AZ Archives - Interstellar Orchard

American Girl Mine and the Holidays

January 16, 2020 |

The free camping area along American Girl Mine Road in Winterhaven, CA (usually just called AGM by boondockers), doesn’t seem to have a lot going for it at first glance. It’s pretty far from the closest town (Yuma, just across the border in Arizona), it’s flat and has little vegetation… even for a desert, and…

Halloween and November

December 6, 2019 |

October 25, Friday After a fun couple weeks in the Salt Lake City area with Marshall and Kelly (there was even a trip to a trampoline park!), we part ways and I continue on my own south and east for another good Halloween weekend in Fruita, CO with a different group of camping friends. Shenanigans…

The Annual Southern Migration

December 2, 2018 |

After a nice stay with friends and fellow Xscapers Kate and Roger on their property near Mesa Verde National Park, including a nice weekend up in Fruita, CO to try my hand at mountain biking again, the cold weather pushing into Colorado finally forces me south. Other than a general direction, I have no specific…

Grand Canyon South Rim, AZ

May 22, 2018 |

May 7, Monday The drive from Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon is short and easy, a straight shot up 64. When I arrive at the entrance booths there’s virtually no waiting to get in, but for it being before Memorial Day, it’s still a lot of people inside the park – only to be…

Williams, AZ Boondocking

May 8, 2018 |

April 29, Sunday It’s time to bid farewell to Kingman, AZ, at least for now. I’ll be retracing this route along I40 back west in a couple weeks for a much anticipated road trip with my parents and brother, but there’s still time before then to make it to make it to one particular destination…

Where A Casita Can Go

May 1, 2018 |

Here’s another question I get asked frequently: “Where can you go in a Casita?” And by that people mean, how capable are they on dirt roads. What you’re using for a tow vehicle matters too of course, but for this post we’re going to focus on the trailer itself. Part of the answer depends on…

Quartzsite 2018: RTR and Xscapers Annual Bash

January 26, 2018 |

January 11, Thursday Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) time! I depart Kofa Wildlife Refuge, AZ in the morning and make the short drive north to Quartzsite. Specifically, Scaddon Wash BLM area east of town. As usual, the RTR (hosted by Bob Wells of CheapRVLiving) has grown again this year, and I’m parked farther out so as to…

Kofa Wildlife Refuge, AZ

January 20, 2018 |

Jan 6, Saturday The rest of my week at Saddle Mountain near Tonopah, AZ goes well. It’s a quiet and rather dull stay from a blogging perspective – not much worth writing about happens as my focus is on getting as much work done as I can to clear up my schedule for Quartzsite. But…

Dancing Alone

January 15, 2018 |

Dec 29, Friday Saddle Mountain BLM near Tonopah, AZ continues to treat me well. Despite the crowds that flock to southern AZ during the winter to escape the cold, this boondocking area remains relatively empty. It helps that it’s a large area, with multiple spur roads. The one I’m on is just west of mile…

Revisiting Saddle Mountain

January 8, 2018 |

Dec 21, Thursday With good cheer, I pack up camp at Snyder Hill BLM area in Tucson, AZ. Bertha is running well, I finally got a hike in with my friends, and now that invisible tug is pulling me westward again. Back on the road I go! The drive west on I10 is uneventful. Phoenix…

Hiking Brown Mountain

December 30, 2017 |

After bringing Bertha back from the shop on the 13th, I spend most of my next week in Tucson, AZ focused on work. On the 17th I drive up San Joaquin Road to visit a friend, Malia of Malia’s Miles – a solo full-timer of 16 years(!). The last time we’d gotten together was the…

Snyder Hill BLM, AZ

December 26, 2017 |

Having escaped the Dragoon Mountains before the hard freeze, I ride out the next couple nights at an RV park in Tucson, AZ while visiting with friends who are work-camping in the area. While there, Bertha starts running rough and the check engine light comes on – prompting me to make an appointment with the…

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