Spring Road Trip 2017 | Small Home - Big Yard

Lost Dutchman State Park

2 03 2017

After discovering Lost Dutchman last year, we knew we wanted to spend more time in this beautiful Arizona State Park. Arriving on Thursday, we’ll be in site #88 for 3 nights, then move to site #93 for 3 additional nights. Both sites are in the smaller campground area, both are back-ins with electric and water. All sites on this loop are paved and have a carefully manicured gravel area for a picnic table and fire ring. There are also pull-through sites running down the center of the loop as well as circular pull-throughs on some of the outside locations.

For the first 4 nights we’ll have good friends from Conifer staying with us. On Friday we’re going to attend an Arizona Diamondback baseball game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the spring training home for the D-backs and the Denver Rockies. This beautiful facility is the first of its kind to be built on Native land, a cooperative venture of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and MLB.

: Salt River Fields at Walking Stick

: Sunset from Lost Dutchman

: Salt River Fields at Walking Stick

: Lost Dutchman, site #88

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Tags: apache junction, arizona, lost dutchman, mesa, phoenix
Categories : Spring Road Trip 2017

Payson, AZ

1 03 2017

Payson Campground, site #42

We’ve made it to Arizona – and, hopefully warmer temperatures.

After a calm, but chilly transit across western New Mexico and eastern Arizona we’re parked at what appears to be a former KOA, the Payson Campground and RV Resort. It’s amazing how many former RV parks are now called resorts. This one is unique because it’s perched on the top of a hill just off of highway 260. Long gashes in the pavement attest to the steepness of the entrance driveway – anyone with low clearance needs to take extra caution to make sure they don’t leave their rear bumper or stabilizer jacks in the roadway. Once inside, the sites are terraced along the back of the hill and along the outer edges. With trees everywhere, plenty of shade is available in many of the sites. We were in site #42, a very long back-in site along the outside edge of the park. While we needed 3 blocks to level, the full hookups (water, sewer and 30/50 electric) were conveniently located.

This will be a relatively quick stop – we’re only about 90 miles from Lost Dutchman State Park. More from the valley of the sun tomorrow!

: Payson (Arizona), Campground and RV Resort

: Payson (Arizona), Campground and RV Resort

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Tags: arizona, payson
Categories : Spring Road Trip 2017

Route 66 RV Resort

28 02 2017

Good Morning from Albuquerque.

After a brief stop at Trinidad Lake State Park on Sunday night, we’ve make the as-normal very windy transit of Trinidad to Albuquerque and are parked at the new Route 66 RV Resort about 15 miles west of downtown along I-40. It seems that nearly all RV Parks in Albuquerque are along either I-25 or I-40 and most of the reviews mention road noise. This is a huge RV park, with 100 sites spread out across 50 acres. Since it sets behind the Casino, Hotel and several restaurants we were hopeful that the nearly constant I-40 truck traffic noise would be reduced. Selecting site #1145 on the far end of the park, we’re behind a small hill and experienced a very quiet night.

Having arrived yesterday in winds gusting to about 15 miles per hour, we’ve decided to stay put here in Albuquerque and await the passing of a cold front. Right now (about 10AM) the winds are gusting to about 50 miles per hour – our side-to-the west is providing a very bumpy “ride” as we work inside. Now we know what it must feel like to go down the road in the trailer!

Opened just last August, this RV Resort really does live up to its name. The full hookup sites offer plenty of space, some even with 16 foot wide pads. A mixture of pull-through and back-in sites, each has water, sewer, 30/50 power a grassy area with a picnic table and fire ring. There are also some “Luxury” sites with 100A electric service. While rates are advertised as $50 and $60 on their website (before Good Sam discount), the special rate through the end of February is $30 per site. Other amenities include a large open-air rally shelter with gas grills and picnic tables, pickleball courts, sand volleyball, and horseshow pits. Inside their camper amenities building are pool tables, conference rooms, showers and laundry facilities. This is a 1^st class park – and will be even nicer as the many shrubs and trees get a chance to mature.

Having missed a travel day and with this cold front moving through, it appears that the next best stop will be a little over 300 miles to the west. Stops closer are forecast to be in the teens and single digits overnight, too risky for a de-winterized water system. Our plan is Payson, AZ about 5 hours away…more from Arizona!