800 feet deep, Bandera Volcano rose up in volcanic fury some 10,000 years ago. It is one of the finest examples of an erupted volcano in the country, and also one of the most accessible. A fairly easy 3/4 mile hike climbs around and into the blown out portion of...
This morning I woke to snow… not a lot, just a dusting but snow none the less. I believe this is my first snow since leaving Colorado in October. In fact, only a few occasions in the past 3 months have I even had to worry about below-freezing temperatures. Staying...
The term El Malpais (“the Badlands”) is used locally to refer to lava flows. I did not know this when I came to this Ntnl Monument. From the satellite view it is clear; a huge black smudge blankets the area south of Grants, NM. It’s volcanic features include a string...
So, I’ve spent the past few days relaxing in luxury. Although I went nearly the entire month of January without paying for a night of camping, there were these billboards along the Interstate advertising $17 per night at this RV park, so I decided to stop in for a night...
Like most people who full-time in their RV, I too live on an income of far less than the average person. Many full-timers live on retirement or pensions. Others work for a period to save up enough money to do this long term without any source of full-time income. Myself,...
From New Year’s eve in the desert near Havasuu City to the greater Phoenix area, national forests and parks, state parks, and truck stops… I’ve seen a lot of what Arizona has to offer during my month of January in Arizona. I have even followed along much of old Route...
Today I finally got to visit a National Park that I have skipped over many times in the past 3 years. While I have been in Arizona numerous times, I just hadn’t traveled along I-40 east of Flagstaff, so this time around I made sure of it. I entered to...
This past Sunday marked my 100th day on the road (again). Although I have been technically Full-Timing since December of 2011, I have not lived exclusively out of the van that entire time. I’ve stayed with family in California a few weeks here and there and even lived with my...
Meteor Crater is the result of a collision between a piece of an asteroid traveling at 26,000 miles per hour and planet Earth approximately 50,000 years ago. A force greater than 20 million tons of TNT throwing more than 175 million tons of earth and rock out. Today, Meteor Crater...
Walnut Canyon National Monument is located about 10 miles southeast of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, near Interstate 40. The canyon rim elevation is 6,690 ft; the canyon’s floor is 350 ft lower. A 0.9 mi long loop trail descends 185 ft into the canyon passing 25 cliff dwelling rooms constructed by the Sinagua, a pre-Columbian cultural...
