MARICOPA, ARIZONA

Coming from New Mexico, I arrived in Maricopa, Arizona—about 50 miles south of Phoenix—on March 17, on the brink of the global shutdown due to Coronavirus. I was booked at Wild West Ranch and RV Resort for two weeks and Mark was to fly out and spend a week with me exploring the Superstition Mountains. He had to cancel his flight and I ended up staying for seven weeks to ride out the worst of the virus and shut downs. My first week here, most area businesses were still open and I got what would be my last haircut for the next 15 weeks. It was also the last time I would wear my hair spiked as I had for 18 years.

My campsite at Wild West Ranch RV Park in Maricopa, Arizona. Most of Maricopa is land that once belonged to John Wayne.

One of my RV friends was staying with friends nearby and we got together for dinner one evening at their home. Jeff and I met a few years ago at an RV rally and we’ve managed to meet up in several locations during our travels.

Visiting with my RV friend, Jeff in Maricopa, Arizona.

Barrel Cactus produces an edible fruit and Jeff told me I should give it a try. The entire center is a cluster of small seeds so the texture is a little odd but all-in-all, it was not unpleasant.

Some how, I managed to reach the age of 65 without ever having ridden a horse and I was excited to change that. I went to Cave Creek Trail Rides, located inside Cave Creek Regional Park, north of Phoenix for a one-hour ride for beginners. I had paid close attention at the horse training demonstration back in Las Cruces, New Mexico and was able to apply what I’d learned to the extent any beginner can. We were riding along a narrow trail through the desert hills, enjoying the scenery when a rattlesnake startled our horses. Mine tried to buck me off but somehow I managed to stay mounted and not lose my camera.

The guy took one look at me and decided I needed a draft horse. I was only mildly insulted and she was pretty tall and hard to get up onto.

Riding through the hills of Cave Creek Regional Park.

The other riders opted for helmets but I insisted on wearing my cowgirl hat. 🙂

Our trail master, Matt was pretty easy on the eyes.

View of Cave Creek Regional Park.

One day, I took a drive up into the Superstition Mountains. I was really developing an appreciation for the desert landscape. It may not be very green but it certainly has its own beauty.

Superstition Mountains.

On another occasion I took an early morning hike in the Casa Grande Mountains. In April, the temperatures were reaching 105° in the afternoon so morning is the only time to go hiking.

This trail was a bit rugged with some moderate elevation changes.

Interesting spiked desert flower with half moon.

Cactus flower.

Beautiful vista.

Looking across the valley and the trail leading make to my truck.

Dust devils are a frequent sight here.

The RV park was situated on the edge of the desert and I took a number of walks to see the saguaro cactus. I also photographed the full moon and the Comet Atlas.

Saguaro cactus at dusk.

Saguaro cactus at sunset.

The April 7, 2020 full moon.

On April 20, 2020, I photographed the Comet Atlas with a 300mm telephoto lens.

Perhaps the most noteworthy event during my extended stay here was the night I went out to photograph the Milky Way. A little back story for reference: I came out west this spring because my photography group was to meet at Arches National Park in Utah to photograph the Milky Way. The trip was canceled due to Coronavirus but I thought I’d take advantage of shooting it with the clear desert skies. It’s only visible after 1:00 a.m. so I stayed up late and headed out to a location I’d scouted previously. I originally wanted to drive my truck out into the desert behind the RV park but the owner cautioned me not to because the Sheriff stakes out the area for drug smugglers at night. Yikes! As a precaution, I sent my son an aerial image of the location and a photo of what I’d be wearing, joking that it was so the authorities could identify my body if I got into trouble and I was to text him when I got home so he’d know I was safe.

I drove to the spot 13 miles west of the RV park at a turn off from I-8 and quickly set up my camera on a tripod. The Milky Way was not as bright as I’d hoped so I was a little disappointed but I was also very nervous out there all alone so I only took three photos and hopped back in the truck to go home. When I exited the interstate onto the road home, I saw headlights appear behind me. It was around 1:30 a.m. so I was surprised to see anyone else on the road. The driver came close to my bumper then backed off and did this a couple times and I started to suspect it might be the police. Just as I signaled to turn into the RV park, he turned on his emergency lights and pulled me over.

I was treated to the cutest cop I’d ever seen. He asked what I was doing out at that hour and I explained that I’d gone to a spot off the interstate to photograph the Milky Way to which he responded, “Yeah, we saw you there.” Really?! It turns out the Sheriff stakes out that section of desert, too. There were officers hiding in the brush with night vision goggles who watched my every move. When I left, they contacted this officer to check me out. We ended up spending 20 minutes chatting by the side of the road. He was interested in the full-time RV lifestyle and he laughed when I told him my safety plan of sending pictures to my son although he also agreed it was a good idea. In the future, maybe I’ll call in advance and let them know where I’ll be.

My disappointing Milky Way photo.

The drive from the RV park to my chosen location.

Steve pulled me over at 1:30 in the morning and we chatted for quite awhile.

Other than these few activities, there was nothing to do. I went food shopping once every 10 or 12 days but otherwise, I just stayed home like everyone else in America. It saved me a lot on diesel fuel, though. I get 14 mpg around town but I only used a half tank during my entire seven weeks here.

As the nation was adjusting to business closures, many of my destinations for this spring and summer also closed. I had planned to visit a dozen national parks by Labor Day but now they were all closed. All government-run campgrounds closed (county, state, federal) as well as some private ones. I struggled with the idea of maybe returning to New Jersey and waiting it out but then New Jersey became a big hot spot and Arizona had very low numbers so I stayed put. I needed to completely re-think my plans. I wanted to get moving but wanted to avoid as much disease exposure as possible. Living in my camper, I am socially distancing by lifestyle but I decided to head to the Dakotas for the summer where there was very little Coronavirus.

DRIVING FROM MARICOPA TO HOLBROOK.

On May 6, I moved to Holbrook, Arizona. Driving north on I-17 towards Flagstaff, you get to see the distinct changes in terrain from desert to hills to high elevation forest to snow-capped mountains.

The desert floor in Maricopa is 1000′ above sea level and gradually rises as I-17 takes me north of Phoenix.

Halfway between Phoenix and Flagstaff, the scenery changes to pine forest at about 6000′.

Flagstaff sits at an elevation of 7000′ and Humphrey’s Peak reaches 12,633′.

In Flagstaff, I turned right and headed east on I-40 where the land quickly leveled off at 5000′.

HOLBROOK, ARIZONA

I spent a week at OK RV Park in Holbrook, Arizona in the northeast part of the state. Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert are nearby but were closed, however, Holbrook is on Historic Route 66 and although there are few remaining landmarks from the highway’s heyday, the iconic Wigwam Motel is still here. There were seven of these kitschy motels built around the country in the 1930s and 40s and this is one of only three that remain and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was the inspiration for a motel in Disney’s “Cars.”

My site at OK RV Park in Holbrook, Arizona. Although my neighbors changed several times, I managed to get friend with  a few of them, having socially distanced cocktails in the afternoon.

These adorable little girls came by for a visit every afternoon.

The Wigwam Motel has been restored and is operating. There are vintage cars parked in front of each teepee reminiscent of the golden years of Route 66.

The Wigwam motel was the inspiration for the Cozy Cone Motel in Disney’s “Cars.”

Coronavirus has everyone video chatting and Mothers Day was a great opportunity to see by kids. L-R: daughter Michelle in Philadelphia, PA, Son Matthew and his wife Gwen in Alexandria, VA, Gwen’s mother (and my BFF) Diana in New Jersey, that’s me in the lower left corner.

I went hiking in nearby Homolovi State Park and took a scenic drive through the Navajo Reservation. There are also some ancient Pueblo villages in the area but they were temporarily closed to visitors. 

The Mormons had a small settlement here in the late 1800s. This cemetery is all that’s left.

You can see Humphrey’s Peak in Flagstaff, nearly 75 miles away.

This area was home to the Hopi Indians and before them, the Anasazi.

Homolovi State Park.

I find the best places to hike!

Homolovi State Park.

AZ-77 travels north from I-40 through the 27,500 sq. mi. Navajo Nation. The reservation straddles the Arizona/New Mexico border and is the largest Indian reservation in the country.

The exposed red rock looks like lava.

Another “Ford ad” photo.

This is a desert wash and looks innocent enough when dry but you never want to be in one when it rains. Sudden heavy rainfall can quickly turn this into a raging river. I wish I had a photo of that but at this time I hadn’t seen rain in three months.

My 525-mile route from Lordsburg, New Mexico to Maricopa, Arizona and then Holbrook.

Next post: Northern New Mexico.

My name is Lindsay Reed and I’m a photographer and retired graphic artist with a passion for both lighthouses and road trips. I am living as a full-time solo RVer in my 33 foot Grand Design Reflection Fifth Wheel trailer and plan to spend the next few years traveling the U.S. and Canada photographing not only lighthouses, but everything else there is to see in this wonderful land. I hope you enjoy my blog and will follow my adventures in the months and years ahead.