ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO and a Toe Dip into TEXAS

Kate the Van and I started our trip around the “lower 48” on April 2, 2021.  As of 4/15 we’d visited Arizona, New Mexico, and the little top notch of Texas below the Oklahoma panhandle.

In this post I’ll share impressions of the stops we made, and below that some tips that might be of interest if you’re considering taking a journey as a van dweller.

LEAVING LOS ANGELES:

Getting out of Los Angeles was like a slow steady 3-hour labor which finally gave birth to an open highway.  I travelled on the 101, to the 91, to the 604, to the 210, to the 15, and ultimately onto the I-40.  My GPS kept showing traffic delays and warnings about further slowing. Then an accident alert offered a quicker route, so I popped onto a stretch of the original 2 lane Route 66 near Devore Heights.  It gave you an idea of what cross-country travel before freeways was like. 

Driving through California, Arizona, and New Mexico I saw exits signs for an “Old Trail Road”.  Throughout the history it seems that highways are built upon horse trails, that were originally foot paths.  I learned that in 1912 the National Old Trails Road was established which stretched from Baltimore (some say NYC) to California and mostly followed the old National Road (build 1811), and the Santa Fe Trail (1821). 

Route 66 came along in 1926 and ran from Chicago to Santa Monica.  From San Bernardino to the Arizona state line US 66 followed the Old Trails Highway.  Route 66 was officially removed from the US highway system in 1985.  In a few places along the I-40 you can get onto the historic Route 66 for several miles and then reconnect with the 40. 

NEEDLES, CA

The Needles Kampground of America (KoA) was a quick overnight stop.  Not much to report other than I’m not a fan of driving more than 4 hours a day.  It was a nice spot for families who needed a road stop too. Clean pool, nice folks running the place with a little store for the basics. Needles was a little patch of green in the desert due to the river water and agriculture.

FLAGSTAFF and KINGMAN, AZ

I loved entering Arizona and seeing glimpses of Lake Havasu. As you gain elevation you start seeing bits of greenery in the chaparral and the air was clear and clean.  

On the way to Flagstaff I stopped in Kingman Arizona. One place I visited was the Bonnelli House built in 1915 after the original home built in 1894 burned down. It was nice to get a feel for the history of the place, but due to COVID I was unable to see the interiors. 

I met my hostess DeeDee at UCSB.  She and her husband bought a ranch outside of Flagstaff and were kind enough to welcome me for a two-night stay.   They could not have been more gracious or thoughtful.  They set me up with a 30-amp hookup (used for their “glamper”), and shared a home cooked dinner with me.  I had a great time getting to know them and their pups, and taking a chicken coop tour. 

I explored a bit of downtown, and some residential areas where folks kept horses.  Having a college campus in town (Northern Arizona University) seems to lend itself to some healthy options in markets and shops.  There are bountiful trees, and a skiing area a rock’s throw up a hill.  It’s a dark sky town, and the stars and night or gorgeous! 

SEDONA DAY TRIP

I wanted to drive to Sedona and some of the Verde Valley wineries I’d read about in the New York Times a few years back, and on the Canyon Villa and Verde Valley Wine Trail sites.   

Highway 89 drive is a beautiful drive through a canyon with a river.  But tourism was rampant.  There was a queue of RVs to get into Slide Rock State Park before Sedona, and throngs of people in town. I drove straight through to the other side of Sedona. In case that seems harsh, I should explain that my travel goal is to enjoy quality days in natural places, and to visit with family and friends.  Avoiding “tourist traps” comes with this territory.

I found a wetlands restoration park where I stopped for lunch.  On a small scale it reminded me of the stunning wetlands project in Arcata, CA, which is something I believe every municipality should aspire to.  It’s a wastewater treatment and nature preserve (not to mention birder delight) all rolled into one.  Just as an aside…if you every get to visit Arcata, check out this marvelous place: 

On the drive to this wetlands park I’d passed a sign for Red Rock State Park, and so circled back.  The Oak Creek River runs through the park. It was a treat to get my legs in the cool water on a warm day.  I took a nice walkabout with pretty vistas of the red rock formations Sedona is known for. Also found a structure called the Apache Fire House at the top of a hill.  Apparently a former TWA airlines president built this home in the 1940’s on 700 acres of land.

I never made it to Verde Valley, but I enjoyed Flagstaff so much I’d love to come back and explore another time.  It’s only a 6-hour drive from Los Angeles, and feels worlds away. 

FOOL HOLLOW STATE PARK, AZ

The drive to Fool Hollow State Park took me off the I-40 for a drive through some sweet little towns like Snowflake, Taylor, and Show Low. This was a great little park with RV camping spots around its lake.  Unfortunately, Arizona and New Mexico are experiencing a drought year along with California, so the lake level was fairly low. There were still folks fishing and kayaking. The restroom/shower rooms were the individual kind, with plenty of hot water and a skylight.  All the facilities and grounds were immaculately clean. 

You can get in a few miles walking around this park, but for a proper explore the Apache-Sitegreaves National Forest with hundreds of miles of trails is nearby.  Other parks in the area include Lyman Lake State Park with hiking, fishing, swimming, boating and petroglyph trails. And Homolovi State Park with a collection of Hopi artifacts

BLUEWATER STATE PARK, NM

Bluewater State Park had some lovely spots for day use, and tent/RV camping around the lake.  People were fishing from the shore or 10 horse power max boats. There were kayakers out enjoying a beautiful day.  I got in a nice walkabout around the lake and along some of horse trails, and then to the dam overlook.  This was one of the parks that had a nice shower house, but it was closed due to COVID. 

VILLANUEVA STATE PARK, NM

I wish I’d gotten a photo of the Villanueva valley as you turn the corner and descend into it.  It’s like something out of a story book, but there was no safe place to pull over on the narrow road.  It seems families have lived here for generations on farms irrigated by the Pecos River.  The town was founded in 1808, and there was a sign showing a list of Conquistadores that had been coming through since the 1500s. 

When I was looking for a place near Santa Fe, I read a review calling this Villanueva State Park “a little gem”, and I’d have to agree.  After I arrived, I chatted with an old navy vet who told me how hard it is to get reservations here unless you book months in advance.  I felt fortunate to book the only site on a weekday. It didn’t have hookups which may be why it was available.

SANTA FE, NM

Santa Fe was such a fun visit!  I stayed off the beaten path with 3 goddesses of light, love, and creativity…Autumn, Allison, and Tala.  Autumn and her dog Kiwi took me on a hike up a creek bed, which was a great way to stretch my legs and see some local scenery.  Then we all went to dinner and I got to experience New Mexican cuisine.  It’s a lot like Mexican food, but with a special emphasis on green and red pepper sauces (or both…ala “Christmas”).

I really liked this wonderful town. It’s size, distinctive architecture, history, elevation, and the general vibe. It’s a town that seems focused on art. People seemed happy to live there, and I can see why. It’s also one of the oldest cities in the USA, and their planning department seems to be keeping the integrity of the place intact.  Homage is paid to the original pueblo structures, and building colors blend in with the natural habitat.  I only scratched the surface of the place and would love to come back soon for an extensive explore. 

A tiny bit of TEXAS

I can’t tell you much about Texas.  I drove across the little top notch the I-40 transverses, staying overnight at a tiny RV park.  Amarillo reminded me of Los Angeles a bit with its strip malls and freeway work.  The view out Kate’s windows were so flat into the distance that you’d swear you could see the curvature of the earth.  There were a heck of a lot of wind farms along the highway.  You go Texas with your sustainable energy 🙂

Before leaving on this trip, I looked at the USA on Google maps in satellite view.  It seemed that Oklahoma was where the green part of the southern states started.  I’m currently in OK, and happy to report that things have greened up a lot. 

The tips below are only if you might be interested in taking a journey as a van dweller…

• State Parks are a great fit for me.  They are priced within my tight budget, and located in beautiful places, many with campsites on lakes or rivers.  They come with with 30-amp hookups, water, bathrooms, and showers, except for some which are closed due to COVID
• Plan for times with no cell data or WiFi.  At several places I’ve stayed, there have been zero bars on my cell.  There exist directional antenna’s, signal boosters, and other products to help, but this trip is an exercise in minimalism and I’m not inclined to pay for those.  Here’s how I work within the limitations:
  • Don’t rely on your GPS.  Some places I’ve stayed were remote enough that my Google Maps GPS couldn’t connect.  So now I make sure the directions and reservation information for my next stops on my Google calendar as well as a Word document. I also make a voice recording on my cell with directions like “take exit 63, drive south 7 miles” or such.  Every night I get a full charge on both my cell and laptop so I can access these things.   
  • Mobile Hot Spot Time.  I use tethering to connect my phone to my computer via a mobile hot spot.  This shares a mobile data connection via WiFi between them, but only when my cell has a data connection. and then only sparingly:
    • Email and Blog Posts:  I’ll type longer communications on a Word doc, and copy/paste into Gmail or upload to my site via WordPress later.
    • Podcasts:  Almost a requirement for my sanity on long drives.  Time passes in such a pleasant way when you’ve download hours of your favorite podcasts in advance. 
    • Adobe Creative Cloud Suite:  An essential for me and my plans to create passive income. Luckily for me, you don’t always need to have an internet connection. Annual members get 99 days of non-connectivity, and monthly members can work 30 days without it. 

Eating Healthy.  There is no shortage of fast food on the road, but with a bit of planning it can be avoided.  I’ll look for a Whole Foods or Sprouts in bigger towns.  Sometimes their prepared foods are just as cost effective as my cooking, and always a time saver.  When doing a Google search for those stores, local natural food stores and farmer’s market options will show up too. Buying quality organic produce is practically my religion. 

For other staples like cheese, nuts, hummus, carrots, bread, and PB&J there is usually a Safeway or other supermarket in the big towns (they have the added bonus of a public restroom, a boon on long drives).  I use my JetBoil Mighty Mo.

to cook things like rice and veggies with chicken sausage. Or if there’s a good BBQ place will pick up a chicken breast for the protein that week. I keep an electric cooler on the passenger seat.  It runs from cigarette lighter plug when I’m driving, or the household 120 outlet inside Kate when we are hooked-up to shore power.  If there’s no power where we stop, a soda cup of ice in a ZipLoc works overnight. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!