There is a specific kind of magic in the transition from the Sonoran Desert to the Coconino Plateau. We’ve spent the last month in Ajo, where the beauty is found in the sprawling saguaros and the heat of the desert floor. But waking up this morning in Flagstaff, surrounded by towering Ponderosa pines, you realize just how much a few thousand feet of elevation changes your world. We’ve traded the dust and the creosote for thin, crisp air and the scent of evergreen.
The Morning “Spark”
Of course, life on the road wouldn’t be an adventure without a little bit of drama. Our morning didn’t exactly start with the “peace and quiet” I’m enjoying now. Lori plugged her hairdryer into the bathroom receptacle, and—pop. The GFCI tripped and refused to reset.
It’s a classic RVer’s irony: we spent a month in Ajo checking off “to-do” lists and keeping everything shipshape, only for a major outlet to give up the ghost the moment we moved. Such is the life we chose! It’s not always the adventure you want, but it’s the one you get. Because I need to tear into that electrical issue, I decided to grab a site with hookups at Woody’s Mountain Campgrou1nd here in Flagstaff for a few days. It beats trying to troubleshoot wiring in the dark while boondocking.
The Magic (and Tight Squeezes) of Highway 89A
The drive up was nothing short of spectacular. If you haven’t driven Arizona’s 89A, put it on your bucket list—though maybe check your mirror clearances first.
Jerome: This vertical “ghost town” is stunning, but pulling a 26ft Outdoors RV through those narrow, winding streets was a white-knuckle experience. We would have loved to stop and poke through the shops, but finding parking for a Ram 3500 and a travel trailer in Jerome is about as likely as finding a cheap gallon of diesel.
Cottonwood & Sedona: We rolled through these vibrant spots, but again, the crowds and parking made a “quick stop” impossible with the rig.
Now that we’re unhooked at Woody’s, the plan is to head back down the hill in just the truck to actually experience those towns properly.
The Rig Report
I have to give credit to the Ram 3500. Pulling 7,000-foot mountain passes can be a chore, but this truck handles it like a dream. The exhaust brake, in particular, is an absolute game-changer on those steep descents into the canyons; it saves the brakes and keeps everything feeling controlled.
The only thing that hurt was the fuel stop. We hit a new record high for this trip: $5.99 a gallon for diesel. Ouch.
What’s Next
Lori and Ruby are still catching up on their sleep, and I’m soaking in the silence of the yellow pines. Once the bathroom outlet is fixed and we’ve explored Sedona, we’re heading to our first extended boondocking spot near the Grand Canyon. Since we’re so close, we might even take a “scouting” run up there today just to eyeball the terrain before we move the whole house.
Until next time,
Brian
