When people asked us where we were looking forward to the most on this trip, our answer was undoubtedly the southwest. It’s a part of the United States that I have never visited before, and while Sam has been in and around the area, there is a lot he hasn’t seen or experienced.
As we left Holtville, the snowbirds we met in the hot springs rattled off a long list of things to do and see in the immediate surrounding area. It was all just so overwhelming and we felt bad that we couldn’t possibly have the time to spend checking out all of their recommendations. But we would quickly understand why they felt that Arizona is a place to been seen and experienced.
After a long drive in, we decided our best bet was to camp near Saguaro National Park. It was honestly a place that Sam and I knew very little about, but we did know there were a bunch of saguaros and we wanted to camp somewhere a little different.
Boy, were we in for a real treat.
Boy, were we in for a real treat. It amazed Sam and I that no one had ever suggested this place to us, it was just a place we had randomly picked to stop on the way. Little did we know that this park would blow us away – just as much as Joshua Tree and some of the other National Parks we’ve visited.
We arrived later in the day, so we camped at the Gilbert Ray Campground on the west loop of the park. We could hardly believe our eyes as the sun set over the thousands of saguaros in our view of the valley. The sight of all these saguaros seemingly waving back to us was utterly astounding. The next morning, we came back into the park for more and took a few small hikes around to check out all that this stunning park had to offer.
We had other places to be though. Unfortunately when you’re on the road for a set period of time, it’s damn near impossible to squeeze everything in. Though Sam and I allotted three months for this trip, it’s evident we could experience more if we not only had more months, but years!
We moved on to Kartchner Caverns just south of Tucson. Some friends and former colleagues of mine, Ken and Pat, were camped there for the week. They are on a similar journey of their own, searching for a place to relocate so we had a lot to talk about!
We got to check out the caves, thanks to our new dog sitters! It was extraordinary, to say the least. We really admired and appreciated all of their grand efforts to preserve the cave and its environment. You’ll know what I mean when you have the chance to visit. We weren’t allowed photos, so I grabbed an image from Wikipedia to share with you.
Later that night we enjoyed a fabulous meal with our friends and laughing by the campfire. It’s so great to come across fellow campers to exchange stories and travel woes with. It made us feel better about all the mistakes we’ve made along the way.
Next, we made our way back towards Scottsdale with a stop at Picacho Peak State Park. From our observations of being on the road, the Arizona State Park system is really the best we’ve seen. Their campsites are consistently affordable and well designed with excellent amenities. They really know what they’re doing!
Sam enjoyed a great hike up to the peak while Kiwi and I hung back setting up camp and catching up with correspondences. From what he described to me, it was an incredibly challenging yet rewarding hike. The photos he came back with were breathtaking!
In spite of all the schedule changes and delays, our travels lined up perfectly so that we could spend Thanksgiving with Sam’s cousin, Nick, and his girlfriend Emily in Scottsdale. We were so grateful for the chance to be with family on this holiday. In previous years, Sam and my work schedules sometimes made it difficult to have the flexibity to travel around the holidays, so we knew this year it was really important to make the most of this time off that we have. Nick and Emilie prepared an amazing feast for us in their awesome home, and we so loved spending one-on-one time with them – even though they kicked our butts at Sequence!
We surely have a lot to be thankful for – more than could ever be put into words. But, I will leave you with this: we are grateful for how close we are to our family, the support of our friends, the experiences in life which have led us to this one and the means to do so, and Kiwi 🙂
Going Over There 
I love seeing and hearing about you trip. Thanks so much. Love you.
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