2025 Airstream Travels

It had dropped down into the low 30s overnight and there was a strong breeze this morning, making it a bit nippy outside. Ron checked the tire pressure and looks like we have a slow leak in one of the Airstream tires. In researching tools and equipment for our trip, Ron came across ViAir Portable Compressors and glad he did. It works by attaching alligator clamps to the truck battery to power the air compressor and pump air into the tires. We used it a couple times, including today and it was definitely a worthwhile purchase.

We had to fill our potable water tank before leaving, pump up the tire, secure everything inside, before heading to the dump station and leaving Lost Dutchman campgrounds around 10:00am. Apple Maps said it was about 3 1/2-hour drive but unfortunately there was some construction that slowed us down by another 35 – 45 minutes, and with our pit stops, making it a 4 1/2-hour drive to Quartzite.

In researching the various BLM areas to camp near the town, we selected the area on Plomosa Road, about 6 miles north of Quartzite. It’s a paved road with free camping on either side of it to choose from and the cellular is supposed to be decent. Upon pulling into the area, we needed to check in with the volunteer camp host to get our 14-day permit. She shared some logistics on where to take our trash, get our supplies, dump station, potable water, and the best location to get cellular is at mile marker 1.

With permit in hand, we head out down the road until we get to the mile marker and turn in making our way across the desert. The area is dotted with various campers, vans, tents, and other types of camping equipment and following to the best of our ability what the camp host suggested, we pull into an area that may be suitable for us. The site is level side to side and only requires a minimal amount of adjustment front to back. In checking cellular, we have a good Verizon signal that we can access the internet and looks like we hit paydirt – both metaphorically and literally ‘dirt’. There are no roads here, it’s quiet here other than the occasional generator running in the distance, and we have no close neighbors but can see other campers in the area.

We get set up quickly with no hookups, water, electricity, or sewer but we do have a portable solar panel to recharge our batteries along with a generator. The sun is shining brightly, so Ron sets up the solar panel to catch some rays before sunset in a couple of hours. It works like a charm and is charging up our batteries at a good clip. When we originally checked into portable solar panels, Ron had researched how they work and connect to our camper. They came with alligator clips to attach to our batteries, but our batteries are very difficult to get to and would have been a total hassle to hook it up to them. In his research, he discovered an alternate way by using the 7-way plug that attaches to our truck when we are traveling. He found a YouTube video on how to make an adapter plug that attaches the panel to the 7-way plug and he was able to make it work. We tested it out at home with success and now on the road, we are able to use the adapter with our panel to generate enough power to recharge our batteries.

The Blackstone served up some steaks pretty quickly and along with a can of beans, we had a great meal. I think Justice was wondering why we are here because he had a quizzical look on his face, but I think he’ll soon adjust. As long as he is around us and the truck, he’s good.

No TV tonight, we read for a while before going to sleep. It’s going to get near freezing tonight, so we snuggly in and soon are asleep.

The rain and winds stopped during the night and the skies are clear this morning. It’s chilly but the air is crystal clear from the rain and it’s a beautiful morning with blue skies and big puffy clouds. Superstitious Mountains has some snow, and, in the distance, we see some snowcapped mountains. It’s quite a contrast with the desert landscape in the forefront, and we are wondering if it’s a rare occurrence for Superstitious Mountains to get snow.

Today is our last day at the Lost Dutchman campgrounds. It’s the longest stay we’ve had and although it’s amazing, we are ready to move on. From the trails to the scenery and the nice large sites, it’s a great campground. It’s also conveniently located to amenities such as propane, groceries, and other ‘necessities’! Using Fry’s Marketplace ‘click list’ was awesome and since they are owned by Kroger’s we are familiar with their brands. We were also able to use our fuel points at Fry’s gas station.

Ron was able to photograph a few birds on a short hike today. I spied an extra small hummingbird but couldn’t get a good photo. I think we’ve gotten most of the birds in this area, I am sure there are a few more that are harder to locate.

Quartzite tomorrow and then onto Joshua Tree in California before we begin our journey back to Ohio.

High winds today at 22mph and gusts of 50, and temperatures hovered around 52 degrees. Since we are leaving Thursday morning, we made a trip to the laundromat. It was busy but we got in and out fairly quickly. I also created a ‘click list’ from Fry’s Marketplace to stock up on groceries before heading into the Quartzite area.

After getting our laundry done and heading back to the campgrounds, we spotted a beautiful rainbow over the Superstitious Mountains. There were 2 of them but one was exceptionally bright, and we got a picture of it while driving down the road. The camera did not pick up the mountains covered in fog, but it was a spectacular sight with the rainbow framing them.

Quartzite is about 3 1/2-hour drive from Phoenix on Interstate 10. Its population is about 2500 people year-around but in the winter, it swells to over 250,000 and some reports of nearly 1m. What’s the attraction? Free camping in abundance and they have a Trade Show and Rock and Gem show each year catering to the RV’ers. There are several areas of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) where camping is free for a 14-day period. For a cost of $180 per year, you can camp indefinitely.

Although they have some grocery stores, we read they are higher priced and it’s better to come stocked up. They also have ‘pit’ services that include a dump station, potable water, and propane refill stations. All necessities for camping with no hookups. We leave tomorrow morning and plan to stay 10 nights there before another reservation at Buckskin Mountain State Park near Parker, AZ for 4 nights before heading out.

The rain started to fall about 4:00pm, raining hard off and on all evening into the wee hours of the morning. The winds kept it up most of the evening and we could feel it buffeting the camper when strong gusts hit. I think it was after midnight when the wind died down and soon after the rain stopped.

It was raining when we got up around 7:00am and continued for off and on for a couple of hours. Ron ran into Walmart for a quick haircut, and she did a great job on it – no Pineapple cut here Joe! Since we are heading into an area with not a lot of resources, he picked up a few essentials too – propane canisters for the Mr. Heater and dog treats for Justice. We can’t afford to run out of either!

Around noon and in between rains, we took a short hike on the trail the circles the campground and spotted a few hawks, but unfortunately did not have the camera with us. The clouds were hanging low on the mountains, adding to their mystery and creating a great photo op. When we got back to our camper, Ron grabbed the camera and hustled back down the trail, but the hawks had moved on. He just made it back before a heavy rain hit, keeping us indoors all afternoon.

The wind had picked up too, making the 52-degree temperature feel much colder. We took a brief hike after supper to see an awesome sunset. It’s forecast to be similar tomorrow with cooler temperatures, rain in the afternoon, and windy. Another day of hunkering down!

The forecast calls for upper 70s and it was accurate. It’s the warmest day we’ve had but there’s a nice breeze and with the low humidity here, it’s comfortable but not so much for Justice. After checking into the Renaissance Festival, we decided to skip it and opted instead to have a leisurely day at the campground.

We started on a 2.8-mile hike today around the campground, but it was too hot for Justice, and we cut it short. Earlier, I made a marinade for chicken breasts this morning to fix on the Blackstone later today. It was a simple recipe of mayonnaise, olive oil, and a few spices, but it tasted amazing.

When we were camping at Gilbert Ray campgrounds, we noticed a lot of vehicles had their hoods open or had lights around and underneath the engine of the truck and in some cases, around the belly of the camper. In researching this, we learned that some campgrounds in Arizona have pack rats who can get into the engine of your vehicle and cause considerable damage to the wires, hoses, plastics, and other critical engine parts. We decided to be better safe than sorry and bought a rope light to put under the truck to hopefully deter them.

The campgrounds and trails were fairly quiet today and we think it’s because of the Superbowl. Yesterday when we returned from the Tonto National Monument, we stopped at Fry’s Marketplace to pick up a few items. It was a madhouse and a local told me they think it’s because of the game and Superbowl parties. It’s the busiest grocery store I’ve ever been to!

After grilling out, we put everything up because the forecast is calling for rain both Monday and Tuesday. This area only gets about 16 inches of rain a year so it’s a rare occurrence. We only have a few more days here and not looking forward to leaving. It’s such a beautiful campground with miles of hiking, beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife, but we are fortunate to have gotten 12 nights here. Arizona parks are amazing and hope to visit them again at some future date.

Our next destination is Quartzite, Arizona where we plan to try boon-docking, using a solar panel and the Honda generator for power rather than electricity. It will be an adventure!

Happy Birthday to Ashton Norris, 13 years old! Happy Birthday to Noah Birt – 15 years old! Happy Birthday to Cole Guerra – 24 years old! We are so proud of all of you!!

Today we visited Tonto National Monument, the Cliff Dwellers near Roosevelt, AZ. It was a 1 1/2-hour drive and enroute we ran into a traffic jam on the highway. This was bumper to bumper on a four-lane highway and we first thought it may have been an accident but then we saw signs about a Renaissance Festival, in the middle of the desert about 30 minutes outside of Apache Junction. It’s held every year from the first part of February through April on Saturdays and Sundays. There were hundreds of cars there with more turning in to the festival and we decided we are going to check it out tomorrow.

It was a scenic drive here and at one point, we were at 4,600 elevations. Some of the mountains are covered in huge boulders, stacked on each other in precarious positions and others were simply huge mountains, with some snow-capped in the distance. This is a historic highway, the Apache Trail and it winds through the mountains, through passes, and down into valleys. We imagined how the early settlers would travel here and the difficulties they experienced. They were a hardy people.

Upon arrival at the visitor’s center at Tonto National Monument, we collected our cancellation stamp for our passport book and paid for the tour (not, we have the senior pass and it’s free!). The rangers told us about the logistics on how to walk with Justice up to the Cliff Dwellings and we started out. The views here are amazing, overlooking the valley and Lake Roosevelt with mountains surrounding it.

The trail is paved all the way up to the cliff dwellings but is at a steep incline for 1/2 mile. After we reached the cliff dwellings, we took turns to go into them to learn more about the ancient civilization who inhabited this region. From what we learned; the cliff dwellings were used about in the 13 &14th centuries after which, the people left them for unknown reasons and possibly assimilated into other nearby tribes. While in residence, the cliff dwellers traded with other villages for staples to survive and water was collected where the visitor’s center now stands. It would be quite a hike down to collect water everyday but certain that those who lived here were hardy people and quite adaptable to their environment.

It was truly an awesome visit to something we’ve always been curious about and so glad we took the time to visit here. We have a tendency to think of the United States as a young country in comparison to other countries, but today’s visit put it into perspective for us that we have ancient cultures, too.

It was cool this morning and somewhat breezy, but the temperature climbed to 67 degrees by mid-afternoon. We had a lazy day around camp and did not accomplish much but we find we need that on occasion.

I was working and heard a commotion outside my window that faces a dry wash covered in brush and trees. Almost every day we see Gambel’s Quails scurrying around this area, looking for seeds or insects but they were in an uproar now. As I looked out my window, I saw why. A coyote was sauntering through the brush and had the quail scattering and flying up into the trees. I was able to get a photo before it moved on. It’s not the greatest photo since I took it through the screen but it’s good enough to see it was definitely a coyote. Justice usually lays on that side of the camper since it’s shaded but today, he was on the opposite side in the sun. I’m glad he was because not sure what the coyote would have done if he would have been laying there.

We’ve heard the coyotes at night, but this was the first one I’ve seen in the daytime. It did not seem cautious at all and must be quite comfortable around humans. Rather scary they are that emboldened.

For supper we fixed a couple of T-bones on the Blackstone. They were huge, delicious, and we had a salad for a side dish. It was a great meal while we enjoyed the beautiful evening.

Tomorrow we are going to Tonto National Monument near Roosevelt, AZ. Here we can visit ancient cliff dwellings and get another stamp in our passport book.

The wind kicks up in the morning and keeps it up all day. Although there is a chill in the gusts, the temperatures reach 66 degrees by mid-afternoon.

Ron decides to give the City of Apache Junction a call to find out if they allow metal detecting in the parks and they do! He heads out about 10 minutes later to Prospectors Park located not far from here.

Justice and I hang out at the campsite, I worked some and then cleaned the camper. With 2 adults and 1 large dog, it really needs swept about every 3 – 4 days. It doesn’t take long to clean the 200 square feet but feels and looks like a lot better.

Ron had some good finds to show me when he gets back. One piece is a sterling silver butterfly with abalone stone. He found a couple other pieces too, one unusual earring that looks like a wing and is about 4 inches long with 2 stones on it. He also found some coins totaling nearly $1.00 but no copper or silver coins. The city of Apache Junction is heavily populated with senior citizens, and he is pretty sure the park is heavily hunted but he found a couple things making it worthwhile today. There are several other parks he may try while we are here.

When we first arrived here at Lost Dutchman, we got a list of birds from the Ranger Station that are located near the park. We decided to use this list to track all the birds we photographed on our trip. Today we added to our running list, we photographed Ohio’s State bird, the Northern Cardinal who was getting a drink of water at our faucet and a Northern Flicker who was pecking at an electric box at a high speed, it sounded like a jack hammer.

Weather is a repeat of yesterday, lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s. I had some work to do, and Ron was able to get some good photos of birds in the trees and bushes around the campsite. Ron’s prescription was filled at the local Walmart, and we plan to pick it up today. I was finally able to crack the code to getting into my AT&T account and it’s all set up now so we can view our usage and payments.

Around 1:00pm we left to visit Goldfield Ghost Town and Mine Tours. It’s less than a mile away and looks interesting, so we decided to check it out. This is a reconstructed town of a former goldmining town that was located nearby. None of the buildings are original but there are a lot of interesting artifacts, tools, and equipment from the original town, which makes it interesting to us.

We bought tickets to take the mine tour, train ride, and tour the ‘mystery’ shack. Although it’s not authentic, the mine tour provided some interesting information and facts on how miners lived and worked in the 1800s. Miners received $3 per day, working hundreds of feet below the surface in dangerous conditions. They received 4 candles each day to use while working underground and if they used them up, they had to buy another candle. Another job that paid $2 per day, was running the ‘honey’ wagon every day for the miners. This was a portable potty all metal wagon for the miners to use for a toilet. At the end of the day, the operator had to take the wagon to the surface and dip out the ‘honey’. Another more dangerous job was setting the dynamite and these workers received $4 per day. The miners would drive metal stakes into a wall that was to be blasted out. These holes were then filled with sticks of dynamite containing a 2-minute fuse. They would light the fuses, then run like crazy to hopefully get out of harm’s way.

The train ride was not so great but the ice cream cone we had before getting on it was excellent! We also toured the mystery shack, giving me a bad case of vertigo. The building is built at a significant slate, making it for difficult walking while the guide performed various ‘gravity’ defying activities.

We had fun and it was a relaxing afternoon to visit it and learn more about the mines in the area. One of the mines, Mammoth Mine, was closed when they hit an aquafer. There was still gold in it, anticipated at over $1m but it would cost over $3m to get to it.

After our tours, we picked up Ron’s prescription and a few other things at Walmart before heading back to the campsite. We decided a hike would be a great way to end the day and took the Mountain Bike trail that loops around the perimeter of the park. It’s an easy hike and the trail is a hard-packed sandy surface. It is busy with birds, too but most we’ve seen and photographed. At one point, a hawk flies out and I’m not ready with the camera and miss the shot. We are fairly certain it’s a Swainson’s Hawk but without the photo we can’t verify it – maybe we’ll get another opportunity.

We were all pretty tired and we cut the hike a bit short about a half mile of the entire 2.8-mile hike and hit the sack soon after.

It was in the low 40s overnight, and the forecast is calling for blue skies, sunny, and mid60s for daytime highs.

We have some errands to take care of today, starting with getting a propane tank filled. A TSC is located nearby, and their website indicates they refill propane tanks, and we can pick up Justice’s dog food there, too. After Ron lugs the large tank over to the fill station, they tell him that the tank is in need of certification, and he could not fill it. This is all new to us, but they said we have to send it in for certification but do not know where we can get it done. I looked up another propane refill station nearby where their website mentions certification and we decide to go there to check if/how we can get our tank certified and filled.

Diamondback Propane is a small store front with a small parking lot that is packed with people coming and going non-stop. We manage to get a parking spot and spoke with a receptionist who said they can certify the tank and refill it at the same time. So, no worries, our tank is certified and filled in less than 5 minutes!

We also needed to submit a warranty claim for the Progressive Industries surge protector that failed back in the frigid temperatures while in Texas. It’s one of those things that we kept putting off because of the hassle of completing the form and submitting the documentation. It has a lifetime warranty and with the code it displays, E10, they should replace it. So, no worries, we got it submitted and fingers crossed, should get a replacement. We bought another one but not as robust and after getting home will change out to the larger unit.

Another ongoing issue for us is our AT&T account for our wireless device and mobile hotspot. I tried unsuccessfully to get it resolved but decided since one of their stores is near here, we would stop to hopefully get the issue resolved. The problem is that somehow AT&T has an incorrect email address for me. The manager worked on it and said it may take up to 24 hours to get updated in the system, so we will see if it’s fixed tomorrow.

Ron also needed a prescription filled and we sent a text to his doctor along with a local Walmart address to send it to. I am certain Dr Shupert will send this out in the next day or two and he’ll be all set for a few months.

We also needed some groceries and in looking for a Kroger’s, we found that Fry’s Marketplace is owned by Kroger’s, and I was able to log into my Kroger account and create a click list shopping list to pick up later today. It’s Kroger’s brands and my shopping history was available to make shopping easier! Up to now, we generally seek out a Walmart to do our shopping but here they are set up differently than our little Walmart at home and it is time consuming to find what we need. The Kroger click list made shopping so much easier and all we needed to do was order, then go pick it up. So, no worries, on the grocery shopping today!

Supper tonight was leftover meatloaf and some heat/eat mashed potatoes from the store. So, no worries!

I recently read an article 7 proven ways to combat too much stress and its harmful effects on our bodies and minds. I think our current RV lifestyle lends itself easily to follow their recommendations: #1 Meditate; #2 Work out regularly; #3 Spend time outdoors; #4 Leave work at work; #5 Take their vacation days; #6 Read for fun; #7 Get enough sleep.

Life goes by too quickly to be consumed by stress and worry. So as the Hawaiians say ‘A’, Ohe hopohopo’ and ‘Noho me ka hau’oli’ No worries, be happy!

It’s a bit chilly this morning but temperatures climb throughout the day, making a pleasant day for hiking. We decided to take Justice up to the dog park and then checked out a nearby trail adjacent to the dog park. Fortunately, we had the camera with us because we spotted what we believe to be, a Golden Eagle. Although it was quite a distance away, it was evident that this was a exceptionally large bird. I got a few photos, and I am pretty confident it’s this magnificent bird.

To take advantage of the nice temp’s, Ron took a 3-mile hike up to the foothills of Superstitious Mountain and got some great photos of the valley and campground. He also got a photo of a new hummingbird and when he got back, he picked out an optimal route for me and Justice to hike later after work.

This was also a great hike towards the foothills of the mountains, rocky in places but overall, a good trail that winds through the desert before heading down to the campground. I think it was a little over 2 miles but in checking my watch at the end of the day, we had a total of 5 miles in. Ron would have another 3 on top of that. Justice loved the hike, he looked so excited and happy. I think he loves the smells and being with us on these hikes, but at the end of the day, he is pretty tired.

Beautiful scenery was in abundance on our hike and part-way through, I accidentally pocket-dialed Lori! She returned my pocket call, and we had an enjoyable conversation, catching up with her, Pete, and Conner. The clouds turned dark and rather threatening-looking during our call, and we decided it’s best to get back to the camper in case it rains. We got a few sprinkles but the cloud formations over the mountains, created some interesting photo opportunities.

Since it was a little cooler today, I decided to fix a meatloaf in the oven. Nothing like smelling meatloaf baking all afternoon, except of course, getting to eat it then! It was really good and best of all, there are leftovers for another day or two. After the clouds cleared towards evening, creating a colorful sunset of red clouds which reflected on the mountain, making them a brighter red and creating another photo opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

It’s a beautiful morning with blue skies and sunshine – a typical Arizona morning in the winter! Not only is the Lost Dutchman a popular campground, but there is also a steady stream of day hikers, picnickers, birdwatchers, and sightseers to this iconic park. There are over 12 miles of trails within the state campground, but the park is adjacent to the Tonto National Forest offering many more hiking opportunities and other recreational activities, i.e., parasailing. The Superstitious Mountains are 2nd to the Grand Canyon for the most photographed landmark in Arizona.

In researching how these mountains were named, we learned that the Native Americans were superstitious about them, leading the early settlers to christen the mountains with the name in the mid-1860s. You may have heard about the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine which according to legend, is a rich gold mine hidden generally believed to be in the Superstitious Mountains. Thousands have trekked to the mountain hoping to find gold, but no one has succeeded, and some have died looking for it.

Ron took a quick hike this morning, getting a few good photos of birds and wildlife here. Since we haven’t done laundry since Sunrise Park in Deming, New Mexico – it’s way overdue and that’s our mission today. The laundromat closest to our campground is clean, nice, and extremely busy. We were able to get all of our clothes in washers and dryers but as we were leaving, there was a line for both. We also decided to visit a local REI store and picked up some gear, Ron a hat and hiking pants, and pants/shirt for me.

This took a big chunk out of the day and by the time we returned, ate supper, and put away laundry, it was getting dark and we turned in early.

It is travelling day and the route has our next campground about 1 1/2 hours southeast of us. There is no interstate to travel, and our route starts out by taking us through Fountain Hills. As we are packing up and preparing to leave, Ron sees 4 birds in the air in formation – it’s the metal birds, not the feathered kind, and he’s able to capture a good photo of them. They are vintage area WWII planes and really awesome to see them flying in formation.

We leave the campgrounds at McDowell Mountain around 11:45am and stop on the dump station on our way out. Our route took us through Fountain Hills but unknown to us, the town was having a festival and the streets were packed with cars and people. RV Trip Wizard was taking us right through it and to a blocked off street where we had to turn off our route onto a narrow street. The Trip Wizard rerouted us after travelling several blocks before coming to a divided highway that we had to turn left onto. It made for some tense moments until we were able to get through the festival area and onto the highway, but Ron handled it like a champ.

With the detours, we arrived at Lost Dutchman at 1:45pm and were able to check in and go to our campsite immediately. It’s a great site with great views of the Superstitious Mountains, a paved pull-through that is perfectly level and no leveling blocks needed. We have no one close to us front and back, no one behind us, and 1 camper is across the street. We really were fortunate to secure these reservations for 12 nights and we are so excited to be here.

It’s the warmest day we’ve had yet at 75 degrees but there are light winds and it’s comfortable, especially in the shade. We put out both awnings, opened all the windows, and cranked open the fantastic fan roof vents, turning both of them on. These fans really circulate the air and the camper cools down quickly. I had pork chops to fix on the Blackstone, with diced sweet potatoes, and fixed a modified 7-layer salad before leaving our last campground. It was a really good meal and after dishes, we grabbed the camera to take a quick hike nearby. The trail is located near the dog park – our first dog park at a state park and its close to our campsite. The trail is in good shape, with tightly packed fine, sandy stone and we walk about 1/2 mile before turning back. Enroute, we see a unique sundial of a coyote.

Our neighbors across the street are from Michigan and were taking photos of the nearly full moon as we set out on our hike. Upon returning they were taking pictures of the mountain and told us there were parasailers jumping off the mountain and gliding down to the desert floor. We were able to get a few photos of them, too. Our neighbors are in their 2nd night of a 14-day stay at Lost Dutchman. They made their reservations over a year ago and again; we feel so fortunate to have gotten our site for 12 nights. They left Michigan on January 5, travelling to Florida before heading west to Arizona. They ran into some terrible weather with rain, high winds, and outracing the recent ice storm in Texas. They are equally excited to be here in the Lost Dutchman Park.

Ron was able to get a neat photo of the moon at night, highlighting the desert floor and the magnificent Superstitious Mountains.

Although the temperatures are forecast to 70 degrees, it’s a cloudy day – one of the few we’ve seen while in this park. It’s Friday, and many of the campers who we’ve seen this week are pulling out today and new ones pulling in. We also see some families with school-aged children and some grandparents with their grandchildren.

One of our neighbors walk by and they stopped to chat a bit. They are from Arizona that’s been trying for months to get a site here, but only could get 1 night reserved for today. She was surprised that we had gotten 6 nights since we were from out of state. I think we got lucky in reservations for any Arizona State or County Parks, as they are some of the bests we’ve seen and with the locals and all the snowbirds who fly to this state for the winter, they are reservations are full for the winter/early spring months.

Ron read some stats on the increase in the number of RVer’s since Covid. There are over 400,000 who are full-timers out of 11.2 million households owning RV’s – an increase of 62% from 2021. It’s a booming industry but unfortunately the number of campsites hasn’t kept pace with it, making it increasingly difficult to secure campsites. The stats also reflect this trend is going to continue as Millennials and Gen Zer’s are becoming RVers for life with an impressive 84% of the 18- to 34-year-olds planning to buy another RV in the next 5 years.

Ron went for an extended bike ride today, but the trail was rugged and made it difficult to traverse. He managed to get a photo of a new bird, an American Kestrel! It was quite a distance away, but we were able to identify it. The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in the US and is roughly the size of an American Robin but don’t let their tiny stature fool you, though, because this raptor is an accomplished hunter. Sometimes they go by the name, Sparrow Hawk because they will take sparrows and other birds of that size right out of the air. Their numbers are declining, and as they are comfortable around humans, they will nest in human-made boxes and any help we give them is beneficial.

A Canyon Towhee visited our campsite but did not have our camera out then, so Ron decided to get the camera out and it was a good thing, because the Greater Roadrunner paid our site a visit! He was thrilled to capture some great photos of this unique bird. These birds are uncommon to see but I think this one may make McDowell Mountain Campgrounds and site #56 his home. These birds are a huge, ground-dwelling cuckoo, streaky brown overall with a very long tail and short, shaggy crest. They are surprisingly iridescent in good light, with purple and green tones on wings and tail. They are usually seen on the ground in dry desert habitats with patches of thick vegetation. A bit later a Western Bluebird also paid us a visit and we captured some photos of this beautiful bird, too.

Later, we took Justice for a walk around the campgrounds where he met another Golden Retreiver. She was a young female who according to her owner, very active and she asked when Justice calmed down. It kind of shocked her when I said 4 years old!

Tomorrow, we head out to the Lost Dutchman State Park. This is a destination park for many and also difficult to get reservations. I kept checking into their website when suddenly a site opened up for 12 nights and I secured it immediately. Many reviews say it’s the best campground in the state and we are excited to check it out.

It cooled off to the low 40s overnight but today there’s not a cloud in the sky and temperatures are promised to be in the low 60s.

Ron left early with camera in hand to see if he can get any owl photos or any new birds we haven’t seen. He did not have any luck and think we’ve gotten most of the common birds here but he did get some unique photos.

There are 13 varieties of owls and most of them are nocturnal, but the Burrowing Owl is mostly diurnal, active during day. They live in treeless areas and make their nests in burrows, generally those abandoned by ground squirrels and other small rodents. These are the birds that we hoped to capture photos of, but without success yet, at least we think so. He did get another photo of the Harris Hawk with prey in its’ clutches and we’re not sure if it’s a quail or a burrowing owl :(!

Ron is getting a lot of use out of his Lectric bike here but not me – until today. We bought them before we left on our trip, and I drove it some at home but also crashed a few times making me a bit nervous about it. It’s one of those things that kind of eats away at you, that you want to do it, but you lack the courage to try it. I decided to give it another go, and this is the perfect park to ride them with black-topped roads in the campground and not much traffic. It went well and I’m much more confident and really enjoying it. Not sure I’m ready for the trails here since they have a lot of whoop-de-doo’s that are followed by quick turns, but I used to be quite the bike rider when I was younger and maybe with more experience, I may give it a try.

Being here is Maricopa County brought back a lot of memories for me as my oldest brother, Roland, lived here for 20+ years. We visited him over the years on numerous occasions and went sightseeing to see the red rocks of Sedona, the copper-mining town of Jerome, a hike on Superstitious Mountain at Christmas when they had luminaries set on the trail, rafting down the Salt River, and sliding down Slide Rock. He was a very talented, intelligent person but I think his greatest gift was being a great listener which is the best gift you can give to another. He loved this place and after our visit here, I can see why and I’m glad to be here on my birthday and my mother’s birthday on Feb 4.