Out next week in Arizona involved a lot of moving around. Weather was a huge key factor for the second half of our trip, so we didn’t stay as long as we wanted to in some of the areas. Although we didn’t stay in Arizona as long as we originally thought, we still got to see some amazing sights and explore different terrains.

Alamo Lake and Yuma

We started our Arizona leg of the trip in Alamo lake, which was about 5 and a half hours from Encinitas. This lake sits about an hour north of Quartsite and is surrounded by Saguaro and Prickly Pear Cacti. Our first day we went to the lake and then explored the surrounding area on the off road trails. During our drive we saw wild burros off one of the backroads which were so cute but very skiddish. After two nights at Alamo Lake, we went south to BLM land outside of Yuma. As we were looking for our campsite for the night, we followed an off road trail down a wash in the middle of a canyon. This was fun until it got so narrow we couldn’t continue forward. Luckily we were at a junction that we could make an 8 point turn to exit the canyon. After driving back, we found a camp spot tucked under a hill on the side of a dried up wash.

Coronado National Forest

We started our camping in Coronado National Forest at Arivaca lake. We found a camp spot overlooking the lake and spent the afternoon reorganizing our camper before making dinner and settling in for the night. The next day we headed to the East side of the park to find our next camp site. Our original road we were going to explore was closed so we continued down another one looking for a pullout. We quickly learned that dispersed sites along the road were going to be hard to find because of the steep mountains we were driving through. It was starting to get dark so we turned down a random dirt road and found a large pull off. After we set up camp, we realized we were surrounded by so many bones. It looked like we set up camp where some large animal (we think a mountain lion) eats its meals. I was so freaked out that we packed up camp in the limited sunlight left and drove back to Arivaca lake which was about an hour away on the other side of the park. The drive in the dark was no easy task. It was the most technical off roading we had done to date with 9 water crossings. Jack did an amazing job getting us back to the lake safely, where we quickly set up for the night. We were both exhausted after a long day, so we made a freeze dried meal then went straight to bed.

Truthfully this second day was exhausting. I am already really freaked out about large predatory animals so to see the chewed bones around the pull off really scared me and made me question why were doing this trip. On top of that, we are both people who like to have a plan and when nothing was working out we both felt completely drained trying to come up with backup plans on the fly and in the dark. Our skill of flexibility was definitely being put to the test.

Roosevelt Lake and Tonto National Monument

With high winds and cold weather moving into Coronado National Forest, we drove up state to Roosevelt lake outside of Tonto National Monument. We found a beautiful campsite overlooking a dam on Upper Salt River leading into the lake. Since we pulled into camp earlier than normal, we spent the evening reading books and playing games. The following day we went to Tonto National Monument, and saw the Lower Cliff Dwellings of the Salado Cultural Group.

Prescott

With more weather moving throughout the state, including snow, we decided it was time to get a hotel. We’ve always wanted to see Prescott so we got a hotel for two nights. It was snowy and cold but such a cool little town. We spent the first night, Super Bowl Sunday, at a brewery and got the chance to meet another person who has been traveling around the country. It was so great to hear his stories and tips. The next day we had to do some service on the car, then spent the day walking around the downtown and visiting saloons on the historic Whiskey Row. We had dinner at El Gato Azul which was the best meal we’ve had on the road so far. It was a small Tapas restaurant in town with excellent service and food. With weather still a huge factor for most of the state, we decided to leave early on the third day and make the 9 hour drive to El Paso Texas.