As we mentioned, our 2008 holiday trip took us to the

San Diego area where we were able to visit some of

the San Diego County parks we had stayed in on our

May 2007 San Diego trip … and add to our trip

history our first stay in Anza-Borrego State Park

with several Airstream friends, a very nice sunny 

conclusion to a trip filled with inclement weather. We had returned to Arizona and Picacho Peak in time to catch the last night of the 4 Corners Unit New Year’s Rally.

This year, we had decided to stay closer to home for the holidays and to take in the full 4 Corners Unit New Year’s Rally. So we were excited to get there and catch up with our 4CU friends. So Tuesday, December 29, we finished packing up at Lost Dutchman, said our final goodbyes to our new Airstream friends Jim & Marcy, and headed off toward Picacho Peak. We dumped our tanks and left the park, heading back to Apache Junction.

Before leaving Apache Junction we stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few items we’d need for the rally, then headed back to Highway 60 to head east to Route 79, retracing our trip up to Apache Junction to Florence. In Florence, we headed west on Route 287 to Coolidge where we picked up Route 87 south toward Eloy, AZ and eventually I-10.

We’d traveled Route 79 through Florence many times with the Bambi, but we’d never gone west from Florence to make our way to I-10. It was an interesting

                                  side-trip, taking us through the rural roads of vast farming

                                         areas that we were unfamiliar with. It was very flat

                                           terrain with large crop fields. We felt like we were

                                            really in the boonies for some reason, even though

                                            we were only a few miles northeast of I-10. We’d

                                           never entered Eloy from that direction. Eloy is a

                                             small town along I-10 between Tucson and

                                             Phoenix. Not to offend residents of Eloy, but it seemed to be a very depressed little town that has obviously seen better times. Every time we have been through there we wonder why anyone would chose to live there … and how those that do live there make a living. Having entered from a different direction this time, we still felt it was depressed, but at least we saw the farmland around the town to the north and west and figured that is what sustains it, along with the major I-10 truck stops nearby.

Eloy is just north of Picacho Peak State Park off I-10 so it was a hop, skip and jump to get there. As we neared the exit from I-10, we could see some aluminum shining from the group campsite at the park , which is visible from the Interstate, making us even more anxious to get there! The interchange at Picacho Peak has recently been completely renovated, and the new roads are nice. It’s a huge improvement over the aging overpass and access roads that once serviced the area.

Just as we pulled off I-10, we could see two Airstreams that were literally minutes ahead of us driving toward the group site in the park… if we’d left 5 minutes earlier from Lost Dutchman, we would probably had met up with them on I-10! That would have been sorta cool ... Within minutes,

we were at Picacho Peak State Park, which is literally just

off the Interstate. We have been to Picacho many many

times over the course of our RVing years, and it

remains one of our favorite places to go, especially for

quick weekend get-aways. We were distressed that

Picacho Peak, among several other state parks were

being considered for closure due to state budget issues.

We simply don’t understand the rationale. To make

matters more insane, they just completed a multi-

million dollar ranger station/visitor’s center at Picacho Peak that now faced the possibility of being shut down. The legislature doesn’t know the damage it’s doing. As avid state park users, we feel there are better solutions to the state’s budget woes.  >sigh<

At the ranger station we were greeted by one of the volunteers who has been there a very long time, a German lady with a sweet demeanor and a welcoming smile. She recognized us, and by the fact that we were pulling an Airstream she knew what we were there for. She gave us brief directions and we went on our way, telling us to have a good time with our friends

We were the 7th rig to arrive at the rally, which didn’t officially start until the Thursday, 31 December, New Year’s Eve Day. Louis & Sergio and Ken &

Linda from Phoenix were the rally hosts, so they were set up in the first of

probably a dozen or more “RV parking blocks” that circle the group area. Each

“parking block” provides enough room for 4 to 5 rigs to back in and set up

camp. The roads and blocks are paved. There are 3 or 4 picnic tables and small

fire rings at each parking block, and there is a large area of several covered

ramadas (with lights, electricity and large BBQ grills) inside the loop circle

created by the road and parking blocks. The central area inside the loop road has

meandering paths through the desert vegetation that connect each of the parking

blocks to the ramada area. Just off the ramada area is a large group fire ring

surrounded by a circle of rocks. There are flush toilets and showers in the next

regular camping loop, and in the group area there are water spigots and port-a-

potties available on both sides of the loop. It’s really a nice, well-laid-out group

set-up.

The rally host site in the first parking block has electricity … so that’s where

Louis & Sergio and Ken & Linda were set up (electricity being a well-deserved

perk of being rally hosts). Ken & Linda had recently acquired a vintage

Airstream motor home (in addition to their newer Airstream travel trailer), so

they had brought it to its very first rally! Unit president Richard and his wife Jan

from Phoenix were parked between Louis & Sergio’s and Ken & Linda’s rigs

… and Mike & Tracy were in the same parking block in their vintage motor

home.

We decided to take the first “slot” in the second parking block. Since it’s a

back-in situation, this gave us a little desert area between our block and the first

block to look out on curbside from our door, complete with a nice saguaro

cactus.  Jim & Min had arrived, too. They had taken a spot a little further into

the loop (quieter, no doubt), and Bob & Lou had taken a spot on the opposite

side of the loop, in the last parking block before exiting the loop, but still close

to the group ramada.

We got set up and said our hellos to all, and spent most of the rest of the day

                                  greeting new arrivals as they came in. We were expecting

                                       several guests and hoped we’d add some new members

                                         to the Unit from this rally. Julianne was one of the

                                           next rigs to pull in. She parked next to us and set up.

                                           Throughout the afternoon more folks arrived and by

                                          the end of the day, at least 10-12 or so of the total 30-

                                           some rigs expected. So we had a nice pre-rally happy

                                             hour and our first camp fire of the rally. Louis & Sergio and Ken & Linda did a stellar job of decorating. We had lights, and paper decorations and even a Christmas tree to make the event that more festive. One of the ramadas was set up with tarps on three sides to serve as a shelter if we needed it. This hosting team really showed us how it is done!

Even though it wasn’t the “official” first day of the rally, the lion’s share of rigs pulled in on Wednesday. Between putting final touches on the decorations, and getting everything set up, Louis & Sergio and Ken & Linda greeted each new arrival as they pulled in, and let them know they could park wherever they liked. Part of Terry’s responsibilities as membership chair for the unit was to meet and greet new arrivals, too, particularly those who where coming as guests ... to help them settle in and get introduced around. Much of his day was devoted to meeting and greeting and chatting and introducing. But he enjoyed it. Greg installed the curtains he’d made for Lou & Bob’s trailer that day and got them squared away (the curtains looked great!). So it was a busy day all around. By the end of Wednesday all but a few of the attendees had arrived. Those coming from New Mexico had the furthest to travel, so they were some of the last to arrive, along with those who were not able to get there until Thursday, New Year’s Eve Day …

By late Thursday, New Year’s Eve Day and the official first day

of the rally, the rest of the rigs arrived and we were in full blown

rally mode. Everyone who was expected had arrived, save for a

few who had gotten word to us that they would not be able to

make it, mostly because of weather. We were disappointed, but

we’d rather they change plans rather than tow in bad weather. Michele & Carol from Clarkdale, AZ and Howard & Carolyn from NM had to miss the fun, but we promised to hoist a toast on their behalf. The celebration began to form in the late afternoon with happy hour followed by the first official pot luck followed by a campfire. That evening a couple of rounds of Left-Right-Center … a simple, but very entertaining card game that may very well become a New Year’s rally tradition. It was good for a lot of laughs.

Rumor had it that at last year’s New Year’s rally everyone more or less decided to ring in the New Year on New York time and hit the hay at a reasonable hour. NOT SO THIS YEAR! The hearty among us, which was most of us, gathered

                                      about an outrageous campfire — or should we say

                                         “bonfire” and prepared ourselves for the ringing in

                                              of 2010. We were all glad to see 2009 go, it

                                               seemed. There was plenty of champagne flowing

                                                and lots of laughing and camaraderie as the

                                             evening progressed. More wood was piled on the

                                             fire, and more champagne was poured. It was a

                                             wonderful celebration of friendship and good times

                                                 and new beginnings. And we DID ring in the New Year! In fact, it was about 2:30 AM before the last of the bonfire coals was extinguished and the last of the partiers called it a night and made their ways to their trailers. It was a most memorable evening, indeed!

New Year’s Day was a mellow, relaxed one. (Hmmm.) To start the day off properly, Bob & Lou and Julianne prepared a wonderful pancake breakfast for the crowd. It was yummy! Then we relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful weather and visited among ourselves, recounting the evens form the evening before.

Our friends Deb & Loretta from Tucson came up to Picacho Peak for the weekend with their pop-up. They stayed in the neighboring electrical loop. Then some other mutual friends came up to visit them and us … so they all came over to the group loop to visit, etc, venturing into the world of shiny aluminum. We think they were a bit overwhelmed … we aluminum fanatics tend to forget ourselves in our enthusiasm. They did say they had considered covering their pop-up in aluminum foil and sneaking in as a one-of-a kind prototype Airstream pop-up. Too funny!

Another happy hour formed around 4 PM, followed by a potluck with a chili pepper theme. We do have some creative cooks in this crowd! After dinner we held the White Elephant Gift Exchange … always a lot of fun and laughs … not to mention a great way to get rid of all those presents that you don’t know what to do with! Then moved to the campfire and another game of Left-Right-Center.

Saturday morning a group of particularly motivated folks made a hike up rugged Picacho Peak (some call “The Death March”) to mark the

New Year. Others of us stayed behind to hold down the fort

and watch with binoculars from the comfort of the camp sites.

Ken was supposed to lead the hike, but he & Linda were

having issues with their motor home and had to have a

service call from Tucson to deal with that. Bummer. But it

got somewhat resolved, at least to the point where they

could enjoy the rest of their time at the rally.

Saturday afternoon we had open house when we can visit others’ trailers or motor homes and see what’s what. Of course, happy hour happened daily around 4 PM followed by a pot luck … Saturday’s potluck theme was a “Salad  Pot Luck” … all kinds of salads from fresh greens to meatless to pasta… it was  up to the maker. Great idea. And yummy! Saturday night we played “Pictionary” which has pretty much become a New Year’s Rally staple … and of course, camp fire, as usual.

Sunday morning, Jan & Richard made their famous ostrich egg Dutch Oven omelet burritos made with a fresh ostrich egg purchase down the road at Rooster’s Ostrich Farm. One egg fed the whole crowd! And was it good! After breakfast, for some of the ralliers it was time to head for home … always a sad time, saying goodbye to everyone. But it was great to see all our 4CU friends and to make some new friends in the process. The weather had been wonderful with days in the 60s and nights in the 40s…great day weather and beautiful sleeping weather, too. And we dare say a great time was had by all. Another successful rally under our belts!

We decided to stay at Picacho for a couple of more nights on our own to have some alone/down time to decompress, something we often do after rallies because, as much fun as we have, they are high-energy and pretty draining...so a few days of rest is a good thing. So we dumped our tanks and moved over to the electrical loop on Sunday where we stayed until Wednesday. Bob & Lou and Mike & Tracy stayed Sunday night in the group loop, so we drove back to the group loop that evening to share dinner them sit around the campfire one last time … to reminisce the events of the rally and solve the problems of the world. They all took off on Monday…

The next couple of days were strangely quiet and restful. The park has thinned out somewhat .... It was just what we needed ...  a nice, relaxing quiet couple of days before heading back to Tucson and taking the New Year by the horns.

Please enjoy the pictures below. Click on “Xmas at Lost Dutchman” to return to the first leg of this trip ... or you can click on “Other Trips” at the end of the photo section to return to the main trips page ... where you can access all previous trip logs.

See you down the road!