Arizona, Holbrook - Thursday, April 13, 2017 - OK RV Park

We left Val Vista Villages Tuesday around noon and headed to the Cummins Engine facility in Mesa so they could check out why our “check engine” light was coming on.  We were able to hook up to 50 amp service next to their shop so we would be ready for our 6:00 a.m. appointment on Wednesday morning.  On Wednesday they hooked the coach up to the computers and found we had two separate issues.  One was related to an air filter that needed to be replaced even though its indicator didn’t show it was time for that change.  When they took it off we could see that it indeed needed to be replaced.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have a filter to replace it and it took until around 4:00 p.m. before they could locate a replacement filter.  The other problem is in the engine crankcase which is beyond my being able to explain it.  We need to have some further analysis done to that problem when we get back to Indiana where we can have access to a larger Cummins shop.  In the meantime it is ok to drive and seems to be performing well.

When we went out to get in the coach to pull out of Cummins we couldn’t get the coach door open.  I ended up going up a ladder and in the window next to the driver’s seat so I could try to open the door from the inside – mission accomplished.  We pulled out onto the wide street in front of Cummins, went through the Jeep hook up for the first time then went inside the coach for the night ready to get an early start this morning.

This morning we couldn’t get out the door.  We called a mobile RV service in Mesa that we have used before and told them we were trapped in our RV.  A service rep came out relatively quickly and determined that we need a new door latch assembly, but made the current one so it would work in the interim.  We were on the road around 8:45 this morning.

We will miss these mountain views.  I have to admit that mountain driving still makes me nervous, “will we make it up to the top?” (we always do and we are still moving at a decent pace), “will the brakes heat up too much going down?” (they never do, Greg manages just fine).  These are the Mazatzal Mountains, highest peak is Mt. Ord at 7128 feet.

From the mountains we entered the Coconino National Forest area.  It looks to me like fire has been through here not too long ago.  A lot of the trees are scorched and missing lower branches.  Undergrowth is gone and just now being replaced by new grass.

Coming out of the National Forest, the tall pine trees are replaced by lots and lots of small bushes.

And, then the bushes are replaced by scrubby little plants.  We saw cattle grazing out here from time to time. 

All along this route, state road 87, there were warning signs to beware of elk.  I had the camera ready but the only wildlife we saw was one scrawny squirrel carrying a big nut across the road.

Historic US Rt. 66 runs through Winslow, AZ, we will be stopping to fuel up and then pick up US 40 to go east.

This great looking trailer was pulling into the fuel island next to us.

We will be staying a couple of days at OK RV Park in Holbrook, AZ.  It is near the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert.  We’ve been through them before but we are going again to take a closer look this time.  As the name states, it is an “ok” RV park.  It is neat with level gravel sites.  All sites have picnic tables and the people working in the office are very nice.  The only downside I can see is that the neighborhood next door to the park is a little rundown.

There is a lot of petrified wood just outside the park office.  We didn’t discuss its origin with anyone but it looks like it has always been here.

Some of the individual pieces are beautiful.

This is what some of the wood looks like after it is polished.

Arizona, Mesa - Wednesday, April 5, 2017 - Bulldog Canyon

This is our last play day in Mesa until we are back again in November.  We have signed our commitment letter to work here in Val Vista Villages again next year.  We will be leaving the resort next Tuesday.  We need to stop at the Cummins facility here in town before we head back across the country.  They have to figure out what is causing our check engine light to come on, as soon as they can accomplish that and fix it we will be starting our trek back to Indiana, arrival date sometime mid-May.  Looking forward to seeing former high school classmates at our 50 year reunion.  Hope they have name tags with big letters for all of us, I’m sure we have changed just a little (and our eyesight isn’t what it used to be).

Off Highway Trail 1356 in Bulldog Canyon is our destination for today.  We are on our own today, our friend Bill had to work.  This cute little blooming cactus was the first thing I saw as we came through the gate – looks promising to see a more colorful desert this time out.

This trail is super rocky.  We had our GoPro camera affixed to the front bumper recording a video and when we replayed that video it didn’t look like the front bumper ride was nearly as difficult as it was inside the Jeep.  My seatbelt seized up a few times (as if in accident mode) because I was bumping around so much.

This view made me a little hesitant since we haven’t been on this trail before, wondered what was over the hill that we couldn’t see, hoping there was still trail there.  Greg didn’t hesitate, just floored it up the hill and hoped for the best.

Mountain views along this trail are spectacular.

I still don’t know the names of all the different cacti.  I know I like the flowers on this one.

I know that this fuzzy looking one is a chainfruit cholla.

The desert is indeed “in bloom”.  “In bloom” in the desert is a bit different from “in bloom” back in the Midwest where tulips and daffodils will be “in bloom”.  The colors here are provided by grasses of various colors, pink, green, beige, brown, yellow and lots of very small blooms of orange, blue, yellow and purple combined with the larger blooms of some of the cacti.  The tall plant with red blooms that look like little birds is an ocotillo.

While Greg is closing and locking the trail gate I jumped out to get a picture of the Jeep.

From Bulldog Canyon we pulled out onto State Route 88 which is part of the Apache Trail.  The first place of interest that we passed was Canyon Lake.

Steamboat tour rides are offered on this lake, which is on the list for next year.  You can see the Dolly Steamboat off to the right in this picture.

The Lakeside Restaurant is also on Canyon Lake.

These are the views from our lakeside patio table when we stopped for lunch.

Tortilla Flats, AZ (population 6) is just past Canyon Lake.  This is the view of the whole town.  We didn’t stop because we couldn’t find a place to park.  This is the last surviving stagecoach stop on the historic Apache Trail.  A stop at the restaurant here is also on the list for next year.

Don’t know the name of this interesting rock formation.  This area we are going to be going through next is considered Arizona’s “Jr. Grand Canyon”.  It was created by a violent volcanic past.

More of the desert in bloom.

I got out of the Jeep to take this picture.  Kept my eyes and ears open for rattlesnakes, this is the season and I have no desire to see one.

This is what we were looking for, not all of Route 88 is paved.  We’ll have about 30 miles of unpaved road before we get to our final destination of Roosevelt Lake.

This road looks smooth, but the picture is so deceiving, this road is a teeth-rattling washboard most of the way.  I’m glad we ventured on in spite of the washboard, the scenery was magnificent.  Most of the views were on the driver’s side and there were too few places to pull over to take pictures so the most spectacular views are probably just in our memories.

A new plant has started showing up on this leg of our trip.

Just beyond the bright green bush is a drop off into a beautiful deep canyon.  These were taken at one nice rest stop area.

This area is called Fish Creek Hill.

Some of this road is one lane only and curves like this are common where you have no idea what is coming at you.

Several one lane bridges also.

We are near the bottom of the canyon now.

As we were coming out of the canyon the views were still breathtaking.

Apache Lake is just outside of the canyon.

Last look at desert blooms

Our final stop of the day is a short drive around part of Roosevelt Lake checking out some of the RV sites available here.