We set out for the desert from Santa Rosa, moving in four days from 40-degree fog to 78-degree sunshine. We started at Medeiros Campground near Santa Nella, a foggy but excellent birding spot, then continued to Brite Lake in Tehachapi for clear skies and a beautiful lakeside walk. From there we headed to Corvina Beach Campground at the Salton Sea for warm weather and views, then on to West Pinal Park Campground near Stanfield, Arizona—new time zone, new state, and plenty of saguaros. More than 900 miles so far…
We camped for five days at Gilbert Ray Campground (site A38) in Saguaro National Park, spending a day with friends at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum with its presentations, displays, animals, and beautiful desert landscapes. We also hiked from our campground through the Tucson Mountain Park trail system. The Saguaro National Park Visitor Center pointed us to the Sendero Esperanza Trail, where we enjoyed wide views, flowers, and old CCC structures. To round out the visit, John had dental work done, and we explored downtown Tucson, Old Town Artisans, the visitor center, and El Charro Cafe for lunch.
We spent four days exploring Chiricahua National Monument, the land of “standing up rocks.” The park blends the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts with the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Madre Occidental ranges, creating remarkable plant diversity and dramatic scenery. From our campground, Bonita Creek (site 11), we hiked to Faraway Ranch, a two-story ranch built in the 1920s, and learned about the area’s CCC history and the Chiricahua Apache, who called this place home until 1886. One highlight was taking the NPS shuttle to Massai Point, signing the one-way-trip waiver, and hiking about six miles back to camp through spectacular rock formations. On our final day, we hiked the icy Sugarloaf Mountain Trail to the park’s highest point, 7,310 feet, and the historic CCC fire lookout. Our new motto: “It’s a good hike if no bones are broken.” The views were fantastic. Cold days and nights, warm hearts, and no internet. This park should be taken to the next level and designated as a National Park.
Arizona really is a birder’s place, though Wilcox Playa made us work for it. After leaving Chiricahua National Monument, we camped overnight in the parking lot at Wilcox Playa Wildlife Area, hoping to see Sandhill Cranes. We walked a mile and a half to the viewing area but found no birds—just a beautiful sunset and a few cows.
Next, we spent three nights at Kartchner Caverns State Park (site#23), which opened in 1999 after the caverns were discovered in 1974. What a story—and what a place. We toured the magnificent Big Room, where photos aren’t allowed, and were impressed by the extensive efforts to protect the cave system. We also hiked the Foothill Loop Trail for a great look at the terrain and vegetation above the caves and even came across some elusive javelinas. With good weather, morning coffee outside, and one-blanket nights, it was a lovely stay. Still searching for cranes, we moved on for one night to Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area. Bingo! Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes filled the afternoon, sunset, and morning with activity. No disappointments here.
We spent three nights in Bisbee, Arizona, a former company-owned copper mining town. Our full-hookup campground (site 12) was built into the hillside of an open-pit mine, with the entrance to a hard-rock mine just down the driveway. We toured the mine by rail car, traveling about half a mile underground and gaining a new appreciation for how hard and dangerous that work was. Bisbee itself is steep and colorful, with bright buildings and cute shops. We enjoyed lunch—my Reuben and John’s slow-roasted pork sandwich were both excellent—then explored town and visited the mining museum, which had a great turquoise display. Surprisingly, I resisted buying any. We spent our last day catching up on laundry, groceries, showers, charging devices, and the Super Bowl—a practical reset with a little football thrown in.
When we heard there was more to the Chiricahua Mountains we headed to the east side, to Cave Creek Canyon near Portal, Arizona. We saw several Border Patrol vehicles along the highway, including one with a mounted camera. The canyon drive, into the park, reminded us of Yosemite Valley—and we later learned it is often called the Yosemite Valley of Arizona. Sunny Flat Campground was full, but the visitor center host suggested Stewart Campground, where we found a site (#1) and stayed two nights. Cave Creek, which drains the largest watershed in the mountains, bordered our campground. We hiked the Cave Creek Nature Trail, parts of the South Fork Trail, and the Cathedral Vista Trail.
After sleeping in until 9 a.m.—late for us—we headed to Patagonia Lake State Park for two nights (site 86). We had heard it was a great birding spot, and the Audubon Society recognizes this man-made lake as an important birding area. We hiked the lake’s birding trail, caught up on trailer chores, enjoyed a beautiful sunset, braved the high bridge, and added one new bird (Northern Cardinal) to our list.
Next up was Organ Pipe National Monument—not Oregon Pipe, which took some practice to say correctly—had a beautiful campground. Our site (#148), was close to the bathroom and its slamming doors, but with only two sites available when we arrived, we were glad to settle in. The weather was perfect: open windows, shorts, and cool drinks. We hiked the Palo Verde Trail to the visitor center and the Twin Peaks Campground Perimeter Trail, attended a campfire program on owls, and drove the 21-mile one-way Ajo Mountain Drive to see Arch Rock. It was a fun three days.
We returned to Tucson and Gilbert Ray Campground for four nights (H26), partly to finish John’s root canal and partly because Tucson still had plenty left for us. If you ever need a good dentist there, we know one.
We revisited the El Presidio neighborhood and enjoyed our second meal at El Charro Cafe—thanks again, Brady. We learned it opened in 1922 and is the oldest family-run Mexican restaurant in the United States. We also visited Tumacácori National Historical Park, with its original mission church, lovely grounds, and a walk to the Santa Cruz River, which is more of a creek there. We stopped at Mission San Xavier del Bac, a spectacular white adobe church, not realizing it was Ash Wednesday, and explored Tubac, home to Arizona’s first state park and many artisian shops. On our last day, we hiked the Brown Mountain Loop Trail directly from camp. It’s a moderate 4.3-mile hike with stunning views. We planned on just a short walk and brought only water, but the views kept pulling us farther along.
We spent our last night in Arizona at the newly acquired Yuma River Front KOA (#73) in Yuma along the Colorado River, then headed to Anza-Borrego State Park, California’s largest state park. We spent two nights at Tamarisk Grove Campground (#6), which has a mix of cabins and campsites. Saturday night felt like summer in February, with families everywhere and kids on bikes; by Sunday, it was a different world, with only a few sites and cabins occupied. We had an adventurous hike on the Yaqui Well Trail, including a wrong turn, but the views and flowering cactus were worth it.
We then spent three nights at Palm Canyon Campground (site 36 and 104) in Anza Borrego SP, switching sites after the first night. We last camped here 42 years ago. This visit included a hike up Palm Canyon, time at the visitor center, and a look around Borrego Springs, and we even managed to find our old campsite washed away in the flood. With low-90s days, open-window nights, and morning coffee outside, the weather was just right.
The last four days of our six-week trip took us back to Brite Lake (#45) for a night, where the cormorants seemed happy in the morning sun. From there, we went to Sun Outdoors in Paso Robles (site 325) to recharge and get the trailer ready to store. Paso Robles gave us beautiful weather, few crowds, a good walk around the property, and a site overlooking a dry creek bed. Our final night was spent moochdocking, reconnecting with family after six weeks and appreciating a real bathroom. In all, the trip covered 21 campsites, 33 days, and 3,500 miles—and left us with plenty to remember.
