We Got An RV! Now Where Do We Go?!
With the last of the presents opened, we set off on what has become our traditional holiday excursion out to explore the wild wild west. This time around, we decided to travel like the old desert tortoise…at a slow pace with our home on our backs. That’s right, we are traveling in an RV for this adventure. You see, for the past few months, we have been exploring the feasibility of getting a camper to pull behind our truck. We decided to test the waters by renting an RV and living the life of nomads. WOW! It has taught us a lot! There is a lot to be said about the convenience of parking in a site, making a meal, having your own private restroom and falling asleep without the hassle of fumbling through camping gear.
Image of Superstition Mountain
Just outside the Phoenix city limits was our first stop, the Superstition Mountain Museum in the Tonto National Forest. The small museum located at the base of Superstition Mountain, features exhibits about the native cultures in the area, and sheds light on the Westward expansion of the miners who searched the area for that precious yellow metal, including miner Jacob Waltz, the “Old Dutchman” whose lore still lives on in the area with the tales of the Lost Dutchman and his mine.
Elvis & Jay - Apacheland Movie Ranch - Superstition Mountain Museum
The museum also has a bit of a Hollywood legacy, formerly known as the Apacheland Movie Ranch, this location was the self-proclaimed “western movie capital of the world”. Using the beautiful backdrop of the majestic Arizona desert, over 29 full-length films, 17 television shows and countless commercials were filmed on the ranch. From Elvis to Kenny Rogers, a visit to the ranch meant seeing stars in the sky and on the ground.
Back on the road heading through Tonto National Forest to our next destination provided some of the most amazing views of nature’s wonderland. The mountains and sky looked as though they were jumping out at us through a painting.
Image of Roosevelt Lake
Lower Cliff Dwelling - Tonto National Monument
Nested in the cliffs we found our next stop, Tonto National Monument. This monument area protects several cliff dwelling sites dating back to 1300 CE including the Lower Cliff Dwelling which overlooks the beautiful Roosevelt Lake.
Lower Cliff Dwelling - Tonto National Monument
After a steep-“ish” half-mile hike up from the visitors center, we arrived at the dwelling. It is quite remarkable to think that these ruins are of a community of people who lived here over 600 years ago.
Image of Roosevelt Lake
From Tonto National Monument, we headed toward our next stop, White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
The 6 hours on the road (which we broke up by staying overnight in Bowie, AZ) reminded us of a quote from Waldo Ralph Emmerson, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” This part of the journey provided some of the more picturesque views of the Pinaleño Mountains in the Chihuahuan Desert.
It also took us to the main streets of many small towns that were once the hub of their communities. Many are being revitalized as unique tourist spots, but you can’t help but imagine what it was like to stroll down the street visiting the department store, picking up ingredients for dinner at the market then stopping by the drug store for a soda at their fountain. This all reminded us that the journey is just as much part of the experience as the destination is.
To be continued…
For more information about the places we visited, check out the links below:
