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  • TravelerEl Potrero Chico, Mexico 2022
    Day 7

    Day 6: EPC & El Arbolon

    December 31, 2022 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    This day doubled as the last full day of our trip and New Years Eve! Dad and I began the day with a 5 mile roundtrip hike to El Arbolon, a tree that is thought to be at least 600 years old. Once we got through the canyon that makes up EPC, we were surprised to find such a verdant landscape. As we walked, we realized all this greenery was due to a mountain spring that provides water for the town. Things began to get more lush and shady as we drew closer to El Arbolon and crossed over a small creek. The tree itself has an enormous trunk and branches so thick they seem to defy gravity.

    We headed back and eventually met up with the climbing crew. Nate had picked out a section called Wonderwall that had tons of routes for both kids & their grownups. It was fun getting to watch everyone take on new challenges.

    We followed that up with tacos at Taco Locos and hung around until the rest of the crew left for their new accomodations. We went back to our house and enjoyed a few margaritas. We finished the evening with another delicious dinner at Leo's. Since it was NYE, they were prepping for a big party to ring in the new year. We enjoyed our dinner and left the partying to everyone else.

    Our last day was pretty perfect. Grateful to get to explore these new environments and do it with friends and family.    Read more

  • TravelerEl Potrero Chico, Mexico 2022
    Day 6

    Day 5: EPC

    December 30, 2022 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Friday was one of the big days Nate had been planning since someone first floated the idea of this trip. EPC is famous for its multi-pitch setups, which for a layman like mean just means you can climb really high a bit more easily.

    Nate and David left before I even woke up and hiked up to the base of a climb called Excalibur, a crazy tall pillar connected to a fin that branches off from the main mountain. Others in our group had done the climb the day before.

    While the climb was challenging, Nate said the hardest part was the scrambled hike to get up to the base of the pillar. They hiked through lots of overgrowth and scree just to get to it. Compared to that hike, Nate said the climbing wasn't too tough.

    The boys and I made our way up to the viewing area and looked for a loooong time before we could finally find them on the wall. We got to see them make it to the top and see a few arms waving from the distance.

    The rest of the day was very uneventful. A lack of communication from the rest of the crew left us a bit in limbo and we basically just killed time at the house. We ended the day with tasty fajitas and margaritas and a few games at the house.    Read more

  • TravelerEl Potrero Chico, Mexico 2022
    Day 5

    Hidalgo: Day 4

    December 29, 2022 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    After a full day of climbing on Wednesday and a big climb on the horizon for Nate on Friday, Thursday was a rest day. We had a lazy morning then walked into town to restock on a few supplies. In town we ran into others from our crew and the kids made the most of the 1980s playground.

    Once we made it back, the kids and I made some paintings while the guys scouted routes for their climb the next day.

    We finished the night at another local restaurant called Checo. I chowed on some delicious chicken mole while Dad accidentally ordered the biggest beer I've ever seen. Now we know when something says GRANDE it means GRANDE.    Read more

  • TravelerEl Potrero Chico, Mexico 2022
    1
    Day 4

    Day 3: EPC

    December 28, 2022 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Tuesday we all headed up to EPC for a day of climbing. Holden was not interested in getting on the wall, so he and Papa hung out in a dry creek bed and threw a thousand rocks. I woke up feeling pretty rough from a poor sleep and with a constellation of canker sores in the back of my throat. Thankfully a good dose of ibuprofen and extra coffee from someone selling it on the side of the road helped perk me up. That an the 1.5 he nap I took when we got back to the house that afternoon.

    While Holden and I were not in the best of moods at the beginning, Everett & Nate were keen to get back at it, along with the rest of the crew. They climbed in an area called Moto and our group pretty well took over the section. It was fun watching the kids try new things and making it beyond their original comfort zones. Holden and Papa headed back to the house after watching E climb a time or two. Everett got a little stuck leading a 5.8 climb and learned a few good lessons about knowing his limits and when to let things go. Overall the kids did great and the adults got some good runs done in between.

    Dinner was an absolute feast. We got tamales from a place our host recommended and cooked side dishes. Dan showed up at the house like the victor of an ultra marathon with 100 tamales in his backpack. Holden wanted none of them, but the rest of us sure did.

    While we enjoyed the evening as a group, my Dad -- always a tamale hater -- headed back to Leo's. In true Terry Burr fashion, he wound up being befriended by the owner. Between Leo's basic English and Dad's translator app, they wound up having a great evening. Leo gave Dad a tour of his restaurant and came home a full and happy man.    Read more

  • TravelerEl Potrero Chico, Mexico 2022
    Day 3

    Hidalgo: Day 2

    December 27, 2022 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Day 2 we went our separate ways. Nate and Everett headed up to EPC and Holden, Dad and I made our way back into town. Tuesday is a market day and I wanted to see what that was all about. Mostly it was like a flea market with lots of shoes, clothes, electronics & produce for sale. We didn't find anything worth trying to translate for, except the street corn. I was thrilled when I saw that and happily waited in line for some. On our way back Holden was not happy about another long walk. The traveling gods must have heard his despair. A truck pulled up with a local driver and a bunch of Americans and they asked if we could use a ride. So that's how Holden had his first hitchhiking experience! He was giddy about getting to ride in the bed of a truck for the first time.

    While we were in town, Nate and Everett headed up to EPC to climb. They both seemed happy and pleased with what they found and were ready for more the next day.

    We finished the evening at a local restaurant that served margaritas bigger than my head.    Read more

  • TravelerEl Potrero Chico, Mexico 2022
    Day 2

    Hidalgo: Day 1

    December 26, 2022 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Day 2 of our trip brought us much improved circumstances! Our Wonderful host, Alberto picked us up at the hotel in Monterrey and drove us to the house in Hidalgo where we'll spend the week. The boys got another taste of non-American driving as the 4 of us crowded into the backseat and my Dad rode shotgun. Alberto speedily weaved down the road in a way that would get us pulled over for a DUI in the US, but here it's,s just the way of the road.

    As we got further away from the smog of the city, the mountains became more clear and impressive. We pulled into town and our host swung by the police station to let us get some pesos from the ATM. We cracked up that the first stop was the police station, but agreed that it's a good place to keep the money machine.

    Hidalgo has plenty of modern services but is definitely a more rural and poorer town. Dogs roam about and are camped out at the gates of homes. Some are probably more effective security systems than others.

    After dropping our bags at our cheerfully yellow Airbnb, Alberto drove Nate and I to the grocery store and walked through the market with us to make sure we didn't make too many cultural faux pas.

    After settling into our charming house and resting a bit, we walked the mile to El Potrero Chico.(EPC) Alberto told us that the name means Little Valley. As climbing goes, the volume of routes and ease of access is incredible. Looking up at the mountains the climbers looked like colorful ants.

    On the walk back, we greeted our friends who had just arrived and Nate happily headed back up to EPC with the guys to scout routes. The boys played and I caught up with the everyone.

    We ended the night with THE BEST chicken I've ever tasted at a little restaurant down the road called Leo's. The food was incredible and we all had a great time catching up. The boys also discovered SQUIRT soda and are now big fans of new things in Mexico.

    We headed to bed early happy with our first day and ready for what the week brings.    Read more

  • TravelerEl Potrero Chico, Mexico 2022
    Day 1

    Travel Day: Wichita to Monterrey, Mexico

    December 25, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    It's not often that we start a trio from Wichita, but here we go! Let's rewind a few days... We flew into Wichita to spend a few days celebrating Christmas. It was a struggle bus of a journey to Kansas -- Holden started the trip with a fever, then E one-upped him by barfing at the gate in STL. It was an exhausting travel day, which pretty well set the tone for our stay in ICT. We arrived in Wichita the night before Winter Storm Elliot blew in and dropped us all into the coldest and deepest freeze I've ever experienced with wind chills were in the -20°s. Everett struggled with a gnarly cough all week, which has kept us all pretty weary.

    Fortunately by the time Christmas rolled around, we were feeling decent and the Christmas spirit is always a mood lifter. We had a great holiday with my brother, his family and my Dad. This was the first Christmas without my mom, but we still found a lot of joy with each other.

    Sunday finally rolled around and we packed up and headed to the airport. Because of the winter storm earlier in the week, flights were majorly disrupted. Our first flight was over an hour late and then we landed in time for a 7 hour layover at DFW (was supposed to be 2 hours). We killed time by riding the Skylink train A LOT and sitting wherever we could find space. Then the layover gods smiled on us and we stumbled onto the swankiest public airport lounge where we killed the last 2 hours of our layover.

    We didn't arrive in Monterrey until after midnight and between waiting for customs, baggage and finding a ride, we didn't make it to the hotel until 2am. A very long day, but we made it.    Read more

  • TravelerSummer Road Trip 2022
    Day 57

    Home!

    July 28, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    We giddily drove into town around 5pm on Thursday. As we made our way to our neighborhood the boys kept exclaiming, "I remember that street! I remember that building!" We laughed and gently reminded them that we have only been gone two months and certainly hoped they remembered these well-worn roads.

    We parked the camper across the street from our house and hauled a few essentials into the Airbnb that we'll be staying at for the next 8 weeks while our house remains under construction.

    After that we crossed the road and entered into the construction zone that is our actual house. Walls have been torn down, new framing is up, a new stairway leads to a hole in the attic. We made our way through the interior maze and onto the back porch, where construction on the addition has begun.

    The biggest surprise came when we got to the back. When I walked up the steps to the backyard I literally gasped when I saw the (relatively) huge framework of the new addition. It's a bit surreal to see the paper concepts unfolding into real life.

    After we scoped out the new digs, we were delighted to have an impromptu dinner with the Tumeys & Baileys at one of the boys' favorite restaurants. It was so fun to reunite with everyone again, a really happy ending to our long journey.

    My final musings (for now) on this trip...

    We covered about 8,000 miles of incredibly diverse array of landscapes. I hope I never forget the feeling of driving into Canyonlands the first time and just being floored by the magnitude of the monoliths and the vastness of those endless canyons. It was an honor to get to properly introduce the boys to the Rocky Mountains, especially when Holden kept saying, "it's nothing like I ever imagined!" It was incredibly special to get to experience new terrain like Arches & Canyonlands with them for the first time. And I can't imagine my body will ever forget the shocking sensation of plunging into Lake Superior.

    As I'm getting older these new experiences are even more exciting and energizing. I am so grateful I get to experience them with my kids and Nate. So, three cheers to have this epic trip in the books, and a secret cheer for wherever we venture to next.    Read more

  • TravelerSummer Road Trip 2022
    Day 55

    Indiana: Warsaw

    July 26, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Our last big stop on this epic adventure was to see Nate's family in Warsaw, Indiana. We rolled into town with Coltrane literally laying on piles of laundry because we had accumulated so many dirty clothes while camping in Michigan. I do think he enjoyed the extra cushy ride!

    After we had a chance to do MANY loads of laundry, we headed from our Airbnb over to Grandma's house where everyone enjoyed an endless supply of food and goofy kids.

    We enjoyed a lot of good cousin, grandma & playground time. On our last full day in town, Kelley & I took the kids to a water park in Columbia City. They played hard for 3 hours and cleaned out the concession stand.

    It was the perfect last stop and so glad we got to spend so much time with family in this stop and throughout the trip!

    We left late in the afternoon when Nate finished working and made it down to Elizabethtown, Kentucky (our 14th state of the trip) to stay the night at a hotel.

    Next stop: CHATTANOOGA!!    Read more

  • TravelerSummer Road Trip 2022
    Day 52

    Michigan: Mackinac Bridge

    July 23, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    I've always been curious to cross the Mackinac Bridge, the link between the Upper Peninsula and the rest of Michigan. And today we got to cross it. The sky was clear and the water was blue. We ate sandwiches at the Bridge View Park and Holden got to put his toes in Lake Michigan. As we crossed the bridge, we could see a couple of people parasailing on Lake Huron.Read more

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