Travels with haRVy

Less than a week ago in Prescott, AZ we had a dusting of snow on haRVy and today in Phoenix it’s due to be over 90 degrees! Our daily trip planning has been all about searching for the best weather within easy driving distance. We left Phoenix yesterday to seek higher altitudes and lower temperatures, but this post will be about what we’ve been up to over the past few days.

We spent one night at the Prescott Valley Walmart waiting for the campground at Watson Lake to open for the season. The following photos show why it was worth waiting for. When we did camp there the following night we were the first and only in the entire campground! That was likely due to the near freezing nighttime temps, but the afternoon sun was warm enough for us to paddle around the extremely scenic Granite Dells. There was only one other boat on the entire lake.

Our secluded lunch spot

The next day we headed towards Phoenix where it was predicted to be warmer, due primarily to its lower altitude. Our primary reason for heading there however, was to visit my nephew Jeffrey and his family, plus my cousin Pat, whom I had never met before, and her husband. On our way, we stopped for lunch onboard in the sleepy town of Dewey-Humboldt and later for a free overnight camp and hike around Black Canyon City, compliments of the Rock Springs Cafe.

We enjoyed an afternoon and dinner with Jeffrey’s family on Saturday while Pat and Don entertained and fed us for the entire day on Sunday, plus breakfast on Monday. We were able to stay in haRVy in their very quiet parking area too and deeply appreciate their hospitality. I guess we got along OK because they invited us to visit again at their summer home in Boulder, CO.

On our way out of town, we spent SIX hours touring the phenomenal Musical Instrument Museum, which we would highly recommend if you ever get to Phoenix. No photos to share, but you can learn about it on their website linked above.