United States, Texas, New Mexico – On the road again! The Jeep is arriving from South America by ship!

1 year and 7 months after leaving the United States for Mexico, and after traveling down the entire American continent to Ushuaia, we are back on American soil. To say we are happy and excited would be an understatement! We love the United States and can't wait to hit the road again and start a new road trip in the US, where we still have so much to discover and many adventures to experience! But for that, we need our vehicle...

Wednesday, June 26^th to Friday, June 28^th, 2024

A quick reminder. On April 26, we loaded our expedition Jeep into a container in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. A large container ship was supposed to take it from South America to North America. The crossing to Houston, Texas, was supposed to take 5 weeks... but it ended up taking 8 weeks! Needless to say, even though we had wonderful moments with family, our eagerness to hit the road again was unparalleled. So, we spent 8 weeks in France, then took a flight to Montreal, where we spent the weekend, and then a bus to Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, where we had a lovely day...

... then a flight to Houston, the capital of Texas! We were greeted by sweltering, humid heat reminiscent of the hottest days in Central America 🥴

And on the morning of June 26, we arrive at our freight forwarder's office. In the parking lot, it is a relief: the orange Hapag-Lloyd container is there, wide open. Our expedition Jeep is parked in the warehouse, clean and beautiful, freshly unloaded from South America. What a relief to finally lay eyes on it after those 8 long weeks of waiting and stress! What joy but also sadness to see it back on North American soil after this incredible journey. Back in the United States, our road trip feels unreal, as if we have dreamed these incredible months of travel. It's a strange sensation. However, the bad news is that the Jeep's battery is completely dead. We immediately go to buy a new one (everything is so simple in the US!) and after a few unsuccessful attempts that give us cold sweats, the engine roars! 🤟

Another piece of bad news: the interior of the Jeep is completely covered in mold! So, our first stop in Houston after the gas station is the laundromat! We then spend the afternoon cleaning and organizing everything.

The next morning, we have an appointment at a garage specializing in 4x4 vehicles. After 2 years of road trips and nearly 100,000 kilometers, we have a few minor repairs to make on the vehicle. And we know that here in the US, they are experts in Jeeps. On the agenda: changing the 4 front ball joints, replacing the left front wheel bearing, and changing the oil in the front differential. We also replace the bearings and seals on the rear axle and change the oil in the rear differential to fix the leak we have been dragging since Bogota, Colombia (yes, yes)! It’s a chance to see that the various garages that attempted to repair this leak did a 💩 job. Finally, we change the 4 brake pads. The result: a very hefty bill, but a Jeep ready to hit the road again! And that’s perfect because that’s for tomorrow.

Saturday, June 29^th

The excitement is at its peak. After two months of settling in and comfort, we are about to hit the road and embrace the Jeep life for a new road trip in the United States! We feverishly wrap up the last preparations before departure: organizing and loading the Jeep, grocery shopping, filling up with gas. And finally, we take off onto the 6-lane highway that leads out of Houston. It’s pure euphoria, just like two years ago when we left Montreal on a Monday morning to hit the road, going against all the Quebecers heading to work. The excitement of what awaits us, the eagerness to discover what this new stage of our journey has in store, a great happiness in hitting the road, but also something extra: the joy of being back in the United States, a country we love.

But for now, what awaits us is a long and monotonous drive through Texas. There’s nothing very exciting, just fields stretching as far as the eye can see, farms, huge silos, and occasionally, a small town. We drive all day under the sweltering heat. In the evening, we find one of the things we love most about the US: free campgrounds! This one is located by a lake. As soon as we set up, our American neighbors offer us tacos! We eat facing a light breeze, and just before night falls, we dive into the lake for a refreshing swim before heading to bed in the tent. We didn’t realize how much we missed the Jeep life until we experience it again! Pure happiness! 😊

Sunday, June 30^th

After another long day on the road, we leave Texas for New Mexico. It’s a state we know well. Indeed, in November 2022, we came to seek some warmth in New Mexico after fleeing the freezing temperatures of Colorado. It’s a state we really enjoyed. We happily find its mountainous landscapes dotted with cacti and its adobe buildings that are so typical of the region. We settle in for the night at a free campground in a National Forest. It’s pleasantly cool, everything is dark and quiet, and we are alone: a beautiful night ahead!

Monday, July 1^st

From New Mexico, we know Albuquerque. This time, we set out to discover the state capital: Santa Fe. Under a radiant sun and scorching heat, we go for a walk in the small streets of downtown. The adobe buildings are all very beautiful and give the city a certain charm.

At the corner of an alley, we discover a local artisan market. Native American art! But as we get closer, we quickly realize the deception: the stands display ponchos, clothing, and traditional blankets from Ecuador, including the Otavalo market! We even find typical clothing from Mexico, Guatemala, and even the famous llama keychains from Peru! Ah, two years ago, we might have fallen for it, but now, we won’t be fooled! 😜

Our plan is to watch the France team’s round of 16 match in a bar in the city, but just a few minutes before kickoff, we suddenly realize that the match has already taken place... Oops, we’re not quite adjusted to the time difference yet 😅 No worries. We enjoy fajitas in front of a food truck in the main square, then we hit the road again. We spend the evening facing the Rio Grande del Norte canyon. The weather is threatening, so we decide to sleep in the Jeep.

In the evening, we suddenly hear a little squeak. We look at each other. What is that? We can’t possibly have a mouse already, right? Let’s remember that it was precisely in New Mexico that we had a mouse for 4 nights in the Jeep… A nightmare! Rémi is convinced that the noise comes from my side. I’m convinced it comes from his side. The noise stops, then comes back. And suddenly, Rémi jumps. Something just poked him in the shoulder, inside his sweater. I burst out laughing. He rushes out of the Jeep, takes off his sweater, and finds a big cricket inside! 🤣

Tuesday, July 2^nd

When you say the United States, you think canyons! Early in the morning, a trail takes us to the edge of the Rio Grande canyon. We happily find the vast and majestic landscapes of the American West. One tire later, the road spans the canyon thanks to a beautiful bridge.

These are the last landscapes we enjoy in New Mexico. Indeed, we enter the next American state in the afternoon: beautiful Colorado! On the agenda for the next few days of our road trip in the United States: discovering the national parks of Colorado, starting with the Great Sand Dunes National Park.