Overlanding in a Jeep| New Mexico

We have been waiting for Summer all winter long so we could take our Jeep and new overlanding gear to the mountains! We bought some cool gear and added it to our Jeep and hit the road on Friday night when Brandon got off work. Our plan was to drive to Cimarron campground and sleep there for the weekend but boy did our trip take a huge turn. We arrived at 11:00pm and the campground was closed! The website said it was going to open on Friday but I guess not.. good thing we have 4WD and a roof top tent! We found a secluded spot in the woods behind tall pines and pitched our tent there! It was our first time sleeping in our rooftop tent and it was so fun! There was more than enough space for the 3 of us and our fur baby Zia.

The sounds of the river was near, the sound of the pines blowing with the breeze filled our ears with peace. The smell of pure air and forest scents filled our noses with so much happiness. We feel so at peace when we are outside.

It was a short night so we went straight to bed then woke up to the sound of the river flowing. I made breakfast for my boys while Brandon and Kai played by the river. It was my first time using our propane grill so it was definitely a learning lesson. The only times I had ever camped were with my family and the mom's did all the cooking... now I'm the mom! :)

Brandon and I had to have our coffee and it came out so delicious from our percolator. A must have for off the grid coffee making!

After breakfast we were greeted by a forest ranger who told us we were actually camping illegally. Oops! We explained how we had driven >3 hours and the campground was closed and he explained how it was supposed to be open but the lovely governor changed her mind.. He was cool about it and told us to pack up and find a National Park because they're open unlike State parks???

We drove around and fished different spots all day. Well, Brandon fished and I played with Kai in the woods. He was loving the river and putting dirt in his toy truck. As a mom, it gives me the biggest smile when I see him playing outside! Kids need that still.

For dinner we pulled over to a beautiful spot that suprisingly was vacant. The sun was gleaming so beautifully on the river rocks. We made dinner and sat and watched Kai play and throw rocks in the river. He went through about three outfit changes that day because he kept getting soaked head to toe and river water is cold!

After dinner, we decided to find a sleeping spot before dark. We couldn't find any national parks and didn't want to drive off the mountain so we had no choice but to park at an RV park. I was so bummed because the last we wanted was to be next to other people and in a developed area. We wanted to overland it! It turned out to be a beautiful spot. We got the last spot in the camp and parked with our tent facing the meadows where we could see wild llamas grazing and Kai ran in the meadow until mom and dad got tired.

The next morning it was off to find more fish. Kai wasn't having it this morning. It was pretty rough and we both got a little stressed. He didn't want the carrier, he didn't want to play by the river, he was exhausted from the previous day spent under the sun. So our fishing got cut short and we drove to Taos to explore. Taos is one of my favorite places and we hope to end up there in the future. It is filled with fishing shops, outdoor adventures, and kind people. The air is filled with the smell of Sage and the crisp cool mountain air. After a quick lunch, we headed South and hung out in the Rio Grande the rest of the afternoon. It was scorching hot! We cooled off in the river and enjoyed the afternoon before heading home.

One speeding ticket, one cutbow trout, and many memorable moments later, we were home. Exhausted, sun drained, dirty, and eager to do it all over again! Overlanding is tough! Especially with a wild toddler who just happened to start his terrible two's that weekend, learned the word "no", and thinks he is independent and invincible to danger. We learned a lot and have some new changes we are going to make for our next trip! If you all have any overlanding/camping tips, shoot them my way! I would love to learn different ways to stay organized while overlanding.

Next trip: Rio Chama!