Las Vegas to Tucson, February 2020
So, we are on the move again after months away. A little explanation… I had bunion surgery and the thought of being next to fabulous hiking while I would be stuck in the trailer just seemed depressing. So we spent Thanksgiving to early February at our primary home, only to find that my foot is still a problem and we wanted to be back on the road.
On the road we are! We picked up the trailer where it was stored in Las Vegas and headed south to find warmer weather combined with a nice campsite. One quick stop at a Harvest Host in Kingman, not really recommended, and then south for warmer weather. Unfortunately, predictable weather is not the norm these days (oh, climate change how you mess with our lives!).
While we usually enjoy the solitude of boondocking, the cooler weather convinced us that having some access to a few amenities would be good. We decided to hunker down at the Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, AZ, near Sedona. It has trails right off the campsite and is close enough to dining options – whether you want to drive or bike. Cottonwood also has a touristy small “old town” and it’s just around the corner from another tourist destination, Jerome.
We headed from there to Phoenix – originally booking a HipCamp site as all the campgrounds seemed really full and the boondocking options limited. Luckily we met up with some friends from Chapel Hill and were able to score an overfull spot at Cave Creek County Park Campground. The towns of Cave Creek and Carefree are just around the corner, and provide quite the diversion for bar hopping. Staying in Phoenix also gave me the opportunity to check in with Tuna, my godfather. Wonder how he got that nickname? Think of the old commercials about the chicken of the sea… if your old enough you will remember….
Our last stop on this relatively quick trip was Tucson, AZ. This time we found a boondocking site east of Tucson in the Coronado National Forest. Ideal spot? Not really, but it beats a Walmart parking lot and finding spots in this area during February is really tough (if you don’t plan ahead). The highlight is that we are near some mountain biking options. So, at least there’s that!
Highlights and Tips:
Food Stops that are worth it:
- Lucy’s Bar and Grill. Chino Valley, AZ. It’s on the road, in a small highway crossroad town (Chino Valley) between Kingman and Cottonwood. Looks sketchy and it appears to be the local bar, but don’t let the appearance fool you. Fabulous burgers, great chili. They make most items from scratch – highly recommend.
- Elote. (Sedona, AZ). If you are a foodie, this is a must go. They do not take reservations, so you have to line up and wait to get a table. The line starts just around 4 pm for the 5 pm seating. If you don’t get in for the first seating, then you get a buzzer, grab a margarita and sit on the porch with popcorn until a seat opens up. James Beard award winning chef. Food is outstanding, atmosphere is casual.
- Haunted Hamburger. (Jerome, AZ). It’s a bit touristy, but the hamburgers are amazing. HUGE!
Camping Tips:
- Arizona Camping in Winter. If you want a public campground, then plan and book ahead or pray to the camping gods that there will be a cancellation at the moment you arrive.
- Dead Horse Ranch State Park is a great option for visiting the Sedona area. The Cooper Hawk loop has the best views of the sunset and it’s closest to the trails.
- Boondocking in Coronado National Forest. The few spots are literally pull-offs from Redington Road. It’s beautiful, but you will have a ton of ATVs, trucks, and cars passing by. The road is also quite rough. We camped about .75 miles up the road.
