Kathleen's Window: Jerome, Arizona and Boondocking in the Verde Valley

Wednesday-Sunday, October 8-12, 2014

Wednesday morning we left the Alabama Hills and after a short drive north again on Hwy 395, we began the ascent to Nevada. Traveling farther south was only going to put us into near 100 degree temperatures, so we needed to head for the higher elevations of Arizona. Taking Route 168 we drove east across the Inyo Mountains and into Nevada. Just like passing over the Sierra Nevada mountains, there are very few routes. We had the choice of cutting across from nearby, over two mountain ranges and into Death Valley and out the other side, or taking this more northerly route. The passes weren't quite as high and we avoided the extreme heat of Death Valley.

Crossing the Inyo Mountains north of Death Valley

Near the crest, the canyon and road was only one lane

Looking west at the Sierra Nevada

Once across we drove south on Hwy 95 and made a beeline for the Las Vegas area and Lake Mead. We spent the night at the Boulder Beach campground in the national recreation area, where we staying the last visit before we boondocked along the lake. We needed the dump and water after our long boondocking along the Sierra Nevada. It was still hot there, but cooled a bit at night. Thursday morning we were ready to leave for cooler climes.

Lake Mead - Boulder Beach camp

We had picked out a good looking boondocking area in the Sonoran desert outside of Wickenburg, AZ. Checking the forecast we realized that it was still too hot there, so we changed our plans and headed for the Prescott National Forest. We climbed to over 5,000' and found a nice cool campground, White Spar, for the night. Seemed to be a lot of traffic noise and mountain bikers there, but we didn't find out until we drove out the next morning that we were in the suburbs of Prescott. Climbing through the forest on the winding road the afternoon before led us to believe we were still in the middle of the wilderness!

Saguaros in the Sonoran Desert

Heading for the cool mountain forest

During the night Greg woke up and said something was scratching outside. The logical choice was a bear, but this campground had no signs posted or bear boxes to show it was a bear area. Greg took the flashlight and looked out the door. He had put two plastic collapsible five gallon water jugs on the blacktop next to the rig. We don't normally store water outside, but for one night it was easier to just get them out of the way on the paved surface. “One of the jugs is gone! There's water spilled out here, too!” We spent some time speculating whether a bear could haul off a 40 pound jug, and what other animal could do it. Then we went back to sleep, grateful that we were in a hard-sided rig!

The next morning he found the missing jug wedged under the rear of the rig and bite marks in three corners of the other jug. The bear discussion continued, until Greg spoke with our neighbor who had been camping there for a while, and biking the trails. He had seen no evidence of bears, so they both concluded that it must have been a coyote. Bear was more dramatic, coyote less. Whatever the beast, we had to throw out the chewed up jug.

Friday morning we drove over the hill into Prescott hoping to time our journey to coincide with a stop in Jerome for lunch. Jerome is an old copper and gold mining town up a long, twisty mountain road from Prescott. After cresting the top you drive into the old mining town literally perched on the side of the mountain. Once a boom town, then later almost a ghost town, it has been revived as a tourist destination with galleries, restaurants and gift shops. The local populace has provided a parking lot for RV's, otherwise parking is along the narrow streets. We parked, walked into town and went exploring along with a lot of other tourists. It wasn't mobbed, but the establishments were doing a swift business. We wandered a bit, looked for a restaurant without a 30 minute wait, and finally had good BBQ on an outdoor deck at Bobby D's. A little more shopping, Greg had a glazed expression on his face, so it was time to go!

Jerome is so steep that the shortcuts between streets are 3 to 5 stories high.

Looking east into the Verde River Valley from Jerome

"Don't interrupt my BBQ for another photo"

The BBQ joint was actually the oldest restaurant building in town

Main Street, Jerome

Looking back up at Jerome

We descended the twisty road to Cottonwood on the Verde River valley floor. A few miles southeast out of town the Prescott National Forest meets the road and we turned off onto FS 360 and quickly found a good boondocking site at the end of a dirt road overlooking the valley, with the red cliffs of Sedona 20 miles away. The storm clouds from the remnants of the last Mexican hurricane were building and displaying lightening over the distant mountains. We watched a glorious sky unfold before dark.

Descending into the Verde Valley

Boondock camp

Storm clouds and lightening 20 miles away

Our neighbor came by to supervise periodically

With cool temperatures at night, warm, but not horribly hot daytime temperatures, and dirt roads for Greg to bike, we decided to stay a few days. We have one fairly close neighbor with a nice, little friendly dog who visits occasionally, otherwise we just have the lights in the valley at night for company. Oh, and the hot air balloon that flew over this morning! Greg is ready to leave tomorrow. He is spending a lot of time patching flat bike tires punctured by the goatheads (3 flats in 3 rides). Tomorrow we'll visit Sedona, at least long enough to get sucked into the vortex of Whole Foods. I am guessing that this is the smallest town they have built in, but lots of money there! Then we'll head east into New Mexico and stay in the higher, cooler elevations of that state. We want to go back to explore the El Malpais lava beds we visited 12 years ago. Yes folks, more volcanics! Can't get enough!!!