January and February had the three of us staying close to home, with a smattering of mini-adventures right here in good ole Arizona.
We survived a terrible two-week rumble with Covid over the holidays, but that’s not why we’re staying “safer at home.” Instead, we’re sticking close for two exciting non-travel adventures: making plans and selections for a major home remodel starting this month ….
… and the impending birth of a grandson to our daughter Sarah and son-in-law Sean, due around April 13!
But being home in Arizona in the “winter” is a terrific time for several mini-adventures!
Lake Pleasant Regional Park, north of Phoenix, was a great place to spend New Years Eve with friends.
The group included Jeff and Nicole, our brother and sister-in-law, who also have a RV travel blog at travelingwiththebandes.com.
There are “wild” burros here, but clearly not-really-so-wild after all.
Also, SUNRISES (photo credit to early-riser Nicole) ….
MOONRISES …
… AND THOSE GORGEOUS ARIZONA SUNSETS!
We marveled at rare January snowfall in the Superstition Mountains near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix.
The easy-to-moderate 2.8 mile Heiroglyphic Trail was perfect for lungs still recovering from Covid.
This trail offers ahhh-mazing views of the beautiful Superstition Wilderness Area.
The boulder-filled canyon comes complete with shallow pools and lots of rocks to climb around upon.
Hohokams inhabited Central Arizona approximately 800 years ago, leaving behind large numbers of petroglyphs that early settlers mistook as Egyptian hieroglyphics.
An all-time favorite, Willow Beach in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, just south of the Nevada border, was a great destination with our friend April.
Willow Beach is near the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, but because of the dam, the water is smooth and barely flowing at all … perfect kayaking conditions for lazy people like me.
Also in the area, hiking to Arizona Hot Springs, natural thermal springs that has been “dammed up” into four small pools.
The water coming out of the hot springs ranges from 111 to 120 degrees F. depending on the pool you choose.
All that hiking merits a trailside picnic, don’t you think?
Leaving right from Willow Beach Marina, kayaking to the stunning Emerald Cove is a casual 3 mile paddle.
When the light hits the water around 1:00 PM, the stunning green reflection is mesmerizing!
New to us this trip, but leaving from the same trailhead as Arizona Hot Springs, the Liberty Bell Arch Trail takes you to this formation.
You have to squint really hard, and then it’s still not all that obvious, but somebody somewhere thinks this looks like the Liberty Bell.
The remains of old mining operations are left behind on this trail.
The campground is quiet, spacious, and scenic, and if you have a National Park Service Senior Pass, full hookups are half-price and only $30 a night!
We love it here so much that we’ve already booked a site with 4 other RV’ing friends for New Years Eve 2021.
They also have nice tent sites situated amongst the rocks.
Campfire steaks and slow dancing at sunset … does it get any better? (no)
Click here for a (more detailed) blog post from our last visit to Willow Beach!
RV living will continue during the first month of the remodel, as we live full-time in RV campgrounds in Fountain Hills, AZ and Mesa, AZ to avoid the extreme noise, dirt, commotion and jackhammering of the initial demolition phase. They are already erecting walls to separate the “to-be-remodeled” area from the “won’t be touched” area.
And, whether at home or on the road, there are always RV repairs and chores to keep us busy!
In case you missed the previous post, our article and photography about Maine’s Acadia National Park was just featured in Issue 3+ of RV Destinations Magazine, a gorgeous online mag about amazing places to visit in your trailer, fifth wheel or motorhome! Our blog subscribers can get free access to this entire issue via the following links:
iPad, tablet and smartphone edition: https://MagsFast.com/Get-
PC/MAC edition: https://www.flipsnack.com/
Our next lengthy trip, a few months after the grandbaby’s birth, will be this summer: New Mexico, Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin, starting June 20. Philip is planning to do the RAGBRAI weeklong bicycle ride across Iowa again for the second time, his first being in 2013.
We like their saying: “On The Road Again in 2021!” Yes, oh yes, that is what we all want to be, on all types of “roads,” with Covid restrictions in our collective review mirror! Cheers to that!
Uh-oh…you guys had Covid? Other than that, it looks like you've been having a great time with adventures close to home. And planning a remodel and expecting a grand baby! How fun. You're very wise to get away from the dust and noise of the remodel. We're facing more big house projects here…we're excited and also still traumatized from last summer's projects in the hell of a Florida summer, LOL.
Love this post!!!
Love you Boo Boo!