and passed through Red River, NM just as the sun was coming up. The scenery changed dramatically as we crossed the border into the Texas panhandle later in the day. Fields upon fields, and miles of flat land unfolded before us for what seemed like forever as we kept on driving east. Occasionally the speed limit would decrease and we’d slow down as we passed through a small town. When we crossed the border into Oklahoma, I couldn’t help but suggest stopping at Braum’s for a milkshake! I think the last time I’d had Braum’s was over a decade ago. It was just as good as I’d remembered!
By 5:30PM, we reached our destination – Norman, OK! For the next week, we enjoyed lots of down time off the road and caught up with friends (and their dogs!) I especially enjoyed having a spacious and well-stocked kitchen for cooking and baking (thank you, Rach!! ❤ ) It was such a relaxing week. We enjoyed slow mornings, neighborhood walks, and dinners with friends. Can’t ask for more than that!