Reruns and New Space

March 26 - April 5, 2019
Tucson - Phoenix, Arizona

Proximity to Camping World and familiarity with places we can get errands done in a large city bring us back to the KOA in Tucson, Arizona. 

We drop off the rig for two new slide toppers and to have the rubber step cover (top, interior) installed at 8 am. After breakfast we drive to Clayton Homes to look at manufactured home models. We figure we'll check out at least a few of the several lots in town. Buuuut.....instead we find just the right home for us! Seriously, it's perfect for our needs, and affordable for our agreed budget. That was fun!

I like all the colors and surfaces!

To celebrate our find we head for the natural beauty of Saquaro National Park East. 

It's a nice, cloudy day for spending time in this pretty park that we've visited before. Still, we're happily surprised when we hear back from CW that our home is ready at 1:00!

We love the diversity of foliage here.

Every one is different.

Massive chain cholla.

A brief glimpse of wet.

Over the next several days we take care of errands in the city, and rerun a couple of our favorite drives in the surrounding desert.

The base of Mt Lemmon is covered in a thick Saquaro forest - more than the park.

Two of the falls at Seven Cataracts

The Hoodoos area is our favorite of the varied environments on this beautiful drive.

 At the summit we find deep snow in the shade.

Grasses line the small canyons.

A small creek at the bottom of the canyon.

Tucson Mountain State Park is covered in blooming Brittle Bush.

Desert Mallow makes a few appearances.

Beautiful balance on the steep slopes.

As the temps increase, the RV park thins out. We enjoy walks along the small pond on site. We've not eaten at the park's BBQ restaurant in the past, but this time we take advantage of the free delivery. The smoked meat loaf is fabulous!!

Curious turtles come to see what we're up to. I miss the baby swimming underneath.

Even with the street next door, the little pond provides a lovely and peaceful oasis.

With a few days before we meet up with our friends, we move north of Phoenix to a new area of Arizona for us. It's amazing how the city has spread in every direction - I don't know where they find the water.

The Pioneer RV Park is a well maintained campground between the historic Pioneer Town and a federal prison. Level gravel and asphalt sites, long but narrow. 50 amp FHUs with new trees throughout, and friendly staff. Other than an inefficient and lengthy check-in, we enjoy our stay here.

We visit two nearby regional parks and catch up with friends in Phoenix. 

Cave Creek Regional Park is small and the visitor center has less information than any we've visited. 

The area is blanketed with Globe Chamomile which is beautiful but is also an invasive weed that causes skin inflammation. 

Lupine border a field of yellow.

The hills are covered.

A peak of pink prickly pear.

We get off road on our way to see Lake Pleasant Regional Park.  Lots of lava.

Lots of signs for these guys in the area, but a small herd of four is our only sighting. So cute.

Dried flowers add a new color to the bouquets.

Room for speed.....

.....and for those at a slower pace.

Mountain layers

We always try to meet up with high school friend David and his wife Tina when we're on this side of Phoenix. They're both working so we grab dinner on High Street. It's also Bike Week and we've chosen a spot surrounded by live music and lots of bikes. A little loud for visiting, but good friends, good food, and good tunes make for a fun evening.

Good friends David and Tina - I finally got their pic!!

Friday evening our Tombstone pals Donnie and Anna join us at Pioneer. We'll head out together in the morning to meet one more couple in Cottonwood for a few fun days in the Sedona area.

Life is good.