Saguaro National Park

Next destination was Saguaro (pronounced suh·waa·row) National Park. You know those things most of us on the other side of country just call a “cactus”? It is a cactus but specifically, a “Saguaro cactus”. (I’m learning so much) The Park has a West and an East section (something else I didn’t know)–situated around Tucson, AZ (yet another revelation). Of course, there are Saguaro in many desert places but it was easy to see why this area was chosen for a namesake Park.

Saguaro
The view from the ridge at the intersection of Hugh Norris and Sendero Esperanza trails.
Spectacular!

Quartzsite Stop

On the road to and two nights in Quartzsite. First time I’d stayed in the Hi Jolly BLM area. I love seeing new places (It’s one of my favorite things about being on the road) but it was also kind of nice to go to a town with which I was already familiar and knew where everything was. Quartzsite is, however, pricey in the grocery department, so I do my shopping before or after visiting here.

Goodbye, Joshua Tree

On the last day in the Park, I went on a hike which turned out to be a bit of an adventure. Initially, I intended to go to the “Lost Horse Mine” (2 mi) and come back the same way. Instead, once I got to the mine, I opted for the whole loop trail which almost turned out to be a big mistake. With my extensive hiking experience, I knew better, but I goofed – Not enough water. Normally, one might think 64oz is plenty but this *is* the desert. Everything turned out OK but it wasn’t my best decision.
More info in captions. Two videos below.

This is a 360 video from the peak above the Lost Horse Mine. It’s quite a view!
One thing I couldn’t seem to convey in my photos is the incredible quantity of Joshua Trees there are in JT Park. Thousands and thousands. It’s truly astonishing. I (carefully) took this video as I was driving out on my last day.

Joshua Tree NP (cont’d 2)

I highly recommend a visit to “Keys View”. It was amazing but extremely windy (gusts that knock you off balance). Take a jacket. You will be able to see the Salton Sea and a Mexico border mountain with good visibility which we were fortunate to have. We also drove down Pinto Basin Road all the way to the Cottonwood Visitor Center, taking in sights along the way. As usual, there are also a few shots from town, camp, etc.
I almost forgot two videos now at the bottom of the post–one a 360 from a late stop inside the park and then one of possibly the prettiest campsite sunsets I’ve seen since going out on the road.

Joshua Tree NP (cont’d)

This post begins with a few forgotten photos from the road on the way to Joshua Tree. There is so much beauty–and sometimes oddities–to see in this country, even from the roadways. Secondary roads are my preference to highways – more interesting and I don’t have to worry about all the crazy, fast-moving traffic.

Also included are random Park photos, my attempt at some night photography, and a nice hike.

Serenade
(I though it was interesting that he/she had several different “songs”. Sorry for the shakiness.)

Fuel Cost Reality Check

[A commercial interruption to the Joshua Tree visit]


I save my fuel receipts and input the data into a spread sheet. Today, one day after my 4-month nomading anniversary, I was catching up on my spreadsheet and got a reality check. $250/month was my planned budget for fuel. However, as long as I keep traveling to parks and other scenic destinations–and the current fuel crisis continues–$250 is not going to cut it. By far.

I’ve paid well over $4.00 several times. I passed by $6.30 as I neared my current destination (I think they were jacking up prices) but was forced to stop for $5.49 because I was getting low. I average about 15 miles/gal pulling the trailer & about 24 w/o it.

Average has been about $420/month. Time to make some adjustments.

If you plan to come out on the road, take note!

The Calm after the Storm

As we were preparing to leave LHC after the fireworks, I ended up making an unplanned drive to my favorite Lake Havasu day use park. Since it was unplanned, I found myself without my camera. So, these images that I’ve decided are favorites, were taken with my phone. I think they perfectly represent a “calm after the storm” of the fireworks sensory overload.