Explore. Connect. Share.
Reviews of Camping Locations
Anxiety is whipping around me like a strong Arizona wind, of which I now have first-hand knowledge. Instead of running away, I try to lean into it. As if it were a gentle breeze, and I a bird who could float on top of it, without being swept away into the up-current. It’s a strange … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 22
Quartzsite will always be my first “desert love” because of the RTR and the WRTR, but I have to tell you all - if you draw a 100-mile circle around that quirky little town, there is a whole world to discover in this part of Arizona - all vastly different from Quartzsite, and uniquely beautiful. … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 21
Rainy, cold days are an obvious time to anything (inside my van) I have been procrastinating. My obvious task today was dealing with my garbage. Yesterday, I hid it behind my friend’s shower tent; a typical “out of sight, out of mind” strategy. But like Edgar Allen Poe’s “Tell-tale Heart”, I could hear it over … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 19
Crazy windy night last night - the howling woke me up numberous times, but I was happy to find the canopy still fastened to the ground this morning (thanks to the 8 inch spikes I use for tent pegs!) and everything stored beneath it, still there. The wind blew in a bit of a cold … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 11
Change is in the air. The maps are out. I’m making lists. It’s almost time to get back on the road. It’s not going to be easy to leave Quartzsite. I’ve been here since Christmas Eve. I’ve made memories, and more importantly, friends. I’ve drank from the communal cup at the RTR, the WRTR, and here … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 10
A completely routine sort of day here in the desert. Wake. Breakfast. 5 km walk. Write. Nap. Another 5 km walk. Town. Smoothie Treat. Dog Park. Recovery Meeting. Home. Write. So, I’m going to write about “Freedom” instead of those things. Because I’ve been thinking about it all day. I recently asked a great bunch … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 8
Road Trip To Hot Springs! My friend suggested we a little road trip to Tonopah (about an hour from Quartzsite) to visit Eldorado Hot Springs (also called Desert Pete’s) After a week romping about it desert dust, how could I say no to that? We left the van here and took Pip’s kennel and a blanket … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 7
I didn’t make morning coffee because it was Yoga Day, and coffee stimulates my digestive system in the same way Yoga does; taken together they can be quite an insistent force. So, I ate a small apple with a bit of peanut butter for energy and joined a quiet procession of others crossing the desert to … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 5
Mission: To survive a week of free camping in the Canadian Rockies in cold weather. My daughter Indigo arrived at the end of October, and with her came my excitement to get back on the road; in particular taking on the challenge of some cold-weather van-camping. My logic was that being “brave and hearty” … Continue reading Winter Van Camping: Tips and Tricks
I wasn't much of a girly-girl to begin with. Thankfully. My 'beauty' routine has long included three essential products and genuine efforts to be content with Whatever God Gave Me. Gram always advised against covering up beauty with makeup. Just wash the dirt off so the beauty can shine through, she would say. As a result, … Continue reading #savemyvanity