But... knowin' who's tellin' this story... I'd sure not go makin' any hefty bets on that.
Fact is... Arizona just might could be the best "spot" in the country for boondockers. I use the maps published by each National forest. They show where NF roads turn off the black top and go back in. With a decent set of those, a person should be able to keep legal with the 14 day limit "stuff" and still not spend one red cent on "Parking Fees" the whole dang winter! Just move 25 miles every two weeks and you're golden!
Once we get past the family visits and the Colorado Christmas run... I'm schemin' to make just that effort. That should take some of the strain off our budget... as well as our tuckered out Ol' Rig! ... though... with that much time, settin' in the sun... that big Red, Yamaha Raider is likely to be gettin' a lot of exercise.
We are burning propane a lil' quicker than the budget needs us to. A quick moving front rustled through at least the North end of Arizona the last day or two... with the temps last night dipping below 20... Don't know where Mark an' Bobbie are at, in their quest for some warm... but I'm thinkin' they may need to get south of Sedona to find it! :o)
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| *Winter Storm Brewing Over the Kaibab* |
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| *Early Winter Arizona Snow* |
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| *Arizona Sunset goin' RV Boondocking!* |
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| *Snow on the Arizona Range* |
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| *Arizona ain't good for Everybody* |
A really good thing 'bout this past week for me is that I finally, got my disreputable butt back to work on my Next Writing Project. Yup... started out this week with only about 2500 words of my next literary masterpiece put down, and hadn't worked on it in a few months...
Well... the past three days... that file's gotten a lot thicker... The story has swelled up over 14,000 words... and a few new twists popped up that even, I, didn't see coming! After having that conversation with Rex Thanksgiving day, something he said must have poked my writing parts... 'cause I've been squeezin' the juice out of the inverter to keep this laptop hummin' ever since! :o) Thanks Rex!
I think more people will like my upcoming story than my ebook, "A Matter of Honor". Honor, being set in 1875, and a regular Louis La'Mour kind of Western has a fairly narrow niche of readers... This next one, that for now we'll just call "Cocaine"... is current time tale... Quite a bit "grittier"... and I guess you'd call it an Action/Suspense... still a lot of the "West" in it... but that west is struggling along, trying to survive as it gets drug into the Modern world... having to deal with not only the West... but.. the East too! ... it's a fun story to write... so many more bits and pieces... Suh-Wheet! :o)
Keep goin' like this and it'll be a done deal some time after new years... so... I guess I better go take my mid day walk... fire up the coffee pot... and get back to Tap Tap Tappin' on the key board...
gotta get her/him/them into and out of... more Trouble! :o)
Boondocking and Story Spinning... somewhere in the West
Brian
5 comments:
Good to see you're hard at work on the next literary project. I need to light a fire under my own backside, but I'm not sure that'll do much more than set my pants ablaze.
Well Rex... for safety ... just Don't eat any beans the day you touch off the fire! :-)
We're here in Sedona and it's beautiful... full sun and forecasted to get into the mid 60's the next few days. Hope you got my email invite, but that would not help your broken budget.
We took a long hike today and have more planned.
Hi Brian, I think you are getting closer to being a boondocker as well as a full-timer. Congratulations. When it suddenly dawns on you both, and you can accept the reality that you are “at home” wherever you are – you will then be a full-timer. Only then will peace and serenity become a major part of your existence. You are right now “at home.” It is as simple as that. Your neighborhood is whatever you see as you look out your window or open your door.
Money-wise, the longer you stay “at home” the funds will be retained. Like anyone, when you go “on vacation,” i.e., move to another “home,” you will spend money — just like any of us who take a vacation anywhere.
Similarly, when you “eat out” expenses will rise and when you cook at home, expenses will stay in line. Consider packing a lunch when you use the bikes..... most restaurants are more similar than unique. Lunching along side the highway will return more pleasurable experiences and memories than even many 4 star eateries.
I have been an rv’er for about 12 years. Fortunately, I can travel as I please and took a trip from Naples, Florida out west to CA and then up to Crater Lake, and then back to MI in 2008 even when diesel was over $5 a gallon. We stayed in upscale RV parks most nights. However, if I were severely limited in funds and boondocked most nights, I would have had just as great a time. Contentment is a mental state.
My wife and I are in our seventh decade so we have moved more often over the past 12 years in our RV than you need to at your tender age. If you move too fast I can assure you that you will look back and wonder why you did not take more time to see more of the things you will have driven past.
We probably stayed 4 nights in San Diego. On reflection, I would suggest a two-week stay
would have been better.
I enjoy your blog and hope you find peace and contentment as you explore our great country. Thank you also for your service to our country.
Ernie from Michigan, wintering in Naples, FL.
PS.... If you get near Naples FL anytime between late April and early November... let me know via your blog. I own a site in an rv park that you could use gratis for a period of time. Full hookups as well as 3 swimming pools and a golf course. BTW, the site is cement/concrete. My wife (as well as myself) would not want any oil or grease etc to drop to the concrete. The site is about 100 feet long and 45 feet wide, with full hookups on both sides.
I also have an rv hookup at my home in southeast MI if you get there.
Brian and Mark, you are near some great "rock hound" lands, particularly "gold". Take some time to visit the AZ goldfields. Plenty of maps an guides are available at the Quartzite gathering.
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