Taking the Plunge

Sometimes you just have to make the decision to act, and so we have. This week we bought a 26 foot travel trailer from ExploreUSA in Kyle, Texas. It is a 2013 Hill Country model and the best design for our needs we have seen. Once I walked through it, I was sold and could not be persuaded to consider a different brand or model.

Two slide outs in the kitchen and living areas make the trailer seem huge, though it is not. It has a huge bathroom with skylight, an outdoor kitchen with refrigerator and sink and an arm that holds the gas grill, an outdoor shower and speakers (so we can listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival while washing the sand from our feet), a queen-size bed and entertainment center with a swivel for the TV so it can be viewed from the living area or the bedroom. It is a luxurious arrangement for boomers like us who want to travel and be comfortable.

We also bought a Ford truck, an F250 diesel with just 75,000 miles on it to haul the trailer across the USA and to our first major destination this summer - Alaska. Between now and June 1st we will go on some shake-down trips to get used to hauling the trailer. We will also complete the task of getting rid of all the flotsam and jetsam of our lives and storing the few things from which we cannot bear to part. 

  

Getting to Good-Bye. Again.

Just Can't Wait to Get on the Road Again

It has been 30 months since we left our life on the road and we have missed it tremendously. But, family needed us and so we put aside our plans to vagabond around the country and went where we were needed. Now we are finally planning to get back on the road.

We sold our beloved Starcraft. It was a great trailer for occasional camping but became too difficult for the two of us to put up and take down, put up and take down, put up and take down. You get the picture. This time, we plan to purchase a travel trailer that requires little set up when we park at a campground.

We learned a lot from our travels in 2009, the greatest lesson was how much we love the simple life and the lack of a schedule controlling us. We also realized that the USA is full of beautiful places we have never seen, interesting people we need to meet and great food we have to taste.

The Best Laid Plans

It is time to plan our escape and to head back out west to continue the adventure we cut short. This is our escape strategy:

1. Get Rid of Everything. We left a large storage unit full of personal and business belongings in South Florida during our last travel experience. This meant that we paid a monthly storage bill and worried constantly about someone breaking in and stealing our junk. Then, it was very expensive to move all that junk to the Midwest. Most of it wasn't worth storing. We should have sold it all and stored the most important items with family or in a very small storage unit. That is what we plan to do this time - get rid of everything!

2. Buy a Trailer that is Suitable for Full Time Living. Our experience with the popup camper provided a lot of practical information about what is important to our comfort and what does not matter so much. We like a lot of natural light in the trailer and don't like feeling closed in, so we want a trailer that has some rather large windows. We are not planning for anyone to join us, so the floor plan should be designed around comfortable living for two. No bunk beds!!

I want an energy efficient model that can accommodate solar panels and an on-demand water heater. I like the Jayco Skylark. Bill feels we need something larger. Our first chance to see the latest models in person will be at the Chicago Boat, Sports and RV Show in January 2012.
http://www.chicagoboatshow.com/

3. Establish a Homestead, Go Paperless and Automate Banking. I have noticed a lot less junk mail the past few years, but I am addicted to magazines and newspapers so will have to wean myself away from those or get the digital versions for my Kindle. We also need to decide on a homestead, place to receive our mail, and register our vehicle and trailer that provides the best environment for individual taxes. We will probably choose Texas, since we have relatives there and we would not be subject to state income taxes. Some full-timers have chosen South Dakota for the same reasons. This is a subject for more research.

4. Purchase a tow vehicle. Which came first, the chicken or the egg, the tow vehicle or the trailer? We have a Ford Expedition that we used to pull the popup and it is probably adequate to pull any trailer we purchase, so we will probably buy the trailer first and then purchase a truck with a tow package to pull it.

5. Plan for Additional Income. We are lucky to have a couple of sources of income from investments and past military service (Bill is retired USN/SS) so we just need to supplement. There are a number of options that we are interested in exploring. Workkamping is one that sounds good to us, working in campgrounds hosting or providing maintenance or working in a camp store for a season, freeing up the winter season for travel. A trailer/home-based business is an attractive option because it would be portable and we wouldn't have to stay in one place for an extended period.

6. Connect with other Full-Timers. I have just found some kindred spirits online who have been traveling full time for long enough to know what they are talking about. I plan to connect with these like-minded people and learn what they know about life on the road in order to skip the part about learning things the hard way.

A favorite of mine is a writer and newspaper editor for the Gypsy Journal. He also sponsors a rally of full timers and is a collector of information about where to go and what to see. I especially appreciate his warning away from towns, like Flagstaff, AZ, who do not welcome RV-ers. Seems kind of foolish in this economy, but some people are pig-headed about things like this. This is good information to have.

If you are interested, you can find his work here. http://gypsyjournalrv.com/ The author, Nick Russell, has also just written a novel that is rising on the bestseller charts.

7. Plan our Travel Itinerary. Okay, I just found out about the Woodstock for RV-ers in Quartzite, AZ. I didn't even know about this when we stayed in Tucson during our last travels or I would have been there in a heartbeat. So, in 2013 our first major destination is going to be the rally in Quartzite. From there, I am not sure what we will do, but at least we have a place from which to start.

8. Join Discount Camping Clubs. I already have some information on a few clubs that look promising, including the Escapees Club out of Livingston, Texas. Once I found out that these were not nudists, I warmed right up to this group.

We have been connected to the military camping community since 2008 and appreciated the information and reviews provided by Larry Farquhar and his wife. This is a great service for military active duty and retired who use the facilities on many of our bases around the country. http://www.militarycampgrounds.us/

One of our favorite military campgrounds is Agave Gulch on the Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ. The Farquhars also provide some great insight on workkamping. Like I said, these experienced full-timers are going to make our decision to hit the road a lot easier.

Two weeks from now we will head to Florida for the Christmas break and while there take a look at some trailers. I plan to update this blog regularly once again with pictures from our researching expeditions and updates on the progress towards our full time life on the road.

Chiricahua National Monument

We have a new favorite place in southern Arizona, Chiricahua National Monument. South of Wilcox, Arizona. The monument is unlike anything we have yet to see in the southwest. There are stands of juniper and pines, streams, deer and lots of birds.

The CCC laid out the paths in this park. I am a big fan of the CCC and am thankful for the wonderful job they did in American Parks. What a legacy they left to us!

This area was the site of an ancient volcano eruption that was much like the one on Mount Saint Helen's, but much more violent. The rock formations, called tuffs, are the result of the ancient volcanic activity and the action of erosion.

These rock formations, for lack of a better word, are amazing.
This formation, on the left, is called Organ Pipes, for obvious reasons.

Unfortunately, we picked one of the only rainy days in Southern Arizona to drive out to the park. We thought the rain would be over by mid-morning and we would be able to hike into the wilderness.

It was not to be. So we made the best of things and drove up to Massai Point in the rain. The clouds covered the highest peaks, but we were able to get some good pictures of some of the more spectacular formations.

This area was home to the Apache Indians, and most notably, Cochise. Ft Bowie is nearby. Southern Arizona is one of the most desolate, deserted places I have ever visited, but what a wonderful place to be if you yearn for peace and solitude, and nothing but the sound of birds and the breeze in the junipers.

Chiracahua National Monument has a beautiful campground and is close enough to Tucson that it would be easy to take the camper for a weekend. This park sees relatively few visitors throughout the year, and we enjoy the peace and solitude of having the park all to ourselves.

Sedona's Vortexes and Red Rocks

Sedona, AZ 4-4-2009

Recently, I said I wanted to settle somewhere that was beautiful. Arizona is beautiful. Especially our current location, Sedona. This is RED ROCK country, and the scenery surrounding this village is magnificent. I have never seen anything like it.

The village is full of artists and quaint shops. The full time residents have built adobe houses in colors that reflect the surrounding cliffs. These are my kindred spirits.

I was reading some blogs by other people who are just like us - full timers, wandering around the country - and one couple mentioned a camp ground they had stayed at in Sedona called Rancho Sedona. I called and made reservations and it turned out to be wonderful.

We are staying in a canyon that runs right along the village, yet there is a steam running past and it is quiet and full of trees.

Today we took two hiking trips. The first was to Fay's Canyon, a 2.5 mile hike into a canyon. The picture above is taken from the bottom of that canyon. Then we ventured out to Chapel Rock Trail.

The local story is that 64% of tourists that come to the area (according to C of C statistics) come for spiritual reasons. What they mean by that is that people come to visit the vortexes where they believe creative energy is centered.

One of our hikes was to Chapel Rock which is where a vortex is supposed to be located. We hiked about 1.2 miles out to the vortex zone.

At the vista there were medicine wheels and other shrines that people had built. I do not know enough about New Age religion to explain the significance. But, to Christians, the area reminded us to worship the creator, not the creation. And, HIS creation is magnificent.

Tonight, though we had hiked about five miles up and down rocks and in and out of canyons, Bill said he felt refreshed. The vortexes are supposed to impart rejuvenation, so maybe they did work some magic on us.

At the end of the day we drove into Oak Canyon to see spectacular bluffs and magnificent vistas as the sun set on the red cliffs. This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

Tomorrow, we are headed north.

Sabino Canyon, Arizona

April 2, 2009
Sabino Canyon lies on the north side of Tucson, at the very edge of the residential area. Since today was Bill's birthday, he was in charge of the itinerary.

We were amazed to find Sabino Canyon full of visitors. It is a very popular place for hiking, mountain biking and birdwatching. We had stopped by Beyond Bread, our favorite lunch spot, and picked up sandwiches to go and packed our backpack with food and water for the hike up into the Canyon. As you can see by this picture, the desert paths were clearly marked, so easy to follow.

The more popular area in Sabino Canyon is Seven Falls, which must be reached by tram, so most of the visitors were headed there. We took the road less traveled.

Even though the temperature was in the moderate 70's and a gentle breeze was blowing, the sun was shining so intensely here that it felt hot. Our final destination was a nice cool oasis, a spring fed river flowing out of the mountains, which was about a mile up the canyon.

Once again I am amazed at finding water in the desert. This picture is of the river bed, taken from the top of the dam where we sat and ate our lunch.

This is a view looking up the canyon. It is hard to imagine that this river runs right next to the desert landscape that is pictured above.

Bill did spot a large bird's nest next to the river. After making some distressed mouse calls, a beautiful, golden colored hawk peer over the side of the nest at him.

Later, we stopped a park ranger who identified the bird as a Cooper's Hawk and said this had been the first sighting of the bird, since the park service had thought they would not come back this year. Apparently, they build their nests on top of another and generally come back until the nest becomes uninhabitable because of mites.

We came home and had ice cream to finish off the celebration. I think Bill had a nice birthday, doing the things he loves to do - spending time in the great outdoors and birdwatching. Happy Birthday, Bill. I love you.

Southern Arizona

" It was a long life, and during it she inhabited many different selves." Someone please remember to put this quote on my tombstone one day.

I can think of nothing I love to do more than to travel. To see the interesting way other people live and to contemplate what it must be like to live as they do. One thing I know for sure, I will never live like my neighbors in the campground, who stay shut up in their giant motor coaches day and night, the television blaring, yelling at their yapping dogs and at each other. It is not the life for me.

Today, we drove through the Sonoran Desert, to a place called Arivaca Lake. The desert road wound around the tops of the foothills, and at each dip in the road a yellow sign warned not to enter if flooded.

It is hard to imagine this dry, barren place with enough water to be a danger to vehicles. I am always surprised to find lakes in the midst of the desert.

Lake Arivaca is located off of Ruby Ranch Road, 2 1/2 miles down a gravel path. Lake Arivaca's existence seems incongruous, set in the midst of dry parched sand dunes.

Though it was clear and blue, it was also tainted with Mercury, according to another government warning. You cannot eat the fish caught from the lake. The loons didn't seem to mind, diving and paddling in a pool they had all to themselves, except for a few vermillion flycatchers and swallows.

It seemed as if we would be all alone, so far were we from civilization, but at the top of a hill we spotted a camera focused on the hills that butted up against Mexico. And on top of the camera, a radar. Bill surmised that the radar was to track movement.


We only stayed for a short time, since there were signs all along the road of illegal traffic. Empty water bottles in the arroyos, abandoned camp fires, a handprint on the back of road signs, which is supposed to indicate that a member of the Mexican Mafia had been there.

The hand sign is supposed to mean eternal war, and since we were only armed with Dorito Chips and Fig Newtons, we decided not to engage in battle and turned the car around.

Since we don't start work for another week or so, we are going to take an extended trip to Sedona and the Grand Canyon, leaving on Friday morning. There is a famcamp close to Flagstaff called Camp Tuthill where we will try to get a campsite for a few days.

Tortilla Mts and the Tonto Forest

3-30-09
The AFB Base turned off the water to the campground, so we were forced to leave for the day. We decided to drive to an area north of Phoenix and explore the Tortilla Mountains and the Tonto National Forest.

We drove north out of Tucson, towards Phoenix, and turned off on a good road that led through the mountains and past several state parks, lakes and dams on the Salt River.

What we didn't know is that half way through the trip the road becomes a one lane winding, dirt path with a 10% grade. There were a lot of motorcyclists on the mountain road, but they all stopped at Tortilla Flats. We would soon find out why.

At the top of the next mountain, and just past a spectacular overlook, the pavement stopped. We had come so far that we decided to continue down the mountain on the single lane road.

The pay off was that there were few people on this trek of the journey, (though we did see a Fedex Ground delivery truck) and the vistas were spectacular.

We drove down the steep canyons, along the Salt River and the lakes that had been created by the dams. The Apache Lake is 266 feet deep!

For being so close to Phoenix, the area is quiet and relatively deserted. We also made a side trip to the Tonto Memorial Park, which was the site of some Indian cliff dwellings. Unfortunately, we got there so late in the afternoon that we did not have time to climb the hills to get to the site. We will have to save that adventure for another day.

Missions and Wine Country

Saturday we planned another trip south to see two important missions and then would complete the journey with a visit to Arizona wine country.

Traveling south on I-19, we made a side trip just south of Tucson to see the mission, San Xavier del Bac, one of the oldest Spanish missions in the US. It was founded by Father Kino, who built a mission and a community from the sand and cactus of the desert. Sap from the cactus was actually used as an adhesive in the manufacture of the adobe that covered the structures.

I learned something from Father Kino's mission. The Garden of Gethsemane was not just the site of an olive grove and press. Olives have to be knocked from the tree and then, to get the oil, crushed under a heavy mill stone. Oil from the olives would flow through a groove and into jars. The millstone itself was called a "Gethsemane." The night before Jesus was crucified, the Bible tells us that while praying, he perspired blood.

This metaphor, of the crushing weight of sin, is often overlooked, but would have been immediately recognized by those familiar with the production of olive oil.

The next stop was Tumacacori National Historical Park, another Spanish mission. The gardens at the mission were cool and peaceful, patterned after the quiet places that priests once created here for contemplation.

On this particular day interpretors were scattered throughout the park so we had the benefit of getting some additional information about the early inhabitants. We also got to taste some paper thin tortillas, like the early natives ate. They were delicious!

Because this site is run by the State of Arizona, there was some odd editing of the Christian significance of the buildings and purpose of the rooms. Other that this annoyance, it was an interesting place to visit.

Finally, we made our way around to Arizona wine country, Elgin and Sonorita. We stopped at the first winery, Villages of Elgin, which was about 8 miles off the main highway, and signed up for a wine tasting. For $3/person, you were given a nice, big wine glass and a taste of five different wines.

Lest you think that these wineries are like the ones pictures in Napa Valley, California, I have posted a picture here. (No bathrooms, just port-a-potties).
We visited three wineries and bought several bottles of wine before leaving for home.

On the road to Tucson, we decided to pull over here and eat our picnic lunch.
A quiet place, the air so clean and crisp and the breeze keeping us cool in the hot March sun. All that was missing was a hammock.

Can you tell we really like Arizona?

Tucson Desert Museum

March 26, 2009

This afternoon we stumbled upon a gem in the desert, The Tucson Desert Museum. We were heading out to the Saguero National Monument and came upon the museum and decided to stop.

The admission price was $13/person. I thought that was a little steep for a museum, but we paid the price anyway and went inside. I was wrong to have questioned the price! The Desert museum was wonderful. We spent three hours walking through desert loops, aviaries, cactus gardens, and exhibits.

Three hours was not long enough to see everything. A combination of botanical gardens, zoo and museum, this is one of the most interesting places we have visited on our trip out west.

There were ramadas (above, right) placed strategically throughout the park so we could sit in the shade and gaze out on the beautiful, Saguero covered mountains. We also learned some interesting facts for our next trivia game. For instance, baby javelina are called "reds."

Bisby, Arizona

March 24, 2009

Today we traveled south of Tombstone to the town of Bisby. It is known as an artist's enclave and it is a quaint town with a lot of potential - though much of it is wasted.

The best part of the trip, though, was the beautiful scenery. The picture at above is the tunnel at the end of the journey. Just the other side is the town of Bisby.

We had driven to Ft Huachuca first, and after Bill got a military hair cut, we took the scenic drive to Bisby.

Once there, we stopped in the visitor's center. When I signed the guest book I noticed that more than half the visitors were Canadian citizens.

We ate at a fairly decent Mexican restaurant and then walked up and down some of the streets, but we found that most of them were used clothing and furniture stores and there were few real artisans.

It didn't matter though, because as I said, the highlight of our day was the beautiful mountains.

On the way home we drove through Tombstone and I got a picture of my sister's high school, now closed and boarded up. Then we drove on to Benson where we stopped at the only two cemeteries in town and we got out and walked up and down the rows, looking for my Aunt Kit's grave.

We never did find it. For now, the location is our unsolved mystery.