We elected to go see both units of Saguaro National Monument today. The west unit is northwest of Tucson so we started there. Not long after you leave the developed part of town, the Monument starts. The road must go along a park boundary because there is some residential stuff on the way in but mostly it is just gorgeous.
We continued west for a bit before hitting North Sandario Road where we turned south onto one of the lumpiest roads known. The paving is okay – the road surface goes up 10′ and then into a swale and then up 10′ a bunch before reaching Kinney Road which takes you right through the center of the Monument. It has been a wetter than normal summer here and all of the varieties of cactus are very happy. There are flowering plants putting on a show, the palo verde trees are green with foliage and so are the Ocotillos which normally look like spiked sticks. Prickly pears, mesquite trees, chollas, yuccas and barrel cacti are all demonstrating how gorgeous this place can be when it gets a little water.
We left the north unit via Gates Pass Road, one of our favorites. It is a narrow, steep pass over a small range of rock mountains that are covered with forests of saguaros. Once you reach the top, it is a short spin back into Tucson which we crossed northwest to southeast on good city streets. After about 20 minutes, we arrived at Saguaro National Monument east unit and took another spin through the park loop. We took this same drive back in January when we passed through Tucson.
The east unit showed us more proof that water is good for desert plants because all the flora was in the peak of health, ready to impale fools who might attempt to cross this terrain without Kevlar. Even the mesquite trees have formidable thorns awaiting the opportunity to snag the scalps of those reluctant to duck far enough.
It was getting dark so we headed back home, stopping at a Bev Mo for some medicinal alcohol. They may have a great selection but their Jack Daniel’s is overpriced.

The time had come for us to end our purgatory in Phoenix so we gathered up the stuff, dumped our garbage and holding tanks and left Paradise RV Park. The park was okay. Phoenix was sort of a surprise. We had no idea Phoenix was so massive. There isn’t much to do unless you are a golfer or imprisoned within one of the myriad raisin farms and death ranches. It is hot, even in late October. A good place to die, I suppose.
We were directed out of town by the Garmin and were soon scuttling across the desert landscapes of southern Arizona. It has been a rainy summer here and the plants look very healthy but no less dangerous. Flora and big, nasty spines go hand-in-hand in this part of the world. We took I-10 south from the Phoenix metro area and pretty soon we passed through Casa Grande, a place we decided not to visit again when we passed through here last January. A bit further and we pulled off the freeway, onto Tucson streets and into Catalina State Park.
It costs about $25 per night for a 50 amp electrical and a water hookup. Sewer is at a dump station. The park spaces are large and just east of the campground the Catalina Mountains pop out of the flats giving us a great view. I understand the park is at full occupancy tonight. I’m glad we made a reservation.
After arrival we went to a Trader Joe’s to buy some food that is healthy and probably more that isn’t. It was great. Peggy said I was almost tolerable in the store and might let me go again someday. After hauling our loot home, we tried the local TV using the trailer’s ancient antenna technology and, strangely, we were able to get about 10 channels. Two featured bible thumpers and crummy reception and a few more were Spanish-speaking channels. I speak only Bad Spanish so they were out. We ended up with four channels, none with contemporary programming but two with old movies so we are okay.

We are malingering in Phoenix because we did not realize we had made a reservation through today until we looked at our RV park schedule we created. I can’t explain why I was confused about our departure date except to attribute it to an ancient mind that is deteriorating. So far today, we have had breakfast, imbibed some fortified coffee and taken a short cruise to get milk and thread. The milk is for drinking, the thread for Peggy to fix my beloved boots which seem to have failing eyes for the laces. Only a year and a half of continuous wear and they are crapping out. Foreign crud performance and old U.S.A. manufacture.

Last night there was a really great lightning show to the north of us but it never got near to us, choosing instead to inundate portions of the city there. For a little bit, we could spot lightning going off every 4 or 5 seconds, elsewhere.
Shopping was on the schedule for today. We found a Costco not too far from our RV park and drove over. Right inside the door we noted a great Kirkland product line addition of Irish Cream costing $15 for a 1.75 liter container so we bought a case. From my standpoint, things went downhill after that but we ended up getting out for a mere $335. We have enough food on board to keep us fat and happy for a bit.
After Costco, Peggy sprung some unannounced shopping on me and made me accompany her to the parking lot of a big, fat, tall guy’s store. I was a crybaby about it, refusing to engage in complicity with her and remaining in the truck in the shade while she engaged in her maniacal efforts to clothe me so I look less like a bozo. She is strange that way. Baffling. After a whirlwind of T-shirt scrutiny and selection, she returned to the truck with exactly half the shirts being the correct size. She bought two. Another flurry of activity resolved the situation and we headed home with our loot. We pull stakes here and go to Catalina State Park in Tucson tomorrow. I liked Tucson the last time we were there in January 2015 and think I’ll take Peg to their great outdoor museums after we arrive.
Uh oh. I just checked the schedule and it turns out we get to stay here another day. It must be correct because Peggy told me I am very anal about the schedule and, therefore, it only has a 50-50 chance of being screwy. We’ll get to Tucson just a bit later. Tucson was one of the first places we stayed in Arizona back in January, 2015, and pretty much closes the loop on this year’s wandering.
Since our departure on this loop of the U.S., we have traveled I-10 from the west coast to the east coast, followed I-95 from Florida to Maine, kept close to I-90 from New England down the St. Lawrence Seaway, through Ohio to Kentucky and then north to the Upper Peninsula before turning west to the Rockies. We continued south along the front range to New Mexico and west to Arizona. It has been a gas.
As defective as my memory might be, I think we have traveled through the following states on this trip: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington D.C. (not really a state), Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York (twice), Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire (twice), Maine, Vermont, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico (again) and Arizona (again). No wonder the miles are stacking up on Charlotte’s odometer.

We started out the day by drinking fortified coffee before mutually voting for breakfast out. A quick perusal of options on the internet sent us to a place called the 40th Street Cafe in the city of Phoenix. We soon found that Phoenix is substantially larger than Sundance, Wyoming, or Chamberlain, South Dakota so driving across town takes a while. We must have gone about 30 miles without leaving Phoenix.
The 40th Street Cafe was okay. I continued my dedicated but plainly unhealthy quest for the best chicken fried steak obtainable. It is not, however, obtainable here. Peggy had a Denver Omelet and she said it was great. Prices were very good and so was the food even if I can get better heart walloping fare elsewhere.
We jumped back in the truck, loaded up the Garmin with the coordinates for Phoenix’s Desert Museum and set out. We only got sent the wrong way one time before regaining our course and finding our way into the parking lot at the Desert Museum. I got a cadaver discount of $2 so we parted with $42 instead of $44 and strolled into this neat place. The museum is almost all outside, consisting of flora and fauna of the deserts of the world. There are lots of cactus-like things from all over the planet that have been collected and planted here. A variety of African and Asian cactuses or plants that have evolved such that they can survive in hellish, arid climates are featured as you make your way along the pathways through the facility. The plants were pretty happy since it has been raining and lots of stuff was blossoming. We spotted some Gambel’s Quail, Curved Beak Thrashers, lizards of several types, Cactus Wrens and a variety of butterflies. The paths are arranged so there are shady spots along the way so morons like me can find shelter from the incinerating rays of the sun.
This facility is a pretty good desert park but, unfortunately, it is no match for the Desert Museum in Tucson, where we will be in a few days.

The weather last night was a little exciting offering up some rain, lightning and thunder but nothing bad happened where we were. Over in Wickenburg, AZ, the storms overnight generated a large amount of uncontrolled runoff swamping some ‘hoods and giving stupid motorists opportunities to drive their motor vehicles into deep water. Several stupid motorists were identified, some by having their pictures shown on the news and some by internet. News of idiocy travels fast. Peggy and I have heard newspersons note that some of the four-wheeled submarine drivers are actually cited under a law they refer to as “The Stupid Motorist Law.” Seems like an excellent idea since the law apparently punishes the stupid, entertains the populace and fines are used to augment the tax dollars previously stolen from us.
Just after leaving our spot at the TT Verde Valley RV Resort we pulled onto I-17 southbound toward Phoenix. The on-ramp is right at the bottom of an enormous, steep hill and poor Charlotte had to work hard to climb to the summit about 3,000 feet higher than Cottonwood. All the cooling fans were running. We sailed over the top, got some great mountain views for about 20 miles and then the rain started. Arizona roads are not really made to address drainage issues so we soon started passing over pavement with water ponding on the surface and we were getting passed by semis doing about 80 while concealed within a giant cloud of spray that blinded those of us behind. Oddly, we only passed by one wreck but he apparently spun, flipped, yawed and generally lost it. The driver was elsewhere but the car he left behind is toast.
The miserable weather persisted right up until we pulled into our temporary digs at Paradise RV Resort in Sun City, a suburb of Phoenix. The park is a big Jose with maybe 1,000 spaces, most of which are occupied by park model RVs filled with geriatric tenants who live here permanently. “Permanent” doesn’t mean they cannot voluntarily leave, it means once they move in they never move out, except in a hearse. The park has great utilities, big spaces, no wi-fi, good TV reception on the antenna, no cable TV and no remote restrooms so your trailer better be self-contained or you are out of luck. Security led us to our spot and helped us back in by interfering with the possibly cumbersome but familiar technique Peggy and I have created. After only a few too many changes of direction, we got the Invader squared away. We hooked up, retreated into the air conditioned space and called it a day.

Today is our last day to stay in Cottonwood for this trip and we really hadn’t thought of much to do today, maybe because there isn’t much to do around here unless you are interested in scoping out the spiritual guidance options up in Sedona. You can always enjoy the spectacular geology here but even that would require some driving which was contrary to our lack of enthusiasm regarding real effort.
Instead, since Peggy was reluctant to give me any options for her recent birthday, I took her to a J. C. Penney store here in town. Peggy allowed me to accompany her while shopping for bras even though I am grumpy in the women’s interesting underwear section if Peg won’t let me model the women’s briefs on my head. She was successful at finding some socks in addition to some interesting underwear and we left the store without breaking the $100 lower limit. Peggy inquired about swim wear but was told the summer is over here (it is about 100 degrees this October) and the store reduced their cost right before they disappeared into the overstuffed bags of voracious bargain hunters who believe autumn is not quite here yet.
On the way back from Cottonwood, we drove down two forest service roads to areas where free camping is allowed. It is quite evident why free camping is allowed because the area is free of cumbersome utility connections for luxuries like power, water or sewer in addition to being free of pleasant vistas or other redeeming features. The roads are dirt with sections of jagged rocks protruding through the uneven surfaces. Strewn among the bargain hunting RVers camping in this unremarkable vacant land you can spot where some campers have abandoned their former homes to recyclers and camper strippers who have slithered in and carelessly practiced their craft, leaving only the carcasses of the now-worthless assets. It is quite scenic for those enjoying the almost vacant junkyard motif. We did spot some tenacious desert flora about 2 feet tall, eliminating anything like privacy for those selecting this area for their enjoyable camping experience.
This area is liberally supplied with absolutely stunning geology and some great parks and monuments. It is also afflicted with the nonsense of Sedona with it’s gurus, spiritual hooey and crystal worship. It is a bit of a tragedy that the municipality of Sedona is located in a visually astonishing treasure but, since I don’t live here, it shouldn’t bother me. I would happily return here to see the magnificent surroundings even though polluted with the strange vortex thing of Sedona. Maybe it isn’t really a vortex. Maybe it is a whirlpool designed to suck the money out of your wallet only to have it delivered to the free-range chicken skin man purse of some local witch doctor. I personally think that perceived benefits from invisible unidentifiable sources of energy/juju/bliss are probably bullshit and suggested only by those obtaining financial enrichment from the gullibility of persons who really are not sick. Artificial remedies are probably the most effective combatting imaginary afflictions.
Later this afternoon, when outdoor conditions become acceptable for human life, I will break down our utility connections and slide-out supports, stow our outdoor furniture and generally prep for travel to Phoenix tomorrow. Oh Boy! New stuff.

After our complete lack of success doing the laundry yesterday, we got going a bit earlier and took our 3 cubic yards of clothes down to the facility for cleaning. It was probably terrible for Peggy although it didn’t bother me much because she did all the work while I was holding down the fort in the Family Center. Oddly, it turns out that Peggy is able to do the laundry very quickly when she isn’t ably assisted by me.
After Peggy completed both her half and my portion of the laundry, we decided to take another exploratory drive around the Cottonwood area. This time, we decided to go east since we had already gone north to Sedona a couple times and had also gone west to Jerome and Clarkdale. That decision may not have been particularly wise because we found that there is an ample supply of nothing combined with bleak wasteland east of our RV park.
We revised our strategy and went west instead. Although we had already cruised through this area, we decided to give it another go. In Cottonwood we found a park adjacent to the Verde River which really isn’t very verde but mostly brown. In this park they have something called the “Jail Trail,” a properly descriptive moniker if there ever was one. The trail takes hikers out through some perfectly ordinary riparian areas next to the river so we wandered out for a bit before turning around and seeing the back side of the nothing we saw on the way out. It is a nice enough walk but the trail has been liberally sprinkled with dog doo so you should watch your step.
After enough strolling to ascertain there was nothing we wanted to see down the Jail Trail, we headed back to Verde Valley RV Resort after filling up Charlotte’s diesel tank at a Fry’s grocery where the price was a wonderful $2.19 per gallon. Soon we will be in the tarnished Golden State where gold is required to purchase fuel because it is impossible to carry enough cash to fill the tank.

Our scheduled event for today was to do the dreaded laundry in the campground laundry facility. However, we got a very slow start, choosing instead to lounge around, watch TV and perform almost any function other than washing clothes until around 4:00 PM.
The laundry facility here has machines that only take a card to pay for the machines to function. This is a clever strategy by park management to enrich themselves since the card itself costs something and actual usable funds hidden in it’s little electronic mind must be purchased in $5 increments. The cost of the machine use does not have any multiples that divide $5 evenly so the park management ends up with the difference, generally about $4.
After our almost full day of doing nothing, we took off just after 4:00 PM to go to the park store to buy the management-enriching laundry required to be used in the laundry which is housed in a different building than the store. We had all our laundry aboard Charlotte and I dropped Peggy off at the store to purchase the card while I turned the truck around. The laundry is open from 8:00 AM to 11:30 PM but, unfortunately, the cards needed to do the wash are only available until 4:00 PM so we had narrowly missed the boat and went back home. Maybe tomorrow.

Today was set aside as our day to explore the Sedona area. We got up at a reasonable hour, ate breakfast and took off up I-17 north toward Sedona. We turned off I-17 on the Red Rocks Scenic Parkway and moseyed into town making a couple of stops to take pix. The rock formations are gorgeous in this area. We found that at least some of the spots where you can park are under the control of the U.S. Forest Service and do not require incessant contributions to the iron ranger conspicuously posted in all the parking areas if you were clever enough to own a federal lands access pass. We got to park for free in the lot where we stopped although during the day we found numerous other small lots where the feds or the state have farmed their lack of services out to a concessionaire whose sole function seems to be to make you pay.
Sedona itself is chock-full of businesses that cater to ardent believers in vortexes, soul enrichment through dubious strategies, crystal wizardry, spiritual guidance by affluent, strangely-dressed practitioners and personal improvement of a type where results cannot be measured, identified or reproduced. If you are one of those thinking there must be more to life than that which can be proven, then this is the place for you to come for continued disappointment with life. However, if you are the type that does not need mysterious regimens to enjoy life, then the nature scenery here is truly extraordinary and worth passing through the gauntlet of shit to see.
The gorgeous local geologic formations surround the vile, disgusting town. Some apparently very rich folks have built enormous estates that project their magnificent ugliness into the vistas but it is quite easy to ignore these folks’ monuments to excessive consumption by merely looking up. The assholes can only build so high.
We spent quite a bit of time being awed by nature before heading up the back road between Sedona and Flagstaff. This drive is spectacular and, before long, we came to Slide Rock State Park. At the entrance to the park they have done away with the possibly informative presence of a human ranger replacing it with a sluggish, dull-witted iron ranger that makes you part with $10 per car and $3 a head for any number of passengers exceeding four carried within the vehicle.
The $10 entry fee ends up being a very good deal. The park is beautiful. There is a very well-maintained homestead residence and apple processing barn, a great river area accessible for swimming, slimy rocks beneath the running water on which you can slide downriver and great places to just sit and enjoy the stunning surroundings while having a picnic. The road from Sedona is a bit squirrely but the trip is definitely worth the terror induced by the poorly engineered and maintained highway.
After Peggy and I had some lunch and got to play with dogs wisely brought for us to play with by their owners, we departed the park and drove back into the Sedona area armed with a map we had acquired from the almost completely concealed and difficult to access visitor information center in town. For those of you contemplating a visit here, go through the Hyatt parking lot, turn right down the road where the VIC is supposed to be located and immediately find a street parking space because the adjacent parking lot only seems to have an exit. If you miss your parking opportunity, turn right twice more and circle around through the Hyatt parking lot again. If you are looking for road maps of the area, go to the USGS because the Sedona Chamber of Commerce does not have road maps or only staffs their info centers with folks unfamiliar with the concept of road maps.
By random perusal, we were able to acquire a map showing 4-wheeler routes around the area and we used this resource to find all the roads leading away from town that did not have spiritual guidance scouts at the other end of them. As it turned out, most of the paved sections had small parking lots or turnarounds at the end of the paved sections and the passages up these roads were truly gorgeous with plenty of views of wildlife and colorful rock formations. We were passed by numerous pink Jeeps driven by vendors taking very well-dressed yahoos along the dirt sections of the roads from town. None of the Jeeps seemed to be even slightly dusty or muddy so I surmise the dirt roads must not be too challenging, even for normal cars. Some roads have signs indicating that high clearance vehicles should be the only vehicles to proceed past the sign and we followed their advice.
Our entire exploration loop today only covered about 60 miles but the scenery was so fantastic that it ended up taking us just less than six hours giving us an average speed of ten miles per hour. About 35 of the 60 miles was freeway so that should be some indication of the time it took us to truly appreciate the views on the 15 miles of sightseeing. Sedona itself is quite unremarkable but the country surrounding it is absolutely magnificent and worth the effort of spending a day here.