highdesertranger
R.I.P HDR
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2012
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nice, beautiful pics as usual. highdesertranger
Van Tramp adventures 2019
- Thread starter Van-Tramp
- Start date
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Van-Tramp
Well-known member
highdesertranger said:
Thank you good sir
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Freezing in Cottonwood
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/freezing-in-cottonwood/
[size=medium]We ended up in Cottonwood, after running from the higher elevations (and incoming snow) of Payson. Not that we ended up much lower, and the temperatures would still be well below comfortable all week anyway. We would even get snow during our stay here, the very thing we were trying to avoid. Eventually Kerri apologized for steering us into higher elevations during the exact week that this polar vortex thing was happening (damn global warming!).[/size]
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It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Cottonwood – four years, in fact – back when Kerri and I first met and we were keeping things somewhat quite. Things had changed a lot since our last visit. Namely the number of traffic-circles in the area, a well gentrified downtown, and that the local Walmart no longer allows overnight parking (which is fine by me). Restocking of supplies and a pair of nights at Dead Horse State Park (hot showers and some time to get over my new back pains) got us square into the middle of the work week.[/size]
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[size=medium]Kerri had set aside a morning to scout BLM land for a spot to camp the rest of the week. With limited time we eventually fell back to the old and trusted area of Forest Road 525. It took a few miles of scouting, but we found a nice clearing, on top of a rise, all to ourselves. Neither of us thought we would keep it too ourselves as there was more than enough room for a few more rigs and the spots leading up to here were all crowded with a half dozen rigs in each. Sure, we would loved to have had the place all our own, but in the end it turned out to be a great time with the new company. From a new van-life couple, a solo woman in a van, to a space engineer from Australia just taking in America for a few months in a Subaru, we all got to know each other and traded stories over campfires and cocktails.[/size]
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[size=medium]We would stay in the area through the following weekend as well with plans to head into Jerome for Saturday evening, and a hair appointment in Sedona on Monday. That meant we had Sunday to explore some new dirt roads and find a place all to ourselves. It didn’t take long to find a road to scout, with Kerri’s map searching skills, and not long after we started we were parking on top of a hillside with Cottonwood below us and Jerome across the valley at about eye level. It was a spot mostly to ourselves, with surprisingly regular traffic passing by during the daylight hours. It snowed on us overnight – just a little – but we left in the morning to get to Kerri’s hair needs and then shot South past Phoenix again before the sun set.[/size]
[size=medium]
[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/freezing-in-cottonwood/
[size=medium]We ended up in Cottonwood, after running from the higher elevations (and incoming snow) of Payson. Not that we ended up much lower, and the temperatures would still be well below comfortable all week anyway. We would even get snow during our stay here, the very thing we were trying to avoid. Eventually Kerri apologized for steering us into higher elevations during the exact week that this polar vortex thing was happening (damn global warming!).[/size]
[size=medium]
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Cottonwood – four years, in fact – back when Kerri and I first met and we were keeping things somewhat quite. Things had changed a lot since our last visit. Namely the number of traffic-circles in the area, a well gentrified downtown, and that the local Walmart no longer allows overnight parking (which is fine by me). Restocking of supplies and a pair of nights at Dead Horse State Park (hot showers and some time to get over my new back pains) got us square into the middle of the work week.[/size]
[size=medium]
[/size]
[size=medium]Kerri had set aside a morning to scout BLM land for a spot to camp the rest of the week. With limited time we eventually fell back to the old and trusted area of Forest Road 525. It took a few miles of scouting, but we found a nice clearing, on top of a rise, all to ourselves. Neither of us thought we would keep it too ourselves as there was more than enough room for a few more rigs and the spots leading up to here were all crowded with a half dozen rigs in each. Sure, we would loved to have had the place all our own, but in the end it turned out to be a great time with the new company. From a new van-life couple, a solo woman in a van, to a space engineer from Australia just taking in America for a few months in a Subaru, we all got to know each other and traded stories over campfires and cocktails.[/size]
[size=medium]
[/size]
[size=medium]We would stay in the area through the following weekend as well with plans to head into Jerome for Saturday evening, and a hair appointment in Sedona on Monday. That meant we had Sunday to explore some new dirt roads and find a place all to ourselves. It didn’t take long to find a road to scout, with Kerri’s map searching skills, and not long after we started we were parking on top of a hillside with Cottonwood below us and Jerome across the valley at about eye level. It was a spot mostly to ourselves, with surprisingly regular traffic passing by during the daylight hours. It snowed on us overnight – just a little – but we left in the morning to get to Kerri’s hair needs and then shot South past Phoenix again before the sun set.[/size]
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Van-Tramp
Well-known member
The world’s most boring post
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/the-worlds-most-boring-post/
[size=medium]We had the work week to burn between leaving Cottonwood and arriving to Ajo, Arizona for a meetup with friends. Our only real objective for the week was to get to a warmer locale, which meant lower in elevation. That is where the greater Phoenix area comes into play, again. We have been loitering in this area for weeks already, and couldn’t come up with a new-to-us place to visit so we opted to return to the Sonoran Desert National Monument for some peace and quite to please our inner introverts before the upcoming week of socializing. Normally we would not drive down a dirt road after dark, but since we had just been to the exact spot we took the opportunity to complete the drive and get ourselves setup for the week.
Once that was complete, not a whole lot of excitement happened for the next few days – just work and a few honey-do projects transpired. The most exciting thing I did was to complete my 2018 taxes which was made slightly more difficult than usual thanks to the creation of a new LLC and some tinkering in the stock market in 2018. I mention the above only to show that the life of a van-dweller is not fun and games all the time. We have four days a week where our lives are quite normal actually, thanks mostly to Kerri’s nine-to-five. Luckily, our front yard scenery changes regularly, pleasing out inner nomad.
And with a mostly-boring week comes the struggle of having something worthy to blog about, and why you are here now asking why you are listening to me blathering about nothing special. It’s not the first time, and won’t be the last.
[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/the-worlds-most-boring-post/
[size=medium]We had the work week to burn between leaving Cottonwood and arriving to Ajo, Arizona for a meetup with friends. Our only real objective for the week was to get to a warmer locale, which meant lower in elevation. That is where the greater Phoenix area comes into play, again. We have been loitering in this area for weeks already, and couldn’t come up with a new-to-us place to visit so we opted to return to the Sonoran Desert National Monument for some peace and quite to please our inner introverts before the upcoming week of socializing. Normally we would not drive down a dirt road after dark, but since we had just been to the exact spot we took the opportunity to complete the drive and get ourselves setup for the week.
Once that was complete, not a whole lot of excitement happened for the next few days – just work and a few honey-do projects transpired. The most exciting thing I did was to complete my 2018 taxes which was made slightly more difficult than usual thanks to the creation of a new LLC and some tinkering in the stock market in 2018. I mention the above only to show that the life of a van-dweller is not fun and games all the time. We have four days a week where our lives are quite normal actually, thanks mostly to Kerri’s nine-to-five. Luckily, our front yard scenery changes regularly, pleasing out inner nomad.
And with a mostly-boring week comes the struggle of having something worthy to blog about, and why you are here now asking why you are listening to me blathering about nothing special. It’s not the first time, and won’t be the last.
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Returning to Ajo
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/returning-to-ajo/
[size=medium]The entire past week was spent in Ajo, Arizona, where we were meeting up with a small group of lime-minded-nomads. Ajo holds a special place in Kerri and my life; we came here together soon after we met back in 2015, and we discovered Left Hand Nitro Stout here as well. It has always been a quite boondocking spot right outside a quaint old mining town with few choices of entertainment or food. The latter is still true, but the popularity of this RV lifestyle and the readily found boondocking spots ensures there are crowds and crowds in all the places published online in years past. Ajo was no exception.
We had to travel many more miles down the dirt road before finding a suitable spot to camp then ever before. Still, we had good company with us during the week. We got to hang out with Leigh and Brian of Campendium again, Taylor and Beth Banks of the Learning Banks, and even met up with a few new-to-us folks John and Becky. The week consisted of the fun and laughter of daily happy hours after work (no pics, that’s just how I am), fulfilling my quota for socializing for some time to come.
Us guys spent one day driving into the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge to check out some potential campgrounds. It was hours and hours of driving a rough gravel/dirt road in each direction, but the adventure was a welcome break to the monotony of the work week. Mostly, all there was to see was Border Patrol agents and huge cacti sprinkled about. While there is a couple campgrounds way the heck out there, they really only consisted of a few tables dropped in the desert… sounds great!
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https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/returning-to-ajo/
[size=medium]The entire past week was spent in Ajo, Arizona, where we were meeting up with a small group of lime-minded-nomads. Ajo holds a special place in Kerri and my life; we came here together soon after we met back in 2015, and we discovered Left Hand Nitro Stout here as well. It has always been a quite boondocking spot right outside a quaint old mining town with few choices of entertainment or food. The latter is still true, but the popularity of this RV lifestyle and the readily found boondocking spots ensures there are crowds and crowds in all the places published online in years past. Ajo was no exception.
We had to travel many more miles down the dirt road before finding a suitable spot to camp then ever before. Still, we had good company with us during the week. We got to hang out with Leigh and Brian of Campendium again, Taylor and Beth Banks of the Learning Banks, and even met up with a few new-to-us folks John and Becky. The week consisted of the fun and laughter of daily happy hours after work (no pics, that’s just how I am), fulfilling my quota for socializing for some time to come.
Us guys spent one day driving into the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge to check out some potential campgrounds. It was hours and hours of driving a rough gravel/dirt road in each direction, but the adventure was a welcome break to the monotony of the work week. Mostly, all there was to see was Border Patrol agents and huge cacti sprinkled about. While there is a couple campgrounds way the heck out there, they really only consisted of a few tables dropped in the desert… sounds great!
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Doh
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
True, valid point
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Moochdocking at the McCarrells
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/moochdocking-at-the-mccarrells/
[size=medium]For the life of me I had thought that Kerri and I had been too Bisbee, AZ together, but she was adamant that she had never been. That pointed us in a Eastern direction for the weekend to check off that little box of adventure for her. That route would bring us right past the McCarrell Ranch and I could not pass up the opportunity to pop in for a hello, again.
A little history; Pat and Nancy McCarrell invited me to stay on their land back in 2011, introducing me to wild boondocking. I had been traveling nearly one year in that van at that time, but had not been boondocking-proper until that week. It blew my socks off! I dropped in to visit them back in 2013 after they erected a home on the land, and once again in 2014. Kerri and I paid a visit back in 2015 as well, making it a proper tradition to drop in at the ranch.
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[size=medium]So we rolled through the gates late in the afternoon and Moose – the 14 pound terrier – promptly tried to mount Kamori – the 130 pound Akita – and found out his wrong-doing the hard way when Kamori put him in his place. After the 5 minutes of screaming bloody murder Moose was sent back to the van where he decided to stay for the remainder of our visit. Afterwards, the adults spent the evening catching up over wine and dinner (chicken gumbo and home made sourdough, yum). As luck would have it, Pat and Nancy were sailors in their past, so we got to pick their brains on that subject as well. We parted ways early the next morning, with half a loaf of sourdough, on our way to Bisbee[/size] for Kerri.
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_20190223_210518.jpg[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/moochdocking-at-the-mccarrells/
[size=medium]For the life of me I had thought that Kerri and I had been too Bisbee, AZ together, but she was adamant that she had never been. That pointed us in a Eastern direction for the weekend to check off that little box of adventure for her. That route would bring us right past the McCarrell Ranch and I could not pass up the opportunity to pop in for a hello, again.
A little history; Pat and Nancy McCarrell invited me to stay on their land back in 2011, introducing me to wild boondocking. I had been traveling nearly one year in that van at that time, but had not been boondocking-proper until that week. It blew my socks off! I dropped in to visit them back in 2013 after they erected a home on the land, and once again in 2014. Kerri and I paid a visit back in 2015 as well, making it a proper tradition to drop in at the ranch.
[/size]
[size=medium]So we rolled through the gates late in the afternoon and Moose – the 14 pound terrier – promptly tried to mount Kamori – the 130 pound Akita – and found out his wrong-doing the hard way when Kamori put him in his place. After the 5 minutes of screaming bloody murder Moose was sent back to the van where he decided to stay for the remainder of our visit. Afterwards, the adults spent the evening catching up over wine and dinner (chicken gumbo and home made sourdough, yum). As luck would have it, Pat and Nancy were sailors in their past, so we got to pick their brains on that subject as well. We parted ways early the next morning, with half a loaf of sourdough, on our way to Bisbee[/size] for Kerri.
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_20190223_210518.jpg[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Bisbee, Faywood Hotsprings, and Adobe Deli
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/bisbee-faywood-hotsprings-and-adobe-deli/
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[size=medium]My previous visit to Bisbee (way before I met Kerri) left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Honestly, I didn’t much care to make a return visit, but with Kerri having never been I took one for the team. We arrived early enough to be able to park in town and walk around for a bit. Even ate breakfast at a local diner, which burned enough of the day for the locals to wake. We were both surprised just how welcoming they were, with a hearty hello from each person that we passed. Long story short, I like the place a lot more this time around.
Leaving before the crowds came in, we passed by the old Lavender Mine to gawk at one of humanities failures. Now, I’m no snowflake. I fully understand that minerals need to be mined for our civilization, but these huge pit mines just rub me the wrong way. There just has to be a better way than wholesale destruction of the landscape, but what do I know, I’m just a dude living in a van.
We kept Big Blue pointed North-East, crossed into New Mexico past Granite Gap and connected with the Interstate again. We hadn’t yet figured out where we were going to overnight, but along the Interstate didn’t sound great. “There isn’t much worth seeing”, I said about the Interstate route to Las Cruces, so Kerri took on the challenge to prove me wrong – always the debater she is. We had City of Rocks as a fall back location. Thanks to Kerri’s constant drive to prove me wrong – about anything – she found Faywood Hotsprings, only a few miles from City of Rocks. A cute little campground with both clothing and clothing-optional hot springs for a traveler to rest. We spent the evening soaking in a pool all to ourselves as the sun set. Heck, we even returned to the pool in the morning for a little more soak-time before heading out towards Las Cruces.
Since we started driving before breakfast, Kerri was on the hunt for a small town cafe to grab a bite before the long day of driving. Now, normally she finds the most popular place in town, along with it’s three hour wait, but this time she was directing me miles down a random farm road. I was actually chuckling at her, telling her there was no way a restaurant would be down this road. Literally, it was 9 miles out of town on a barely paved path with zero signage at all. I turned out to be wrong (hey, it happens occasionally). There it was, just where Google Maps said it would be, the Adobe Deli.
Of course, when she told me the name I was expecting a small meat or sandwich shop. Anyone would make that assumption, right? Upon walking through the door I saw that my assumption of the place would be shattered. I actually had a tough time talking or walking at first as my eyes were simply overwhelmed with what I was seeing. Taxidermy of all types covered most wall space. Trinkets from locals and visitors over the years filled in the rest. Down the hall was a library and smoking room, and outside was a train car where one could consume their drinks or meals with a different vibe. What I thought was going to be a quick-stop deli turned out to be a full fledged bar, restaurant, and museum-of-sorts. It was amazing.I ate the world’s largest French Dip for breakfast, ha!
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https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/bisbee-faywood-hotsprings-and-adobe-deli/
[size=medium]
[/size][size=medium]My previous visit to Bisbee (way before I met Kerri) left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Honestly, I didn’t much care to make a return visit, but with Kerri having never been I took one for the team. We arrived early enough to be able to park in town and walk around for a bit. Even ate breakfast at a local diner, which burned enough of the day for the locals to wake. We were both surprised just how welcoming they were, with a hearty hello from each person that we passed. Long story short, I like the place a lot more this time around.
Leaving before the crowds came in, we passed by the old Lavender Mine to gawk at one of humanities failures. Now, I’m no snowflake. I fully understand that minerals need to be mined for our civilization, but these huge pit mines just rub me the wrong way. There just has to be a better way than wholesale destruction of the landscape, but what do I know, I’m just a dude living in a van.
We kept Big Blue pointed North-East, crossed into New Mexico past Granite Gap and connected with the Interstate again. We hadn’t yet figured out where we were going to overnight, but along the Interstate didn’t sound great. “There isn’t much worth seeing”, I said about the Interstate route to Las Cruces, so Kerri took on the challenge to prove me wrong – always the debater she is. We had City of Rocks as a fall back location. Thanks to Kerri’s constant drive to prove me wrong – about anything – she found Faywood Hotsprings, only a few miles from City of Rocks. A cute little campground with both clothing and clothing-optional hot springs for a traveler to rest. We spent the evening soaking in a pool all to ourselves as the sun set. Heck, we even returned to the pool in the morning for a little more soak-time before heading out towards Las Cruces.
Since we started driving before breakfast, Kerri was on the hunt for a small town cafe to grab a bite before the long day of driving. Now, normally she finds the most popular place in town, along with it’s three hour wait, but this time she was directing me miles down a random farm road. I was actually chuckling at her, telling her there was no way a restaurant would be down this road. Literally, it was 9 miles out of town on a barely paved path with zero signage at all. I turned out to be wrong (hey, it happens occasionally). There it was, just where Google Maps said it would be, the Adobe Deli.
Of course, when she told me the name I was expecting a small meat or sandwich shop. Anyone would make that assumption, right? Upon walking through the door I saw that my assumption of the place would be shattered. I actually had a tough time talking or walking at first as my eyes were simply overwhelmed with what I was seeing. Taxidermy of all types covered most wall space. Trinkets from locals and visitors over the years filled in the rest. Down the hall was a library and smoking room, and outside was a train car where one could consume their drinks or meals with a different vibe. What I thought was going to be a quick-stop deli turned out to be a full fledged bar, restaurant, and museum-of-sorts. It was amazing.I ate the world’s largest French Dip for breakfast, ha!
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Sneaky national monument and another breakdown
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/sneaky-national-monument-and-another-breakdown/
[size=medium]The last time I was in this area, this road wasn’t paved. I was surprised to see what was once a long and washboard dirt road was now smooth asphalt. I was wondering why they would pave such a nondescript road, well outside the city proper when I saw the sign for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. What? There is no National Monument out here. Wrong! Obama declared this very area a monument in 2014… and he forgot to notify me. I would have dropped in earlier if I had known. Well that explains the newly paved roads.
Since the plan was to camp out here for the work week and to visit an Instagram-friend of Kerri (past nomads, now residing in Las Cruces) we would be camping inside the monument, allowing me to check off another National Park (my 112th) visited. The boondocking options are fairly limited out here, with much of the area blocked off as a wilderness study area. We did find a small dirt road that would accept us, and it even came with a beautiful view of the sun set and the city lights each night. And let me not forget the grand view on our opposite – of the mountains themselves.
Now, the last time Big Blue and I dropped in to Las Cruces back in 2012, I had a minor repair job to deal with. It wasn’t the first time actually, as in 2011 I had a previous minor breakdown (on this very road which is now paved) too. One might think that I would avoid Las Cruces after two mechanical issues in such close proximity, but I see it the other way. Thanks to Las Cruces each of the breakdowns were minor and easily resolved. Without the city, I’d have been helplessly stranded, miles and miles from a parts store. So, when Kerri wanted to come to Las Cruces , I told her the stories of my past visit, both as a warning and as reassurance. I’m sure she shrugged the prophecy off as mumbo-jumbo, but on Thursday evening as I attempted to re-position the van for best wind-blockage, Big Blue made a startling announcement…
The brake pedal sunk to the floor and the brake-light on the dash illuminated. As I peaked under the Big Blue’s kilt, it was clear to me what the problem was – the rear wheel cylinder gave out. It’s nothing major really. A $9 part and a few minutes of work to replace it, but without it we had no brakes to get to the parts store. Thankfully, Kerri’s IG-friends came to our rescue, delivering the parts when they came up to visit that night. We partied the night away with a bonfire and many absinthe frenzied laughter. I got to the repair the next morning and we rolled out the following day with the close of the work week upon us.
[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/sneaky-national-monument-and-another-breakdown/
[size=medium]The last time I was in this area, this road wasn’t paved. I was surprised to see what was once a long and washboard dirt road was now smooth asphalt. I was wondering why they would pave such a nondescript road, well outside the city proper when I saw the sign for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. What? There is no National Monument out here. Wrong! Obama declared this very area a monument in 2014… and he forgot to notify me. I would have dropped in earlier if I had known. Well that explains the newly paved roads.
Since the plan was to camp out here for the work week and to visit an Instagram-friend of Kerri (past nomads, now residing in Las Cruces) we would be camping inside the monument, allowing me to check off another National Park (my 112th) visited. The boondocking options are fairly limited out here, with much of the area blocked off as a wilderness study area. We did find a small dirt road that would accept us, and it even came with a beautiful view of the sun set and the city lights each night. And let me not forget the grand view on our opposite – of the mountains themselves.
Now, the last time Big Blue and I dropped in to Las Cruces back in 2012, I had a minor repair job to deal with. It wasn’t the first time actually, as in 2011 I had a previous minor breakdown (on this very road which is now paved) too. One might think that I would avoid Las Cruces after two mechanical issues in such close proximity, but I see it the other way. Thanks to Las Cruces each of the breakdowns were minor and easily resolved. Without the city, I’d have been helplessly stranded, miles and miles from a parts store. So, when Kerri wanted to come to Las Cruces , I told her the stories of my past visit, both as a warning and as reassurance. I’m sure she shrugged the prophecy off as mumbo-jumbo, but on Thursday evening as I attempted to re-position the van for best wind-blockage, Big Blue made a startling announcement…
The brake pedal sunk to the floor and the brake-light on the dash illuminated. As I peaked under the Big Blue’s kilt, it was clear to me what the problem was – the rear wheel cylinder gave out. It’s nothing major really. A $9 part and a few minutes of work to replace it, but without it we had no brakes to get to the parts store. Thankfully, Kerri’s IG-friends came to our rescue, delivering the parts when they came up to visit that night. We partied the night away with a bonfire and many absinthe frenzied laughter. I got to the repair the next morning and we rolled out the following day with the close of the work week upon us.
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highdesertranger
R.I.P HDR
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2012
- Messages
- 22,892
- Reaction score
- 92
that is one of my biggest pet peeves. they declare something a National Park, Monument, Scenic Area, Preserve or what ever. then immediately they come in with bulldozers and try to make Disneyland out of it. before long you can buy cheap made in China trinkets at every business around extoling the park, they even put gift shops in the place they say they want to preserve. then 5 star restaurants and hotels, of course we need electricity, a water system, paved roads, curbs and gutters, bridges, all in the name of preserving it. then they put ads on TV, "come visit beautiful, scenic blah, blah. we are trying to make it like Las Vegas. I have seen it happen in my life time to several areas in the west. ef them all, bunch of efing hypocrites.
wow sorry about the rant on your thread, I need to calm down. highdesertranger
wow sorry about the rant on your thread, I need to calm down. highdesertranger
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
The towns of Kelly and Pie
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/the-towns-of-kelly-and-pie/
[size=medium]Las Cruces will be the furthest East we go this year. After diligently watching the Bellingham weather we decided to start our migration back towards Washington. With the about-face came a weekend of opportunity. The opportunity to explore a small slice of New Mexico that neither Kerri or I have been too – Gila National Forest – instead of re-traveling the same interstate we came in on. So, up towards Truth of Consequences where we spent an afternoon soaking in yet another hot spring (and our weekly shower) before heading up into the mountains by way of highway 60. I’ve been up here before, for a day-trip to see the Very Large Array – which Kerri was not all that interested in seeing. However, not far from the VLA were two things that she was interested in; the old ghost town of Kelly, and Pie Town. So it was these two places that brought us way up here.
First was the the ghost town of Kelly which was right on the border of National Forest land. It was pretty late in the afternoon when we arrived, so we opted to roll right past and down the dirt road leading into the forest. We enjoyed an evening at a nothing-special-boondocking-location, exploring on foot for a bit and enjoying our own company without Internet for a night. In the morning we had the ghost town to ourselves to explore.
After breakfast in the town on the highway we got moving towards Pie Town. Along the way we both discussed just how good a slice of pie will be that day. The town of Pie Town is nothing more than a very small stretch of highway with a few buildings scattered about. Only one, of the two, pie shops were even open at this time of the year, and not much else. We pulled Big Blue into the lot, and after the usual tantrum from Moose who wants to come along on any exiting of Big Blue, we swaggered through the door like two weary cowboys after weeks on the trail. “We hear you have pie here!”, I say in my best cowboy voice only to get the return fire of a most pleasant shop owner who ran us through the menu of pies in her stable. Apple for me… only apple will do. Kerri got the New Mexico Apple which includes some peppers and pinion seeds (weirdo).[/size]
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https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Photo-Mar-03-12-05-53-PM.jpg[/size][/size]
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After a few more miles driving West with our pie, we pointed Big Blue south when we reached Hwy 36. Here we would travel a road I have long since wanted to travel. Hwy 36 runs North-South through Gila National Forest along the Arizona border. It would reconnect with civilization after a few hours drive, at Silver City. Now that I am looking back I realized we did nothing other than drive this section of highway. We were trying to beat the clock to get past Silver City and back into National Forest land for some free-camping options. And not long before the sun set, we did just that – finding a secluded dirt road with a view to call ours for the night. And again, another night of no Internet meant another night entertaining each other.
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https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/the-towns-of-kelly-and-pie/
[size=medium]Las Cruces will be the furthest East we go this year. After diligently watching the Bellingham weather we decided to start our migration back towards Washington. With the about-face came a weekend of opportunity. The opportunity to explore a small slice of New Mexico that neither Kerri or I have been too – Gila National Forest – instead of re-traveling the same interstate we came in on. So, up towards Truth of Consequences where we spent an afternoon soaking in yet another hot spring (and our weekly shower) before heading up into the mountains by way of highway 60. I’ve been up here before, for a day-trip to see the Very Large Array – which Kerri was not all that interested in seeing. However, not far from the VLA were two things that she was interested in; the old ghost town of Kelly, and Pie Town. So it was these two places that brought us way up here.
First was the the ghost town of Kelly which was right on the border of National Forest land. It was pretty late in the afternoon when we arrived, so we opted to roll right past and down the dirt road leading into the forest. We enjoyed an evening at a nothing-special-boondocking-location, exploring on foot for a bit and enjoying our own company without Internet for a night. In the morning we had the ghost town to ourselves to explore.
After breakfast in the town on the highway we got moving towards Pie Town. Along the way we both discussed just how good a slice of pie will be that day. The town of Pie Town is nothing more than a very small stretch of highway with a few buildings scattered about. Only one, of the two, pie shops were even open at this time of the year, and not much else. We pulled Big Blue into the lot, and after the usual tantrum from Moose who wants to come along on any exiting of Big Blue, we swaggered through the door like two weary cowboys after weeks on the trail. “We hear you have pie here!”, I say in my best cowboy voice only to get the return fire of a most pleasant shop owner who ran us through the menu of pies in her stable. Apple for me… only apple will do. Kerri got the New Mexico Apple which includes some peppers and pinion seeds (weirdo).[/size]
[size=medium][size=medium]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Photo-Mar-03-12-05-53-PM.jpg[/size][/size][size=medium]
After a few more miles driving West with our pie, we pointed Big Blue south when we reached Hwy 36. Here we would travel a road I have long since wanted to travel. Hwy 36 runs North-South through Gila National Forest along the Arizona border. It would reconnect with civilization after a few hours drive, at Silver City. Now that I am looking back I realized we did nothing other than drive this section of highway. We were trying to beat the clock to get past Silver City and back into National Forest land for some free-camping options. And not long before the sun set, we did just that – finding a secluded dirt road with a view to call ours for the night. And again, another night of no Internet meant another night entertaining each other.
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/gila-cliff-dwellings-national-monument/
[size=medium]The time of year I normally travel through this area (winter) has always made it difficult to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The monument is well outside of cellular coverage and way up above 5000 ft elevation, so I have skipped past it for eight years now. Kerri had not ever been either, so with it so close (within the same state) and a local offering some reassurance that weather up there was OK at this time of the year (now March) we made a break for it on our final weekend day (officially my 113th national park).
Waking up early (for Kerri) from our overnight boondocking spot, we got back on the road to finish off the final hour of driving to get to the National Park. By the map, the cliff dwellings do not seem that far from Silver City – and it is not if just counting the miles – but the twisting mountain road kept Big Blue at a very low speed. He is not as agile as he use to be, and even back then it was on the scale of a submarine. Eventually, we found ourselves pulling into the visitors center to pickup my obligatory lapel pin and take a peak at the displays inside.
The dwellings themselves were a short drive down the road, where we put on our hiking shoes for the first time in so long I do not want to admit it, and set off for a tour of the dwellings proper. I was surprised to see that the NPS still allowed people inside the dwellings (pretty limited I will admit) as I swore I read that the idiocy of some visitors finally forced the NPS to disallow that. However, the trail still ran through the caves themselves, although there was a volunteer standing nearby at all times.
In all honestly, if you have seen one cliff dwelling, you have seen them all. There was nothing hugely special about these over Mesa Verde… or Walnut Canyon, but I couldn’t help myself but to day dream of living here way back when. The small canyon down below held a stream within easy enough reach (for the kids). The openings of the caves all faced south, so the morning warmth was abundant. The surrounding mountains and meadows were top notch as well. Yea, the place just did it for me.
[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/gila-cliff-dwellings-national-monument/
[size=medium]The time of year I normally travel through this area (winter) has always made it difficult to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The monument is well outside of cellular coverage and way up above 5000 ft elevation, so I have skipped past it for eight years now. Kerri had not ever been either, so with it so close (within the same state) and a local offering some reassurance that weather up there was OK at this time of the year (now March) we made a break for it on our final weekend day (officially my 113th national park).
Waking up early (for Kerri) from our overnight boondocking spot, we got back on the road to finish off the final hour of driving to get to the National Park. By the map, the cliff dwellings do not seem that far from Silver City – and it is not if just counting the miles – but the twisting mountain road kept Big Blue at a very low speed. He is not as agile as he use to be, and even back then it was on the scale of a submarine. Eventually, we found ourselves pulling into the visitors center to pickup my obligatory lapel pin and take a peak at the displays inside.
The dwellings themselves were a short drive down the road, where we put on our hiking shoes for the first time in so long I do not want to admit it, and set off for a tour of the dwellings proper. I was surprised to see that the NPS still allowed people inside the dwellings (pretty limited I will admit) as I swore I read that the idiocy of some visitors finally forced the NPS to disallow that. However, the trail still ran through the caves themselves, although there was a volunteer standing nearby at all times.
In all honestly, if you have seen one cliff dwelling, you have seen them all. There was nothing hugely special about these over Mesa Verde… or Walnut Canyon, but I couldn’t help myself but to day dream of living here way back when. The small canyon down below held a stream within easy enough reach (for the kids). The openings of the caves all faced south, so the morning warmth was abundant. The surrounding mountains and meadows were top notch as well. Yea, the place just did it for me.
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
bigskybob said:
She has been my guide since 2015
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
More hotsprings, another breakdown, and a week with friends
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/more-hotsprings-another-breakdown-and-a-week-with-friends/
[size=medium]After the Cliff Dwellings, Kerri and I decided to pamper ourselves by returning to Faywood Hot Springs. It is here we spent the entire work week with daily after-work dips in the springs. Ah the luxuries of having a readily available toilet… and a hot bath each night. All things were quite pleasurable for the four nights we stayed, as anyone could imagine. The only real down side was that you never know who will be in the tubs with you. Some nights it is a great couple to socialize with. Other nights it is an extremely talkative hippie with aura-problems (or something like that). And other nights it is an older redneck from Wyoming (and I love Wyoming) who wants to start discussing how he has debunked the whole global warming thing. It’s just how hot springs go.
We left Faywood on a Friday evening, with only a few hours of sunlight for our drive. It turned out not to be enough, but thankfully we had an established free-campground in which we were arriving. It was only just back across the Arizona border, but along a route that neither Kerri or myself have ever traveled. We had this grand plan to do a loop around the Fort Apache Reservation, via highway 191, but once we turned North on 191, a brown sign lured us down a gravel road to see the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area. Because, why not, right? We both love taking these off-highway routes to adventures unknown… and that is exactly what happened.
Half way through the 20 mile gravel road, and at the top of the mountains the road took us, Big Blue’s brake warning light came on as the pedal sunk to the floor. We still had 10 miles to go before pavement and they were all downhill, with a sloppy brake pedal. Now, I’m no stranger to brake issues, but Kerri is not accustomed to just motoring on no matter the mechanical issue that is happening at the moment. A whole lot of worrying from the passenger seat ensued, while I brought us down the 10 miles and parked it to start the diagnosing of the problem. Long story short, we found that the left-rear brake – that I just fixed back in Las Cruces – decided to dismantle itself from the shaking on the gravel road. There was no explanation other than human error (mine, of course) and I was able to reassemble the brakes on the spot to get moving again. The brakes were not perfect as I now had a mangled rear brake shoe, but we were able to travel with reasonable safety again.
We tried to return to our original path – heading North up Highway 191 – only to find that the road was closed a few miles further up from that brown sign that lured us off the highway a few hours earlier. We turned around again, re-driving the same miles we just navigated only to pull off a dirt road to call it a night after the stressful afternoon. We didn’t even bother to get the van level. Just opened the doors, whipped up a few cocktails, and relaxed the rest of the evening while watching the local cattle stroll past. All was OK again.
I’m trying to take more short videos of our surroundings…
[video=youtube]
The final day of our weekend brought us to the desert north of Tucson. Here we were meeting up with Leigh and Brian of Aluminarium again. It would be our last time we will be seeing them for two years or more, so we took the opportunity. Once again, the work week was mostly unremarkable, with Kerri staying at the van each day to work while I headed out with Brian on what ever chores he had going on that day. It has become a tradition that I roll around with Brian, giving Kerri a short break from the ever-talking-me. She gets to rock out to her NPR while I go do man-stuff… like laundry, and grocery shopping.
During the week I did get the parts for some scheduled maintenance on Big Blue (tune up and fan belts) including both rear brakes being completely overhauled one afternoon, eliminating any more possible issues there… I hope.
[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/more-hotsprings-another-breakdown-and-a-week-with-friends/
[size=medium]After the Cliff Dwellings, Kerri and I decided to pamper ourselves by returning to Faywood Hot Springs. It is here we spent the entire work week with daily after-work dips in the springs. Ah the luxuries of having a readily available toilet… and a hot bath each night. All things were quite pleasurable for the four nights we stayed, as anyone could imagine. The only real down side was that you never know who will be in the tubs with you. Some nights it is a great couple to socialize with. Other nights it is an extremely talkative hippie with aura-problems (or something like that). And other nights it is an older redneck from Wyoming (and I love Wyoming) who wants to start discussing how he has debunked the whole global warming thing. It’s just how hot springs go.
We left Faywood on a Friday evening, with only a few hours of sunlight for our drive. It turned out not to be enough, but thankfully we had an established free-campground in which we were arriving. It was only just back across the Arizona border, but along a route that neither Kerri or myself have ever traveled. We had this grand plan to do a loop around the Fort Apache Reservation, via highway 191, but once we turned North on 191, a brown sign lured us down a gravel road to see the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area. Because, why not, right? We both love taking these off-highway routes to adventures unknown… and that is exactly what happened.
Half way through the 20 mile gravel road, and at the top of the mountains the road took us, Big Blue’s brake warning light came on as the pedal sunk to the floor. We still had 10 miles to go before pavement and they were all downhill, with a sloppy brake pedal. Now, I’m no stranger to brake issues, but Kerri is not accustomed to just motoring on no matter the mechanical issue that is happening at the moment. A whole lot of worrying from the passenger seat ensued, while I brought us down the 10 miles and parked it to start the diagnosing of the problem. Long story short, we found that the left-rear brake – that I just fixed back in Las Cruces – decided to dismantle itself from the shaking on the gravel road. There was no explanation other than human error (mine, of course) and I was able to reassemble the brakes on the spot to get moving again. The brakes were not perfect as I now had a mangled rear brake shoe, but we were able to travel with reasonable safety again.
We tried to return to our original path – heading North up Highway 191 – only to find that the road was closed a few miles further up from that brown sign that lured us off the highway a few hours earlier. We turned around again, re-driving the same miles we just navigated only to pull off a dirt road to call it a night after the stressful afternoon. We didn’t even bother to get the van level. Just opened the doors, whipped up a few cocktails, and relaxed the rest of the evening while watching the local cattle stroll past. All was OK again.
I’m trying to take more short videos of our surroundings…
[video=youtube]
The final day of our weekend brought us to the desert north of Tucson. Here we were meeting up with Leigh and Brian of Aluminarium again. It would be our last time we will be seeing them for two years or more, so we took the opportunity. Once again, the work week was mostly unremarkable, with Kerri staying at the van each day to work while I headed out with Brian on what ever chores he had going on that day. It has become a tradition that I roll around with Brian, giving Kerri a short break from the ever-talking-me. She gets to rock out to her NPR while I go do man-stuff… like laundry, and grocery shopping.
During the week I did get the parts for some scheduled maintenance on Big Blue (tune up and fan belts) including both rear brakes being completely overhauled one afternoon, eliminating any more possible issues there… I hope.
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
To Nothing
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/to-nothing/
[size=medium]Desperate to go any path other than the Interstate up California, we chose to go deeper into Nevada on our way back to Grass Valley, but first we had to get out of Arizona. Where we spent our last week – outside of Tucson – is a pretty long drive away from Nevada. Our hope was simply to make it somewhere north of Vegas to spend our final work week for some time in the wild South West. We had a quick stop to make along the way – showers and a water fill at truck stop outside of Gila Bend. This is our third time this season using the showers at this stop, and we were happy to return for a final time. Don’t underestimate truck stops for showers. Although they cost a few dollars ($7 in this case) they have been some of the nicest – and cleanest – showers I’ve used in my experiences. Kerri wasn’t sold at first, but is now a believer… a least she is about this truck stop. No pictures, of course, as we were showering.[/size]
[size=medium]
Headed North, we bounced off and motored right past the Phoenix area without stopping – once again. The route slowly turned diagonal as we worked our way towards Kingman, Arizona. Not only is it the shortest route to Las Vegas, it will take us past the [size=large]Hoover Damhttps://www.van-tramp.com/wp/it-sure-is-a-noisy-highway/, which Kerri had never been. I could tell she was excited because she showed zero interest at all. The plan was to get to Road 129 just south of Interstate 40, and see the damn-dam the following morning. Road 129 was one of Big Blue’s first major off-highway adventures… way back when he was still blue.[/size][/size]
[size=medium]
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_1477.jpg
[/size][/size]
[size=medium]There is some beautiful desert between Wickenburg and Kingman and we were passing directly through it, so Kerri started looking at her maps to see what she could find for a new overnight location. I couldn’t argue that it would be better scenery than road 129 with all the cactus and mountains around. So within 30 seconds we were pulling off the highway and down a dirt road where a spot was right there waiting for us… which Kerri promptly rejected. As usual, she wanted to keep going down the dirt road to see what else there might be… always on the prowl for epic boondocking spots. An hour later, and after another perfectly fine spot rejected, we settled into a spot at the top of a rise overlooking the mountains and valleys in all directions. Dinner, a short walk, and some cocktails with the sun set rounded out our evening.[/size]
[size=medium]
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_20190316_185202.jpg
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Photo-Mar-16-5-25-18-PM.jpg
[/size]
[/size][/size]
[size=medium]Our spot was only a few miles outside of the small ghost town of [size=large]Nothing, Arizonahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing,_Arizona. Kerri was infatuated with it to the point of researching the town’s history, which only made her like it more. There really isn’t anything to speak of in Nothing. Just a run down building and a barely-hanging sign with it’s name… and one well placed cell tower for Kerri’s Instagramming pleasures.[/size][/size]
[size=medium]
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_20190316_183927.jpg
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Photo-Mar-17-9-17-06-AM.jpg[/size][/size][/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/to-nothing/
[size=medium]Desperate to go any path other than the Interstate up California, we chose to go deeper into Nevada on our way back to Grass Valley, but first we had to get out of Arizona. Where we spent our last week – outside of Tucson – is a pretty long drive away from Nevada. Our hope was simply to make it somewhere north of Vegas to spend our final work week for some time in the wild South West. We had a quick stop to make along the way – showers and a water fill at truck stop outside of Gila Bend. This is our third time this season using the showers at this stop, and we were happy to return for a final time. Don’t underestimate truck stops for showers. Although they cost a few dollars ($7 in this case) they have been some of the nicest – and cleanest – showers I’ve used in my experiences. Kerri wasn’t sold at first, but is now a believer… a least she is about this truck stop. No pictures, of course, as we were showering.[/size]
[size=medium]
Headed North, we bounced off and motored right past the Phoenix area without stopping – once again. The route slowly turned diagonal as we worked our way towards Kingman, Arizona. Not only is it the shortest route to Las Vegas, it will take us past the [size=large]Hoover Damhttps://www.van-tramp.com/wp/it-sure-is-a-noisy-highway/, which Kerri had never been. I could tell she was excited because she showed zero interest at all. The plan was to get to Road 129 just south of Interstate 40, and see the damn-dam the following morning. Road 129 was one of Big Blue’s first major off-highway adventures… way back when he was still blue.[/size][/size]
[size=medium]
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_1477.jpg[/size][/size]
[size=medium]There is some beautiful desert between Wickenburg and Kingman and we were passing directly through it, so Kerri started looking at her maps to see what she could find for a new overnight location. I couldn’t argue that it would be better scenery than road 129 with all the cactus and mountains around. So within 30 seconds we were pulling off the highway and down a dirt road where a spot was right there waiting for us… which Kerri promptly rejected. As usual, she wanted to keep going down the dirt road to see what else there might be… always on the prowl for epic boondocking spots. An hour later, and after another perfectly fine spot rejected, we settled into a spot at the top of a rise overlooking the mountains and valleys in all directions. Dinner, a short walk, and some cocktails with the sun set rounded out our evening.[/size]
[size=medium]
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_20190316_185202.jpg[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Photo-Mar-16-5-25-18-PM.jpg
[/size][/size][/size]
[size=medium]Our spot was only a few miles outside of the small ghost town of [size=large]Nothing, Arizonahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing,_Arizona. Kerri was infatuated with it to the point of researching the town’s history, which only made her like it more. There really isn’t anything to speak of in Nothing. Just a run down building and a barely-hanging sign with it’s name… and one well placed cell tower for Kerri’s Instagramming pleasures.[/size][/size]
[size=medium]
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_20190316_183927.jpg[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Photo-Mar-17-9-17-06-AM.jpg[/size][/size][/size]
