Our first couple of days in Arizona were spent at Canyon de Chelly, the Petrified Forest National Park, and the Painted Desert. 3 bangers right from the start!
Canyon de Chelly (see our last reel/post right before this one) was a surprise— we had no clue what to expect until we arrived. We spent one afternoon and sunset there, had great conversations with other folks at the lookouts, and we were all in agreement that it felt special being there. A more tangible or comprehensible Grand Canyon?
The next morning we set off to find the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. We had been on a quest to visit the Petrified Forest since all the way back in 2009 when we had to skip it on our cross-country road trip. It’s spot-on to say that the road trip through the Painted Desert back then inspired our love of the southwest and each trip here fuels our desire for the next one. The Petrified Forest was pretty mid-blowing and worth the wait. It was fantastic to see the wood fossilized in such vast quantities and all of it there for us to see and explore. The backdrop of the Painted Desert just makes it seem even more surreal.
*May 2nd & 3rd, 2026
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What an incredible motorcycle ride! We’d seen videos of Canyon De Chelly (in the northeastern area of Arizona) but to experience this magical place in person is beyond words! Unbelievably beautiful canyons and views, and Navajo people still live in the canyon. Highly underrated, very under the radar. So happy we were able to visit such a special place. You can take a guided tour in the canyon, but unfortunately it was a little out of our budget. We will definitely return in the near future and take the tour!
Motorcycle ride: May 2nd, 2026
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We jumped on the Bonneville and headed into El Malpais National Monument (Cibola County, New Mexico) specifically to ride the Chain of Craters Back Country Byway (Highway 117), which brought us to La Ventana Natural Arch and then through “the narrows”. Turned around just before the end of the park and headed back north. Took a dirt road a mile and a half up to the bluffs for stunning views of the lave fields. Between the sandstone bluffs and the volcano flow fields, this ride was pure eye candy. Really happy we stopped here to enjoy the area!
Motorcycle ride: April 30th, 2026
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Our motorcycle ride through Zuni Canyon (starting in Grants, New Mexico and heading southwest) was actually a really happy surprise, as we just looked on Google Maps and found a road to ride, but didn’t know anything about it.
Zuni Canyon is a scenic, sometimes forested canyon that cuts through the Zuni Mountains within the Cibola National Forest, offering towering sandstone red rock bluffs and ponderosa pine forests. We had the canyon all to ourselves, passing maybe two or three people the entire ride!
We also rode to the Bandera Volcano and ice cave, featuring a dormant cinder cone volcano and a lava tube ice cave that stays below freezing year-round, allowing ice to accumulate. We took a lovely hike to view the volcano’s crater and also descend into the cave, where sunlight reflects off blue-green algae on the ice, creating a “Land of Fire and Ice” experience. (pics of the volcano and ice cave are also in our previous post)
Super great day!
Motorcycle ride: April 29th, 2026
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We arrived in New Mexico as the cacti were blooming and wildflowers were becoming abundant. That made a perfect backdrop for being outdoors for hiking and visiting cultural/historical sites, and motorcycling through the high desert of central and northern NM.
We explored the cliff dwellings at Bandelier National Monument, which seemed so unique because they allow you to climb ladders and access a few of the carved out caves and cliff dwellings from 500-800 years ago.
We rode the motorcycle on the Sandia Crest Scenic Byway and Turquoise Trail up to Madrid; in the west through Zuni Canyon & El Malpais National Monument, & then hiked Bandera Volcano, & visited the Ice Cave.
We hiked into the Bisti Badlands/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area (so cool! It felt like we were on Mars!), went to the Cinco de Mayo low rider car show in Farmington, and stopped to gawk at the incredible rock formation known as Shiprock (the Navajo name for the peak, Tsé Bit’a’i, “rock with wings” or “winged rock”, refers to the legend of the great bird that brought the Navajo from the north to their present lands.).
After two incredible weeks in New Mexico, we were sad to leave, but Arizona was calling and we were excited to return to the Sunset State and find new adventures. Thank you, New Mexico. You were wonderful to us and we will be back!
*April 26th - May 2nd, 2026
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After cruising into Albuquerque, we jumped on the motorcycle and headed for the Sandia Mountains, which line the eastern part of the city! First, we took the twists and turns on the Sandia Crest Scenic Highway up to Sandia Crest (10,678 ft elevation) for spectacular overlook views of Albuquerque. We headed back down the mountain and headed north on the Turquoise Trail (NM-14) up to Madrid, a quirky artist community full of galleries, shops, restaurants, and bars. After a long walk around the town, we headed back south on the Turquoise Trail (and the views were arguably even better than when we rode north!). It was a really great day of exploring on the motorcycle.
Motorcycle ride: April 27th, 2026
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We left Bandelier National Monument and headed west (and eventually south) on a beautiful motorcycle ride through Valles Caldera National Preserve, up and over mountains, through forest land, down into the valley passing Soda Dam, and continuing through a canyon along the Jemez River. We rode through the quaint town of Jemez Springs, down to San Ysidro, where we turned around to head back north, but not before we made time to visit the stunning Gilman Tunnels! We also rode through Los Alamos (what a disturbingly weird town i.e. Manhattan Project/development of the atomic bomb). This was a really fun, beautiful ride that we really enjoyed and hope to visit again!
Motorcycle ride: April 25th, 2026
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New Mexico is a place we were truly excited to return to. We were last here two years ago, but only the southern part of the state, as Liz became sick with pneumonia and spent time recovering instead of exploring. To finally come back and explore the northern and central areas of this beautiful state was such an exciting experience for us and we took full advantage!
Here are some highlights of our first six days there:
-driving parts of Historic Route 66
-walking around the beautiful town of Taos
-motorcycle riding the “Enchanted Circle”, which took us up to almost 10,000 feet elevation and delivered beautiful scenery in spades!
-riding over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
-exploring Santa Fe
-visiting Pecos National Historic Park
-soaking in the Montezuma Hot Springs
-motorcycle riding Apache Junction and NM-68 south of Taos (wow!!!)
-motorcycle riding the Jemez Mountain Trail Scenic Byway between Bandelier National Monument and the Gilman Tunnels (Reel coming shortly!)
*April 20th - April 25th, 2026
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We left Asheville and drove to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit our friends Hillary, Peanut, and Miso. 🧡 We adore them and their hospitality so it was a no-brainer to go to Little Rock and spend a few days with them. We mostly cuddled Peanut and Miso while Hillary was at work, and then spent so much time catching up with our bud. Her dad built the house she lives in, which was pretty mind-blowing on a lot of levels. On our last night, Liz mentioned that she had never played golf and wanted to learn how to drive balls, and Hillary said, “Well, that’s what we’re going to go do!” And off we were on a field trip to Top Golf. We had so much fun! And Hillary is apparently very good at BJJ and golf 😂 and was a fantastic teacher.
We said our goodbyes and started driving west through Oklahoma and then the Texas panhandle. We fulfilled a dream of seeing the Cadillac Ranch finally, and added our touch to the cars thanks to the abundant spray paint on site.
*April 15th - April 18th, 2026
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After a winter in Mexico and a month visiting family and friends in Richmond and Vermont, we were ready to jump back in Van Halen and hit the road! First stop: Asheville, North Carolina.
This was the first time we’ve been able to visit Asheville since Hurricane Helene ravaged the area back in September 2024. Although recovery efforts have brought the region back to life, the scars (figuratively and emotionally) are still very present and it was shocking to see how much damage and destruction still remains.
On a much brighter note, we got to spend a superb weekend with our friends Anja and Gabriel. From farmer’s markets to walks along the river to incredible stouts at @burialbeer and delicious meals to a Blue Ridge Parkway motorcycle ride to an amazing waterfall hike at Catawba Falls, the weekend was jam packed full of so much fun! The highlight of the weekend was heading over to Odyssey Clayworks in the River Arts District to take a class on Raku firing (so amazing!). Anja graciously spent time with Liz and gave her a lesson in porcelain pottery as well, giving her positive feedback and guidance, and making working with porcelain less intimidating. If you’re ever interested in pottery workshops or playing with clay in the Asheville area, @odysseyclayworks is the place to check out. It’s such a welcoming and fun atmosphere with a serious level of artistry to inspire you. Thank you to Paul Gisondo for the raku workshop and Anja for the private lesson on the wheel. Both of you are such kind and giving instructors.
Thank you so much @porcelainanja and @gabrielkline5 for your friendship and hospitality. We love and appreciate y’all! ❤️❤️❤️
Asheville is always a spectacular time for us and we love visiting our friends there. We look forward to returning in the near future!
*April 10th - April 13th, 2026
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Our time in Richmond (part 2) and Eric’s trip to Vermont:
-April’s 80’s glam themed birthday party!!!
-great hangs w/ Lou, Robert, Danielle, Mary, Greg, Rudy, Cecily, Quinci, Missi, April, & Dave
-lunch in Fredericksburg w/ Eddie, Whitney, Lily, and their dog Dany
-Liz & Lori took Liz’s mom Cindy to The Chrysler in Norfolk to see a glass blowing demonstration
-Battlemaster at Cobra Cabana 🔥
-Liz practiced more at the pottery studio
-so many van fixes & upgrades like lighting, polyurethaning our countertops, adding new storage options, & a new sink!
-Eric’s trip to Vermont included lots of time with his mom to commemorate his dad’s 84th birthday (and his passing six years ago). He also got to see some great friends (Bobby, Eric, Frank, Leda, Lily, Trena, Bill, & Nicole 🥰)
*March 25th - April 9th, 2026
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Coming back from 3 months in Mexico, we flew into DC & saw Tad at Jinx Proof, and then our buds Jill & Tim met us at Union Station to see us off on our train to Richmond. Then Lori picked us up at the train station in Richmond, and we had a China Panda buffet! What a way to be welcomed back!
We planned a few weeks in Richmond and Vermont and we did a lot and saw so many pals. This is part 1:
-dog sitting sweet Mable
-spent lots of time eating, walking, and lounging w/ Lori, Fox, and Reuben
-went to Sad Prom at Studio Two Three, our first prom together
-celebrated Liz’s father’s birthday and Eric’s too (even though his was in February)
-Judge at The Camel
-tight hangs w/ Portland friends Ellen and William
-Rob Halfrog group friend tattoos by Tad at Absolute
-our first trip to Juan More Taco with Dave & April
*March 11th - March 25th, 2026
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