It was time for our annual “Spring” trip up to Fool
Hollow Lake State Park near Show Low, Arizona. We have been there so many times they might just have to name a loop after us! The loops are all named after birds, so if they want to rename one for us it will probaby be something like the “Loony Bird Loop.” But that’s OK...we can take it! “Loony” is good. We make a trip up once in the Fall and once in the Spring to take advantage of their Winter rates (7 days for the price of 5) and also to avoid the crush of humanity that happens there in the summer. We were there once in June and have experienced that first hand. We much prefer the quieter times.
We left Tucson on Wednesday, 26 March...weather in the 80s, our orange tree in full bloom spreading its intense fragrance through the yard on the light breeze... Spring is really making a big statement in Southern Arizona. Although we were enjoying the sunny warmth of Spring at home, we knew we would also enjoy the still-brisk days in Show Low in the pine forest, and that we’d better get up there to enjoy it before our Spring turns into blazing Summer.
We got out of Dodge...oops, Tucson...about 12:30 pm...a little later than we
planned, but hey...some things you just can’t rush. We took our regular and most direct route north through Oracle, Mammoth, Winkleman, Globe and the Salt
River Canyon (and several smaller burgs along the way) and finally, Show Low.
We hadn’t left with a full tank of gas because we have found that the little town of Mammoth, AZ, about 50 miles northeast of Tucson—with all of two gas stations— unexpectedly has less expensive gas than Tuscon. We haven’t quite
figured out why this is, but we aren’t questioning it. Every penny
counts these days. So we stopped in Mammoth to top off the tank
at $3.059... a relative “bargain” compared to the $3.129 in Tucson
at our most recent fill-up. And this is at a Circle-K. Go figure.
Mammoth, pretty much a mining town, is only about 10 blocks long where the highway goes through it, anyway...most of the town sits east down the hill toward the San Pedro River...we’ve never taken the route through that part of town...perhaps next time. It could be a whole new adventure!
The area between Mammoth and Winkleman, another mining town, has some
of the largest and most dramatic saguaro cacti we have ever seen...some with so
many arms it’s impossible to count then as we drive by. There are some amazing stands of these regal sentinnels...it’s something we never get tired of seeing. This
trip was no exception...in fact, this trip was especially beautiful because the lower elevaitons of Southern Arizona were having a great Spring show...the hills were covered with thick brittle brush, patches of golden poppies and sprinkles of purple lupine. And was it green! That’s what happens in the Spring in the desert...it gets really green...not by Pacific Northwest standards, of course, but very very green
by High Sonoran Desert standard...and those of us who live here are highly aware
of the changes in seasons... As we proceeded to Winkleman and beyond toward Globe the rugged mountains were thickly covered with yellow brittle brush and
the hills were a wonderful golden-yellow color... It was really quite beautiful.
We arrived in Globe and stopped at our regular gas station there to top off again since we thought gas would probably be less in Globe than Show Low, so we paid
$3.299 a gallon to do that, and headed up the road to Show
Low. (This guess turned out to be incorrect...gas was $3.259
in Show Low.) Spring disappeared as we went north from
Globe... soon there were no more signs of blooms in force
other than a patch of green grass here and there...no flowers, no warm breezes, no “Spring.” At best, it could be called Late Winter. But that’s what we expected...and is the reason we came, after all. We were just struck with the obvious change in altitude, climate and “time of year.”
The segment of the trip between Globe and Show Low is a transition from lower desert vegetations to higher areas of scrub oak and piñion pine and finally, about the time one reaches the Salt River Canyon—a huge and impressive gash in the landscape—the landscape transitions to an area of less scrub and more pines...and finally by Show Low, there are tall pines and the slowly receeding evidence of wild fires from several years back.
Show Low is still in the throes of Late Winter. It can still freeze at night, but the days are in the 60s with nights in the low 40s/mid 30s...and there are still patches of frozen snow on the north sides of buildings where the sun never hits...dirty remnants of the winter past. Although the visitors from Wisconsin and Canada were in shorts, Arizonans were in pants and long sleeve shirts.
We arrived at Fool Hollow about 4:30...just after the ranger station closed, so we
had to self-register. We were pleased to find our favorite camp site open...Space
#15 in the Red Head Loop. And we were further pleased to find
that we had a very strong and reliable internet connection
via air card from that site (something we checked out
before we “spread out” the camp). There weren’t that
many RVs in the park, which was just dandy, and the
weather was cool and breezey. We took the Girls on the
mandatory “arrival walk,” and ran into the camp host.
We told him we wanted to do the 7 for 5 thing, but wanted to use a credit card,
but the ranger station was closed. We asked if we could just put a note in the
self-registration envelope (instead of cash) and take care of it in the morning...
he said that woould be fine and would mention our intentions to the rangers.
A nice and helpful lot, those hosts. He was the same camp host that was there at
our last visit...with his Australian Shepherd riding around with him in his golfcart
like he was on a mission.
Thursday was a lazy day...it had been down to 43 the night before and was in the 60s in the morning...we did several walks with the Girls...Sadie even waded in the lake water for a bit...Annie didn’t want to go in. The Lake is the highest we’ve ever seen it, and it was kinda murky muddy...no doubt the result of spring thaws and run-offs... within a few months it will be blue and clean looking... There was a breeze with a few gusts during the day, but it was cool enough that we didn’t put the awning down at all this trip.
It was also a day of a little work for Terry...he had corrections to make on a newsletter for one client, so he got his client on the cell phone speaker and they went over corrections for about 45 minutes... Greg had brought his sewing machine along on this trip so he could finish up the latest décor for the Bambi, which is a wonderful red and black combination, which we’ve named “Cayenne.” So Greg sewed outside in the open air while Terry worked at the dinette on the newsletter and got the final files emailed to the client for final proofing and approval.
It was a very quiet day in the park...very little activity and only a few cars drove through from time to time...and lots of opportunity for walks and and just taking it easy...we grilled burgers for dinner and settled in for the nght... The rangers are still asking folks to disconnect the water at night just in case it freezes unexpectedly, but it only got down to 38 that night...
Friday was our “go into town” day, so we had breakfast and took off...we stopped at the grocery store...we’d had a hankering for chili, so we got the fixin’s for that...and stopped in at the local Wal-Mart for dog food and ended up buying a couple of red throw rugs that go perfectly with the “Cayenne” décor...(yea!).
When we got back to camp, Terry found he had a few more corrections to make on the newsletter and took care of that... His client was leaving for San Diego for a week and planned to review the final newsletter PDF from San Diego and get back to him on Monday. Once it was approved Terry would upload the production files to the printer’s FTP site and have a proof waiting for him when he got the following week. Ain’t technology grand??
That evening we had lasagna that Greg had made and frozen at home...then we made chili that night so it could “rest” for the next day’s dinner. It turned out great!
Saturday while on the Girls’ “morning constitutional,” Terry stopped and talked
to a couple who are relocating to Arizona from Pennsylvania. Nice folks with the cutest little 9-week-old Chihauhua named “Buddy”... (Buddy’s the reason Terry
and the Girls stopped to chat)... It turns out that the couple had bought one RV
park in Camp Verde (north of Phoenix on I-17) and were in the process of closing
on a second RV park in Show Low, the K-Bar RV Park. We had stayed there one time when Fool Hollow was full. It was a nice, family-owned and run park not too
far from the Lake... They were planning to make improvements to both parks and seemed quite happy to be transitioning into a new career in Arizona...they’ll make good Arizonans! Sadie and Annie got such a charge out of that tiny little Buddy,
who wagged his tail like crazy, laid down and squirmed all around while they sniffed him good. I think Sadie was acting rather maternal towad him.
That afternoon we went back into Show Low to make our rounds of antique stores and resale shops...you just never know what you’ll find...though we didn’t fine anything really. Just as well. No room. But it was fun anyway. And we stopped at the “Burley Bear” store agan...all things “bear.” We are so tempted by those carved log bears but haven’t succombed to them yet. We keep thinking we’ll find one in a yard sale or something...and we probably will...at some point.
That chili was soooo good that night! And good timing, as it got into the high 30s again that evening...
Sunday morning it was really windy...Terry and the Girls nearly got blown away on their morning walk...especially down by the Lake where there is nothing to buffer
the wind off the Lake. We camped in one of those sites once...they look inviting,
but the wind just whistles through them. We moved to a different site after one
night there.
The only thing we had to to accomplish that day was to send off a electronic
birthday card to our friend, Deb, back in Tucson, so she’d know we
were thinking of her on her special day...even though she and her
partner Loretta weren’t out campng with us! We keep trying to get
them to Fool Hollow...one of these trips. We know they’d both
really enjoy this place...they’ve gone to both Picacho and Roper Lake with us. They’d love this.
We hung out in the park all day...took a long walk up to the higher loops that are currently not open...they’ll open them later in the Spring when crowds start to grow...there’s a playground and some great camp sites that look out over the high bluffs to the Lake below. Most of the sites in the northern loop do not have full hookups... just water and electricity (no sewer)...something about the ground being too rocky to put in sewer lines. We have not camped up there, but each time we visit we think we should give those a try sometime...they have great views of the Lake. One time when were up there on a walk, we saw a group of kids diving/jumping off the bluffs into the water on the far side...don’t know how they got there but they looked like they were having a good ol’ dangerous time of it...as kids are want to do.
Monday morning the phone rang just as we were waking up. Terry answred in a bit of a stupor to the cheery voice of Sandy, our friend who had moved fromTucson to Heber with her hubby about 4 years ago. Heber is due west of Show Low about 30 miles on highway 260. Terry and Sandy had worked at an ad agency together many many moons ago, and have managed to stay in touch all these
years. They usually have an April lunch to celebrate both their
birthdays...so we were hoping to get together with Sandy and
Paul for lunch. Sandy asked, “Is today a good day for me to come over to Show Low to meet you for lunch?” Terry said,“Sure,” and we settled on a place to meet in Show Low...a Mexican restaurant on the main drag. So off we went to meet Sandy about 12:30... Paul had other plans, so he couldn’t come.
Lunch was fun...the food was good, and the company was even better. Good to
catch up since we last saw her and Paul at their new home in Heber on a prevous trip... Paul is quite the handy man and is working on the interior cabinetry and trim for their beautiful home...It’s an interesting and inviting structure using the “timberframe” technique. Check out the Building of Sandy & Paul’s Timberframe to see it being built...it’s something.
We had a geat lunch with Sandy, and afterwards we packed her into the truck and drove her back to the park so she could see our little house on wheels, which she had not seen in person...she was impressed and thought it was perfect for us. She was amazed at Greg’s handiwork with the slipcovers and curtains for the Bambi... She thought the “Cayenne” décor was great. After another fun time with her at the Bambi, Greg took the Girls for a walk while Terry drove Sandy back to her car in town so she could make her way home...a pleasant time was had by all.
After a big Mexican lunch we weren’t really in the mood for a big dinner, so we just munched when the spirit moved us and had a quiet evening. Though they had predicted 37 degrees for the night before, it was 33 degrees...and the first night we had not disconnected the water! Those weather people…you just can’t trust them! Or maybe it’s because of where we were…or not. They say it’s going to be 32 tonight, so for sure we disconnected the water that night in case it really froze.
That day we received an email from Bruce Littlefield in NYC...he’s a lifestyle expert for The Today Show and author of a book called Airstream Living. He’d gotten our names from a fellow Airforums member. He’d been asked to do an article for Saveur
magazine on cooking in an Airstream...and had contacted us to
find out about how we meshed our Airstream living with our
cooking skills in our little kithen. Well, if you’ve ever been in
a Bambi, you know that there is a tiny (and we mean tiny)
galley...a stovetop, a sink, a small gas oven and virtually no
counter space except for the dinette table. It’s defnitely a
one-up-and-one-down-two-person-kitchen experience...one at the stovetop and
the other sitting at the dinnette (staying out of the way) doing the slicing and dicing. For this reason, we don’t do much elaborate cooking... most of our meals are pre-prepared and frozen at home...spaghetti, sauce, chili, stews, lasgana, etc....so it’s a matter of reheating them and adding the side dishes of vegetables, pasta, baked potato or salad (we bring a small microwave with us which resides outside)... Yes,
this trip we made chili from scratch and it was fun and was yummy, but we found that it was a challenge to then store what was left over! The frig is small as well.
We are better off to have pre-made meals that don’t render leftovers. Of course, we do grill outside frequently when we camp...steaks, burgers, and lamb chops, but we do that at home, too... And we’ve been known to have a nice shrimp cocktail...
So Terry related our take on cooking while in a very small Airstream to Bruce in an email. Guess it was not the kind of material he was after, because we never heard back from him. Hmmm. We thought it made perfect sense and as an insightful view of how to have nice meals with even the tiniest of kitchens. Guess we should start fixing cornish game hen stuffed with sage dressing, or perhaps a nice round of éscargot followed by chateaubriande in a rich wine and shitake
mushroom sauce...which would be possible, but again, where do
you store the leftovers?? And where do you carry the fixin’s?
Besides, we’re camping...well, we call it camping... We think we
eat pretty good while we’re out, but we also see the sense in
keeping it simple. We have yet to eat all the food we bring...it’s almost a challenge
to take even less with us. We’re getting better. Sorry to disappoint you, Bruce. Hotdogs, anyone?
It got down to 30 degrees Monday night...glad we disconnected the water after the weatherman crying wolf so much of late. Tuesday was a working day of sorts...Terry finished up the newsletter and uploaded the files to the printer...and Greg made two more double pillow shams and two throw pillows! A fun but productive day!
Hard to believe we’ve been there a week already. We only paid for a week, and we’d decided to stay one more night and leave on Thursday...so the next morning Terry drove up to the ranger station to pay another night’s rent...only to find that the rates had been raised from $20 per night to $25 per night as of 1 April. Bummer. It’s not going to break the bank, but still...
Wednesday was our “Lazy Day”...the last day before we head home, and the day that we take care of the pre-trip-home chores... While Greg organized the interior, Terry went to gas up the truck, and came back to pack the BBQ grill, organized the truck bed (since we’d been just throwing stuff in there all week...as long as the top closed it was good), check the air pressure in the trailer tires, and torque the lug nuts...especially important because we’d just had the wheels rotated and the bearings packed before this trip...requiring the wheels to be removed. Everything was fine.
Speaking of tire pressure, we are now into month five of using the PressurePro tire pressure monitoring system while towing. The system consists of pressure sensors
about the size of a walnut, that replace the valve stems caps on
the tires and emit a signal to a receiver in the truck cab. We are
able to check tire pressure at any point while in motion by
simply pressing a button on the receiver. If pressure drops
12.5% below the base line pressure, an alarm sounds in the
truck, giving us time to get off the road and deal with whatever is going on before
a tire goes competely flat...then, if the pressure drops below 25%, a second alarm sounds. Unrealized low pressures over time is the leading cause of catastophic tire failure, and we want to do everything we can to avoid that while towing. We are
very happy with the PressurePro system and it has given us an added dimension of
safety and peace of mind while towing. Trust us...no one towing a tailer wants to have a tire go flat, particularly in a blow-out situation.
Had a pleasant lunch and Greg decided to make brownies. (Are you listening, Bruce??) That’s the nice thing about having the little oven...you can actually bake in it! And when you don’t need it, it makes a great bread box. The brownies were an especially nice treat on our Lazy Day before heading home.
Thursday arrived way too fast...we were up a little earlier than normal because we knew we had a long drive ahead of us...even so we didn’t pull out until 11:45 am. They’d said it was going to rain in Show Low on Thursday, and sure enough, the skies started to look threatening in the west as we finalized our packing-up routine. We’ve had to hitch up in pouring rain once before at Patagonia Lake, and that was no fun...this time, though, it didn’t start to sprinkle until we were on the road and headed south off the mountain toward home.
The skies were wonderful with lots of billowing clouds and bright blue skies. And the reverse trip home was just as interesting as the trip up...down out of the pine forests, through the Salt River Canyon, seeing the “First Palm Tree” land mark on the north side of the Canyon, then down to Globe and finally into the lower deserts where the wildflowers were still going strong....and the temps were creeping up.
We usually top off the tank in Globe, but when we saw it was up to $3.359 in Globe (up 6 cents since our trip up a week earlier) we decided to wait until Mammoth to gas up. Glad we did, too...it was still lower, at $3.119 a gallon... Too bad, Globe!
The drive into Tucson coming southwest from Oracle is always a slightly depressing part of the trip...it’s not the prettiest part of the drive, and it signals the real end of the trip. And as we get closer to Tucson traffic becomes an issue again. We were getting in late in the afternoon, so it was at its worst, but we made it safely home about 4:30 pm. We weren’t in 60 degree temperatues any more either...but the 80s. Had to peal off the long sleeve over shirts as we unpacked the Bambi and put it away.
The Girls roamed free in the back yard while we unpacked, but kept tabs on us through the fence. The house was cool inside, and it was both good and sad to be home again.
Click on the slideshow button below to see pics of our “Spring” adventure up north. You can click on “Other Trips” below the pictures to go back to the trip list page to visit other trips. We hope you enjoy our ramblings and pictures!
