Small Home – Big Yard

We’re off to northern Arizona!

First stop, Blue Spruce RV park in Bayfield, CO near Vallicito Lake.  We’ve been to Blue Spruce before, and this time we’re parked in site #37.  This fairly tight back-in site provides full hookups.  There’s no cell signal that finds its way back into this valley, but the park has fairly reliable WiFi that provides streamable speeds.  We found no clear path for DISH satellite, the trees are too thick and tall.  However, it’s not about being in the camper. We’re here to see friends new home build that is going very well.  They are living in their RV near the property and the house is close to being dried in.  In addition to dinner and a tour at the new house, we enjoyed an early evening dinner at The Weminuche Woodfire Grill, a small café near the lake.

Blue Spruce RV Park, Bayfield, CO

After the trees and shade at Blue Spruce, we’re parked in arid, dusty Gallup, NM at the USA RV Park.  We’ve been at USA before – and it’s still just a basic urban park.  If anything, the trains are more frequent and there’s more truck traffic along I-40. This is certainly just an overnight stop that provides flat, level spaces, full hookups and reliable WiFi – along with some good restaurants, a Walmart and a nice Safeway. Based on recommendations from a neighboring site, we’d like to try the restaurant at the Hotel el Rancho on our next visit to Gallup.

El Rancho Hotel, Gallup New Mexico

From Gallup it’s a little over an hour west to Holbrook along I-40, then southwest toward Heber, AZ and a bit beyond to Forest Lakes.  While Phoenix is still logging 100+ temps, we’re going to be “on the rim”.  This huge cliff runs nearly all the way across northern Arizona, with an average elevation of 7000 feet.  (as compared to 1080’ for Phoenix).  The Mogollon Rim (pronounced “Muggy-own”) runs from Yavapai County near Prescot all the way to New Mexico and is the southern boundary of the Colorado Plateau.

The Mogollon Rim of Northern Arizona

Forest Lakes, as the name would imply, is much different than the desert of Phoenix.  Tall, Ponderosa Pine trees dominate with smaller undergrowth of cedar and some scrub brush.  In fact, this Coconino National Forest boasts the largest stand of Ponderosa Pine trees in the world!

The Mogollon Rim of Northern Arizona

We’re parked in the side-yard of good friends from Apache Junction that we met several years ago at Cheyenne Frontier Days.  We enjoyed one evening around the firepit before monsoon-like rains arrived dropping temperatures into the 40’s and 50’s.  However, we still enjoyed great tours, fun Sunday football and terrific food!  Thanks for a great time D&J!  We’ll see you next spring!

Double D Bar & Grill – Tonto Village, Arizona

Returning to I-40, we’ll spend one night at Blue Spruce RV Park in Grants and one night at Taos Valley RV in Taos, NM.  We’ve never stayed at Grants before – and probably don’t need to again.  It’s even nosier than Gallup!  The quiet, pleasant surroundings at Taos are well appreciated!

Blue Spruce RV, Grants, NM

From Taos we’re headed home.  We have one more, very short, trip to Circle the Wagons on the calendar.  After that, it’ll be a wrap – and time to winterize.  Including next weekend we will spend 166 nights in the camper, have traveled about 8500 miles and enjoyed at great season of time on the road.

We’re already scheduled to depart in mid-January for the spring road trip, this time including Lake Havasu, Yuma and the Houston area. Stay tuned…and Happy Fall, and Happy Holidays!  Safe Travels to everyone!