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        • Pipe Springs National Monument
        • Prescott
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Tag: friendocking

02 August 2023

Visiting friends along the way

FR & SR67 Kaibab NF AZAfter visiting the Grand Canyon and friends on both sides of the big ditch I continued this summer journey north into Utah to visit more friends.

Jacob Lake Inn AZMade a stop along the way at Jacob Lake Inn and bought a dozen cookies to share with friends.

sign border UT

cookie Jacob Lake Inn AZFunny there was only 11 cookies by the time I got to Kanab and my friend’s house.

unidentified dead dragonfly Kanab UTFound dead in the driveway Sad smile 

I’ve known Amanda since 2003 when we worked as Rangers leading cave tours at Oregon Caves.  Her driveway provided an amazingly level friendock (free place to park at a friends) for the night.

sunset Kanab UTI spent two more nights in Kanab in friends Joe and Tom’s backyard.  We walked into town one evening for some great outdoor music.

Kanab UTPainted on a street in Kanab

Monday morning I was at Ramsay Towing & Service Center when they opened at 8 for an oil change.  They don’t make appointments, but I’ve been happy with work done before.  Figured a good idea to have the truck looked over before making this summer journey of at least 3000 miles as semi-planned.  Three hours later I was ready to roll.

truck tabs in fun envelopeBarely mid-June and already pushing 90° at my next friends stop in St. George.  Thankfully she received mail for me that another friend forwarded the license plate tabs that would expire in July.  Almost messed up on that one waiting until three days before leaving home to pay for the tabs.  What would I do without friends to look over me?  Thank you.

hills mts dark clouds SR320 Pioche NVWith temperatures rising, I left Utah and high-tailed it into Nevada to explore some new territory while watching the weather, fire, and free camping apps.  I had so much fun visiting with all these friends, and a few more, but was peopled out and ready for me time.  As I discovered, being alone is real easy in MOAN, Nevada. (#MiddleofAbsolutelyNowhere)

I was going to skip this part of my journey but realized I have many friends because of social media, national parks, blogging and being generally friendly.  Thanks to each of you.  And by the way I’m still up for visiting friends along this summer journey.  I’m currently near central Oregon slowly heading north to Washington.  All plans are subject to change.  My posts are way behind real time, but there’s a box on the sidebar I try to keep up-to-date with current location.

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Arizona, Kanab, Places I've been, Saint George Utah, United States, Utah friendocking, friends 18 Comments
28 June 2023

On the road for summer

Yes, I am far behind blogging, and also posting videos. It’s already a busy summer.  In fact I’m trying to catch them up to at least the same amount of time behind.  I last posted about the amazing pillars of rocks in Chiricahua National Monument visited in April, and that video can be found here.

late light boulders Indian Bread Rocks RA BLM Bowie AZIndian Bread Rocks Recreation Area

The next place I stayed at for two weeks, so lots of photos coming with that story.

trees rainbow storm clouds Skull Valley AZYes, I went home for several weeks to regroup, make plans, and not be on the road for Memorial Day weekend.  Maybe I’m crazy to travel during summer.

First of June I left for summer travels.  First I visited several friends and don’t have much to share from those stops, but do have many wonderful memories.

grass SF Pks rain clouds FR545 Wupatki NM AZSan Francisco Peaks from Wupatki National Monument

I returned to a few familiar places with different views.

Wotons Throne & Cape Royal Desert View SR GRCA NP AZWotons Throne from South Rim

view S Cape Royal NR GRCA NP AZWotons Throne from North Rim

Then I went to the South and North rims of Grand Canyon and that story and pics will be coming, eventually.

view S JP cliffs mt clouds SR320 Pioche NVBLM camp view near Pioche Nevada

Finally got to Utah and visited several more friends before starting to feel the heat of summer and heading into Nevada to several new to me places.

old log cabin Dutch John Well US93 NVDutch John Well

And I’m enthralled with Nevada landscapes.

view N red Paintbrush flowers scrub trees Egan Range sunset clouds White Pine County Rd 3 NVAs a friend said MOAN, for the Middle of ABSOLUTELY Nowhere, along America’s Loneliest Highway.  It’s gorgeous!  And the high elevation keeps me summer cool.

Jakey Valley and Egan Range

And now I find myself waiting for another holiday weekend to pass, avoiding possible rain, and staying in temperatures below 90°.

Kanab UTPainted on a street in Kanab Utah

Where next?  Stay tuned, and I will catch up eventually.  I might even make it to Oregon this summer.

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Arizona, Nevada, Places I've been, RV life, United States, Utah boondocking, friendocking, RV living, summer 17 Comments
28 April 2020

Moving on up

Old welcome sign Yarnell ArizonaFrom the upper Sonoran desert in Congress, Arizona, rising temperatures had me moving on up in elevation with a change in scenery.  Starting with the familiar 2500 foot climb up Yarnell Hill along SR89, “Where the desert breeze meets the mountain air”, to Chaparral, and then beyond into Juniper/Pinyon woodland, 10° cooler with company on friends’ 45 off-grid acres.  It smells delightfully different.

A woke Friday morning in the desert to 77° at 8am.  A good time to be moving on up into cooler temperatures.  Stopped to fill the almost empty propane tank at B&B and left the wonky-only-intermittently-working tank behind to be either repaired or replaced.  This struggle has been going on for a year now and I believe Manchester needs to step up.  My guess, when the new regulations came out for horizontal use 5-gal propane tanks they answered the call and there are bugs in the valve system (like first updates on Windows).  We shall see.

Quick stop at the dollar store in Yarnell finally yielded two boxes of chintzey kleenex.  So why is it that Angle Soft TP bought at discount stores are wrapped loosely with less product for cheaper than other stores?  Hmmm, maybe why I don’t usually shop at those places.

Parked in front of Gilligan’s along main street Yarnell and called in my order to go.  Twenty minutes later I was sampling said pizza before bringing the rest to my hosts.  It passed inspection as usual and I ate another piece later for dinner with my friends.  Sadly, in the morning I suffered for that pizza as has been happening in the last several months with any pizza, one of my favorite comfort foods.  I may have to eliminate it or try gluten free.  I actually tracked what I ate for about a month and noticed that more than two slices of bread for a sandwich did the same thing, so, who knows, maybe another change in life.

Hassayampa bridge Wagnor Road Arizona

TK Bar Ranch fence Wagnor Road Walnut Grove ArizonaIt was after noon when I turned off SR89 onto Wagnor Road for the first nine miles, mostly paved, across the Hassayampa River bridge, through ranch land, much owned by Rex Maughan who also owns the Forever Resorts concession at several national parks and abroad.  Crossed several deep dry washes so was glad there’s no rain predicted for a while.

Chaparral mountain Crooks Canyon Road Walnut Grove ArizonaPulled in, parked and was distant visiting by 3pm. Took almost an hour from SR89 to go 12+ miles.  Of course I do drive slow like a granny should.

Mary has 45 acres with a marvelous straw-bale house they built, plus a guesthouse, and multiple shops. Jerry says she owns it and he gets to live there. And he has ‘stuff’ spread all over. After dinner he gave me the Royal tour.  Ford trucks, graders, grinders, and lift trucks, motors, generators, tractors, trailers, the bus conversion they lived in, and a fire truck. If he doesn’t have the part, he can make it. Tall and slightly bent at 80 he’s busy, on and off, all day and there just isn’t enough time to geteralldone.

Mary’s garden is a delightful piece of more cultivated green with flowers, ponds, vegetables, and outdoor art. The inside of the house reminds me of Berta’s in collections, antiques, miniatures, paintings, photographs, and arrowheads (some made by Jerry).

truckcamper Walnut Grove ArizonaAfter Mary showed me a few places she thought would be good to park and offer shade, I chose a spot with the most direct warm afternoon sun. Thank goodness for a breeze. I watched around me to see where the shade would be better.

stinky blue Phacelia flowers Walnut Grove Arizona

trees crescent moon Venus sunset Walnut Grove ArizonaGoing outside that night to turn off the inverter I suspected having a skunk neighbor.  However, it turns out to be a pretty blue Phacelia flower that is carpeting a lot of the land right now.

tree mountain sunset Walnut Grove ArizonaThe next day I dumped my holding tanks and moved into a shadier location.  I am surrounded by some old and healthy Juniper and Pinyon Pine trees.  Lots of shade to sit under for afternoon reading.

trees mountain sunset Walnut Grove ArizonaDistant views of the Weaver Mountains from a new perspective.

trees mountain sunset Walnut Grove ArizonaNow I just need to motivate enough to get out and take more photos of this beautiful place.

trees Weaver Mountains sunset clouds Walnut Grove ArizonaHow long I’ll be here is hard to say.  Current start date to return to work at Bryce Canyon National Park is May 10th.  Of course, that could change again.  I have to return to B&B in Congress to pick up my replacement propane tank.  Yes, the manufacturer is coming through.  Then it’s only another 20 miles to Wickenburg for my mail—including a replacement solar controller.

solar panel & windmill Walnut Grove ArizonaAlthough I am currently plugged into the solar system here to charge my phone and laptop I still need to work on the power issues.  Thanks for the suggestions.  A tablet just wouldn’t cut it for all I do on my laptop.  I need to beef up the solar system.  Hopefully, I’ll return to work soon and be able to afford that for next winter.

I can’t thank friends enough times for providing a place to park, though they may get tired of me.  Or summer temperatures will rise some more and then I’ll have to be moving on up to higher elevation again.  Guess I could live on the North Kaibab National Forest at 8000 feet next.

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Arizona, CORVID-19, Places I've been, RV life, United States, Walnut Grove friendocking, Pinyon/Juniper 32 Comments
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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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