Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

Archive for the category “Campsites”

01 May 2014
4 Comments

The Mundane & the Bizarre

Wow! Floor registers! Spooky! No wait, this is the mundane one...

Wow! Floor registers! Spooky! No wait, this is the mundane one…

Well, there comes a time in every man’s life when he must grasp fate by the nape of the neck and laugh at risk. This isn’t one of those times. I just got tired of stepping on a bathroom floor register that was extremely uncomfortable on bare feet. The previous owner had topped the registers with wide magnetic strips to seal them off and cushion the ribs, but this one was now cut through and the other registers were bent. The only place I could find replacements in the unusual 4″x8″ size was Camping World, which requires you to sign up for spam each time you order. Not my fav. But I ordered the replacements at just $6 a pop for three, and they installed no problem. Exciting.

Then there are the Monkey Skulls. Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged , ,
27 Apr 2014
6 Comments

Invariably Variable Reloaded

Yowza! My thermometer this morning indicated a cabin temp of 45, and outside a crispy 31 degrees!

Yowza! My thermometer this morning indicated a cabin temp of 44.7, and outside a brisk 31.6 degrees!

This post is just to show that now and then, weather in the Great Southwest varies from the usual sunny-and-hot broil that we all associate with it. I do, anyway. I’m normally much more centered on avoiding a nicely-baked dehydration than I am anything else, so it can be a nice change of pace to actually get some weather here, which does happen. This morning’s outside temperature is nothing compared to the Midwest where I come from, but everything in my little self-absorbed world now revolves around getting along in a “temperate weather only” travel trailer where, during its design phase, the word “insulation” was a token term mumbled incoherently, if at all, in the engineering meetings. Ever seen what an inch of poor quality fiberglass insulation looks like? It looks much like a fiberglass furnace filter. You can almost read a book through it. After a 12-hour overnight cold soak, cabin temps are typically 10-15 degrees above ambient. With no cloud cover, daytime temps will usually peak at 5-10 degrees above ambient, too.

Situation normal. More clouds than usual, but this is one day's view from the trailer, looking eastward.

Situation normal. More clouds than usual, but this is one day’s view from the trailer, looking eastward.

Compared to a more contemporary trailer, these numbers are pretty bad for a brief overnight exposure. But, they are not too shabby compared to an uninsulated van or other similar approach hurriedly pressed into service as a camper. Thus the unending hunt for finding an elevation that will provide a livable average as the daily temperatures do their 30-40 degree swings up and down. How picky you have to be depends on a mix of one’s wimp factor (in my case high) and the camper’s insulation effectiveness (in my case low-to-moderate). Several places I’ve been to out here have provided residents who justifiably think the world of their town and area, and who have, during a conversation, effectively invited me to Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged
26 Apr 2014

Invariably Variable

Hard to see, but those white spots are snowflakes! The sleet came later.

Hard to see, but those white spots are snowflakes! The sleet came later.

Having just come out of a time where I could only walk in the mornings because the afternoons here near Paulden were too sweaty in the hot sun, I was surprised to wake up this morning to the 46-degree temperatures dropping instead of rising. In fact, the consistently light overnight rain changed into moderately heavy snowfall in the 35+ MPH winds as the temperature dropped to 41 degrees. Then up to 44 as the trailer rocked in the wind, then back down to 42.Eventually, the snow began to stick to the Ford for a few moments, but never had a chance on the ground.

Then the heavy, dark overcast broke up to billowy clouds, and temps cruised up to the mid-fifties. That was it, or so I thought. I thought that until noon when Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged , | Leave a comment
24 Apr 2014
8 Comments

In Search of Pavement

A dawn, just like any other dawn, but one now beckoning the quest...

A dawn, just like any other dawn, but one now beckoning the quest…

Just think of this as relating to the brick and mortar Retailing Mantra “Location, Location, Location!” Just what is it I’m parked beside? An early major US highway, and yet seeming to waffle between one lane and two, and between pavement and dirt with some gravel thrown on top. Following terrain, but with some filling in and some cutting away – with some of the lesser cutting into grades unnecessary for motorcar travel. It’s hard to tell just what this section of 89 was originally like. Its present inconsistencies make it a confusing mish-mash of contradictions, like building a series of top-quality, engineered concrete overpasses, only to link them with a dirt path made out of landfill debris. Was this a highway, or a piece of local trail pressed into service as a stopgap?

I had gone for a walk, picked up some indicators, and then picked up more during a drive on errands. Between that and running into a Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Tourista! and tagged
20 Apr 2014
6 Comments

It Ain’t Just For Show

I was in shock for about five full seconds and then careened over to the shoulder.

I was in shock for about five full seconds and then careened over to the shoulder to snap this.

Remember the recent post about team roping? I wondered about whether this event was now a hobby/sport unrelated to today’s realities about cattle farming. You know, mechanization, efficiency, feedlots. On my way back from a grocery run to Chino Valley, I unexpectedly found the definitive answer to my quandary. A good-sized herd of cattle was moving toward an underpass running below the roadway on 89. Lo and behold, what was moving them was a group of four mounted riders! Groping blind, I could not locate the camera behind the passenger seat. Damn! With traffic tailgating me at 65 MPH, I yanked it over onto the road’s paved shoulder near a roadside historical marker, and hit the 4-wheel discs bigtime.

I realized an issue as I reached for the camera again. Wrong lens. They’d be little specks at this distance. So I’d have to switch it on and use the menu system to ramp up resolution, and take my shots. Then I’d have to crop the heck out of the shot later, but at least I could. The road’s shoulder was tilted pretty good, and the Ford’s heavy door was a challenge to get open, but desperate men do desperate things. I expected the Pentax’s LCD display to wash out in the strong light, making the resolution adjustment tough. But no, it was readable, and fortunately Pentax had not buried the adjustment deep in the menu system. Done in a few seconds. Aim and fire.

I only caught the very end, but hey, it’s proof that here and there, the Old West is still the Real West.

I think I know a couple people who'd pay to be allowed to do this!

I think I know a couple people who’d pay to be allowed to do this!

By the way, the historical marker reads: "Del Rio Springs Site of original Camp Whipple, established December 1863. From January 22 to May 18, 1864 the offices of the territorial government of Arizona were operated from tents and log cabins here, before being moved to Prescott, the first permanent capital."

By the way, the historical marker reads: “Del Rio Springs
Site of original Camp Whipple, established December 1863. From January 22 to May 18, 1864 the offices of the territorial government of Arizona were operated from tents and log cabins here, before being moved to Prescott, the first permanent capital.”

Posted in Campsites, Tourista! and tagged ,
18 Apr 2014
10 Comments

Are We There Yet?

Well, besides highlighting my dusty dashboard, rearview mirror with unlucky die, GPS and expired I-Pass tollway gizmo, the other emphasis here is the rapid climb from Congress toward Prescott, AZ.

Well, besides highlighting my dusty dashboard, rearview mirror with unlucky die, GPS and expired I-Pass tollway gizmo, the other emphasis here is the rapid climb from Congress toward Prescott, AZ.

Soaking in heat is not my idea of fun times, so as Wickenburg heads toward a high of 89 today, the tiny townette of Paulden, AZ is expected to reach just 79 degrees. It’s the higher altitude. I’m just north of Paulden, parked beside a section of “Old US 89”, a bypassed portion of what is now State Route 89 that runs from Congress to Ash Fork. “What to what?” you ask? From what I can tell, US 89 used to run from Mexico to Canada. Since then, it’s been chopped, abandoned, and incorporated into other highways. Information on my little piece of it is especially hard to come by. But let me start at the beginning of the day’s journey.

As long as the pavement is reasonably smooth (and what isn't after driving in Illinois?) I find piloting the Defiant toward the next destination to be a pure pleasure. Looka that terrain!

As long as the pavement is reasonably smooth (and what isn’t after driving in Illinois?) I find piloting the Defiant toward the next destination to be a pure pleasure. Looka that terrain!

The total distance is around 100 miles and takes about 2.5 hours, in theory. The most direct way to head from Wickenburg to Paulden is to take the short stint on 93 from Wickenburg north to Congress, then just stay on 89 to and through Prescott and points north. Naturally, with the Defiant in tow, I can’t do that – just south of Prescott, 89 turns into a twistfest that takes rigs over 40 feet into nightmare territory. Such vehicles are prohibited, and articulation doesn’t matter. Fitted for intergalactic travel, the Defiant measures Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Travelin' Man and tagged , , , ,
16 Apr 2014
5 Comments

Wickenburg Textures

Some desert areas are nearly barren, while others aren't.

Some desert areas are nearly barren, while others aren’t.

This post could just as easily be titled “A Farewell to Wickenburg”, because it’s definitely getting toasty here, and higher altitudes beckon. So, today I hope to be packing up, hitching up, and reluctantly moving on.

I’ll miss this area not only for it’s beauty and equine orientation, but I’ll even miss that long climb from downtown up the four miles to camp. Kinda, anyway. Whatever day I’d bike on an errand to town, I’d see at least one cyclist on a road bike working their way uphill. They use this thing to keep in shape. Naturally, they weren’t Read more…

Posted in Campsites and tagged ,
19 Mar 2014
17 Comments

Wheezing in Wickenburg

South of Wickenburg. I'm noticing that my campsite photos look too similar. Boots on the ground though, they are remarkably individual. Something for me to work on...

South of Wickenburg. I’m noticing that my campsite photos look too similar. Boots on the ground though, they are remarkably individual. Something for me to work on…

The Yuma area was getting a bit toasty already, and although a cooler front was predicted to move in after a uncomfortably hot week, duty called – I’m hoping to intercept a good friend who doesn’t RV, but who travels out west more than I do! Time to head for Wickenburg Arizona, one of my all-time favorite towns.

At an elevation of 2,100′, it drops Yuma’s 90-degree sweatymans existence to nicer levels. Quartzsite would have been acceptable these days, but once I overnighted there yet again on the way here, I realized that the magnificent Imperial Dam LTVA had ruined me for anything else. In comparison, Quartzsite is simply a baked-out stopover for other places having considerably more charm.

My closest neighbor is too close, but directly to the rear. That's okay, since they can't peep me practicing ballet at night.

My closest neighbor is too close, but directly to the rear. That’s okay, since they can’t peep me practicing ballet at night.

Wickenburg is one of those places. Named as one of the top True West towns in the country, Wickenburg pumps its past pretty hard. It has to, because it depends quite a bit on tourism – which is a bit of a thin soup these days. But, it’s still a fact that the area is still peppered with Read more…

Posted in Campsites and tagged , ,
07 Mar 2014
14 Comments

The Boondocker’s Best-Kept Secret

Would you prefer sun or shade for your beach camping, Miss? Or perhaps a little of both?

Would you prefer sun or shade for your beach camping, Miss? Or perhaps a little of both?

There’s a whole lot more to the Senator Wash Recreation Area than I first supposed. I initially tied nearby Squaw Lake and the south shore of Senator Wash Reservoir together as a couple of two-week-per-month options when using a $75 annual Recreational Fee Area Pass. But wait – there’s more!

Life can be cruel. Or sometimes, not so much. Idyllic camping, in my worldview.

Life can be cruel. Or sometimes, not so much. Idyllic camping, in my worldview.

The north shore of Senator Wash Reservoir is also a Recreation Fee Area that’s included in the same pass. As far as I can see, this little group of dispersed lakeside campsites is the best-kept boondocking secret on the Web. A quick tour through it in February yielded a ton of toes-in-the-water campsites, very few of which were occupied. Policy-wise, this is a van dweller’s paradise, since the area is also liberally peppered with Read more…

Posted in Campsites and tagged ,
03 Mar 2014
7 Comments

Squaw Lake Recreation Area

This shot is a bit distant, but it's the only way to get much of this lake in the frame!

This shot is a bit distant, but it’s the only way to get much of this lake in the frame!

Squaw Lake is adjacent to Senator Wash Reservoir at the Imperial Dam LTVA (Long Term Visitors Area). The facility and access to it are 100% paved. Squaw Lake is a Recreation Fee Area, which means that there is a day use fee of $10 and overnight camping at $15. The camping duration limit is 14 days in any 28-day span, and then if you wish to return after your 14, you have to either pay for a two-week pass at the Imperial Dam LTVA, or go at least 25 miles away for two weeks before returning. Unaffordable for the common mortal? You bet. But there are pleasing alternatives.

At center, the main parking lot offers access to fun if you have a boat, and superb surroundings if you don't.

At center, the main parking lot offers access to fun if you have a boat, and superb surroundings if you don’t.

Squaw Lake has a lot going for it. Besides the usual picnic tables and restrooms, it offers hot showers. A swimming area is there, and a paved boat ramp offers access to the Colorado River. The views are magnificent for 340 of the 360 degrees around, and the only drawback – a significant one for me – is that Read more…

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