Tumble In ~ Marfa, Texas 1

I am innately drawn to obscure out-of-the-way small towns in our country. Just add in one Airstream, two days travel, a  yellow lab and a wanderlust for adventure and you’ll end up in the land of “Quirky” ~ better known as Marfa, TX. This post, however, is only about the accommodations found in Marfa ~ the Tumble In RV Park. I’ll be sharing stories about the town of Marfa and unique finds in my next post. When you hear Marfa is in the middle of nowhere, that is correct. And the Tumble In makes you feel right at home in the middle of nowhere! I loved staying here. Quirky, plain, no frills ~ yes but, there is something about it that grounds you. Waking up to hear the train passing by (and I do mean passing right by, check out the photo below of how close it really is), watching the tumbleweed float by like a silent passerbyer and the Texas winds that speak to you while blowing past your cheek.

Drive on in to the Tumble In….

Self check-in at the office which is an orange and white 1962 Mobile Scout (canned ham). Luv this!

Did I mention the “train”?

The facilities ~new, modern and really cool. Not your average RV Park so have an open mind!

View from my office on a blustery Marfa day (and another train!!). Otis was very circumspect of the “stickers” which are everywhere in Texas. Not so great for the pups paws.

The manager, Jon C.s ’77 Airstream Ambassador in site #12

Tumble In Views

Photo Source: © 2013 All Rights Reserved Anna Sullivan Photography

Yellowstone National Park 3

Yellowstone National Park is truly a magical place. The park was established in 1872 as our nation’s first national park. Consisting of 3,472 square miles and situated on 2,221,766 acres, Yellowstone is located in Wyoming (96%), Montana (3%) and Idaho (1%). Yellowstone has the worlds largest collection of geysers with approximately 300 and over 10,000 thermal features.

We drove about 100 miles per day in search of wildlife and flora. I hope you enjoy this short post of the written word to enjoy the beauty that I have desperately tried to capture with my lens. Feel free to ask me any questions about what you see or would like to learn about a trip to Yellowstone. If you haven’t been ~ it’s a must experience “Bucket List” destination.

Bison are plentiful in Yellowstone and can be viewed throughout the park especially in the Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley.

I spotted this coyote near Blacktail Pond heading towards Mammoth Hot Springs

Early morning in the Hayden Valley just past sunrise along the Yellowstone River

Grizzly Boar I followed for a couple of hours along the Yellowstone River near Steamboat Point. This image was taken at dusk and there was no light to speak of. Sometimes I find it’s not about a photograph,. Sometimes you just have to soak in the experience and that is what I did while viewing this amazing mammal.

Pronghorn Buck in the Lamar Valley just past Slough Creek

Early evening and sunset along the Yellowstone Lake near Mary Bay

Otis having the time of his life in the Yellowstone Lake with a stick. He was in dog heaven!

One of my favorite spots is Lake Butte Overlook. An über peaceful spot to catch a glorious sunset and gaze over the Yellowstone Lake and valley below.

Photo Source: © 2013 Anna Sullivan Photography, Copyright All Rights Reserved

Welcome to Yellowstone National Park & Fishing Bridge RV Park 8

My mother always said, the older you get the faster times goes. Well Mom, you were right. I can’t believe how much time has passed since my last post. My sincerest apologies are in order for being remiss in sharing my travels and adventures since the summer. Lots of great stories and images to share. So, here goes. I spent a week in Yellowstone followed by a glorious month in Jackson Hole at the end of August till the end of September. I”ll be posting about Jackson Hole soon, promise!!

We decided to make the trip from Denver to Yellowstone in one day. It’s a long haul especially while towing and traveling with a doggie companion. But, Otis is quite the traveler. No complaints from him. After all, we were “going” somewhere and that is all he cares about.

With construction in several locations in Wyoming which killed our time, it took us 12 hours to finally get to Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone. But, along the way somewhere between Rawlins and Dubois, Wyoming I pulled over to admire the sky. Of course, also had to drag the ‘ol camera out and snap just a few shots.

Outside of Dubois, Wyoming I grabbed these shots of my Big “B” (Beatrice) and the vast Wyoming landscape and sky.

We drove through Grand Teton National Park via Moran Junction into Yellowstone National Park and stopped for some quick shots at the entrance and again at the Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone is widely considered to be the finest megafauna wildlife habitat in the lower 48’s. There are approximately 60 species of mammals in the park. As we were crossing the actual Fishing Bridge I was ebullient to share the road with a herd of Bison.

Fishing Bridge RV Park ~ Yellowstone National Park. This was our second stay at Fishing Bridge and I would highly recommend it if you prefer full-hook ups, clean showers, laundry and other amenities. The sites are quite tight but, once you’re in, you’ll find yourself surrounded by luscious flora including lodgepole pines. It’s über important to follow the guidelines of the campground due to Grizzly Bears in the area and in the campground. There were Grizz in Loop A during our visit and herds of Bison would stroll through the campground daily. I loved our site #D-138 as it was an end spot in the middle of the loop. I was also very impressed that Yellowstone abides by strict recycling standards making it super easy for everyone to do their part and partake in recycling while camping.

Fishing Bridge offers the convenience of a General Store which has a grocery store and a diner. Auto repair, gas and propane are also provided all within walking distance from the campground.

Stellar sunrise at the Fishing Bridge

Yours truly, Otis and my Big “B” settling in after a long 12 hour journey for a week of exploring the park and some well deserved R&R. After all, there is no cell service, internet or television at Fishing Bridge. I got a bit of cell service near the Yellowstone Lake, Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful. So, be prepared to let go of it all and just enjoy the beauty that the park has to offer. What a gift this and all National Parks are to us all.

Photo Source: © 2013 Copyright Anna Sullivan Photography, All Rights Reserved

Downtown Austin 2

Since posting yesterday about SoCo in Austin, Texas ~ thought it appropriate to finish up my Texas trip with a short post about downtown Austin. Austin is the capital city of Texas. It’s also the 11th most populous city in the US. It’s vibrant downtown scene is comprised of amazing restaurants and music venues all over town.  Austin is the annual host of South by Southwest (SXSW) one of the largest music festivals in the country. Now you can see how Austin got its name “Live Music Capital of the World”. You can’t get bored in Austin, there is always a concert, festival, art show and so much more to see, hear and do. I really dig this city.

State Capitol of Texas ~ second largest state capital in the US behind Phoenix. Located just 4 blocks south of the University of Texas, the building is surrounded by 17 monuments on 22 gorgeous acres. Well worth a visit.

The University of Texas at Austin ~ founded in 1883 and now has over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students. “U.T.” ~ home of the Longhorns!

Whole Foods Market ~ flagship store for the past 30 years. Largest Whole Foods at 80,000 sq ft. This store is unbelievable and we shop here almost daily when we’re in Austin. Shopping experience not to miss while visiting this hip town.

Zilker Metropolitan Park is located off Barton Springs Road (Pecan Grove RV Park is also on Barton Springs Rd!!) with 350 gorgeous acres. It’s a quick walk from Pecan Grove and around the corner from downtown Austin. We ran Otis at Zilker twice a day and I ran the miles of trails that are available for all to enjoy. You have to visit Zilker Park when you’re in Austin. It’s a peaceful park to hang out and do just about anything. I can’t wait to return and will be spending each day at Zilker.

We decided we didn’t much care for the laundry facility at Pecan Grove RV Park so we decided to hightail it to SpinCycle Coin Laundry “Keeping Austin Clean”. We got the job done!! One of the less glamorous tasks of RV’ing!

Our camp site at Pecan Grove RV Park in downtown Austin. We really enjoyed our stay at Pecan Grove and you can see more photos and read about it in my previous blog post!

Photo source: © Anna Sullivan Photography