Somehow, we've not previously noticed that state park and regional park restrooms in Arizona are not heated. But, since it's been below freezing overnight recently and in the low 30s in the morning, we've definitely noticed how ch-ch-chilly the restrooms and showers are. This morning, since not taking a shower was not an option, I put on my New England stoicism, and headed to the 30-degree shower rooms. Thankfully, the water was HOT and, since I did not dilly dally, the experience wasn't too bad.
Is it just me, or does or little tent look a little out of place in this campsite?! We plug our car into the RV hook-up to charge it. If not for this need for electricity, we would definitely not be staying in this campground. : )
It took us most of the morning to get out of our own way, but we finally headed out on errands late morning. We replenished our little fridge with goodies from Sprouts and Glen picked up a pair of fleece pants for sleeping. We also tracked down a pair of Ruffwear booties for Twyla at Just Roughin' It Adventure Company.
Picture-perfect cholla forest - with a few barrel and saguaro cactus as well.
Late in the afternoon, we arrived at the 9,600-acre Sonoran Preserve, about eight miles from our campground. There was a lot of hiking we did not have time for, but we did check out part of the Sidewinder Trail and part of the Apache Wash trail. We may return in the morning.
It's hard to understand how birds and mammals flourish in such a spiny environment!
Dang, I wish I had designed these fabulous signs, set into structures with views out into the desert. Whoever did design these gets an A+, as far as I'm concerned.
As I write this, we are sitting in our car, enjoying the heated seats, listening to Richard Thompson. Veggie wraps, chips and cold baked beans, along with a SanTan Hopshock IPA, make up a quick supper. Life is good.
That picture of our tent next to an RV pretty much sums it up. There were bigger RVs, like the one to the left of us that sounded like an industrial installation all night long. I guess when you pay more than $650,000 for your "camper" (Allegro Bus) so that you can experience nature, you've got to be so loud that everyone within a half mile can hear your extra-strength HVAC systems running all night long.
Okay, thanks for the blog! I wish I was there listening to Richard Thompson too!
The cholla forest pic is wild, really love it. Here the mornings have been warmer and the birds are sounding more spring like although next week looks to be cooler. Glad Mary managed to find an IPA!!
Yes the shower room was frosty, but the water was hot, as long as you kept pushing in that button every 20 seconds. But it was definitely better than no shower at all. Tonight will be another chilly one, but with the 12-volt electric blanket plugged into the EcoFlow battery, the sleeping bags will be toasty. So far we have not had a cold night in the tent, even though the temps have dipped into the upper teens on occasion.