60 West Into Arizona to Apache Junction, AZ… November 10th
Our planned destination is Globe, AZ, about 260 miles from Magdalena, NM, where we stayed last night.
Springerville, AZ
When we reach Show Low, Route 60 dips south and we enter the White Mountain Apache Reservation. The spectacular drive south presents picture perfect postcard moments of photo ops.
Meanwhile, we call all the RV Parks in Lake Elsinore, CA (our preferred winter destination) only to find out that our opportunities to stay there are not looking good. No place has room for us this year. Why this area in southern CA? It’s affordable, for one. As you look closer to the ocean or San Diego, the monthly rates skyrocket out of our comfort zone. And more remote places in the eastern desert offer great rates but no internet or cable, and very iffy cellphone reception. (We investigated the costs of Hughes Net, Exede, and Dish, but the additional cash outlay for a short term solution would offset the savings.) We keep heading toward Lake Elsinore anyway.
The only RV Park in Globe is closed for remodeling. So we keep driving. Route 60 turns west again and we head toward Phoenix.
For the next 30 miles I search for a place to stay overnight. We don’t need a gated resort with spa amenities that cater to the annual snowbirds. Nightly rates are a lot more than we want to pay. I just know there has to be a reasonable place for us.
Then Eureka, I find a spot in Apache Junction…
This would be a great place to snowbird, in my opinion, at least. It’s clean, affordable, no frills… And Phoenix is only about 35 miles away. We just aren’t quite ready for this part of Arizona yet. But check out the saguaro cactus up close and personal here in the Sonoran Desert. This species of cactus can grow up to 40 feet high.
Before we retire for the evening, we find a place to stay in California that is about an hour east north east of Lake Elsinore and about an hour west south west of Palm Springs. Diamond Valley RV Resort is located in San Jacinto. ETA… Sunday, November 12th.
wandering gypsy Laurel 