Spend 5 months in one spot and you know this was a big move day. We didn't get out of town till about 11:30 AM as we had to dump and check for mail. No mail that we were expecting at our PO box in Q so Bob and Sandy were nice, and will check for it us on Monday so we could get out of town. We will meet them later in northen NM at Navajo Dam. 
Bob and Sandy have become very good friends to us and it was kind of hard to say bye to them. (Next time Sandy gets an SKP hug. ) We will see them soon in NM. 
This season in Q has been enhanched beyond measure by meeting and getting to know Bob and Sandy. 
We would have never met them but for the web and our web site. Now they are doing their own blog and growing with knowledge each day. Special people. You can met them as campgropund hosts this summer in the Snowy Range in Wyoming. And see their new blog Colored Outside The Lines

We hit Wickenburg about 1:30 PM and pressed on since it was still 96 there and the new goal was Cottonwood  AZ and Dead Horse State Park hoping it would be cooler there. 

Pulling up north on I-17 was not much fun as it was still 96 out (as the temp senser on the rear view mirror stated) as it makes it a harder pull up a big grade (surprised of the number of big rig trucks pulling over) (did turn off the air as the temp gauge was starting to go up) (backed it down from 3K to just over 2K reves on the diesel (was able to pull at the lower revs just fine) and the temp came right back in line so turned the air back on high. Then next later on back down at 6% grades to Cottonwood for 10 miles is again a thrill. Thought I would do it in 3rd bit I was lucky I got to get it down to 2nd gear and hold on and hope things didn't overheat. 

Big pull up, then big downhill grads... Our Chevy 1 ton dully Duramax with the Allison trans. just makes me glad I decided on this combination every time I have to do an up and down event like this pulling our 5er. 

But knowing they had electric service which we have not had for 5 months to run our AIR gave us courage to press on. We needed relief from the heat. Of course we didn't need it in Q and the solar and generator was more than great, but when it gets hot I NEED to cool down. 

We pulled into the campground to the dreaded CAMPGROUND FULL sign.  We pulled up the guard station right at closing 4:30 and as the volunteer leans out of the window... and I give her that I'm tired and worn out from dirving all day look, like I need a site, sad look. 

She sez..  You just lucked out as they have a site for us. 

I looked a mess after driving all day and not shaved and they still offered us a just vacated site. 
The only one, as someone just left.   (We were going to ask where else we should go.)

WOW they could have just said, no go, and turned us away but another volunteer got in a golf cart and led the way to the very top of the campground, to site 110 (they have lower and an upper campgrounds) and we think it is the best one in the park as it has a view to kill for. Right next to the upper campground host site at the end of the loop up high. They told us to self register as they were closing. Happy to do and at $19 for water and electric. A couple bucks more than we would like to pay but we are thrilled to be here and right now at any price. This picture does not do justice to the site. Will get a better one on Sunday.

We plan to spend  a couple of days here exploring  the BLM east of here for future boondocking camping and of course driving up to Jerome a gem of a tourist trap. Terry will love it. If we have to, might even head up to Sedona for the sites.  Kind of scarry to be in the tourest mode. Get me back in the outback, please.

Sunday March 18

We slept well with the AIR cooling us down and ready for a relaxing Sunday and reading the (If we have to) Arizona Republic Sunday newspaper. After a English muffin we headed out to find the BLM 14 dry camping area they tell us east of Cottonwood at the Thousand Trails Rd. About 8 miles from the interstate off I-17 on AZ HW 260 . Could not believe all the great boondocking sites with great views of the Verde Valley. We will think about going back to stay few days when the heat cools down, which we think will happen by early this week. 

We then came back and stopped and where else Super Wal*Mart as we rushed through on our way in last night. We picked up a hoagie sandwich to split as we were not head to Jerome. The Old mining town up high in the hills over looking the valley. We had been there a few yeas ago and were looking foreword to stopping  and doing the walkabout to see the sites.  It was Sunday and the tourist trap was filled to the brim with big bikes, and no place to park. So we kept going on out of town on the road to Prescott and stopped at an overlook to eat lunch. While there got a cell call from Sandy back on Q wondering how we were doing.  It is still HOT there and they have not left yet. The pan them is for Tuesday. Looks like a coolling trend for all the state in the next few days.

Since there was NO stopping in Jerome due to the traffic we didn't get the pics we would have liked so here are couple of local web sites which will give you the flaver of what to expect here. 

Historic facts and some good pics of the area. 
Click here for the Text and photographs by Howard A. Sheldon
 

Jerome Grand Hotel  also has a web site in addition to promoting its hotel... 
It has a GREAT  Historic Web Page about the town    with info and pics of the early era.  Very nicely done. People love to saty in the hotel, the highest building on the hill. What a great history this building has had, all the way from an early modern hospital, with one of the first user operated elevators. 

I did a little research and Jerome State Park was only $3 for person. We are thinking about going back up on Monday to explore this site and be able to not have the weekend tourest influx. 
A little about it if you don't go to the site.

Jerome State park.
The "Billion Dollar" Copper Camp
Jerome's modern history began in 1876 when three prospectors staked claims on rich copper deposits. They sold out to a group which formed the United Verde Copper Company in 1883. The resultant mining camp of board and canvas shacks was named in honor of Eugene Jerome, the venture's principal backer. Hopes for the enterprise ran high, but the costs of operating, especially for transportation, outstripped profits, and the company folded in less than two years. 

It took the vision and vast financial resources of a new owner, William A. Clark, to bring in a narrow gauge railroad and reduce freighting costs. By the early 20th century, the United Verde was the largest producing copper mine in the Arizona Territory. Jerome was becoming a frame and brick town, and could boast two churches, an opera house, a school and several civic buildings.

In 1912, James S. Douglas purchased and began development of the Little Daisy Mine. By 1916, Jerome had two bonanza mines. Copper production peaked in 1929, but the Depression and low grade ore deposits reversed the fortunes of the town.

The Little Daisy shut down in 1938. Phelps Dodge took over the United Verde in 1935, but loss of profits brought the operation and Jerome's mining days to an end in 1953. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Douglas Family
Douglas' grandfather began the family's involvement in copper mining in Canada. As an engineer and scientist, his father, James, traveled all over the world. Son James Stuart took to mining with gusto. It was in Nacozari, Mexico, that he acquired his nickname ("Rawhide") inspired by use of rawhide to reduce roller wear on a cable car incline. 
During development of the Little Daisy Mine in Jerome, his men cut into an extremely rich ore vein just in time for the soaring prices of World War I.

His eldest son, Lewis, chose politics instead of mining. In 1922, Lewis left Jerome for Phoenix, where he served in the Sixth Arizona Legislature. His long career took him to Washington, D.C., and finally to England in 1947, as Ambassador to the Court of St. James.

James, the younger son, carried on the family tradition. His worldwide career in geology brought him home for work on the Little Daisy in its last years. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Douglas Mansion
The Douglas Mansion has been an eye-catching landmark in Jerome since 1916, when James S. Douglas built it on the hill just above his Little Daisy Mine. 
Douglas designed the house as a hotel for mining officials and investors as well as for his own family. It featured a wine cellar, billiard room, marble shower, steam heat, and, much ahead of its time, a central vacuum system. Douglas was most proud of the fact that the house was constructed of adobe bricks that were made on the site.

He also built the Little Daisy Hotel near the mine as a dormitory for the miners. The concrete structure still stands. 

This former home is now a museum devoted to history of the Jerome area and the Douglas family. The museum features exhibits of photographs, artifacts, and minerals in addition to a video presentation and a 3-D model of the town with its underground mines. One room, the Douglas library, is restored as a period room. There are more displays outside along with a picnic area offering a beautiful panoramic view of the Verde Valley.

So there you have it, except for a better pic of where we are at that I had promised. 

I was not big on the Cottonwood area fan (just thought it was the entrance to the RICH who recreate at Sonda) but it does grow on you as a nice location to visit and even (No I didn't say put down roots.) We are still fulltimers after all. Clarkdale, just west of Cottonwood and down the hill from Jerome is a gem and has not lost its little town charm. Not sure why. It looks like a little town in the midwest with a town square and park. Small stores and NO franchise businesses you find on the main strips where you just can nnot tell which town you are in. High on a bluff , who could ask for more. Lots of nice comfortable homes, I found nice looking.  Must be a reason this, like other areas in AZ and the southwest, has not been deluged with rebuilding and overpowered with turning this little town into something that would destroy its character. Must be the localsare working hard to keep the charm alive. I hope they win. It might be the rest of the Verde Valley is going nuts and they are on the verge, to the west,  to be left alone. Wouldn't that be nice to see. 

So to end this...  We are going back to Jerome on Monday and explore, without the traffic, and go to the State Park up there. Listen to me, Ron and I am excited about the plan... What is wrong with me?

 Monday March 19

We slept in and I had a late egg sandwich at about 10:30.  As we we thinking about getting ready to head back up to Jerome to go to the State Park.  Up walks a park volunteer asking if we we checking out or staying as checkout times was 11 AM OOPS.  We said we were staying another couple of days.  Next she asked if we would be willing to take a survey on AZ State Parks. We said sure, and we were told if we did we would be offered a FREE nights stay. WOW. 

So tonight we are staying for free. 

Anyway we went to the Jerome Historic Park (entrance $3 per person) and had lunch in the shade in a nice overlook on the grounds. See above info on the park that I posted yesterday. I dislike paying to go into museums, but this AZ State Park was well worth it. If you get the chance do go on in.  If cheap you only have to pay to go inside so you could do lunch  on the ground with the great view with havinge to pay. They had a very good long video all about the history and 3D cutouts of all the mine tunnels. 
 

Terry just outside the main entrance. You can see forever from up here. 

Another picture from the park grounds looking back up toward the town of Jerome.

After the park we went up into the town and walked around.  Anything to make Terry happy. He knows I hate doing tourist traps (historic little mining towns). Oh, we had a good time and now back at camp with happy hour and typing this, it didn't seem so bad. 
 

UPDATE: 8 PM
Got an email from Sandy and Bob who are still in the BLM in Q and leaving tomorrow. She sent us this pic of our old BLM campsite. Can't wait to meet up with them at Navajo Dam, NM

We had left about 20 wood pallets on the site that we hadn't used for firewood. (Yes we did try to clean up the nails left over from the burnt pallets.) Bob brought over his pickup magnet and ran it through the ashes to gather up the spent nails. We left a big free firewood sign and are glad to see the site is now clean. 
We want BLM Ranger Cyde  to welcome us back. 

The BLM long term visitor area in southwest AZ has many RVers who return for many years in a row, and with people living (boondocking) for 5 months or more on the same site. You tend to bond with others in this kind of environment. And then we all head off for the summer to other adventures. BUT for many months we are a community. 

Some short stay campers only come for the 10 day big tent events, but for others this is their winter home.  Before, and after the crowds leave, we are left to bond and share the beauty of desert.

Tuesday March 20

Today was a day to just step back and take inventory. Terry went for newspapers and later did laundry. He did sneak off to Reactive Metal Studios for supplies he sez he needed.  Low and behold it has a chance to rain (forgot what that looked like) the next couple of days and be much cooler. We are thinking of just staying right here in Cottonwood, AZ  till Friday and watch life go by. How does that sound.  No need to rush to Navajo Dam as it looks like SNOW there.  Too hot in Quartzsite and to cold in new Mexico. As fulltimers you have to take it as it comes and move with the flow. 
Sure we are spending bucks to staty in the State Park but we lived very cheap in the BLM and next stop will be Winslow, AZ at their great FREE  park south of town right on a small lake. After the DRY desert, that is what we need, to look at water and and riasing fish and mud hens to amuse us. More about that later when we are there. If you can't wait it is listed on www.freecampgrounds.com.  Oh did I say the AIR was NOT needed today. 
 

NOW what would you think of this...

A couple of days ago we went looking (see my above post) for the BLM 14 day area on HW 260 east of Cottonwood, AZ north on Thousand Trails Rd. and then later after we found the nice BLM 14 day area we futher north drove to the Thousand Trails RV park and asked if we could just drive in and turn around, which we did. We did not get out of the PU and gave the gaurd no info about us.  BUT now a few days later we receive email at myGoogle  xxxx@gmail.com email account an offer to came back and stay free for 2 nights at the Verde Valley - Sedona, AZ  resort. Not a general email to visit their parks all over the country. But to this park. So seems to me they knew we were here and drove in and out.  Do you think they wrote down our plate and found my name and did search for may email. Scary
 Want to see the exact web site on the email: http://www.1000trails.com/offer/scripts/index.pl?offer=223_wgm402&pin=9950833471&list=SBXP
My gmail email has never been connected to anything RV related. 
Do you think the State park gave them my name? But can they search and find my email in Google that easy? 

Wednesday March 21

We re-upped for a couple more days in this Cottonwood state park, and got it done 15 min before the requested time of 11 AM. Then off to the post office to send out an Alarm It Unit. Of course the Cottonwood US Post Office didn't have a clue about Click-N-Ship and how to scan the the computer generated scan sheet so it would be entered in the USPS system and on the web for people to see that the package was received at the post office and then later see that is was delivered.  They were nice when I explained the process and after back room discussions they got it to scan into the system. Its great when the public has to educate the post office on procedures they promote online. It got scanned and they learned something new, and we were nice about, it but not sure about the people waiting in line behind me. The bottom line it is a great service and at a good price. We like the USPS. Will see how the new rate increase works out. 

Next off to Bank Of America and a rude teller. I had a couple of misc. checks to deposit and handed them to her with my debit card for ID. SHE siad we have deposit forms on the counter. I said I have not needed that in the past in many other BOA branches. She filled one out and it didn't work because my acocunt wasn't started in AZ. I had told her that. So she had to get a special depost form from under the counter and fill it out with the state the account was originated in.  So the form I would have filled out on the bank counter would have not of worked anyway. Our address is in SD the account was opened in IA.  BOA does not have accounts in SD. Banking can get confusing from state to state with state rules and interest rates are different in each state. 

Thinking back I do think I have filled out depost slips, while on teh road, but this time didn't think of it as it has been awhile since in a BOA for a simple deposit. Most times they take my debit card pull up my accounts and say HOW MAY I HELP YOU. Get my drift. 

Enough of that...  we left Cottonwood and headed back up to Jerome on US 89A and on to a fun drive over the mountian to Prescott. Just becasue we could. The drive was fun and up and down with some severe hairpin turns. 

To see these maps and much more about what the west has to offer go Public Lands Info Center 

Got to Prescott and drove around and our thoughs were this is a big mess. Didn't realize how the big the Valley was driving down from on 89A to Prescott Valley. (which is a bedroom sort of town with homes for working people.) 

A couple of years ago we came down US 89  from Williams and didn't know better to take a 5er down 89A south to Congress, AZ . Thank god we did it on an off day and we made it. Do not try that if heading south from Prescott from the north on US 89... take HW 10 (called Iron Springs Road). We have not been on this road so take it at your own rick. 

As for todays drive we stopped in Prescott Valley on they way back and had lunch. Heading back on US 89A for the fun drive to Jerome and then on down to Cottonwood. We needed a few things and instead of going out to Wal*Mart we pulled into  This is some store. They have more variety than any store that I think I have been in for some time. This was not just a grocery store by any means but a Super Food Store. Many sections of above and beyond items with prices to match. Choice at all levels. They have it covered. 

So now later back at Dead Horse State Park, Terry is making chicken soup from scratch with home made noodles. He has had scratchy throat and we hope it doesn't turn into something worse.  SO good old home made chicken soup might do the trick. 

If we are up to it, we may head up to the Ultimate Tourist Trap....Sedona... tomorrow... 

Photo from  Sedona.net  Do visit their great web site. 

 The forcast is for rain with thunderstorms, but we shall see if that happens. When they say a 20% chance they get excited, but us from the midwest don't think that is a big deal. We do wish it would rain big time as they need it!

Thursday March 22

My statement above about a 20% chance of of thunderstorms.  It has been much more than that with on and off downpours all day and now into this night. This is just what this area needs. I even had to take down the dish as we saw lighting and we are up high looking over the Verde Valley. 

So we didn't go to Sedona. Terry found a notice in the ranger station that there is a Verde Valley Gem and Mineral Show in Cottonwood this weekend. I thought we got away from that after leaving Q... Guess not. Think we will stay a few more days, as it is wet and cold, and we are nice and dry and enjoying our RV site. Learned it's good to stay over the weekend and move during the week. Also this is spring vacation and campers are here with kids. Also after opening our forworded mail, Terry now has to go to BOA and get an tax form corrected. Yes banks do make mistakes. 

I broke down and worked on taxes today since it was raining and I had been putting it of.  I was done earlier last year. I use TaxAct. You sort of get locked into a software program if you use it year after year as it imports old data to the new forms. TaxAct is a local company from IA and we like they way it works. 

As usual I was not thrilled to get a W-2 form and have to pay full taxes (Income, SS, Medicare) on over $7000 that is imputed income for the value of Terry's Health Insurance. I know it is not the way the company I retired from (Qwest) would like to classify this, but it is a IRS government ruling. We are glad he has coverage as we know what others are going through to get health insurance coverage at any cost. 50 million people do not have any at all. 

Anyway that is life as we know it for now... 

 Friday March 23

. Rain... Rain and more Rain... Kind of cool also.  Listen to me after the heat in Q I'm not complaining. The spring break tent campers with lots of kids in this State park are not happy campers. But the when it stops raining from time to time they are out in force.  We heard form Bob and Sandy and they are stuck just south of the Grand canyon at Tusayan with a PU that was overheating and will have it looked at on Monday. But stuck till then in a expensive RV park without Verizon National internet service for their laptop. And it is snowing. Talk about not happy campers. They have cell phone service (not Verizon) and were able to call us. The last time we were there we also found no Verizon cell phone service.
When we started this fulltime life I vowed never to be without Internet access. So that is why we spent the big bucks to get internet satellite service. It is not for everyone, but we live online. It was the first addition we added, and now just upgraded it to a D3/7000s service. Everyone has their priorities on what they want from traveling and living this lifestyle and this was a big one for us. OK Terry also loves fly fishing, but I think he spends more time online then fishing. Ok we do have to go so south in the winter... So you think that has anything to do with being able to fish. But in next week or so he will try to get his fill trout fishing at Navajo Dam in New Mexico. You should see his face when he comes back to camp and talks about the ones he cought and released and, the bigger ones that got away. And this year we will meet  Bob and Sandy their for the heading north fishing adventure. We plan on a long stay as NM parks has extended how long you can stay from 14 days to 21 days. 

It is clearing a little here in Cottonwood, AZ and Terry is going to make beef stew for supper. 
The tent campers might have a good campfire afterall. Go for it!

This Old House is on PBS and you know Bill Mahr will be on HBO later so a good Friday night is planned. 

Saturday March 24

.We were just going to to to Radio Shack and take back a WiFi USB adpator and then Wally World but we thought why not and went for a drive. Wound up in Sedona without a camera. How could that happen? The afternoon light through the clouds were making some great wiews. Guess we just have to remember them in our minds. That's what counts after all.

Got back about 4:30 and Terry ran the vacuum clearner getting things ready for a departure Sunday morning... heading toward Winslow, AZ. Via HW 260 and HW 87 instead of up I-17 to Flagstaff and on over east on  I-40. 

    Graphic from the  Public Lands Info Center

Anybody can take that route, we like to take the back roads and thsi time through the Coconino Natl Forest.
Not worring about campgrounds in the NF as they will be closed this time of year. But the drive is nice knowing a great FREE campground awaits us at Winslow, AZ. 

A picture from our stay last fall
Think this site would do you for a free overnight stop? Just south of I-40.
This is the www.FreeCampgrounds.com listing of the park.