FURTHER ALONG…

These days there are snow storms in Northern New Mexico with sub-freezing and sub-zero temps. After living most of my life in Southern California, I moved to Taos, New Mexico a dozen years ago. But after a few winters there, I began to leave the area during the colder months. A lot of people do this. During the rest of the year New Mexico well deserves it’s fame as the land of enchantment.

Adaptation is the key to all of life’s challenges, so I built the Gypsywagen to have a compact and reliable shelter in which to wander around during this time of the year.

On the road again now for nearly three months, I prefer back roads and remote locations. So far, I’ve camped in a half dozen locations – mostly in southern Arizona. Here the weather is mild, even warm on these winter days. At some of the camps, I’ve pulled the tools out of my truck and done more finish work on the coach. 

First up was finishing the galley. It’s been over a year since the initial build and getting a working galley has been long overdue. What a luxury it is to make coffee in the morning and to have hot meals during the rest of the day. 

A Christmas rendezvous with my lifelong friend (and occasional traveling companion) Phyllis was, as always, a good time. She’s been traveling in her Road Trek RV for five years now, criss-crossing North America many times. We spent New Years Day visiting the Old Tucson theme park. Originally and sometimes still a western movie set, it’s a well kept place where folks can enjoy a trip back in time.

We then caravanned on to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, located  40 mikes south of Ajo, Arizona and just north of the Mexican border. This place is way off the beaten track and a real find.

After a peaceful stay at the Cactus Monument, Phyllis moved on to the California Coast and I settled in at a campground east of Yuma. Having stayed at that place last year, I was looking forward to returning there and found a nice spot in a grove of desert pines. As it happened, other travelers who camped on either side of me were Canadians. My mother was Canadian (from Winnipeg) and for a time I enjoyed a warm fellowship with these folks. This too was a peaceful idyll

Now I’m heading north along the Colorado River toward The Valley of Fire in Nevada, a place I’ve wanted to visit for 30 years. No doubt there’ll be stories to tell of the days that are about to unfold.