My journey thus far

Legend

2022
2023

Badin Lake Campground, United States ‐ Mar 26, 2023

This is a pleasant, quiet campground. Besides the camp host, there is only one other occupied campsite. My site is right on lakeshore. The air is full of bird song. Geese and cranes are on the water just feet from my van. Nights stay: 5. Site: 13. Services: none.

Badin Lake USDA National Forest Campground website

+18
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

This park commemorates the Battle of Guilford Court House, fought on March 15, 1781. Though the British won the battle, they lost so many lives and military equipment that Cornwallis had to change his southern strategy, which ultimately led to American victory in the Revolutionary War.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park website

+14
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse ‐ Mar 25, 2023

This lighthouse is an icon of the Outer Banks. It laso has a fasciniating story. Everything you see in these photos were moved in In 1999 The entire lighthouse & supporting building had to be moved from its original location at the edge of the ocean to safer ground, due to erosion. .They moved the entire lighthouse 2,900 feet (880 m). More history: the lighthouse caretakers rescued many sailors during WWII, their supply ships sunk offshore by German U-boats.

Cape Hatteras Light Station Park Services website

+8
Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Cape Hatteras is the first US national seashore, preserving 70 miles of Outer Banks seashore from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island; managed by the National Park Service.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore website

+16
Bodie Island Lighthouse

+4
Jockey’s Ridge State Park

This North Carolina state park is a Nag's Head beach containing the tallest active sand dune system in the eastern US.

+6
Wright Brothers National Memorial

There are two things I love about this site. 1) It is a huge monument celebrating intelligence, hard work, and science; not humans fighting and hurting each other. 2) it tells the story of how the Wrights took a dream and broke down its challenges into chunks that they then addressed individually until they achieved success. This national park is designed to inspire anyone with a dream.

Wright Brothers' National Memorial Park Services website

+15
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

This historic site preserves what little remains of the lost Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in the United States. Resupply was delayed by 3-years. When the ship[ finally arrived, the entire colony was deserted, with homes, forts and fencing still standing, but people alive or dead. Two words carved into neighboring trees: "CRO" and "CROATAN". This site also memorializes another colony - the Freedmen's Colony in 1863, a self-sustaining colony of free African Americans.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site website

+7
Oregon Inlet Campground ‐ Mar 24, 2023

Like most located next to the beach, this is a crowded campground, the sites close together. Because of the dunes, you can't see the ocean from the site. Instead, you need to walk a trail to get beach access. But I'm here for only two nights as a place to park & sleep. I''m spending the days on the beach or exploring. Nights stay: 2. Site: B2. Services: none.

Oregon Inlet Campground website

+2
Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Got a lucky break. They added an earlier ferry run to the barrier island. Consequently, I got to spend the morning on the barrier island. Visited the lighthouse then spent the morning on the beach. I love national seashores. They are protected so you don't have all of the vacation home, condo, or shopping development. So glad I took Friday off to be here. Being a work & school day I was the only person on the beach. What a gorgeous day.

Cape Lookout National Seashore Park Services website

+35
Cedar Point Campground ‐ Mar 19, 2023

I am so excited to be here. This campground is at a convenient location launching my exploration of the Outer Banks. I'm parked a few days here to work. Then starting a 3-day weekend to explore the Outer Banks. The Outer Banks have been on my bucket list for decades. Nights stay: 12. Site: 83. Services: electric.

Cedar Point Campground USDA Forest Service website
Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park is one of the smallest and least visited national parks. Despite its small size, it is the largest old growth hardwood forest left in the southeast. This forest includes one of the largest concentrations of champion trees in the world, including the tallest of 15 species.

Congaree National Park website

+11
Sesquicentennial State Park ‐ Mar 17, 2023

Despite it's size and dense forest, you can still hear the sirens & other city noises as "Sesqui" is located in the middle of Columbia. My fellow campers were predominantly families with small kids. I love how kids can come up with the most imaginative ways to entertain themselves. How did we lose this ability as adults? I watched a brother and sister, ages around 8 and 10, throw pine cones out into the campground road covering it like a blanker & giggling hysterically at the crunching sounds w [...]
hen a car drove by. Nights stay: 2. Site: 2. Services: electric, water, sewer.

Sesquicentennial State Park website
Petersburg Campground ‐ Mar 12, 2023

Nights stay: 5. Site: 83. Services: electric, water. A beautiful quiet site right next to the Clark Lake shoreline.

Corp of Army Engineers Petersburg Campground website

+10
Andersonville National Historic Site

This site was more than I expected. I had heard about Andersonville's role in the Civil. A POW camp where 14,000 Union soldiers (1/3 of the prison's population) died due to horrific conditions. But it also a National Cemetery and houses the National POW Museum, remembering the POW of all US wars.

Andersonville National Historic Site Park Service website

+25
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site

In 1976, Jimmy Carter ran against Gerald Ford, winning the presidency. I was looking forward to visiting this historic site, remembering the issues and politics of the time. It was the first election where I was able to vote and the beginning of a life as a political junky. But the present also intrudes today, knowing that just a few miles down the road, Jimmy is with Rosalynn as he faces the end of his life in hospice care.

Jimmy Carter National Historic Site website

+28
Bluff Creek Campground ‐ Mar 6, 2023

Bluff Creek Campground is another Corp of Army Engineers' park. I've learned to prefer these campgrounds over the sate parks. They are consistently well maintained, always near beautiful water, and I get 1/2 price with my Interagency senior discount card. Nights stay: 7. Site: 49 . Services: electric, water.

Corp of Army Engineers Bluff Creek Campground website

+3
Tupelo National Battlefield ‐ Mar 5, 2023

I am in the South. Everywhere you turn are reminders of the civil war that devastated this part of the country. This is the first of what will be many National Battlefields I'll visit.

Tulepo National Battlefield Park Services website

+3
North Abutment Public Use Area ‐ Feb 28, 2023

After the fun but hectic French Quarter, I needed to get back to my quieter, introverted life. The Corp of Engineers' North Abutment Campground on Grenada Lake was perfect for this. My campsite sat next to the lake, within easy walking distance. For most of the week, there was only the camp host, myself, and another camper at the opposite end of the grounds. It's amazing the difference in geography once you cross the Mississippi River. The hills of the mid-South are so much greener than the Texa [...]
n plains.

North Abutment Campground website

+19
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum ‐ Feb 24, 2023

Often misunderstood & portrayed negatively, voodoo is intriguing as it demonstrates the blending of cultures and faiths between peoples. In this case, the forcible integration of the slave's African culture & faith with white Christian New Orleans. The museum is predominantly just a collection of numerous artifacts and home-made displays; its gift shop selling new age as well as voodoo items. However, it still provides insight in voodoos blend of the African & Christian faiths. If you go, take t [...]
ime to talk to the staff, some of whom are practitioners & can provide insight of the faith.

New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum website

+41
Louis Armstrong Park

This park was named after jazz great Louis Armstrong. It includes Congo Square. This was a meeting place for slaves in the 1800s where people of color gathered for meetings, open markets, and African dance and drumming celebrations, which played a substantial role in developing jazz. Local voodoo practitioners consider Congo Square a spiritual base and gather at the Square for rituals.

+7
French Quarter ‐ Feb 21, 2023

Timed the visit so I'd be in the French Quarter for Mardi Gras week. It may be crowded, dirty, overpriced, but I love New Orleans. its even better during Mardi Gras. Fantastic music found at pavilions, street corners, bars, and Frenchmen Street's night clubs. Incredible Cajun food. Signature drinks such as Pat O'Brien's Hurricane, Tropical Isle's Hand Grenade, Old Absinthe House's Absinthe House Frappe, and numerous New Orleans daiquiris. And the people! Free to be their authentic selves, no jud [...]
gements. I felt like I was at a huge week-long block party, strangers enjoying each other's company, having a great time!

Parade: "Let Them Eat (King) Cake! Everything You Need To Know About Mardi Gras, Why It Is Celebrated, and When Fat Tuesday 2023 Takes Place"

+59
Bayou Segnette State Park ‐ Mar 5, 2023

Mardi Gras week! Bayou Segnette State Park is located in Westwego just 20 minutes across the Mississippi from New Orleans and next to swamp and marsh wetlands. It was close enough that I used Lyft to commute to the French Quarter for Mardi Gras. Nights stay: 9. Sites 5 (7 nights), 13 (2 nights). Services: electric, water.
Sam Houston Jones State Park ‐ Feb 12, 2023

Entering Bayou country. This state park is located near Lake Charles at the confluence of the Houston & Calcasieu Rivers and the Indian Bayou. A small park surrounded by tree-filled lagoons and waterways. You cans till see the tree damage caused by the Hurricane Laura 2 years ago. Nights stay: 7. Site: 24. Services: electric, water, sewer.

Sam Houston Jones Louisiana State Park website

+14
Galveston Island State Park ‐ Feb 5, 2023

Another fantastic spot on the gulf. Though the campsites themselves are not on the beach, it is a very short walk to miles of gorgeous beach. Several neighbors & I had a daily routine, walking the beach at both sunrise and sunset. My photos are unable to do justice of the gorgeous colors sprayed across the sky. The park is conveniently located just a couple miles south of Galveston. I found a good spot serving Cajun seafood. Nights stay: 7. Site: 46. Services: electric, water.

Galveston Island Texas State Park website

+27
Padre Island National Seashore

The Padre Island National Seashore protects a 70-mile barrier island coastline of white sandy beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. This is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world. In 1978, they re-introduced Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, aiding the turtle's annual nesting in the beach sands.

Padre Island National Seashore map

Padre Island National Seashore website

+10
Goose Island State Park ‐ Jan 29, 2023

Goose Lake State Park is located near Rockport on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico by the St. Charles and Aransas Bays. The site was absolutely incredible, right on the shoreline. A bit chilly, but evenings were enjoyable walking the park's pier talking to the fishermen. Nights stay: 7. Site: Services: electric, water.

Goose Lake Texas State Park website

+15
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It preserves 4 of the 5 Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio established to create Spanish citizens indoctrinated in the Spanish culture & Catholic faith. What interests me is how the reality was something unique, a blending of the two cultures. The Mission church is still active. It was in service during my visit, its congregation descendants of the original mission's inhabitants.

+11
River Walk ‐ Jan 28, 2023

My route has taken me to some incredibly beautiful & interesting places but its been a while since I spent time in a city, participating in its culture or nightlife. After visiting the Alamo, I continued down to the Riverwalk grabbing some great seafood and doing a pub crawl. No surprise, I spend most of my time socializing with the locals in an Irish pub.

San Antonio Riverwalk website

+6
The Alamo

Because of its importance for the Texan history & culture, the Alamo is a must-see when visiting San Antonio. However, to be honest, I was disappointed. It was incredibly crowded and felt commercialized. There was also some construction with some exhibits closed.

The Alamo website
Cranes Mill Park ‐ Jan 22, 2023

Cranes Mill Park is on Canyon Lake in Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. Nights stay: 6. Site: 13. Services: electric, water.

Corp of Engineers Cranes Mill Campground website

+5
Copperas Creek Park ‐ Jan 9, 2023

After two busts I found a peaceful little oasis. Cooperas Campground is on Proctor Lake in Texas. My site was right on the water's edge and for most of my stay there was no one else in my site loop. There was an incredible number of water fowl, including blue heron, white pelican, egret, loon, duck, and geese. I loved it so much I stayed an extra week. Nights stay: 13. Site: 40. Services: electric, water, sewer.

Cooperas Creek Campground website

+9
Guadalupe Mountains National Park ‐ Jan 8, 2023

Guadalupe Mountains National Park turned into a bust too. The campground is basically a parking lot. If you try to relax outside the RV, you're sitting in a camp chair on the pavement looking at the ther RVs parked around you. Topping that, received a weather warning of 90 mph winds coming within 24-36 hours. I decided to quit after one night and get out the region. Nights stay: 1. Site: 2. Services: none.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park website

+3
Carlsbad Caverns National Park ‐ Dec 31, 2022

Carlsbad Caverns was a bust. I knew that I wasn't able to explore the caves because of my disability, but I'm a bat nut. I love the little guys. Enjoyed many an evening watching them fly through my front porch back in rural TN feeding on the insects attracted by my porch lights. I was looking forward to seeing the nightly flight of 1000s of bats flying out of the cave into the night. I was unaware that this was a seasonal event, only seen from April - October. I'll time my visit better next tim [...]
e.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park website
Brantley Lake State Park ‐ Dec 25, 2022

A nice quiet site for the Christmas - New Years week. Very remote, have to drive around the dam and lake. After a few miles I began to think I was lost. I was a little worried as I passed a refinery on the way, with the exhaust aflame. Some online reviews complained of the smell from the refinery but I didn't notice anything during my stay. Nights stay: 14. Site: 38 (7 nights), 26 (7 nights). Services: electric, water, sewer.

Brantley Lake New Mexico State Park website

+3
White Sands National Park ‐ Dec 24, 2022

Despite being in the desert, I did have a white Christmas. I spend Christmas Eve exploring the very unique White Sands National Park. ABout 12,000 years ago local climate warmed up, evaporating the lakes to evaporate and form selenite crystals. These broke down into the current gypsum sands of the park. It is an eerie place to visit. I thought it'd feel like the dunes at a beach. Instead, it's like being on a different planet.

White Sand National Park brochure

White Sands National Park website

+4
Oilver Lee Memorial State Park ‐ Dec 23, 2022

Oliver Lee Memorial State Park's campground is locted just southwest of the mouth of Dog Canyon. The Apache used the canyon as a defensive base during their battles with local settlers. Nights stay: 2. Site: Services: electric, water.

Oliver Lee New Mexico State Park website

+12
Caballo Lake State Park ‐ Dec 15, 2022

"Caballo" is Spanish for "horse". The park and mountains are named for the wild horses that roam the area. Caballo Lake is a reservoir built on the Rio Grande River in the 1930s as part of the FDR's New Deal Program creating government employment opportunities during the Great Depression. Grabbed a site earlier than planned due to Bonita Canyon change. Nights stay: 3. Site: 62. Services: electric, water. 5. Site: 60. Services: electric, water, sewer.
Days Inn ‐ Mar 1, 2023

Needed good internet for work, so moved here from Bonita Canyon. Ended up staying for three nights to take care of mail pickup and laundry. Nights stay: 3
Bonita Canyon Campground

Cut my visit to only one night due to cold weather and very poor internet connection. Nights stay: 1. Site: 5. Services: none.
Chiricahua National Monument ‐ Dec 11, 2022

The Chiricahua National Monument has unusual towering vertical rock columns t. Ash thrown in the air and fell back to the earth about 27 million years ago eventually hardened into the volcanic rock formations called hoodoos. This land was settled by the Chiricahua Apache in the 1400s and these mountains were used as a stronghold in the 1870s-80s when Cochise, followed by Geronimo, fought the US calvary; resisting their people's forced exile to the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.

Chiricahua National Monument Park Service website

+17
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ‐ Dec 4, 2022

I was pleasantly surprised by both the national monument & campsite. Like the Saguaro National Park, the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is devoted to a specific cactus species. Common in Mexico, this is the only place in the US where the Organ Pipe grows naturally. The cactus is incredibly impressive - a spiney botanical version of an octopus waving its tentacles out of the desert. The campsites felt like each was individually landscaped. The park ranger hit it on the mark when he said each [...]
campsite had its own feng shui design. . Nights stay: 7. Site: 14. Services: none.

Organ Pipe National Monument Park Service website

+20
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a combination zoo, natural history museum, & botanical garden. Definitely worth stopping and seeing if you are in the area. As the photos show, my favorite was the raptors.

Arizona-Senora Desert Museum website

+21
Gilbert Ray Campground ‐ Nov 27, 2022

Nice campground conveniently located just outside both Tucson and the Saguaro National Park. Campsites are surrounded by saguaro and other cacti. Nights stay: 7. Site: 5. Services: electric.

Pima County's Gilbert Ray Campground website

+16
Saguaro National Park

The Arizona & Mexican Sonoran Desert is absolutely gorgeous due its unique cacti. The largest is the giant saguaro, a tree-like cactus that grows 40 - 60' tall & lives 150 - 200 yrs. The Tohono O’odham, the Native Americans of the region, harvest its fruit to make wines and jellies. I like the jelly's unique flavor, though I've never had the wine. Saguaro wine is ritually consumed during Nawait I’i, (rain ceremony). Growing up, our "tree" in the front yard was a 15' saguaro where a Gila Woo [...]
dpecker had a "boot" (nest burrow). The Saguaro National Park displays large "forests" of this Western icon.

Saguaro National Park website

+12
Titan Missile Museum ‐ Feb 28, 2023

The fear of a nuclear war was very real for me growing up. I remember hiding under our wood (!) school desk during nuclear attack drills when my Dad served at Luke Airforce Base. The Titan Missile Museum contains an inoperative Titan II nuclear missile. From 1963 - 1984 it was one of 54 with a 9-megaton yield warhead ready for launch 24/7. The entire world's safety was dependent on the the training, processes, & primitive technology of facilities like these here and in the U.S.S.R.

Titan Missile Museum website

+16
Tumacácori National Historical Park ‐ Nov 27, 2022

This was the first of I know will be many stops at Spanish Mission historical sites. In 1691, Jesuit priest Father Francisco Kino established the Tumacácori mission. It's purpose was to share the Spanish culture and religion so the local the O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people would become Spanish citizens. The Tumacácori National Historical Park protects the ruins of this and two other Spanish missions.

Tumacácori National Historic Park Service website

+16
Patagonia Lake State Park ‐ Nov 25, 2022

Patagonia Lake is a 265-acre manmade lake in southern Arizona. Nights stay: 2. Site: 22. Services: electric, water.

Patagonia Lake State Park website
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

For over a thousand years, the Hohokam (Pima word for "those who are gone.") inhabited much of the central & southern Arizona. By the time the Spanish arrived, these people were gone. They named these ruins the Casa Grande (“Great House") for the large 4-story structure on the site. , which was abandoned around 1450. The National Park Service has build a roof over the structure to help protect it.

Casa Grande National Park Service website

+3
Chaparral High School ‐ Nov 18, 2022

Went back to visit Dave & Joy. Reunion was fun, but with 40 people there wasn't much opportunity to get caught up on the 40+ years since we last saw each other. The original was to spend one evening, which became two, which became seven. Because of their generous hospitality, I had a delightful Thanksgiving with them and their family. Joy was a wonderful hostess, tolerating Dave's & my long conversations into the night. Nights stay: 7. Location: undisclosed. Map location is my old high school - [...]
Chaparral High School.
Cholla Campground ‐ Nov 13, 2022

The Cholla Campground has become another one of my favorite sites to stay. It is a large campground nestled in the beautiful Sonoran desert on Roosevelt Lake. Incredibly quiet, with few other campers. Those who are there are very friendly. Hung out with Jack (the camp host) and a couple of other fellow campers. Intend to come back when in the area. Nights stay: 5. Site: 15. Services: none.

USDA Cholla Campground website

+18

Breakfast is for the birds at Cholla State Park

Breakfast prep at Cholla Campground
Tonto National Monument ‐ Nov 17, 2022

Tonto National Monument features two cliff dwellings occupied by the Salado people in the 1200 - 1400. Their upper & lower cliff dwellings overlooked the Salt river, which is now Roosevelt Lake.

Tonto National Monument Park Service website

+9
Theodore Roosevelt Lake ‐ Nov 13, 2022

Theodore Roosevelt Lake is a large reservoir on the Salt River. The Salt River also holds many childhood memories. Friends & I would take tubing trips down the river. I was also baptized in the river when active in the SVBC (Sun Valley Baptist Church).

USDA Roosevelt Lake website

+6
Houston Mesa Campground ‐ Nov 10, 2022

No winds today, though there was a light snow last night. Finally got to Houston Mesa State Park, which is close to Payson, bringing back childhood memories. Growing up, my family had a small cabin in this area along the Mogollon Rim. We'd often come up here for weekends. (It is also the place where a traumatic family event happened, but that's a separate story.) Nights stay: 3. Site: Elk 14. Services: none
Super 8 Show Low ‐ Feb 26, 2023

Didn't make it to my next campsite in Houston Mesa State Park. The winds were so strong that day I had trouble keeping Muninn in my lanes. I was driving 15 - 20 miles below the speed limit, backing traffic up. After an hour or two I finally gave up and stopped at a cheap hotel in Show Low.
Lyman Lake Campground ‐ Nov 6, 2022

Lyman Lake is a reservoir on the Little Colorado River; rather small & unimpressive. But this was the perfect place to stay Nov. 7, 2022 to witness the blood moon (total lunar eclipse)! There was no one else in the campground & its remote location ensured a terrific dark sky with no light pollution. There was a wonderful moment where a meteorite streamed by just in front of the blood moon. In addition, the trees were full of about 100 incredibly beautiful blue birds. Nights stay: 3. Site: 15. Se [...]
rvices: electric, water, sewer.

Space.com: "Don't miss the Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse on Nov. 8"

Lyman Lake State Park website

+10
Homolovi Campground ‐ Nov 2, 2022

Didn't intend to, but I'm back at Homolovi. Had to cut my stay short at the Grand Canyon & cancel my plans to travel through the Navajo & Hopi nations to Monument Valley & four corners due to a snow storm coming through the area. Weather is suppose to stay cold & roads icy for the next 10 days+. Since I don't trust my skills driving Muninn in such conditions, I decided to head south earlier than planned. Nights stay: 4. Site: 23. Services: electric, water.
Grand Canyon Village ‐ Oct 31, 2022

The Grand Canyon for most is a once-in-a-lifetime visit. Raised in Arizona, for me it was a regular weekend camping trip. But seeing it once or many times, the Canyon is indeed Grand. Pictures are unable to express its grandeur, so the tradition is taking many pictures along the rim, creating a collage of its beauty. I believe regularly visiting places like the Canyon & Sedona were the seeds that grew into my current passion traveling to nature's wonders. Nights stay: 2. Site: 23. Services: none [...]
.

Grand Canyon National Park brochure

Grand Canyon National Park map

Grand Canyon National Park Service website

+68
Hilltop Campground ‐ Oct 23, 2022

Hilltop Campground is located in the the cool ponderosa pine forest of the Prescott Basin at 5,712 feet elevation. Nights stay: 7. Site: 30. Services: none.

USDA Hilltop Campground website
Tuzigoot National Monument

The Tuzigoot National Monument preserves a 2- to 3-story pueblo ruin 120 feet above the Verde River floodplain built by the Sinagua people between 1125 and 1400 CE. ″Tú Digiz/Tuzigoot″ is a Tonto Apache term for "crooked waters". Tuzigoot is the largest and best preserved of the many Sinagua pueblo ruins in the Verde Valley.

+17
Sedona

Got to see Sedona again. Unfortunately, this trip I seem to be constantly just passing through. I need to devote some time here in a future trip.

Arizona Office of Tourism Sedona website page

+3
Walnut Canyon National Monument

Walnut Canyon National Monument (Hopi: Wupatupqa) is located about 10 mi southeast of Flagstaff. The residents of Walnut Canyon are called the Sinagua. They left around 1250 AD possibly because of fear of neighboring tribes or droughts. The Sinagua left over 80 cliff dwellings behind, built under limestone ledges in the canyon, between 1125 and 1250. Unfortunately I was unable to actually walk through the ruins, my disability & cold sleet making the trek to challenging for this old fool.

Walnut Canyon National Park Service website
Homolovi Campground ‐ Oct 16, 2022

Back at Homolovi, which has turned into my favorite stop when in northern Arizona. Visited the ruins I failed to see during my last stay., The Homol'ovi cluster of pueblo ruins built by the ancestors of the Hopi people around 1260–1400. This fertile area is on a floodplain of the Little Colorado River. Nights stay: 7. Site: 17. Services: electric, water.

+8
KOA Holiday - Flagstaff ‐ Oct 15, 2022

Stayed one night at the Flagstaff KOA. My first stay at a commercial RV park, this one in the KOA chain. I understand that quality varies dramatically, dependent on management & facilities. This was not a pleasant experience. Sites were extremely close together, the facility was dirty, and the neighbors noisy. And one day cost as much as a week at some national park service sites I've stayed at. After a full day visiting national monuments, I chose to spend the night here instead of driving to H [...]
omolovi. Nights stay: 1. Services: electric, water, sewer.
Wupatki National Monument

The Wupatki National Monument is a fascinating set of Pueblo ruins; the remains of a community that lived just north of current Flagstaff in the 1100s. This pueblo settlement is believed to be the region's tallest and largest structure for its time period. It had over 100 rooms, a community room, and ballcourt. The ball court is similar to those found in Mesoamerica and in the Hohokam sites of southern Arizona.

Wupatki National Monument National Park Service website

+21
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater is the youngest in a string of volcanoes near Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument National Park Service website

+2
Montezuma Castle

Montezuma Castle is a cliff dwelling ruins near Camp Verde, Arizona. The Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture, built & lived there between AD 1100 and 1425.

Montezuma Castle National Park Service website

+3
McDowell Mountain Regional Park ‐ Oct 9, 2022

When in high school, our home was on the edge of NE Scottsdale. There was nothing but desert between us & the McDowell Mountains which my best friend Ed & I would regularly climb. It is now central Scottsdale and desert has become shopping centers & subdivisions. However, I was able to re-experience the desert & views of my childhood by camping on the other side of the McDowell Mountains. Also had a great visit & dinner with my Aunts Dorcas & Carol that week. Nights stay: 6. Site: 3. Services: e [...]
lectric, water.

McDowell Mountain Regional Park website

+21
Scottsdale ‐ Oct 8, 2022
Saguaro Lake

As part of the reunion, we went on a boat tour excursion at Saguaro Lake. It's a beautiful lake rimmed with steep canyon walls.

USDA Saguaro Lake website

+17
Scottsdale – East Shea Boulevard Supercharger ‐ Oct 6, 2022

I've been making my way south for a couple of months now to return to my childhood home and see friends I haven't seen since high school. I'm back in Scottsdale for my old church's youth group's reunion. Almost 40 were able to attend. People I haven't seen in 45 years yet it felt like it was just yesterday. It was an absolutely incredible time. Mooch-docked in Dave's & Joy's driveway. Nights stay: 3. Location: undisclosed. Map location is where my childhood home was (now a huge shopping center).
Lost Dutchman State Park ‐ Oct 2, 2022

The Superstition Mountains were another favorite place we picnicked when growing up. The incredibly beautiful mountains come packaged with a great treasure hunt mystery - the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. Like Oak Creek Canyon & Sedona, the area has really been developed with shopping and subdivisions built up to mountain's foothills. The campsite was setup such that it was possible to pretend civilization was not just outside the park's gates. Nights stay: 4. Site: 41. Services: electric, water.

Lost Dutchman State Park website

+22
Tawa Point

The Painted Desert extends through northeastern Arizona. Remote badlands composed of beautiful, colorful hills that constantly change colors, depending on the amount of sunlight and time of day. The easiest access point is in the Petrified Forest National Park.

Painted Desert Wikipedia page

+9
Petrified Forest National Park

As the name implies, the Petrified Forest National Park is primarily the fossils of fallen trees. Geologic time always astonishes me. We tend to think that life is all about us, as individuals or species. This park reminds us how short our existence has been compared to the time and diversity life has been on this planet. The park is the skeleton of a humid and sub-tropical forest that lived when our 7 continents were one - the supercontinent Pangaea - 225 million years ago.

Petrified Forest National Park Service website

+19
Rainbow Forest Museum & Visitor Center

The Rainbow Forest Museum is in the Petrified Forest National Park. A fascinating step back in time when instead of desert, this area was swamp, lakes, and forest in the Late Triassic period 221 million years ago A world full of very different (and large) animal and plant life.

Rainbow Forest Museum National Park Service website

+6
Homolovi Campground ‐ Sep 28, 2022

"Homolovi" is the Hopi word for "the place of little hills". This small state park was a total surprise to me. Both on the map and landscape you assume boredom. After all, how can the high grassland compete with Sedona's rock formations to the west or the Grand Canyon to the north? But the sky - it goes on forever. And it is so quiet and peaceful. Then the sun sets and you're witnessing the onset of heaven. Nights stay: 4. Site: 32. Services: electric, water.

+9
Sedona

Sedona's red & orange sandstone formations are absolutely breathtaking. The city and area have grown dramatically since I was a kid. Numerous tourist and new age retail establishments dominating the town. Despite the tourists & traffic, raising your eyes to the surrounding natural beauty drowns out the consumerism built at the mountains feet.

Sedona Wikipedia page

+7
Pine Flat Campground ‐ Sep 25, 2022

Pine Flat Campground is located in one of my favorite childhood places - Oak Creek Canyon. My parents would bring us to Oak Creek for picnics; our favorite pastime hopping from boulder to boulder in the babbling creek. Located next to Sedona, there is nothing more beautiful then the sun setting rays illuminating the red rock. Nights stay: 3. Site: 10. Services: none.

USDA Pine Flat Campground website

+8
Joshua Tree National Park ‐ Sep 23, 2022

The Joshua Tree National Park is named after the twisted, spiky "tree" found in the Mojave desert. Not actually a tree, it is a flowering plant in the Agave family. They live an average of 200 years with roots reaching 10'-30' deep and growing almost 50' high. Their flowers have a very unpleasant fragrance. Due to the ideal altitude & other factors, the park has a huge number of these "trees" as well as unique rock formations. Location: Cottonwood Campground Nights stay: 2. Site: B-9. Services: [...]
none.

Joshua Tree National Park map

Joshua Tree National Park Service website

+24
Serrano Campground, United States ‐ Sep 21, 2022

Serrano Campground is located on the north side of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernadino National Forest. Nights stay: 2. Site: 45. Services: electric, water, sewer.
Pinnacles National Park ‐ Sep 19, 2022

Pinnacles National Park is an unique landscape formed 23 million years ago when multiple volcanoes erupted, their magma forming the unique pinnacles seen today. What remains is a unique landscape. In addition to the pinnacles are the incredible number of birds. Unfortunately I never saw the rare California condor. However the skies were covered with turkey vulture and dead trees covered with acorn woodpeckers. Nights stay: 2. Site: 87-D. Services: electric.

Pinnacles National Park map

Pinnacles National Park Service website

+14
Pine Flat Lake ‐ Sep 18, 2022

Island Park Campground is on the shore of Pine Flat Lake, east of Fresno in the Sierra foothills. A huge campground with no one in my area. A beautiful, peaceful site with great views of an unique lake. Nights stay: 1. Site: 29. Services: none.

Army Corps of Engineers Island Park website

+5
Eastman Lake Recreation Area ‐ Sep 14, 2022

Codorniz Campground on Eastman Lake sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Every evening a large flock of wild turkey passed through the site. Also caught some pics of other local residents. Nights stay: 4. Site: 56. Services: electric, water, sewer.

US Corp of Engineers Eastman Lake website

+4
Santa Rosa ‐ Feb 22, 2023

Stopped by to visit my sister Linda in Santa Rosa. Bad timing on my part. Her house was undergoing significant remodeling. Cut my visit short by several days due to the stressful conditions. Speaking of stress - there was even a 4.4 M earthquake my final night there; the epicenter just a mile away. The entire house jumped in the air! It was great finally meeting my nephew Kory's partner C.J. though. Nights stay: 4. Location: undisclosed.
Merrill Campground ‐ Sep 5, 2022

Merrill Campground is located in the Eagle Lake Recreation Area in the Lassen National Forest. Nights stay: 5. Site: 106. Services: electric, water, sewer.

USDA Merrill Lake Campground website

+3
Valley of the Rogue State Park ‐ Feb 22, 2023

This beautiful campground is located on the Rogue River; a river made famous by the Western novelist Zane Grey Nights stay: 2. Site: B9. Services: electric, water, sewer.
Crater Lake National Park ‐ Sep 3, 2022

Crater Lake is simply breathtaking. It was formed by the collapsed volcano Mount Mazama. These pictures are taken from various points along the Rim Drive & in way do it justice. Two pieces of info a park ranger shared with me I found fascinating: 1) It is the deepest lake in the U.S. & #9 in the world. 2) There are no inlets or outlets. It is entirely fed by snow & rain uniquely balanced with evaporation & seepage so that the lake stays at a consistent level; fluctuating only about 10'.

Crater Lake National Park map

Crater Lake National Park Service website

+21
Collier Memorial State Park ‐ Aug 31, 2022

Starting my way south to be in Phoenix by October for a friend reunion. Collier Memorial State Park is located on the Williamson River near Klamath Falls, Oregon, featuring a historic logging museum. Can still see the effects of a wildfire that passed through the area in September 2020. Nights stay: 3. Site: B-8. Services: electric, water, sewer.

Collier Memorial State Park website
Charbonneau Park ‐ Aug 21, 2022

I'm back on Lake Sacajawea at another Corp of Engineers campsite. One thing I love living in the outdoors is the proximity to wildlife. You never know who your neighbors may be. Can't say I cared for my neighbors this week ... spiders were everywhere. Some were huge. Nights stay: 10. Site: 27. Services: electric.

Corp of Engineers Charbonneau Park website

+12
Bonney Lake ‐ Aug 19, 2022

Back on the road. Spending he weekend camping at the Renaissance Festival. Sarah, Brian, and Ash joined me Saturday. Ash loves cosplay and is dressed as one of her favorite anime characters. Nights stay: 2. Site: festival camp parking. Services: none.

Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire 2022 website

+14
Bremerton ‐ Jul 28, 2022

Back at Home Base in Bremerton. 1-week house-sitting for Sarah & Brian and another 2-weeks "re-fixturing" Muninn. With some experience now, moving some stuff out, other stuff in, adding some my mods. Catching up on medical & vet visits. Unfortunately, decided Macy needs to stay here. Living on the road was too stressful, so she's staying here with her two BFFs - Rory and Maui. Mystic will be my only travel companion. Nights stay: 22. Location: undisclosed.
Mount Saint Helens ‐ Jul 27, 2022

Stayed at the Seaquest Campground next door to the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic visitor center. Places like this are humbling, reminding us of how small we truly are in relation to our planet's geological power and age. Nights stay: 3. Site: 9. Services: electric, water, sewer.

Mount St. Helen's National Volcanic Monument Visitor's Guide

Mount Saint Helens USGS website

+4
Paradise Point State Park ‐ Jul 22, 2022

Paradise Point State Park is located on the Lewis River. Nights stay: 3. Site: 25. Services: none.

Paradise Point State Park

+5
Brooks Memorial State Park ‐ Jul 16, 2022

Brooks Memorial State Park sits between the pine forests of the Simcoe Mountains and the Columbia River Gorge. A beautiful park with Ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak. Nights stay: 6. Site: 8. Services: electric, water, sewer.
Fishhook Park ‐ Jul 6, 2022

I was able to book a site at the Fishhook Park, on Lake Sacajawea managed by the Corps of Engineers. The park was named for Fishhook Rapids, where Lewis and Clark spent time in October 1805 nearby. Nights stay: 10. Site: 4. Services: electric, water.

Corp of Engineers Fishhook Park website

+3
Nez Perce NHP, Lewis-Clark Canoe Camp Unit

Once I climbed back out from the Dworshak reservoir, I found a beautiful spot to spend the day working along the Clearwater River near Orofino, Idaho. A day-use park remembering a stop in the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Nez Perce National Historical Park - Canoe Camp website
Dworshak State Park ‐ Jul 5, 2022

After a narrow, steep, curvy drive down to the Dworshak Reservoir, I set up camp just before dark when I discovered I had no internet. A digital nomad with no "digital" and several important meetings scheduled in the morning. So 6am I'm repacking everything, driving the narrow curvy road out looking for a connection before my first meeting. Never did see the park or reservoir. Nights stay: 1. Site: 38. Services: electric.
Weiser ‐ Feb 22, 2023

One of the great things about living on the road is how easy it is to visit friends and family throughout the country. Spent the 4th of July with my sister and her family in Idaho. Great time with Pam, Ed, and Bradley. Nights stay: 8. Location: hidden.
Maryhill State Park ‐ Feb 23, 2023

Heading east I leave the Cascade mountain range into the golden hills of central Washington. Maryhill State Park is located on the Columbia River. It was blazing hot in the 100's> The strong winds blowing off the gorge fooled me. Ended up with a painful sunburn. Nina & Tom drove up from Portland to join me for an afternoon of good conversation and drinks. Nights stay: 4. Site: 40. Services: electric, water, sewer.

Maryhill State Park website
Battle Ground Lake State Park ‐ Jun 21, 2022

The next site was on the other side of Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument in the Washington Cascade Mountains. This is a small beautiful lake. It's unique as it is a spring fed lake located in a volcano caldera that erupted about 100,000 years ago. Nights stay: 2. Site: 1. Services: none.

Battle Ground Lake State Park website

+2
Ike Kinswa State Park ‐ Jun 17, 2022

Next stop was at the Ike Inswa State Park. A forested campsite located on Mayfield Lake in Southwest Washington. I learned my first planning lesson here - anticipate traffic patterns when selecting your site. A trail to the lake was located right in the middle of my site. Families constantly cut through to use the trail. Lounging in my chair, reading, I looked up to find myself looking at a small boy as his father was routing his clan through my site to save a few steps. Nights stay: 4. Site: 4. [...]
Services: electric, water.

Ike Kinswa State Park website

+4
Pacific Beach State Park ‐ Jun 15, 2022

My first stop is Pacific Beach Washington State Park. An incredible way to start this new lifestyle - walking the beach, watching the sunset. Learned that the assumption that the nomadic van life was lonely was very untrue. I spent more time & conversation with my camping neighbors in 2 days then I had in my previous 6 months at my apartment complex. Nights stay: 2. Site: 59. Services: electric.

Pacific Beach State Park website

+5
Bremerton, United States ‐ May 27, 2022

My adventure starts humbly. I spend my first two weeks parked in my daughter's driveway, equipping Muninn, my Winnebago Travato, for the upcoming journeys. Went a little overboard purchasing items. Having never done this before, I'm relying on YouTube and blog advice plus a lot of guess work. Nights stay: 18. Location: undisclosed