Arizona: Beauty Around Every Curve

I once got a peak at the beauty of Arizona on a trip to Phoenix. I knew then I would have to come back and experience more. I was not disappointed. There was beauty around every curve. Grab a coffee and a comfy seat and come experience Arizona with me.

Warning: there are a lot of pictures! Lol

My first stop was a unique rest area just inside the state line. I knew if this was the beginning, this was going to be a fabulous adventure.

Buildings built into the majestic rock formations, a trading post with a teepee included, and a sign warning you of dangerous ground creatures. Lol. Ok, shoes on and watch where I step.

If you looked closely at the rock formations, there were small figures laid out in what might have been a story. It was interesting, and if you did not really look, you would not see them.

Petrified Forest National Park

I am almost speechless by the beauty and fascinating history of how this landscape was developed. Driving toward Petrified Forest National Park, there is no forest. You see only what looks like a barren landscape. With a stop at the information center and a friendly chat with park admission, this would be an adventure to remember.

Where are all the trees?

The best description I can come up with of this forest is that it is a fossilized forest. Millions of years in the making. The trees lay on the ground, hard and heavy, petrified by nature. When you felt them, they felt smooth, and you could feel the denseness of rock beneath, but it was wood that petrified into rock. Some had developed crystals inside to create what looked like jewels within them.

The formula for petrification is millions of years in the making. A once thriving forest that was covered by a sea of water. As the water dried and evaporated over time, the trees did not disintegrate. They were petrified.

A once-thriving forest alive during the age of dinosaurs is now a wasteland. Small stumps and giant logs scattered across the ground with hints of crystallized beauty within. It’s an amazing sight.

The Painted Desert

Encompassed in Petrified Forest National Park is the Painted Desert. When I hear the word “desert,” the first thing I think of is rolling dunes of sand. I saw four deserts and did not see any rolling dunes of sand. Lol

The Painted Desert is made up of rolling hills of rock. As you stood and looked out upon it, the light glimmered off the rock in what seemed a million different colours. Each step you took changed the colour. As I got closer to the desert itself, the shape transformed into a smooth roll.

It was an amazing sight that seemed to go on forever. Different times of day give you a different reflection and, therefore, a different view. An ahhh inspiring view at anytime of day.

People and Places

Petrified Forest National Park covers over 221,000 acres. Within that lies the stories and remnants of lives that came before us. Peurco Pueblo was a thriving community that once was. They estimated that over 200 people lived in this community in the early 1300s. Remnants of this community can be seen as you go through the park.

A Touch of Paradise

At the end of the park is an RV parking area. On one side of the road, a paid parking lot with hook up services, on the other, a free spot with cement pads to pull up beside.

I very rarely need to plug in, so I decided on the free spot. After a tour of the great little gift shop (there is also a crystal museum), I settled in for the night. As I sat and sipped my coffee, I got the feeling I was being watched. I looked up, and yes, I was. Lol

A gentleman was travelling with his horse and goat. Did you know goats are used to keep horses calm? It was an interesting fact I never knew. I coffee cheered him and went back to writing. Lol

In the morning, I was greeted by the most breathtaking sunrise. I do not often see the sunrise as I am kind of a late night person. I have no idea why I was awake. All I know is I am so glad I did not miss it.

Free camping and a morning greeting like that, I knew it was going to be a perfect day.

Standing on the Corner

When in Arizona, you just need to stand on the corner. Winslow, Arizona, is a charming little town. I somehow thought it would be larger.

Commemorating the great song by the Eagles, Take it Easy, it is easy to do in Winslow. With the sound of a street musician and the coziness of this small town, slowing down seems almost natural.

When travelling Route 66 in Arizona, this roadside attraction is a must-see!

A Night in a Ghost a Town

I know you all know my fascination with ghost towns and all this kind of spooky. Traveling Route 66 just past Winslow is the abandoned town of 2 Guns. It was getting along in the day, and I had my sights set on a boondocking experience in a ghost town. I was not disappointed.

An abandoned gas station from maybe the 60s or 70s. It was probably a grooving place when Route 66 was in its prime. As you drive onto the dirt roadway, old rock silos appear. It looks so forlorn standing alone. The entrance to a once bustling attraction of an amusement park and zoo.

To the left, a stone building lies in ruins with the words Mountain Lion written on top. Looking across the vastness of the desert, I half expected to see one. The entrance to a once main attraction now reduced to the remnants of what once was.

Behind the ruins lies a deep canyon where many men are said to have died in an ambush. In 1878, the Apache used this canyon for travel. The rival Navajo discovered their movement and planned an ambush. When the Apache were discovered, they took refuge in a cave, now known as Dead Man’s Cave. They lit a fire using sagebrush, and many men either succumbed to the smoke or were killed as they fled. It is a tragic story set against the backdrop of such beautiful land.

It was a quiet night in this ghost town. The only sound. The wind howling as it flowed through the canyon.

The Wigwam Motel

Holbrook Arizona has a special place that every kid who loved the movie Cars would know. As I drove by, what I noticed were the Wigwams and an old car in front of each one. Oh so very cool. What was this place?

It is just what it says it is.  A Wigwam Motel. A motel room in a wigwam. Located on Route 66 it brings you the nostalgia from a great era and a smile from a great movie. There is even Mater to help with any of your cars towing needs.

Where the Burros Roam

My friend Bev Brown, who is also a vanlife traveller, told me of a very special place. She said I would love it and she was right. Nowhere was mentioned of the “A” road to get there and back. Lol

What’s an “A” road? Roads I avoid! I mentioned to a lady in a Louisiana campground that roads that have steep drop-offs and lots of curves scare the bejeezus out of me. You know the ones. Where when you look beside you and there’s nothing. No railing, no earth, just a long way down. She called them “A” roads. On the name of the road or highway, there would be an “A” beside it. Oatman Highway has no “A” beside it, but it was one in disguise.  Lol.

I barely survived! Haha! It was a steering wheel-gripping ride. With some OMG and an Ohhh, I finally arrived in Oatman. It was so worth the trip. I parked the van and was immediately greeted by a wild herd of donkeys. Apparently, they come down from the surrounding area and mix and mingle with the tourists and townspeople. They were so cute and loved the apples I brought. They wandered in and around town. One even ventured into the open door of a store.  He was quickly ushered out.

Warning: although they have cute little faces and are friendly for the moment. They are wild animals. If you are carrying a bag with food in it, keep it close. They will grab it. I was told they also do not appreciate dogs. Be careful with your pet when going there.

The town itself was like walking back into the Wild West. The buildings and the townspeople dressed in cowboy fashion. There was even a gunfight that broke out in the middle of town.

The Oatman Hotel and Bar was an interesting and unique dining experience. As you walked in the door, you could see the walls, columns, and parts of the ceiling covered in one-dollar bills. There must have been thousands of them. People from all over the world come to Oatman to visit the donkeys; they must have all left a one-dollar bill. Mine included. Lol

What a fabulous experience! I highly recommend a trip on this “A” road!

Montezuma’s Castle

I saw this on my Atlas Obscura app. I knew I had to check it out. Montezuma’s Castle like I have never seen. Built over 900 years ago, these “apartments” were the most interesting dwellings I have ever seen.

High on the cliffs, you could see an apartment-like structure. It is said that 20 families lived here on the cliffs. The Sinagua people settled here as early as 650 CE. The earth must have been so different then. They first built housing dug into the ground. They would use poles from the trees and vegetation as roofs. As time went by (around 1050 CE), they moved to the cliffs. Finding natural caves and building within them.

A fascinating trip into the past. It did not end there.

Montezuma’s Well

This naturally fed spring is said to hold 10,000 year old rain drops. This spring once gave life to a prosperous community from the 1100s into the 1800s, with the last being a ranch and campground.

As you walk the trail to the well, the land looks dry and barren. As come upon the well, you see life begin to florish. A true oasis in the desert.

The cliffs and rock around the area of the well also have dwellings from the era of the Sinagua people. There have been many pottery items and other artifacts found scattered through this area. It is an unfolding story of life in the desert.

Amazing history continues just down the road with a different presentation of the art of ancient people.

Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site

Words in pictures drawn hundreds of years ago were worth the trip down the trail. Archeologists call it Rock Art. When looking at it, it certainly is artistic. Created by the Sinagua people in 1100 to 1400 AD and it is both interesting and beautiful.

Some of these symbols may represent calendars for planting and harvest, different animal life in the area, or a story of a particular family. Only the Sinagua people who created it really know. Images were “pecked, ground or scratched” into the rock. Amazingly, these art forms have lasted for over 800 years. Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site is the best example of petroglyphs I have ever seen. It’s worth the walk down the trail.

Joshua Tree Parkway

I saw a sign for Joshua Tree Scenic Parkway. I had heard of Joshua Tree National Park and that it was the place to go if you were in the area. I was not going to California, so I did not think I would see one. What a wonderful scenic surprise that parkway was.

I am going to confess I did not really know what a Joshua Tree looked like. They certainly have a dangerous beauty about them.

It was a fabulous drive with amazing scenery. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The Town of Chloride

I saw, a something interesting happen this way sign, and I knew I had to follow. What I found was a walk back in time. This beautiful little town was built in 1860 and prospered as a mining town. Mining for gold, silver, lead, zinc, and turquoise was a prosperous business in Chloride until 1944 when, as mining died out, it became almost a ghost town.

The town was small and quaint. If not for the vehicles, you would believe you had walked back to the early 1900s. I was surprised to see a restaurant and hotel there. The name fit the scene as Yesterday’s has a horse-drawn cart out front to give it that true western feel.

The hotel attached has a movie history all its own. Jack Nicholson filmed his 1970s movie The Rebel Rousers here in Chloride. You can even rent the room he stayed in while filming. The rooms are quaint and rustic. A lovely feel as you fall asleep.

Walking through town, there is a general store, Mineshaft Market, with everything, an old jail, and a fictional western town called Cynide Springs. Named for the deadly chemical used to separate the silver from the stone in those days.

If you are lucky and there on a Saturday, a gunfight may break out, I am told.

There are many things to see and do in this beautiful little town. I was told of a mural in the hills and that my RV would easily get there. I got about 1/2 ways and decided she might not want to. Lol. It was turning into a dirt “A” road.

There is also turquoise along the roadway. I was told that if I found some, I could keep it. It was a very pretty ride with a few hang on tight moments along the way.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

At the very south of Arizona lies the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it was much more. The beauty of the rock mixed with the sheer size of these cacti was majestic. Small roadways led you down a path of these massive cacti, seemingly reaching for the sky.

The Organ Pipe Cactus is named for the stems that grow from the trucks, resembling organ pipes. They can live up to 150 years old and are only found in a few places on the continent. The Sonoran Desert in Arizona has the largest naturally grown Organ Cacti in the world and is an UNESCO Biosphere Site.

They also produce fruit and flowers, but not until they are at least 35 years old. The flowers only bloom at night and are back to sleep by mid-morning. Bats, not bees, are the greatest pollinators of the majestic cacti. I thought that was so interesting.

The “Monument” is actually 333,000 acres of organ pipes cati. Yes, I was looking for a monument. Lol. The park also has camping available. I did not stay. I saved the best for last.

Sonoran Skies Campground

Sonoran Skies Campground is owned and operated by a beautiful lady by the name of Joyce Millar. I met this lady on Facebook a few years ago and knew I would have to go and hug her. What I did not realize was how much I would enjoy my stay at Sonoran Skies Campground.

Just 28 miles from the Mexican border in the little town of Why Not lies a little piece of paradise. The campground is cozy with the gardens of cacti and the sound of laughter.

Some of the characters that stay there (there were a lot of Canadians lol) made the stay all that more delightful.

Why Not has a restaurant, general store, and gas station all in one. Good food, great people, and a fabulous campground to sit around the campfire and view the night sky.

I am so glad I went to visit and I will be sure to make that trip again.

I hope you all had as much fun reading about Arizona as I did, reminiscing about beautiful Arizona.

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See you next time

Chipmunk