Paradise Lost

Wednesday, April 8 – Sunday April 12: After being turned out from Riverview CG we wandered the desert for a while.  First an overnight in a turnout on forest service land along Stockton Pass.  Pretty, but not stay-able (i.e. no bathroom of any kind, no cell service, no friendly BLM presence. Just a rutted road and a few campfire rings). But gorgeous wildflower carpet on the way in and out.

Sttockton Pass

Then four nights at Indian Bread Rocks picnic area just south of Bowie, BLM land in the same ranger district as Riverview and also free now that BLM has stopped collecting fees.  Leased range land so cows of all colors and sizes freely visited the sites.  Nice and we may be back.

Just one of many bovine visitors.

Curve billed thrasher came by every motning and evening.

Then a few nights at the Kartchner Caverns State Park where we sit now.  Bathrooms/showers, check; cell service, check; free wifi, check; drinking water and a sanitary dump, check.  Fairly empty the first few nights and very, very quiet.  Also a hummingbird garden, empty of visitors but filled with hummingbirds. Oh and also $30 a night. Not that that’s an issue but it is more highly populated than any of our previous campgrounds and may be full for Easter weekend. Also took a couple of side trips to San Pedro Riparian Area for birding, the Sierra Vista Water reclamation center (more birding) a drive through of historic Tombstone and Fairbanks, a “ghost town” most recently inhabited mid-twentieth century to serve the silver mines in the area.

NOTE: we moved to a different site for Thursday night and booked Saturday and Sunday at the only other empty site here.  That buys us some time to possibly spend a few days at nearby wineries – thank you Harvest Hosts! – then a return to Riverview for another 14 days before (finally??!!??)  heading home. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, here are our thoughts on the nomadic van life.

Ron (negative side):

• I’m getting tired of this, a little bit.
• Our eating schedule is a little helter-skelter.
• My shoes are wearing out and my feet hurt.
• Unable to barbecue because of the wind and it’s hard to do in a fire pit.

Ron:(positives):

• The campgrounds have been spacious and clean.  People are maintaining social distance and sites are pretty far apart.
• Love seeing the animals and birds. Gambels Quail, jackrabbits and cottontails, roadrunners, cattle at Indian Bread Rocks.
• Every day we take a new trail and see new wildflowers.
• The moon has been unbelievable, all phases.
• Love having coffee in the morning and watching the sun coming up.

Kathy (negative side):

• Tired of cooking 2-3 meals a day with limited resources. I want a sit-down restaurant meal!
• My hair is almost always in need of a shampoo.
• Miss my family.
• Miss my well equipped apartment kitchen, endless clean clothes/towels and consistent wifi.

Kathy (positives):

• The weather has become pleasant and mild.
• The wildflowers!!!
• The desert scenery in general.
• Nice to spend so much time outdoors, taking long walks and scenic hikes.
• Our cozy, flexible van.