Tag: nature

Alamo Lake, Arizona

I can’t remember who first told me about Alamo Lake but I’m glad they did. I know sunsets are “old hat” to some nomads, but I never tire of them; the sunsets and overall light here at this location & time was, in my opinion, extraordinary. I saw some of the prettiest sunsets ever for me. I did my best to capture them but there is nothing like being there.
Dispersed camping is plentiful here but waterside spots are scarce. With a few exceptions, most places anywhere close to the water are far above water level and yet have nice views. As for amenities, there is a small, informal RV park nearby that has a restaurant, water (for only 10cents/gal), fuel (one pump; no diesel, I think), propane, laundromat, & showers. There is also a state park campground nearby for those who need hookups.
Despite the amenities available, I recommend coming fully supplied to Alamo Lake, as it is quite remote and the small park I mentioned is…uh…rustic.

Misc Travel in NV, AZ, & CA

A few miscellaneous images from Lovell Canyon, Nevada; Lake Havasu City (LHC), Arizona; and Havasu Lake, California.
That is not a typo – On the east side of Lake Havasu, a wide place in the Colorado River, is “Lake Havasu City” in Arizona, population 60,000. By contrast, on the California side of the lake, is the 5000-strong community of “Havasu Lake” which is part of a Native American reservation.
Anyway, both of these places, along with Lovell Canyon, sport many dispersed camping opportunities.

White Mountains & Ashurst Lake of Arizona/Lovell Canyon of Nevada

After meeting my appointment, I drove up to the Arizona White Mountains where I had camped before. This is a beautiful area closest to the town of Springerville, AZ, that has many dispersed camping opportunities. Next, I went back to visit my friend at Ashurst Lake for a few days. Finally, I moved on to Nevada, because I had to attend an event hosted by the non-profit for which I was working at the time. I camped with several friends at Lovell Canyon between Vegas and Pahrump.

Travel South through Idaho & Utah / Capitol Reef NP

My travels took me from the West Yellowstone area southwards through Idaho and Utah on the way to meeting some good friends for a short visit in a Utah National Forest. After that, I drove through Capitol Reef National Park which I briefly explored.
After my hard-learned lesson never to return to camp after dark on a weekend, I learned yet another lesson: Never take Interstate 15 through Ogden, Salt Lake City, & Provo. (My preference since I began nomading has been the more interesting two-lane highways, secondary roads, & rabbit trails–anything but interstates, especially through large cities. True they are sometimes unavoidable but I still try to use them only in small bites). These Utah cities have “grown together” resulting in a very long stretch of very busy traffic. I guess one way to look at it is that I appreciate the quiet, out-of-the-way roads and places even more after these kinds of driving experiences.
As usual, this post includes interesting “sights along the way”–from an area through which I had never before driven–in addition to several images from beautiful Capitol Reef NP.

Glacier National Park (Part 1)

Glacier National Park is certainly a beautiful place but, unfortunately, area fires kept me from seeing much of that beauty on this my first trip there. Fires were not the only challenge for me here. I knew ahead of time that the Going-to-the-Sun Road would be tough for me because of my fear of heights–and I was correct. It was a strange mixture of exhilaration at the amazing scenery and paralysis from amazing anxiety. Ultimately, I was able to enjoy myself, however. This visit was mainly characterized by breathtaking mountains, picturesque water features, and my first mountain goats that weren’t just white specks on a mountain side. These were all viewed from drives and short walks. Next visit is to include hiking–lots of hiking–so there will have to be a plan for Miss Sadie while I explore this spectacular Park more thoroughly.
For this post, first are a few more images from the route to the Park and then Part 1 of bucket list item “Glacier National Park”.