AmaZing Arizona

For nearly six weeks in February into March we explored Arizona and everywhere we went we found something amazing. Our travels took us from Benson to Mesa to Quartzsite to Yuma to Quartzsite again to Verde Valley and the Grand Canyon, then back to Quartzsite once more.

Amazing sights. Our scenic visits included two National Parks and a National Monument. At Saguaro National Park east of Tucson the Cactus Forest Drive and a hike revealed to us the wonders of the unique and fascinating saguaro cactus and other desert plants.

While we were staying in Verde Valley we did a day trip up to the Grand Canyon. Even though we got just a taste of the canyon we were still overwhelmed by its immense beauty. Even more amazing, we learned later that Dan’s brother Les was at the Grand Canyon the same day hiking down below while we were up on the rim.

Within Verde Valley we went to Tuzigoot National Monument. As we walked among the remaining walls of the 110 room pueblo from a thousand years ago it broadened our sense of history and culture.

While not a National Park, Sedona and the surrounding Red Rocks are a national treasure. We made a day trip to this area as well.

Amazing sites. At the Thousand Trails Verde Valley RV Resort we stayed in section M, perched atop a hill with other layers of the RV park cascading down to the river 200 feet below. It offered an expansive view of the valley and over the ridge to the north we could the see the snowcapped peaks of the mountains near Flagstaff. Color was added to the mornings by hot air balloons lifting off from Sedona.

Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa was another favorite of ours. It was a very nice campground in a scenic setting with a convenient location.

We also developed our boondocking skills on BLM land near Quartzsite. Camping out in the desert was a very different experience for sure, especially when a scorpion was discovered beneath a rock near the camper.

Amazing people. In Mesa we had a delightful get together with Karen and Randy and we were welcomed with great hospitality. Dan and Karen are cousins and there were many sweet memories to recall. In Yuma we visited Karl and Kathy who are good friends from college. They had us over for a fun evening of sharing old stories and catching up on new ones. The next day Karl took us off-roading in the desert which was a thrill.

We also made new friends on our Arizona travels, especially at the rally we attended which brings us to the next amazing topic.

Amazing events. One big event was the Grand Design Rally in the desert south of Quartzsite. Grand Design is the manufacturer of our camper and the 170 other rigs at the rally. There were a number of seminars and social gatherings that made it very educational and entertaining.

The other big event was the addition of solar to our camper which we had done at Discount Solar in Quartzsite. With four solar panels, two lithium batteries, a charge controller and an inverter we now have a lot more options on where we can stay.

Amazing birds. Dan is a long-time birder with a life list approaching 400 different species. A good year might add 5 new birds to the list of lifers. The campground in Benson itself provided 6. In all there were 15 lifers seen in Arizona including Phainopepla and Verdin.

From Arizona we continued west into California completing our coast-to-coast cross-country trek and made the turn northward. We saw more parks, more relatives, more friends, more of this incredibly beautiful and fascinating land. More to come.