3. WESTBOUND THROUGH ARIZONA, UTAH and NEVADA

Overnights in

New Mexico	Arizona	Utah	Nevada

Day 8: Saturday, March 18

Went to sleep quite early last night (9:30 PM) - no TV reception. Consequently, woke up at 5:00 AM and couldn't get back to sleep. Had parked the van facing west, so when I opened the rear curtains in the early morning had a chance to watch a beautiful sunrise. It was cold outside (40F) and the walk to the bathhouse was just long enough for me to feel quite chilled when I got there. But the bathhouse was well heated, everything superclean, hot water pouring out in a rich stream. What a pleasure!

Was ready to roll by 8 AM but stopped at the visitor center to compliment the rangers on the comfort and cleanliness of the bathhouse. Discovered that the park is modem friendly - really, I can't praise Rock City State Park (on US-180 between Deming and Silver City) too much. The setting deserves at least one star, the bathhouse two. I didn't award the (maximum) third star because the water in the shower is controlled by a push button that cuts off the flow after too short a time.

Hit the road at 9:00 AM and headed west on US-180. The stretch to Silver City is nothing special, but then it gets scenic. Crossed the continental divide at 6,230' shortly after Silver City and then enjoyed a beautiful drive through the Gila National Forest with impressive views of mountain ranges.

The road climbs to the Saliz Pass (6,436'), drops a bit, and shortly before Luna, at the San Francisco Warm Spring Trailhead, crests at 7,800'.

The stretch from Luna, NM to Alpine, AZ is very beautiful - the road winds through thick pine forests interrupted by good vistas of the surrounding mountains.

Scenic beauty wanes after Alpine, and it gets positively monotonous north of Springerville, except for a short stretch around Lyman Lake State Park. The countryside turns flat, it's cold, and the wind is blowing quite strongly. Finally reached the park road turnoff and drove through Petrified Forest National Park. Quite interesting, be sure to visit the visitors center for good background information and history. Few of the overlooks and vistas made for dramatic photos, this is the best of a sorry lot of pictures that I took.

The park road connects to I-40 and so I got a few miles of interstate driving. Love the 75 MPH speed limit! After about 40 miles turned off at Joseph City to stop for the night at the Cholla Lake County Park. From the van I have a nice view of the lake, but the traffic noise from I-40 is quite noticable. $12 for electricity and water, an extra $3 if you want to use the dump station, and the bathhouse doesn't look like much.

Drove 320 miles, was on the road for 7 hours. Shortly after sunset the temperature is already in the low fifties, but the wind has died down. I think I'll open a can of soup for dinner so that I don't have to go outside to grill.

Day 9: Sunday, March 19

Went to bed last night at 9:30 PM and the temperature was already down to 40F. When I first woke up at 5:30 AM, it was a freezing 27F outside. Turned up the thermostat and slept some more. But when I got up at 7 AM it was still only 30F. Decided against a shower in the unheated bathhouse. I had hooked up, but the water hose was frozen. Fortunately, the internal tank and the water pump worked fine, as did the water heater.

Headed out at 8:45 AM and took I-40 west for about 20 miles to AZ-87 to Second Mesa. Then on AZ-264 to Oraibi, Hotevilla, and Moenkopi/Tuba City. The drive is quite scenic at times with good views of a snow-covered mountain range.

Tuba City, by the way, isn't named after a musical instrument. It was originally called Tuve (Too-vah) in honor of a Hopi Indian headman, but newcomers kept mispronouncing it. I wonder what would have happened to a town named after some ancestor of mine - what would Ahlemeyer City be called today?

Took US-160 out of Tuba City to US-89 and then US-89A. The Vermillion Cliffs area was spectacular.

A very scenic stretch then saw the road climb from 4,000' to 7,500' at Jacob Lake. A dark brown squirrel with a snow-white tail crossed the road - never had seen that kind of squirrel before. There was a bit of snow along the road and under the pine trees, but the north rim of the nearby Grand Canyon appeared to be open to visitors already.

The scenic road continued as it dropped back down to 4,600' at Fredonia. Switched to AZ-389 but wasn't paying enough attention to the map, so missed the turnoff for Pipe Spring National Monument. Oh well, I'm sure I'll come this way again before my travelling days are over.

AZ-389 becomes UT-59 and there are some attractive vistas on the way to Hurricane. This town, named after the Hurricane fault, is a fast growing community. Right now it is at that awkward stage where attractive new homes intermingle with the more traditional shacks and trailers.

Took UT-9 to make my way to the Harrisburg RV Resort. Got a site for the night, $17.89 for a very narrow spot with water, electricity, sewer, cable TV and a (shared) picnic table. No grill - I guess one is discouraged from outdoor cooking. I am parked on a bluff with a good view of a snow-covered mountain. Altitude is 3,400', and the evening temperature is in the low seventies.

The best part of the resort is the bathhouse. I have awarded it three stars - the maximum. Spotless, bright, seven private shower stalls with benches, soapdishes, unlimited hot water. A heated pool and a large hottub! Took a lengthy shower, then soaked in the tub for 45 minutes, then another shower! Surely this is the standard by which all future bathhouses will be measured.

Was on the road for 7 3/4 hours and drove 390 miles, mostly on fairly scenic roads. Bought gasoline in Arizona for $1.759/gal. Averaged 17.1 miles per gallon on the last tank.

Day 10: Monday, March 20

It was quite windy during the night, the temperature dropped to 37F. Had a good night's sleep, perhaps the result of the soak in the hot tub? Woke up at 6:30 AM, turned up the thermostat, and went back to sleep. Woke up an hour later, and was sorely tempted to extend my stay at the Harrisburg RV Resort by a day or two. But wanderlust prevailed, so after yet another most enjoyable shower hit the road by 10:15 AM. After a few miles on I-15 turned off at St. George to check out the city. The chamber of commerce provided good information. I like the area's climate and the many near-by scenic attractions. Then back on I-15 and a truly spectacular drive through the Virgin River Canyon.

Left the interstate and took NV-169 through Overton, NV to the very scenic North Shore Road that is part of the Lake Mead National Recreation area. Ragged walls and red sandstone spires rise against the sky - very much Wild West scenery.

Then on the equally scenic Lakeshore Road to Boulder Beach. Along the way are several scenic overlooks, worth a stop to admire this huge man-made lake and the contrast to the rugged desert country that surrounds it. This is the largest man-made lake in the United States, over 110 miles long, and containing more than 9 trillion gallons of water.

The Boulder Beach campground is operated by the National Park Service, so my site (no hook-ups) cost me only $5.00 after the Golden Age discount. The sites are very close to each other, but separated by shrubs. The bathhouse is primitive, no showers. Afternoon temperature is around 60F, the sun is out, but it is very windy.

Drove all of 170 miles today, was on the road for only 3 3/4 hours.

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