When I was 15 my family had a 28 ft Condor II motor home. We went west in 1973 and ran across I-10. I can remember us running up on huge piles of downed oak trees in Mississippi and Louisiana left from Hurricane Camille, ran across Texas to El Paso, then into Mexico for a day trip. We saw colorful markets, kids scurrying everywhere selling amazing paper flowers, was told not to drink the water remember mom and dad drinking Mexican beer ! We came home with skids of handmade flowers, and a 5 ft suit of Armour riding in one bunk bed. We went on to Carlsbad Caverns and trekked deep into the caves to see amazing formations and yes, there were bats ! On to Colorado, rode horses through The Garden of the Gods… went up into the Rockies, spent one night so cold in summer we had to turn on the heat. The views we saw will forever be in my mind. Back then you could not buy Coors beer east of the Rockies, mom and dad bought cases of it to bring home to share….

It was beautiful and before all of the land was overbuilt… the mountains, the desert of west Texas was new to a Georgia girl, tumbleweed rolling across the road.. yes, it was amazing!