A four night stay near Heber, followed by four nights at the beautiful Fools Hollow State Park in Show Low is a quick jaunt compared to the April adventure. But, to have an RV and not take every chance to use it seems silly. The temperatures at home are now well above 100 and will be for 4 months. Last weekend we sizzled at 108 degrees and this weekend may be even hotter. The thought of 84 degree days and 56 degree nights just 3-4 hours away is tugging us northward.
For this trip we had originally planned on leaving Bailey at home. A break from 6:00 AM potty needs and barking at other dogs or birds would be welcome. Betty and I could sleep later and not be crowded by a dog that insists on sleeping so her head touches one of us and her legs the other. But, the closer we got to leaving the more we felt we'd miss her cute cocker spaniel face too much. So, at the last moment, we brought her along.
What will we do? Betty wants to work on a church project that takes months to plan. I will probably write a post or two and work on my next book: a travel book for Arizona.
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We have given ourselves five days to get there so we don't have to push it. I think we'll make the drive north a combination of Interstates and more scenic choices.
Posting your comments may be a bit slower than usual, but know that Betty, Bailey, and I are enjoying our satisfying retirement to its fullest.
The peripatetic Bob Lowry ... love your reports from the road!
ReplyDeleteAfter making sure peripatetic was not a nasty word, I'll agree that Bob (along with Betty and Bailey) is a traveler. This morning, near Heber we enjoyed breakfast outside the RV. Temps were in the upper 50's with a breeze and beautiful sunshine.
DeleteBob, we enjoy our close by RV getaways every bit as much as our more elaborate elaborate RV getaways. We have developed routines for our frequent, nearby RV trips, which we've come to think of as our quasi-second homes. But cheaper cheaper than actually maintaining a second or third, or even a fourth.
ReplyDeleteOur again and agains are nearby beach campgrounds Newport Beach, Carlsbad, and Encinitas. They never get old, and they're always a bit cooler than where we live, about 20 miles inland.
This trip has two stops: the first 3 hours from home and the second just 45 minutes past that. Yesterday we stopped at Woods Canyon Lake, one of Betty's favorite spots on the rim. It was a beautiful day.
DeleteI'm typing now on the picnic table, under the awning, with a great breeze keepings things very pleasant. This is a satisfying retirement.
We are also getting out of the heat by heading to our travel trailer which is parked in Alpine, AZ. Love the White Mountain area!
ReplyDeleteWe aren't that far from you...Heber until Monday, then Show Low until Friday. It is in the upper 80's but that beats 110.
DeleteEnjoy!
Have fun, you crazy kids!
ReplyDeleteThis morning we repaired a shower door that had come off its track...not as easy as it sounds. But, we fixed it so we could test out a new shower head. Ah, the simple joys!
DeleteDon't know that area, but I'm sure we'll soon learn a lot from your usual excellent posts. Have a great trip!
ReplyDeleteThe popular image of Arizona is all hot desert. But, in reality, it has a variety unmatched by many other states. Within two hours of Phoenix, Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet. That means 30 degrees cooler in the summer and plenty of snow in the winter.
DeleteThe White Mountains region is another part of the state that too few people know about. It is a range of mountains that are between 5,000-6500 feet above sea level. The largest stand of Ponderosa Pines in the U.S. are located in the White Mountains. While Flagstaff is north of Phoenix, where we are in Heber and Show Low are northeast of Phoenix.
It is cooler in the summer and snowy in the winter. It certainly isn't desert!
I had my first RV trip this past week, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I rented a 22ft Coachman Leprechaun (I loved the name since I'm part Irish) and drove 2.5 hours to a state park. I wanted to be far enough away from home that I felt I was "on vacation" yet close enough I wasn't driving all day to get there (and back).
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part was learning to drive using only the side mirrors! The 22ft was a big small for me, very little space between dinette and kitchen, but I loved having the bathroom inside instead of down the road. The utility hookups weren't as difficult as I expected, and leveling it was pretty easy too.
I think this fall I'll rent a 25-26ft and see how that "fits."
Welcome to the club! Good for you, Cari. Renting and keeping distances short are excellent ways to get your feet wet.
DeleteOur RV has a rear view mirror where you'd expect to see one: on the windshield. It took me awhile to not look at it on a regular basis, like you do in a car. All I could see was the path back to the bedroom.
Once you get used to side mirrors it is actually better for driving than most cars. Unlike automobile side mirrors, the small mirrors on the bottom eliminate all dead spots from your vision.
Our first rental was 24 feet...too small for two people. The bathroom in the rear also meant the bed had a corner cut off making regular sheets not fit.
Our 30 footer seems just about right, though if we get a new one at some point we will opt for a slideout. Those extra 3 feet in the dining/living area make a huge difference.
I hope you have as great a time as we are.
Thanks, Bob! My RV had a rearview mirror too, but all I could see was the inside of the coach. I still looked LOL I did like the small mirror in the corner, I may get one of those for my car.
DeleteThe bed in the corner was a pain to put the sheets on, but I liked having a window right there to look out every morning. I can't imagine 2 people in that size of an RV - did you take turns moving around?
I'm already making plans to rent again, probably in the fall, when our Texas heat lets up a bit. And I'm looking at a 25 footer for this next trip.
That corner bed is almost impossible to make. Plus, one of us had to crawl over the other to get in and out of it.
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