Utah Meanderings

I headed to Zion National Park early hoping to beat the crowds. The highway through the park is brown to match the rock formations. There is one tunnel that is coolishly scary, long, pitch black with occasional windows letting in light. Beautiful roads, beautiful scenery, way too many cars. I was afraid to stop as I didn't think I'd be able to get back on the highway. I had also been hiking way too much in the past week and between Hashimoto's and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, I was exhausted. I had to take time off hiking and every place I wanted to go required walking or hiking to see the sites.

Next I headed to Bryce Canyon National Park. I got there at 10 am which is WAY TOO LATE! Every scenic lookout parking lot was full! They did have a sign suggesting people take the shuttles, but with chemical sensitivity, there is no way I was getting on a bus load of stinky people. I left. Maybe another day.

At Escalante there was a wonderful visitor's center with free maps and advice.

I camped on the Burr Trail, an history trail that goes for miles out of Boulder, Utah. All dirt road, incredibly dusty. I found one spot but the dust/sand was so deep and the wind so violent I didn't think I'd be able to breathe. I worried and wondered if I should keep traveling, but I found a little trailhead that had gravel. There was an RV parked in the other corner. Again, I awoke all night long listening and feeling the wind on my van and unable to breathe. I decided I had to get out of the Utah desert.

Early the next morning I drove through Capital Reef National Park. I came across a natural bridge hike. It was still early in the morning so there were still parking spaces available at the trailhead (damn tourists!). The hike was only 1 mile so I thought since I had yesterday off, I'd give it a go. Straight up stone stairs! Beautiful hike and a real natural bridge formed from rocks that I walked under. Gorgeous!

I continued on Highway 12 through Capital Reef National Park and came across an old schoolhouse. The rock formations behind it were spectacular!

I'd been driving on Highway 12 - beautiful little road with snow on the sides at higher elevations. Out of Boulder it was snowing!! With the wind continuing to blow, the twisty mountain highway was frightening although I still tried to look at the scenery. Lots of BLM campsites all along it (for future reference).

I traveled all the way up Highway 191 toward Wyoming and in Vernal I saw a sign for Browns Park. Is that the same Browns Park I've read about where the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang used to hide? YEP! I continued into Flaming Gorge National Park. At the turn off, the sign said 12 miles and I turned off onto the most horrid washboard dirt road. Poor Big Blue was fishtailing all over! Just when I decided 12 miles of this wasn't going to work, a sign appeared saying "Utah Border"...Wyoming paves their roads! I drove the remaining 11 paved miles and found...nothing. I wasn't sure if I was in the wrong spot but there was no internet. There was a BLM campground that charged $10 to use their air freshened bathrooms. Not going to happen. And I was surrounded by desert dust. It was getting late, but I drove back to Flaming Gorge National Park and found the most beautiful free campsite right on the water!!! I spent the next two days relaxing, well, my kind of relaxing. I washed Big Blue by hauling multiple buckets of water from the lake. It was worth it to get all that dust off her inside and out.

Utah!

I finally made it out of Arizona! Utah has spectacular roads! Compared to the coolness of the Grand Canyon, southern Utah was hot. Around 80 degrees, windy and dusty.

First stop was Paria Ghost Town. It was supposed to have been rebuilt into a movie set for some famous western movies, but it was burnt down by some low life. The BLM rebuilt it again in a more accessible location and it, too, was burned to the ground probably by the same low life. I thought there would be something left. The ghost town was at the end of a dusty dirt 6 mile road, past the day use area, past the cemetery, and ending at the trailhead which was deep in sand. I walked another 2 miles, across a river (not a dried one either!), through bushes...I had no idea where I was going as the trail ended at the river. I finally found a couple debilitated stone buildings and a scattering of metal equipment pieces I assume from the mining operations in the 1800s. I was rather disappointed. But the scenery was spectacular deep down in the canyon surrounded by rock formations.

Camping anywhere in this park is free. I initially found a spot at the bottom of the canyon not far from the river, but there was no cell service or internet. I moved to a higher elevation that wasn't as pretty, but internet friendly. The dry, hot, desert dust blowing violently around the van all night caused me to awaken multiple times in the van unable to breathe! This desert dust is destroying my sinuses!

Grand Canyon National Park

I arrived at the South Rim Entrance around 1pm and there were three lines of cars maybe 20 cars deep. I hate to say it but not even a week into my Great Adventure and the tourists are already driving me nuts, even though I am also a tourist! I turned around and decided to find a free campsite and relax the afternoon away. Well, a little - I did a bucket of laundry. I found a glorious campsite near the park's entrance in the Kaibab Forest. Very quiet and beautiful except for the idiots racing down the dirt road with no consideration for the dust they were creating. Thankfully my campsite was a bit off the road. Love the tall trees and pine needle ground!

The next day I got up at the crack of dawn and got to the park at 7am. No one in line! I walked the Rim Trail back and forth amazed by the scenery, but suffering from vertigo every time I got close to the edge. No railings! Scary!

All peace, quiet, and contemplation was destroyed around 8:30am when hoards of tourist buses arrived! There was one teenage school group with about 200 screaming kids. I left happy to have seen the sites without chaos of tourists.

The Vortex

I continued to meander north through the sites in Arizona. I stopped at Montezuma's Castle only because every intersection had a sign and after the second one I figured it was calling me. Not really, but maybe I shouldn't miss it. Lovely cliff dwellings, concrete path, too many tourists and not enough parking. I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or relieved I wouldn't have to hike straight up to see them - they were inaccessible with viewings only from the lower, well-manicured park.

Sedona. I visited the tiny village of Sedona about twenty-five years ago. It sure has changed! However, it's so well-maintained with beautiful roads, flowers all over, gorgeous buildings most of them matching each other, and, of course, spectacular views of the red rock mountains surrounding the valley. Is there any poverty here? I don't think so. I saw one house that was big enough for a small town to live in! Whole Foods, natural health stores, and unfortunately, gluten-free bakeries. 

The first day I went on the Little Horse hike and followed the Llama-Blue Rock Loop. Again, doing more than I planned, convinced I was lost, encountering friendly mountain bike riders, and outstanding scenery. 

I camped at the Beaverhead Flats area south of Sedona. The road in had very deep ruts from past mud conditions, but it was cool and quiet.

The next day I headed to Uptown Sedona to see the town. The best time to avoid smelly tourists would be at 7:30am! Most shops and restaurants don't open until 10:30a-11:00am, but I'm not interested in buying or eating. I loved the peace and quiet. 

Again, trying to make my way back to Free Parking Lot Number 6, I once again got lost making my walk five times longer than anticipated up into the residential hills! Not much is more satisfying that spying Big Blue from afar when one's feet are hurting!

Earth Day Take Off!

After months of "Trapped in Tucson", I have finally left, slowly meandering my way to Alaska! OMG! First, I had to develop personal guidelines:

1.) STOP WORRYING!!! I have a genetic mutation that causes me to worry. Finding this out was very validating after years of questioning Am I just a weirdo? It also made me realize I worry incessantly and unnecessarily more than most people so STOP! Immediately I started worrying about mechanical breakdowns, then I started hearing imaginary noises from the engine. Maybe, but how many times have I taken a vehicle into the shop because of "some noise" and the mechanic after hours confesses, "I'm sorry, I can't hear this noise and if I can't hear it I can't determine what is causing it." UGH! Then I started worrying about tarantulas, snakes, weather, supplies...JUST STOP!

2.) DRIVE SAFELY. Do not use my phone when driving. Do not eat while driving. Do not try to read a map while driving. Do not write notes while driving. Don't take photos while driving. No changing CDs while driving. No reading maps while driving. This is actually really hard as I am a multitasker, but if I don't start being present, it's not going to end up well.

3.) PRETEND YOU ARE ON VACATION. Enjoy myself. Take it easy. Sleep in. Stop to see sights on the spur of the moment. Relax. And most important: HAVE FUN! This is a once in a lifetime experience. Well, until I do it again next year! HAVE FUN!!!!

So from Tucson, Arizona, I headed north on Hwy 77, then 79, then detoured to 60 where I found the road closed (!), on to the alternate route 177 to Globe, then 188, and 87 where I found the Barnhard Disperse Campground just sound of Rye where I did some cow camping!

Yee Ha! Get along little doggie!

Love these cacti! This was a morning view so the blossoms weren't as fully opened and spectacular as they were the night before.

Before arriving at my campsite for the night, I took in some sights:

Teddy Roosevelt Lake - beautiful! I'd love to live here!

The Tonto National Monument was on the way so I impetuously visited and hiked to the cliff dwellings. The path was only a half a mile but straight up and in the afternoon sun a bit challenging. BUT it was all paved! Normally at these sites one would find make-shift stone steps which are hard on old knees.

See Big Blue resting in the parking lot. She has it easy!!

Continued Arizona Meanderings

Next stop was Bisbee. I visited Bisbee in December on my way to New Mexico, but it was early in the morning and nothing was opened. This time I didn't realize most shops are closed on Tuesdays and guess what day it was? But what was open was wonderful. The great thing about this old town is they've kept it maintained, the shops are filled with art galleries, bakeries, clothing stores, new age things, second hand and antique shops. I found the absolute best clothing store I've ever been in filled with beautiful fabrics and patterns called PanTerra. Of course, I don't need beautiful clothes living in a van. I wouldn't even know how to take care of them! But I kept their business card and perhaps if my life resumes someday, I'll be back! I wandered through the streets, up the stairs (whew!) and down art alleys. I loved the creativity in all the nooks and crannies...I would have never thought to use an old car door for a gate! I walked by a corner and saw an old school desk just sitting there for interest. Love it.

I was told by a local, rentals are impossible to find because home owners have turned all their homes into AirBNBs to accommodate the tourist industry. Too bad. I'd love to live here.

For lack of free campsites in the Bisbee area (I have heard many places will allow you to overnight in their parking lots but this felt uncomfortable), I headed to Sierra Vista where I stayed at the BLM land just south of town. It was dry and dusty destroying my sinuses especially when the four-wheel drive vehicles would race by, but otherwise very quiet and safe feeling. Lots of hikers walking by heading to and from the trails at the end of the road.

I meandered north to Katchner Caverns, but it cost $10 to get into the park and another $30 to see caves. I just didn't think it was worth it. So I continued north to Safford. Nothing special about Safford except an overabundance of hot springs, but they've made it big business. $15 per hour for a hot springs soak. I knew I wouldn't last more than 5 minutes especially in 95 degree weather so I passed. I was told there were free hot springs an hour away north in Clifton so off I went!

Clifton was adorable with train tracks and a river running through it, tall rock walls on the side of the highway. Not much in the way of stores and amenities, but it had the most amazing "historical downtown":

Unfortunately few of the shops were in business. Most buildings looked derelict and on the verge of being condemned, but cool looking! Loved the narrow main street and high sidewalks. What Clinton did not have was a free hot springs. Or any hot springs. It was out of commission, and by the looks I was getting from the locals, it had been out of commission for a long time!

Next I traveled to Ajo, a delightful, but cloudy little town with a Mexican-style town square complete with gorgeous white adobe churches on each corner. They have a strong art community with an "Art Alley" of murals.

I stayed at the BLM campground south of Ajo and woke to this:

About 30 miles to the south of Ajo is Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I spent the morning hiking the incredibly peaceful desert landscape. Near the end of the hike I was getting so hot in 90 degree weather I doused myself with water. I ended up staying at the campground so I could use their showers. Admission fee to the park was free with my American the Beautiful National Park Pass, and I received a 50% off the campsite which came to $10. I camped...and took three showers in a 12 hour period!

More Arizona Meanderings: Chiriahua National Monument

The weather in northern Arizona was freezing and unpredictable with snow, hail, rain and windstorms. I headed south and ended up at the Chiriahua National Monument. Entrance is FREE! There is no free camping and inside the park is Bonita Canyon Campground, but it was expensive and full. A van-dwelling friend advised to camp right outside the gate on a triangular patch of dirt where the three roads meet. It felt vulnerable to be parked out in the open at an intersection, but I asked the park's visitor's center and they said, "Yep, there are usually 3-4 RVs or vans there every morning when they come in for work. Perfectly legal." I was the only one, but there was a white van parked right next to the entrance sign all night. Cell service is scattered, but the visitor's center has wi-fi.

The landscape was beautiful with majestic scenery, breathtaking views, and all kinds of bizarre rock formations. The first day I hiked the top at Massai Point Nature Trail and then the Nature Bridge the second day in the morning. Beautiful hikes, but that second day was an exhausting 4.8 mile that felt like 15 miles through a canyon, up a mountain, along a ridge, down the mountain, along another canyon and back! I was hoping to walk a nature bridge or at least walk under one, but it was inaccessible located up on the mountain's wall. The whole time I was worried about woke rattlesnakes, rabid coatis, and mama bears, but I only saw birds and chipmunks. I did see two coatis the day before on a hillside. Perfect weather, cool and sunny. 

Arizona Escapades

I wish...

After freezing in Southern California, I decided to sightsee some of Arizona. I ventured north first stopping in Quartzsite where my friends were still staying at the LTVA. It wasn't too cold, but the wind was violent! My friend claimed it's never windy, but since this is the second visit I've made to Quartzsite and the SECOND windstorm, I was skeptical. I thought Lake Havasu sounds like it's hot and prone to vacationers. Maybe the weather is better? North I continued.

The various parks along the drive right before Lake Havasu with the beautiful lakes were gorgeous. The palm trees lining the beaches looked like something from a fantasy television show! Lots of BLM land along the highway just south and north of Lake Havasu City. I stopped at the local Ford dealership to spend some money on fluid changes and general maintenance. While I waited for the van to be done, I walked to The London Bridge! I stopped in the tourist center and watched the history of the bridge. Pretty cool! The clouds eventually blew away but the wind was so violent I thought I'd get wind burnt rather than sun burnt!

I left with not much of a plan. Maybe north then to Prescott? This freedom is wonderful! I looked at a map and tried to formulate an itinerary. I took the old Route 66, then ended up on a twisty turning highway with a drop off on one side in the middle of snow flurries that turned into a hail storm! Really? How did I manage to get colder?

North of Prescott I found a BLM campground. Shortly after this photo was taken it began to rain. I awoke the next morning to 28 degrees! No. No. No. I visited Prescott in 42 degrees. Beautiful town, but way too cold!

North of Prescott BLM campground

I drove back up into the mountains on another frightening twisting highway covered in ice with a drop off! There was a semi with a long, empty bed in front of me which gave me some courage. I figured if he could take those turns and not fly off the cliff, I was good to go. I watched as he crossed into the incoming traffic lane. Good god! My nerves were shot once I arrived in Jerome, a really cool town built on the side of a mountain. I continued to Cottonwood. Tired of snow, hail, and freezing temperatures I hightailed it back to Tucson. Once I dropped into the valley the weather warmed, turned onto Highway 79, a beautiful drive through the desert, arriving "home" around 5:30pm to 60 degrees. Finally!

Someone told me before I left, Tucson is the primo spot for wintering. Perfect weather compared to every other place in the USA. I doubted this man's knowledge, but I now agree. I plan to hang out around southern Arizona until the rest of the world warms up!