Sunday, January 29, 2017

Happy New Year 2017

I am slowly catching up with our travels. When we were in Cottonwood, Arizona, we had several nights below freezing. I filled the fresh water tank, disconnected the hose and turned on the tank heaters. Of course, I only did that after my fresh water froze up one night. I guess I didn't let it drip fast enough. Problem solved.

Well, that solved only the first problem.  The second problem was an unhappy camper who expected the weather in the Southwest to be warmer. I figured out a solution for that: lower altitude and 200 miles or so South. We decided to go to Mittry Lake and do some boondocking on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. This was a good decision. Kay was hoping (praying) for an adequate site. We got one of the best sites available. Unbelievable!!!!!!

We arrived December 29th and stayed until January 8th. It was the best place that we have ever camped, including state parks, national parks or private campgrounds. It was quiet and secluded. An "L" shaped jetty allowed us to walk out and enjoy the view while being surrounded by water. It was about 5 to 6 feet wide and about 200 feet long. Oh, and the best part was, it was free camping. Here are some of our pictures.

Sunset at Mittry Lake

Egrets on the jetty.

Our campsite at Mittry Lake


Even a rainy day has its own beauty.


The view to the Northeast from the jetty. The birds in the water are American Coots.

View to the Northwest from the jetty.

 The sunsets at Mittry Lake were awesome.

 The sunsets at Mittry Lake were awesome.

  The sunsets at Mittry Lake were awesome.

  The sunsets at Mittry Lake were awesome.

 The sunsets at Mittry Lake were awesome.

The sunrise was impressive, too.

The sunrise was impressive too.

The sunrise was impressive too.

The sunrise was impressive too.

The sunrise was impressive too.

The sunrise was impressive too.
 Sunrises were harder to get. I had a tendency to sleep through them.

 What a way to bring in the New Year

So relaxing.

We wish you were here with us.


Sometimes we had our coffee while watching the sunrise.

 The birds were up early, too.

Having a motivational coach helps get me going.
Thank you, Kay.

Our last campfire at Mittry Lake.

 Our last sunrise at Mittry Lake.


 Our last sunrise at Mittry Lake.

  Our last sunrise at Mittry Lake.

  Our last sunrise at Mittry Lake.

  Our last sunrise at Mittry Lake.

 Our last sunrise at Mittry Lake.

  Our last sunrise at Mittry Lake.

This was only the beginning of our stay in the Yuma area. We made new friends and stayed much longer than we originally planned.

Thanks for dropping by. Leave a comment if you are enjoying our adventure. It helps keep us connected.

Russ and Kay




Thursday, January 26, 2017

Petrified Forest and Painted Desert

While we were in Cottonwood, Arizona, we took a day trip to the Petrified Forest National Park, which is also on the edge of the Painted Desert. Arizona is a beautiful state. When we arrived, we drove along the edge of the Painted Desert first. The pictures do not come close to the majestic beauty that is there.

























After driving along the edge of the Painted Desert, we entered the Petrified Forest. The petrified logs are amazing.























This tree was splintered into wood chips. It is amazing how much it really looks like wood chips.









We have not done a lot of sightseeing, but what we have done has been awesome. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. 

Kay and I are having a wonderful trip. I still feel like I am on vacation. We finally have better cellular and I could put this blog post together. Now I am only one month behind! I should be able to get caught up this week. We send our love to all of you following the blog. Leave us a comment so that we can feel the love.

Russ and Kay