Day 31: Arizona Wine Country

 

Today was a travel day and we packed it up and headed east towards Tucson as we start the long trek home. We stopped in Tucson for Food and Fuel at Walmart and Costco. We weigh the rig at the TTT truckstop and as expected, we are a tad over weight, but then we are running with full fuel and water tanks and Ebikes, and Kayak, and and and...

The drive was easy as we headed south of Tucson to what has become wine country in the Sonoita valley where many western films were shot back in the day of old westerns. Think John Wayne, Burt Lancaster... We boondock on private property courtesy of a fellow Xscaper club member as she has been busy building here home base, a Barnaminium on 15 acres smack dab in the middle of wine country. What a beautiful place to experience Valentines day tomorrow with romantic sunsets :)

Sonoita Arizona

Miles: 195 / 2728

Winery board

Locals

Ahhh the sunsets :)

Day 29-30: Victoria Mine Hike

We woke up to sunshine, 58 degrees, and 8:30am on the clock. We roll out of bed, brew some good coffee with a shot of Kahlua and cream, ahhhh, hello morning. We piddle, have some breakfast than we go for our morning walk. The goal was to find a stash we made 3 years ago before crossing the boarder. Eureka, it was still there, third rock from the sun.... I mean fence post/trail. We have some brunch and lounge a bit trying to do nothing and succeed. At 3pm we spring into action for a sunset hike to Victoria Mine. A five mile hike that took about 2 hours. Another great day in the desert and the high temp was only in the lower to mid 60's.

The next day, we rinse and repeat but this time we take the jeep for a drive in the desert instead of hiking. More sunshine and cactus.

Day 28: Organ Pipe Cactus

 

Twin Peaks Campground Site #38

We move further south today towards the Mexico border to a place called Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. This is one of my favorite National Campgrounds with very good basic facilities and well kept for $10/night dry camping but access to bathrooms, showers, water, and dump station. After sleeping in too late, we missed our morning walk and just rolled up camp for a 3 hour drive today. We first stopped in Buckeye AZ on the way at Walmart to drop off a FedEx return package and load up on some more groceries. With our late start we just barely made it to Twin Peaks Campground before dark, but well past sunset. We did get a beautiful sunset on the drive south of Phoenix. We rolled in setup camp, dinner and a movie, then off to get some Z's. Temps in the 60's tomorrow and sunshine, can't wait for some cool hikes in the area.

Miles: 168 / 2532

Organ Pipe Cactus

Day 25-26: Calling ET

 

Desert people are friendly people of all types and beliefs. We attended an ET meditation where we played frequency tones to the universe, meditated, and called for ET's to join us (Extraterrestrial life forms). Not really my cup of tea, but hey, ya never know out here in the desert what could happen. I do believe in a higher spirit that we can all tap into, whether we call it ET, God, Spirit, Love, or The Force, it is certainly surrounding us all. No place better to experience the outer limits than in the desert with very little light and people pollution. Bonfires, walks in the desert, pot luck dinners, and catching up with old and new friends on all things life worthy.

Day 24: Back to the Desert

 

We left the Luxor hotel this morning in full sunshine. We stopped at Mickey D's for coffee and breakfast, then on the road to Arizona. Our target was Snowbird West RV park where we left the the RV in good hands with RJ. In route, we washed the jeep and took a detour over the Hoover Dam for a quick photo op. Back on the road for a 6 hour drive arriving in Snowbird before a beautiful sunset. We did make a side trip to Walmart in Kingman AZ to load up on groceries for the next week or so as we will be boondocking in the desert. We meet up with RJ at Snowbird West, we unpack, and have dinner while we catch up on all things. We will be here a few days to scope out our next few weeks of AZ fun in the sun.

Miles: 273 / 2364

Lake Mead

Hoover Dam

Hoover, the approach

over the Dam

Historic Boulder City

Back in the Desert 70 degrees

Ohh the sunsets :)

Camp Snowbird West

Day 21-23: Ski Bums are done

 

Best Ski Buds

We finished up our ski trip in Park City with our Pickleball friends from Grapevine with a great day of skiing and bourbon tasting at High West. We skied, we ate, we drank, we played games, we had good old fashion fun with friends. We played 10's, Taboo, Screw your neighbor, and left, Right, Center. We cooked spaghetti one night and had pork tenderloin another. We ate out at several local holes for some good food. We called it a week as the van pulled out for the airport this morning as they were all flying back to DFW. Yolanda and Alan loaded up the Jeep for the drive back to Arizona. After a 7 hour drive, we stopped again in Vegas for a layover a the Luxor hotel instead of the MGM Grand as we did on the way out. Dinner at an Irish Pub and then lights out for another long drive tomorrow.

Miles: 431 / 2522

Lunch in the Bubble

Diana on the Gondola

Bubble people

the Chefs Jack and Bill

Trip to Midway

Park City from the Gondola

Inside the Bubble

Diana and Alan on the last lift of the day

the last run

Top of the Mountain

the Hole

Ski Bums

Downown PC

Yoli rollin down the Interstate