Menu

Category: making plans

Summer travel plans in camper

yellow Palo Verde & flowers Saguaro Lake Pleasant SR74 AZI am determined to make 2023 a year of summer travel.  Why not, I spent the winter traveling and I live in one of two RVs.

trees boulders sunset clouds Skull Valley AZI know it was only last week when I wrote about coming home.  And I do love my place in Skull Valley.  However, because I take my home with me, I feel at home almost everywhere.  Nice thing about boondocking in a place is being part of the landscape.

trees sunset clouds Skull Valley AZLast summer, travel plans didn’t happen mostly because of the price of diesel.  But this year I am determined to travel, hopefully as far as the Pacific Northwest.  It’s been 30 years since I’ve enjoyed extended summer travel.  Of course I did travel a little over the 29 summers I worked as a Park Ranger but had to stay relatively close to my home park.  This trip doesn’t necessarily include national parks, especially the crowded ones.  I’m leaning more towards national forests and wildlife refuges, state, county and city parks to get my nature fix.  And I’m open to suggestions.  In fact, I encourage suggestions.

trees rainbow clouds Skull Valley AZI’ve sent private messages to some of you located along my possibly changing route.  If you’re interested in a meetup and haven’t heard from me, please let me know.

trees rainbow clouds Skull Valley AZI like two-lane backroads and old US highways.  Often the pavement in better shape than federal highways or interstates, though not always.   Not so stressful to drive.  Travel through little towns instead of big cities.  Can cross public lands.  I want to visit places old and new.  I want to visit people.  I want to visit you.

mt sunset clouds rays Skull Valley AZ PanoThe summer travel plans are rather loose at best and may depend on people, places and weather.  Nothing is written in stone.  Though I hope to see some great rock along the journey.

mt sunset clouds rays Skull Valley AZTentative route: Starts Tuesday May 30th, yes that’s next week.

Possible summer 2023 routeArizona: SR169 East to Dewey; SR179 North to Flagstaff; South Rim Grand Canyon NP; US89 & US89A North; possibly SR67 to North Rim Grand Canyon NP; to Utah

Utah: US89A North Kanab to Bryce Canyon NP; SR14 & 56 West to Nevada

Nevada:  US93 North possibly to Idaho; or US50 & US95 North to Oregon; or US50 West to California

California: US395 North to Oregon

Oregon: US395 North to Washington; or US97 North to Washington

Washington: US97 North to Canadian border; US2 West & US101 to coast & South

trees boulders storm clouds cloudburst Skull Valley AZI have no reservations at campgrounds or RV Parks and hope to boondock and friendock as much as possible.  I realize summer travel is busy yet have faith in finding places to camp.  My 20’ truckcamper/home is self-contained.  So if you can provide parking that is somewhat level Sierra and I would like to come by.

trees cloudburst storm clouds Skull Valley AZOf course I’ll be sharing summer travel stories but you can bet I’ll be weeks or months behind real time, sort of like I am right now.  And those stories are still coming.

trees mt sunset clouds Skull Valley AZAfter one and a half years retired I’ve figured out how to live on my Social Security.  I don’t need much to survive and be happy, especially in natural places.  I’m a minimalist Geogypsy nomad.  But the fluctuating high price of fuel, especially diesel, sure makes traveling distances difficult.  I’m open to donations.  Please note the post above for a way to help fill the tank.  Thanks in advance.

trees mt sunset clouds Skull Valley AZ panoNo matter what, I will make summer travel happen.  Hope to see you along the way.

Photos—except for the first one—from the last week in Skull Valley during monsoon May, not normal weather.  Is weather normal where you are?

 

making plans, travel 19 Comments

Busy going nowhere fast as travel plans fall into place

view S stormy sky Skull Valley AZLast week I wrote about the power going off.  Turned out that a freak storm with high winds, that I watched but didn’t really experience, knocked down 16 electric poles just north of Wickenburg in my county of Yavapai.  Power was restored by Sunday morning after about 36 hours.  Sure glad to have the truckcamper so I didn’t loose any food and solar kept my phone and laptop charged.

Sierra on deskThen the storms cleared like monsoon was over and the temperatures went back up into the mid-90s.  Even with AC on I lacked ambition.

(stolen from FB)

sunset clouds over Brush Mt Skull Valley AZThe trail cam has picked up a roadrunner, several javelina, and some racoons.  I haven’t yet downloaded any of those pics from the cam’s SD card.  Been feeling lazy.

reverse sunset clouds moon Skull Valley AZThe only moon shot I got this month and it’s not yet full

But that lazy will change real soon with the plans I’m making for a week in Illinois to attend my 50th class reunion (link to the 40th).  Those activities include gatherings Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.  Plus I’ll be visiting with some other folks I haven’t seen in about that long.  Cousin Judy from Michigan and I are going to meet at the Indian Dunes National Park.  That’s about a 1 1/2 hour drive for each of us.  I haven’t been to the dunes since Girl Scouts, before it was a national park.

Brush Mt storm clouds Skull Valley AZClouds but no rain

Then I hear from Elspeth, whose mother was our Girl Scout leader in Downers Grove.  She’ll be at the reunion and we’ll meet again at the nearby Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie where she used to work.

rainbow Bradshaw Mts Skull Valley AZFeeling all nostalgic, I spent an evening watching The African Queen.  And although I long to return, that’s not the journey I have in mind.

view W Brushy Mt clouds Skull Valley AZSaturday, Joann stopped by for some final directions from Sierra.  The only reason I’m able to make this trip to Illinois is because Joann volunteered to stay at my house, and Sierra approved the arrangement.

reverse sunset clouds Skull Valley AZI am excited!  And by the time you read this post I should be flying out of Arizona.  Hopefully the next posts will be about more than life on the ranch, watching out the windows, and staying inside because of the bugs.

Arizona, life, making plans, Places I've been, Skull Valley, United States 12 Comments

Sky Watch Friday – On the road again…

Sunset taken over the Painted Desert of Arizona
Had a great time visiting friends in Yarnell and now time to head back up to the North Rim. Only two weeks left to my season. How the time will fly. My next days off I’m going to Toroweap with C, another Ranger. And my last days off I’ll be hiking rim to rim with friends from Washington. Then hook up to my 5th-wheel house and haul it home to Yarnell for the winter. Maybe Mexico the end of October… Ahhh, life is Grand! The end of everyday followed by the beginning of a new.

To see more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to the Sky Watch Friday meme by clicking here.

Arizona, making plans, Painted Desert, Sky Watch Friday, sunset 19 Comments

Lijit

© Copyright 2008-2024. Geogypsytraveler.com