LIFE ON THE ROAD: WINTER IN ARIZONA

Every winter Mark & I head south for a few months.  Back in the day we would pack up the Subaru until there wasn’t an inch of space left and go live with my dad in Arizona.   In 2012, when we got our truck camper, we were able to turn our winter migration in to a full blown tour of the Southwest.  The warmer climate, abundant sunshine and getting to have quality time with family is what draws us back year after year.  And every year, I fall a little bit more in love with Arizona.  From the lush Sonoran desert to the more rugged Mojave desert to the alpine forests and red rock country, there is a lot to love.  Not to mention, a bounty of free camping.   This winter we bookended our trip with two weeks in Lake Havasu City, my hometown.  In between we hit up some of our favorite spots like Cottonwood and Bisbee and added some new favorites to the list, like Ajo and Kofa.  Two months of living and traveling in a 100 square feet may not sound fun to some, but for Mark & I, it’s a lifestyle that suits us well.  There’s nothing I love more than sitting beneath the stars each night, waking up to the sunrise each morning, finding a dirt road and driving for hours without seeing a soul and spending the majority of my days outside.  If we’ve learned anything since buying our truck camper 8 years ago, it’s that we’re nomads at heart.  We’re far more comfortable living a life of perpetual change than we are living in a house.  Until we can once again live on the road full-time (we did it in 2017/18!), I’m eternally grateful that we get to continue to roam every winter. Here’s a little look inside our winter in Arizona…

  Whenever we’re in my hometown, Mark is able to work on truck projects thanks to my dad’s shop.  Mark is excellent about doing preventative maintenance on the truck in hopes that this little roaming home of ours will be around for a while.   Finding the perfect spot in Sedona:   When our niece, Mackenzie, came out to visit us we learned that our little utility trailer makes for pretty good guest quarters.  Add it to the list why love that thing.  It’s used as an outdoor kitchen, garage, office and more.   Brins Mesa Trail in Sedona was a gorgeous hike.   Mackenzie didn’t have to spend her entire week in the trailer, we rented one of these cute little cabins for half the week.  It worked out perfectly as there were some chilly nights that dipped in to the low 30s.   We found this beautiful hiking trail on the edge of Saguaro Lake on our way to Phoenix.  Spontaneous explorations like this are the best.   We headed to the Tucson-area specifically to hike Picacho Peak.  We did this hike 2 years ago and loved it.  It’s just the right amount of difficult and thrilling without being too much so.   I love saguaros.  Their silhouette is one of the most unique things I’ve ever seen in nature.  And the fact that, in all of the world, they only grow in Arizona, Mexico and a very small part of California makes them even cooler.   We spent several hours on a dirt road getting to our destination on this particular day.  Not many things make us happier than slow drives on dirt roads with the windows rolled down and the music turned up : )     The inside of our little roaming home:   Living in 100 square feet doesn’t feel small until it rains ALL DAY LONG.  It also makes living off of solar power a little difficult.   The rugged and remote wilderness in Southeastern Arizona is one of our all-time favorite places to explore.   Every night, at this particular spot, we would climb up on the boulders behind camp to watch the sunset.  Just my kind of ritual.   To be able to park and live at a place like this, for free, and leave after a few days with absolutely no trace of our being there (aside from some ashes and footprints) is one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced.   One of my all-time favorite towns, Bisbee, Arizona:   Our friends Seth & Drea have been living on the road full-time in their Airstream for about 5 years now.  Thanks to Instagram we discovered that we had been camped only a few miles apart in Sedona.  We met up with them later in Ajo where we created our own little “nomad neighborhood” for a few days.   Life on the road almost always consists of morning and evening walks.  My favorite way to start and end the day.   At Kofa National Wildlife Refuge we shared a gorgeous piece of desert with our new friend Ann.  She’s been living full-time in her truck camper for 3.5 years.  The people we’ve met on the road over the years have made our travels and experiences that much more incredible.    Hands down, my favorite way to spend time with the people I love is around a campfire.     The view from the top of Cupcake Mountain with Lake Havasu City in the background:   I’m still not sure how, but we convinced my very un-outdoorsy brother and sister-in-law to hike to the top of Cupcake Mountain with us.  When we got to the top Brent busted out two beers to celebrate.  He didn’t have much in his backpack but did haul beer AND ice up the mountain with him.  All while wearing jeans and street shoes.  This whole scene cracked me up.  I’m pretty stoked that Mark & I got to share this experience with them, it was a blast.   The Cupcake Mountain trail has some of the most dense concentrations of teddy bear cholla cactus that I’ve ever seen.  I’ve always known to steer clear of this stuff and was not happy when I tripped and got a chunk stuck in my leg.  Luckily Mark had pliers in his backpack to pull it out since it can’t be removed by hand.   My brother’s hiking attire.  Proof that you don’t need fancy gear to get outside and summit a mountain.   The view out our door from a spot we weren’t entirely sure if we were allowed to be parked at or not.  We didn’t linger that morning, but it sure was a good view.   We got to enjoy one last dose of family before our winter migration came to an end.   My dad and brother own and run a paving company in Arizona.  I love hanging around the shop and being a part of their everyday life for the short time that we’re there.   While hanging out with one of my oldest and dearest friends, I realized that her and her husband don’t have any professional photos of the two of them.  We rectified that with a fun little sunset session and cruise around town in her 1950 Pontiac.  I absolutely love gifting my friends and family with photos.   No matter where we are or what we’re doing, there’s always some element of aviation in our life.     As we began our way back North, our friends Claire & Brandon from Idaho were beginning their way South.  They had just sold their home, minimized their possessions and moved in to their trailer to begin living on the road full-time.  This was their very first stop.  We were pretty thrilled that we got to share a week in the desert with them.  Almost exactly a year prior, I met Claire and told her how Mark and I had just moved back in to a house after living on the road for a year.  Her and Brandon were immediately inspired and decided that full-time RV living might be right up their alley.  To see them bring it all to fruition and share their first camp with them was pretty awesome.   Our way back North thru Nevada.  The expansiveness of that state combined with so few populated areas is incredibly peaceful.   One last breakfast outside before returning home.   I don’t want it to be over!  I also can’t see with the sun in my face!  LOL We’ve been doing these trips for years and somehow each one is even better than the last.  These 60 days on the road are 60 days I will cherish forever.  I cannot freaking wait to do it again!   If you could go on a road trip anywhere for 60 days, where would you go?