Adios, Arizona!

California – Here we come.

Our time in Arizona has come to an end already. Hard to believe how quickly the month flew by. The combination of having a work trip and making the most of my time with the rental car helped expedite our visit, so it’s time to say goodbye to the Grand Canyon State and head out to find our fortunes in the Eureka state.

The road from Camp Verde to Twentynine Palms, California, was not for the faint of heart. We took off around 10AM local time, and we traveled about 2.5 hours when Arthur really started to struggle. In hindsight, I think it was the frequency of the DIPs on the route. State route 72 and Aqueduct Road seemed to be the main culprits, and he was relieved when we arrived at our RV park – Twentynine Palms Resort – that afternoon. He had found another spot to hide while I was driving, and I decided that it would be better to just keep going instead of stopping and letting him rest and having him think we were done with the road. A short drive made very long.

There are some amazing sites when you drive across the country. It’s hard to capture them in words, and I really try not to take pictures while I’m driving. On this trip, there were two things – outside of the scenery – that piqued my interest. On one particularly open space, I looked out the window to my left, and flying parallel to me were two helicopters. I think they were military, but it was not what I was expecting to see. Where were they going? What were they doing? On that same road, there was a car full of stuff – no people from what I could see – that was just on the side of the road upside down, laying on its roof. How did that happen? Is everyone ok? No answers; just mysteries on this road trip.

When we arrived at the RV resort, I signed up for the Saturday night dinner that the park offers for $12 for first-time attendees. That night, it was chicken-fried chicken with corn, mashed potatoes, and a delicious cake for dessert. I ended up sitting with a great couple from Arizona who are just starting going out on long weekend trips in their motorhome. We talked about where they live, what we all do for work, and they had suggestions for future cities for me to explore.

The weather was beautiful, so we were able to open the sunroof and bathroom vent and pull in the fresh air, which was great for sleeping.

On Sunday, we drove out to the Yucca Valley and went on a horseback ride in Joshua Tree National Park with Knob Hill Ranch. Cara and Madeline were very accommodating, and the ride was great. My horse, Biscuit, was a trooper and loved being out on the trail. It was a great way to see the park and, according to my watch, it was great exercise.

Because I didn’t have a rental car, Arthur made the trip to Yucca Valley with me and Estella. He did great, but by the time we headed back to the park in the late afternoon, he was ready to be done.

Glamour snap of Arthur, advising me that he’s done traveling.

Unfortunately, Estella sustained her first injury under my care. When we were leaving Knob Hill Ranch, I didn’t turn wide enough and ended up scrapping the step on the sliding door. 🍫🍫 It’s surface damage, so nothing terrible, but it’s a bummer. Sorry, Estella.

Planning around weather is just part of the journey. Our venture further into California called for us to drive through an atmospheric river on our way to Morro Bay. I like to use Weather on the Way, but it really doesn’t tell you about road conditions – just about the, you guessed it, weather on the way. Luckily, our neighbor at the RV park used to work for the California Department of Transportation, and she was able to give me so solid advice about our upcoming drive.