3/7 - Still stuffy, but feel mostly ok and it is time to move on. As much as I've enjoyed my breaks from living in the confines of the van, I am excited to move along and do some more exploring of this amazing country. I can't believe that I never played the games they had on offer - tennis court, putting green, and pool table. Since I have always loved playing pool, I figured I would at least do that, but it just never seemed to materialize.
Jack and Kathy suggested that I stay another night since it was raining (sprinkles at the time), but I had already stripped the bed and packed up. It did in fact rain quite a bit once I headed out in search of a Fry's, thinking that all Fry's carried Boars Head products. Nope! I went quite a bit out of my way in search of a Fry's only to find out the they don't all carry Boar's Head. Oh, well. Lots of warning on the highway about wet roads and to slow down on my way to Quartzsite. I am super excited because driving at 65-70 mph (speed limit is often 75) I did not hear the rattle. It was also windy, so great conditions to reproduce the noise I had been hearing. You can't imagine how much happier I was driving without that noise. I didn't have to have my windows open, nor have the music blasting to cover up the noise. I felt so happy driving onto my next destination, happier than I've felt so far while driving. I have had that rattle (on and off) since day ONE! Fingers crossed that it stays gone for good!!! I have plenty of other noises, but this one was the hardest to tolerate. The rest come from the back.
So, why Quartzsite? I want to go there just because I'm curious and so many people go there. There are a ton of people who winter here and there are many rallys here as well. No rally going on now, but I just wanted to check it out. You can pay $180 for 7 months or $40 for 2 weeks to stay in the Long Term Visitor Areas - what a deal!!! I was running late, so wouldn't arrive by 4 PM when you have to be there to register, so I went to Hi Jolly which is free. As far as I can tell there isn't much difference except in the LTVAs there are pit toilets, garbage, and dump stations. Otherwise both areas are boondocking spots (no hookups). Beautiful views. This is supposed to be max 14 days, but since there is no host here, people stay as long as they like. I ended up parking in a spot that felt close to others (there's plenty of room in the middle area, but everyone wants to park on the edge including me!), but not too bad. Then a guy showed up with is van and parked quite close to me (but not in my line of view 😀), but had been here before me.
3/8 - Woke at a leisurely pace (our norm) and went for a walk in the fields beyond my spot. First, I had grumpy face getting down from the bed. 💕
I ended up just spending the day at my campsite and relaxing. It is hard for me to do nothing, but there isn't a ton to do here and it's good for me to just chill! In the evening, Roland and I were hanging out and another neighbor dropped in and visited for a while.
I think about how if I look around in other directions I see other RVs, but from my spot, I can enjoy the view and feel pretty alone. Some people feel the need to be far away from others, but I don't mind having other people to visit with. I really enjoy being alone, but I also enjoy meeting people. Maybe it's a difference of being solo vs a couple. When I did my test run in NC I found that sometimes it was nice to be in close proximity to others for the social aspect and other times I preferred to be away from others. It is great that I can do both as desired!!
We went for a walk at a park and came across Celia's Rainbow Garden, created for a lost child. Lots of memorials here for loved ones.
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| I'm not sure if this is Wisteria, but it looks a bit like it and smells wonderful |
We drove past the LTVA campgrounds and it really looked very much the same as where I'm staying for free so no need to move. After that we went to grab lunch at Silly Al's Pizza (Roland works here for now) and sat on the patio. There was a big sign on the door saying only Service Dogs, but I asked if we could sit on the patio and they said yes. It just proves that it is always worth asking! We were sitting on the patio (with an amazing mural that's still in progress, but beautiful already) and were the only ones out there when a guy came out and was yelling into his phone. This went on for too long and so I asked if he might take it elsewhere. Well, apparently that was a mistake as he started yelling at me! And then he came over to my table saying his daughter wanted to talk to me and was trying to hand me his phone. Well, my wonderful little protector was not happy with that at all and was barking at him. He ignored the barking and kept coming. Zoe jumped up on him and it looked like she even bit at him, but did not actually bite. He did stop, but continued to yell at me and call me all kinds of lovely names. I was pretty shaken up and thanked my dear dog. I am always telling her she doesn't need to bark at people, that they are friends. She never listens to me and now I guess I'm grateful for this protectiveness. I felt safe knowing she had my back. I do not think this man would have hurt me, but it was still scary. I told the waitress and she and the manager sent him on his way. Sigh. Pizza was excellent and I was able to enjoy it and share with Miss Zoe.
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| Amazing mural on the patio - still in progress, but lovely as is |
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| Yum! |
A little more touring around town, then went back to our site and hung out and walked the fields beyond.
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| This very tall and handsome guy is 14 and is in amazing shape! |
After Quartzsite I had been planning on going to Joshua Tree NP as I thought it was dog friendly, but just learned it isn't - not a single trail for dogs. I am thinking I'll take a pass this year, though I have heard great things.
3/10 - Packed up and went into town for an $11 shower. I didn't feel too gross yet after 3 days (I do take sponge baths or wipe baths between showers - so I'm not that gross), but I wasn't sure when would be my next opportunity and it always feels good to get clean! It is amazing, but with the dry air and not being too hot, and also not exerting myself, I don't get sweaty barely at all.
Once done with the shower I was heading to a hike around Lake Havasu. We stopped at a spot along the lake and walked there (short paved walk) and I didn't think to bring Zoe's water and she got overheated, so we kept resting in the shade.
The stop for the hike wasn't too far away and Zoe still seemed hot when we got there, so we did not go hiking. We instead went onto Lake Havasu City and walked across the London Bridge and at the park on the water. I put Zoe's cooling vest on and it did the trick! She did awesome with that on.
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| London Bridge (shipped here in pieces and put back together) |
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| driving across the London Bridge |
I was going to check out a local brewery, but realized that we should probably go get a spot to sleep, so we headed north towards Oatman, a "Ghost town", with the plan to camp at a BLM spot. I always want to arrive during daylight to settle in and have to find another spot if my first plan didn't pan out. There were plenty of spots I could go back to, but found a spot where I had planned. Thankfully, I didn't even try the road (would have had to back out as it was super uneven) and found a spot pretty close to the entrance. It was a bit unlevel, so I used my blocks to raise the front. It would have been fine without them, but I was a little more level using 2 layers. I met my neighbors - a super nice young couple who've been full time for 3 years.
The spot had great views, but I would not go back. The ground was super rocky and hard on Zoe's feet and there were Teddy Bear/Jumping Cholla's around so I had to keep Zoe on leash. I hope to never have to deal with one of those on her (or me!) again!
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| I'm so glad I didn't attempt this road!!! |
I watched a couple of episodes of "All the Light we cannot See" and went to bed. I rarely watch anything, but had downloaded these and I enjoyed watching.
3/11 - Headed to Oatman fairly early to get a start on the day. I also thought maybe I could grab something for brunch, but no such luck. Oatman is an old gold mining town and is now considered a "Ghost Town". It's cute, but I'm not sure I like these revived Ghost towns. I seem to recall wandering around deserted old mining towns that weren't commercialized and I really enjoyed that. I remember Jerome, AZ being like that, but maybe my memory is wrong. The cool thing about Oatman is that there are wild burros/donkeys around town. This is cool, unless you have a dog. Several people warned me that the burros will stomp on dogs, so to keep my distance. I'm glad they didn't bother us as I was filming some playing and was walking closer, though not too close. I'm glad I got there early because the town filled up and parking was a challenge at that time. I think people were probably arriving to see the noon shoot-out that all these towns must have.
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| Zoe going to jail |
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| Zoe getting out of jail |
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| Zoe and her tortoise friend |
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| Cute metal statues |
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| Apparently napping in the middle of the road is a thing |
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| Many wild donkeys! |
I should have gotten gas in Lake Havasu City, but thought I had plenty, so didn't. I'm sure I'm just being overly cautious, but I was on the reserve fuel (light on) and it said I had 90 miles left. I was going to go to Oatman and then onto Kingman, before heading to The Valley of Fire area, but after driving 6 miles to Oatman, the van now said I had 76 mile range. The road (Rte 66) from Oatman to Kingman is super windy and I knew I would just be anxious the whole way watching the gauge. So, instead I went to Bullhead City and got gas. By the time I got there (20 miles) my range was 74. LOL. But, it wasn't windy and it was downhill. I'm sure I would have been fine going to Kingman, but I didn't want to find out. And in the end, I wouldn't have had time to visit the Rte 66 museum like I wanted to. But it's another reminder that a 1/2 tank should be considered empty. (Now, I'm in NV now where regular gasoline prices are the same as diesel ~ $4.50 +/-. Yikes! I'm glad I got gas in AZ before crossing the border.
When I left Bullhead City, we crossed over into Nevada and once we got past Las Vegas (didn't go near Vegas, but I could see it in the distance) the scenery was AMAZING!!!! I cannot get over how gorgeous it is. Around every turn. I literally started crying because I was so happy and awed.
It's funny as I was talking with Tammy the other day while driving (and lost connection just as we were discussing this) about how I don't like to drive. She thought that sounded a bit crazy because of what I'm doing and I get that. And I realize that when I'm not on highways, I'm pretty happy driving. Now, I am about 100 times happier now that the rattle is gone and I am actually enjoying driving. The van is pretty comfortable to drive (when it's not super windy!). When I was talking with Tammy, I happened to be driving through amazing scenery around Parker, AZ. So often I've been driving across plains with mountains in the distance (which is always beautiful) and here I had finally gotten into the mountains and it was just lovely! I'd rather be a passenger, but since that isn't an option, driving isn't so bad when I get to see such amazing scenery and diversity as I travel around this country.
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| Parker, AZ area. All the rocks are like artwork |
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| I parked on a mesa and this was one of the views below |
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| Gee, I wonder why I felt like something was jabbing me in the sole of my foot as I was walking. This was probably about 1/3" long and probably from a goat head at some point. |
3/12 - Got a pretty early start and headed to Valley of Fire State Park. WOW!!! I cannot say enough about it. Everything is so beautiful and so interesting. It was cloudy and cool which made it perfect to hike with Zoe and we started on the 2 mile Fire Wave/Seven Wonders/Pastel Canyon loop. There weren't many people there yet, so we didn't encounter too many people on the trail. For photos, clear sky would have been better, but it would have been way too hot for Zoe. From June through September this trail is closed due to heat and fatalities; apparently 2 women ignored this last summer and died as a result... I suppose this trail is hotter due to much of it being on rock that would be radiating the heat. I can't even imagine. I crossed paths with Kayla and Jay again here. Well, I didn't see them, but I saw their van!
I just love the colors of the rocks and how it often looks like someone painted it.
After the first hike, I did the White Domes loop on my own and left Zoe in the van to rest.
Stopped at Fire Canyon overlook. Pretty cool again with such distinct different colors of the rock.
Then Zoe and I did the Rainbow Vista trail. By this time it was sunny out, so a bit harder on Zoe, but only 1 mile total and she had on her cooling vest. There was a black dog on the trail that would look for and pause in the shade. I wish Zoe was that smart!
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| At the visitor center |
We went onto Atlatl Rock to see some petroglyphs, which were probably some of the best I've seen.
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| Just some cool design in the rock |
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| A natural arch - not much to see compared to Arches NP! |
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| Petrified log. I find this super cool that wood can turn to stone. |
I really like that I could do/see so many of the hikes and sights. I didn't do every one, but almost and was there from about 9 to 4.
I really love the southwest, but I'm really struggling with my dry eyes - especially on windy days. I'm putting drops in my eyes all the time and sometimes that isn't even enough. Jack said that he's known people who've moved out here and had to move back to more humid climates due to dry eyes. UGH!!! Some days my eyes seem fine and other days not. Windy days are definitely the worst!
3/13 - In the morning, I did some site cleanup - mostly plastic bags, but also paper towels, bottles and other stuff. There wasn't a ton, but I wanted to do my part and clean it up. It was pretty windy, but I got the site and adjacent sites cleaned up. Went for a walk and came back and there were at least 4 bags hanging in bushes that were not there after I cleaned up. I realized that the camper upwind from me seemed to be having some difficulty with his garbage. Hopefully he cleaned up, but I doubt it... 😕
There was a wind advisory for that area and I didn't think being on the mesa would be very enjoyable, so I decided to move on. I was going to go back to Bullhead City area, but the winds there were forecast to be even worse, so I decided to go to Meadview. For some reason it wasn't going to be too windy there. I also wanted to avoid the cold and snow at higher elevations. I managed to do that in Meadview, but it was way out there. I was looking to make my way towards Matt and Lenore in Sedona area, but weather wasn't being very agreeable. I realized that I should have delayed my trip to visit them until better weather was supposed to move in. What I really wish I had done was go to San Diego for Tiny Fest - a festival of tiny homes and vans. That would have probably been a good delay as I realize that I have been too optimistic about getting to higher elevations so early...
I ended up staying in Meadview for 2 nights at a campground where I got a shower (actually 2). I arrived later in the day after doing a hike along the way with more beautiful red rocks, so I just chilled. I had not realized that Meadview was 40 miles off the main road, so basically 40 miles out of my way. Oh well!
Hike at Redstone on the way south from Valley of Fire.
I pulled over at a scenic lookout over Lake Mead. It is crazy how much is exposed vs what the water level once was. Obviously this is due to drought, but also dams and irrigation up river reducing the amount of water that ends up here.
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| sunset from campsite |
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| Morning snow in the mountains. |
3/14 - Zoe and I did a bit of exploring. We drove down to Pearce Ferry landing (miles of dirt road, but in pretty good condition, but dusty!) where rafts are pulled out of the Colorado river after rafting the Grand Canyon. I hoped to see some boats come out, but, no luck. I met a guide, Paul, who shared a lot of info about the changes of the river over the years. It is amazing how the river just changes paths. This area also was part of Lake Mead when the water level was higher and there was a ton of sediment that had flowed from the canyon. There was probably another mile or two of road to where the boats are taken out now from where they used to be taken out.
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| View from a scenic lookout in Meadview. |
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| The Colorado river |
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| Walking to the falls |
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| This is the falls that boats need to get out of the river before hitting. I guess some people have gone through, but it hasn't gone well! |
After going there, I saw another road, this one paved that went down to South Cove on Lake Mead, so down and down we went.
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| We got back to the van before the rain hit |
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| Stopped here at the Boathouse Cafe for an early dinner. AMAZING bacon guacamole burger! |
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| Sunset |
3/15 - We had quite a bit of rain overnight, but nothing was muddy, which was nice. Packed up and drove to Chloride, which is an old mining town. They had a silly old western town set called Cyanide Springs. That's what I went to see, not knowing it was just a set, but the town of Chloride had some cool things. The post office there is the oldest in AZ.
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| post office |
Then we made our way to Kingman. Along this drive on 93, I got about 5 rock chips in my windshield from cars passing me in a span of a mile or so. The roads out here are so bad, but this was the worst! Such a scary sound when those rocks were hitting the windshield. Of course I found a paint chip too on my hood, but there are probably more... 😖 And I made a poor assessment of my fuel and ended up driving into Kingman with my last segment of the gas gauge flashing at me and where it normally told me how many miles I had left, it went to a red gas pump. I put in over 20 gallons and it's a 22 gallon tank. Yikes! Never again!
In Kingman, I went to the Route 66 museum, then decided to go to a HH winery in the outskirts. The reviews were good of the wine, but I did a tasting and I thought they were all horrible. I felt really bad not buying a bottle, but I just couldn't. There was no one else there, which can be nice, but I would have liked to have had some company. At least it was a nice area for walking Zoe off leash on quiet roads.
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| Plenty of rain overnight. |
3/16 - Heading to Cornville to see Lenore and Matt. From Kingman to Seligman, I drove Route 66 instead of driving on I-40. Aside from the weather, it was fun to see the occasional historic stores and gas stations along the way. I actually drove through some snow and it got down to about 36 according to the van. Not a happy camper, but all was fine.
Stopped in Prescott along the way. It has a historic downtown, which was quite large and didn't feel old, but I guess most of the buildings are old. Maybe because it felt so touristy, it really didn't speak to me and I was happy to move along after we had walked all around. I think if I was staying here and could spend time visiting some of the establishments (sans dog), I might have enjoyed it more.
Since Prescott has a Trader Joe's, we stopped there before heading to Cornville. Google Maps was recommending taking 89A, which is really windy and steep with no guardrails. Since it looked like it could be snowing up there (and even if not) and since I don't think I would get the good views due to the weather, I opted for the safer route and I'm glad I did.
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