Starting North

Mar 1/18 

NASA Manufacturing Plant

  We were both happy to be on our way again and looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet.  But first we had to stock up on groceries and a few staples.  

We drove the back roads out of New Orleans to get to the coast road Hwy 90 to stop at Walmart at Pass Christian, Mississippi. 

Sunrise over the Walmart parking lot.

A wonderful spot right across the hwy from the whitest sand beach I have seen in a long time, Long Beach.  

Pelicans at Long Beach

After doing our duty and stocking up we walked the beach for a few hours deciding to spend the night there.  Thanks again Walmart, you were a quiet and restful spot with a beautiful sunrise to greet the next day.

Very narrow bridge

Deciding to see some of the inland areas we wondered this way and that in an easterly direction on narrow roads, through swamps and flooded areas. 

Flooding Bayou in Arkansas 

Cotton fields

Picturesque Farms

Through beautiful farmlands to the Barkley State Park, which was full so Tyler found another about 40 miles away and we wandered this way and that until arriving at the Magnolia Wildlife Reserve.  

Lost shoes on the beach

Early morning at Magnolia Park

man made lakes at Magnolia Park

Furgy all tucked in for the night

 It was quiet and almost empty.

A very serious job, bird watching

Here is our harbor in the storm that we stayed at for 2 nights, slept, and rested, rode the bikes and got ready for the journey back towards Canada.

Canyon Camping

We have been at Beaver Creek Camp Spot (that is the official name) for 5 days now and what a spot.  We are 25' from a canyon that is about 300' straight down below us.  What a view.

our morning window

The kitties have had a chance to go for walks without getting to freaked out,

Tyler walking Sam

and we have had a chance to lay back and do what we love to do.

Our camp all set up

But I should start a week before when we visited  Montezuma's Castle and Well.

Montezuma's Castle National Park

Cliff dwellings Montezuma's Castle

Dwellings at Montezuma's Well

Tyler on path to the bottom

Montezuma's Well a water spring in a volcano

The well was interesting and we had the chance to talk with a Park Ranger that filled us in all the details.  The water is arsenic high and only has 3 forms of waterborne life in it.  Water scorpions, amphipod, and leaches.  We had quite the discussion about what life may have been like living around the well.

Then we met another ranger that was kind enough to tell us about the open camping just 5 miles away.....and here we are.

Our first camp for 4 days was next to a hill in the open desert.  the sun sets were spectacular as they always seem to be in Arizona.

Cocktail hour... time to open one of the growlers we bought
at the Barnstar Brewery a few weeks ago.

We took one day to walk up to the V-V Ranch to see the petroglyphs. It was a pretty good hike that took us all morning but we got in our 10km for the day (or two days).

Huge wall of petroglyphs.

Old gate at V-V Ranch

Then it was off to Cottonwood to stock up on groceries and we ended buying a couple of cheap bikes in Walmart.  We thought it might be a bit faster of a way to get around to some of the spots we wanted to see without packing up the whole RV.  Then a stay for a night, get showered, do laundry and have diner out for a change.  We found a nice RV spot against a creek called Page Spring Resort.  An older RV spot with a bit of a road to get into but clean washrooms.
Back to the Beaver Creek Camping Spot and found the amazing spot on top of the cliff we have now.  The bikes have been fun and wonderful.  Yesterday we biked 7 miles yesterday up the Bell trail about a mile from here.

 Today we thought we would follow our FSR to see where it gets to and ride out some of the soreness from yesterday. 

Other things to note:
We found a cave under the cliffs below our canyon camp site that was pretty cool. 

cool find

The cats are setting in and happy.

Carl - What?

And I am still in awe over the spectacular sun sets.

From our first night at camp 1.

We have enough water for 3 to 4 more days and then will have to say by to the canyon and continue our journey.  Sad but things to look forward to at the next stop.