Southwest Old TIme Gathering and Fiddlestix 2026

 

03052026 - 03102026 

Todd and I left the baseball game in Peoria at 1637 headed to the Southwest Old Time Gathering campout in Tucson AZ. We arrived after dark and didn’t get settled until about 2100. But all ended up well. We met up with friends David and Allie. Todd took accommodations in the bunkhouse and I found a spot in a bend in the road for the night.

The next day, Friday, we were able to move to a better spot and Todd was able to set up his tent cot. The music started up around noon with several groups throughout the camp. I joined a group near the pavilion after lunch and I recognized some of the people from Centralia. Everyone said the same thing when they saw Todd "where's Kate"!

photo by Todd Thedell

Saturday was the same, Todd and I got a nice walk/geocaching in, played some more music and attended the potluck that featured Carla’s Gumbo! 

The next day we packed up and moved north to Catalina State Park to attend FiddleStix music campout. They had already had the “pre” jam here before the SWOT gathering, so this was the “post” event. We camped in a group campground with David and Allie with others and the music started right back up.

On Monday a thunder storm came through with some pretty hard rain, but it was short and we were able to keep most of the stuff dry.

One exception was my brother Todd who was out walking when the storm hit.

It rained off and on for the rest of the day and overnight.

In the morning we packed up all the wet stuff and headed out early enough to drop Todd off at the airport.

👀 SWOTG & Fiddlestix shared photos 👀

‎⁨Tonto National Monument⁩, ⁨Roosevelt⁩, ⁨Arizona⁩, ⁨United States⁩

02202026   I took a quick trip out to the Tonto National Forest about 2 ½ hour drive. ⁩Visiting the Roosevelt Lake area, I stayed one night at Cholla Campground and one night at  Porter Springs Campground. The weather was wonderful and I got some geocaching and exploring. The Roosevelt Lake Bridge spans the Apache river right in front of the Roosevelt Dam. The highlight of my trip was the hike up to the Cliff Dwellings at the Tonto National Monument where you are able to see the historical living of the ingenious people that began about 1300 CE. 

 

Tonto National Monument shared album

Desert Tortoise Campground

 

Desert Tortoise Campground Lake Pleasant Regional Park 

02102026 This is the place where I took my sailing class last March. It's a nice size lake and often has good sailing wind. Fed by the Colorado River via CAP system,  the lake was formed by the completion of the original Carl Pleasant Dam in 1927, which was then the world's largest multi-arch dam, intended for irrigation.The campground is popular during the winter months and not only because of the weather, because of the Wild Burros in the area. When I arrived space #126, there was a drove of five to greet me. 

02112026 After morning coffee, I took off to hike the Wild Burro trail that follows the bank, although the lake water level is down now, but will be rising during the spring. There were plenty of people on the trail hoping to see a Wild Burro. I did run across another one on my way back. The day was overcast and cool, perfect for a morning hike.

I visited the Discovery Center that sits on a rise with a good view of the lake. I bought a park sticker and took some panoramics of the lake. 

👀 Lake Pleasant shared album 👀

Organ Pipe Cactus Nation Monument

Twin Peaks Campground Organ Pipe Cactus Nation Monument 

02052026 I arrived about 1730 and found space 101. This is a popular place and I noticed there were a lot of class B camper vans.  The campground is all paved, but I was surprised how un-level it the space was, about 6-7 inches down in the front. I was able to cut that in half with a traction board and a block. This is a different kind of camping that I’m used to, but I knew the spaces would be close together. I think I need to be around other people more, even if I don’t know them. It provides exercise for my people skills. I’m here for three nights. Tomorrow I plan on taking one of the hikes that start from the campground. 

02062026 Victoria Mine - Senita Basin Trails Had my coffee and breakfast. My water pump is making noise, so I did some troubleshooting and wrapped one of the pipes that was banging against the bedbox, that seemed to improve it, but the pump is still shaking when I turn the tap on. But it was getting late in the morning and I wanted to make the Victoria Mine hike. So I started out at 1030 and finished at 1245. The hike was mostly flat with some steps down to transition the washes. Once away from the campground, you are surrounded by saguaro and organ pipe cactus, ocotillo and palo verde trees. Great view of the Pozo Redondo Mountains to the east. 

02072026 Kris Eggle Visitor Center  Beautiful cool morning. There are a lot of people out here camping, but this site is quiet for all of that. I got more steps than I needed yesterday, so I started off, after breakfast, to walk the perimeter trail, but I found the Palo Verde trail that goes to the Visitor center. There was a small museum and a gift shop inside the visitor center. I got a couple of stickers. I was surprised to see that entrance was not free, although included in the camping fee, but if you are just stopping by, you need to pay. 

After a nice walk, I had lunch. At about 1500, I got the bike out and road around the park. I wondered why most of the tow vehicles had their hoods propped open. Turns out this is to prevent rodents from nesting in the engine compartment. I noticed some of the vans were doing too. Maybe there is a problem with rodents here. When I returned to Vannie, I propped her hood open.

02082026 Arch Canyon Trailhead Double Arch  Checkout is 1200 so I took my time with coffee and breakfast. I brought in my Moon Shade and camp stove the night before so I was mostly packed up. I was through the dump station by 1115 and headed out of the park. I took a nice scenic drive on the Ajo Mountain Drive  starts across highway 85 from the visitor center. It is a 21 mile scenic loop up through the desert canyon and to the Arch Canyon. The Arch Canyon Trail is an easy 2 km hike up the south side of the canyon. 

At the end, I was tempted to bushwack/rock hop up closer to the arches, but the temptation passed. After all, there is no Geocache there. But it was obvious that others had made the climb. I had a nice walk and drove the rest of the loop before heading home. 

👀Organ Pipe National Monument shared album👀

 

Lake Jennings Campground Merry Christmas

 1223 - 1229 2025 Lake Jennings Campground  Merry Christmas

Lake Jennings

     I arrived Lake Jennings campground right areound 1500 and checked in. Quickly I discover I did pick the right spot.  Seems like everything slopes towards the lake. I was able to pull in sideways but it was far from level. Considering that I would be pulling in and out almost every day, I want to find a spot where the setup leveling will not be too hard. So I paid the $5 fee to change to the next site over which I was able to back in and get leveled with one or two blocks.  BH and RH came over and picked me up so I could help with the baking, I was a taste tester. After a fine dinner we played a couple games of Clue. 

The next morning I took the campground loop trail getting a couple of Geocaches along the way.  After a small lunch I packed up and drove over to the Heufts. We then went over RH's Grandparents house for a Christmas eve dinner that could be beat. After dinner it was Clue again. It was even more fun with so many players.  Thanks D & R for the wonder meal and great company.  Back a the Heufts we exchanged gifts. 

The next morning I arrived at DL&S house just in time  for breakfast, gift exchange and board games with LCDR and his fins. It was a very fun time. I got a cool 50 states water bottle. 

R & S diving in the living room

Friday BH&RH picked me up to go spend the day at DL&S. We had a great time visiting and playing games. Watching R & S bouncing around especially fun. On the way home we stopped to take the RC Jeep for a spin. Found GC8MTKC  under the Mast Bridge, RH made the grab

On Saturday morning I walked around the lake and got most of the caches hidden along/off the lake road.  It turned out to be longer than I though, but it was a nice trip.  I packed up and went back to DL&S for some more games. 

Sunday I checked out of Lake Jennings Campground, then we all met at the Boardwalk Arcade and watched the kids play the game and win prized.  After the arcade games we went out for pizza.  I stayed at DL&S then took off Monday morning for some 🌵 boon-docking to finish off 2025. 

That's it for this post, here is my 👀 shared photo album. 👀

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas.

Rick, Dawn, Josh, Riley, Breanna, Brinn

Quartzite Camp

121025 - 121525 Quartzite Camp 33°51'21.6"N 114°02'35.7"W 

I stayed the night at three different locations on the BLM land in the Quartzite area. First 2 nights, just south of Joshua Road in Bouse AZ where Dottie and Chief lived. I was Geocaching on my ebike when I met a full time nomad Bjarne Winkler and his Dog Ohana (means family) There was a cache near his camper and they wanted to know what I was doing. 

We talked for a good hour. I explained geocaching and Bjarne shared his wisdom about living on the desert and van life. I enjoyed hearing his stories and I asked many questions taking advantage of Bjarne's experience. 

The next day I explored some of the other boondocking areas there and round Quartzite. A area west towards California called Tom Wells Road Dispersed Camping and then the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. During this camp out I stayed up late to view the Geminid meteor shower  on Saturday 13th.  I also had some peaceful walks and plenty of ebike geocaching. 

The Quartzite area is pretty busy this time of year. There are many RV'ers and nomad campers. But there are plenty of space outside of the Quartzite town to find peaceful Isolated desert camping. 

Thanks for visiting. 

👀Photos 👀

Thanksgiving 2025

112325 - 120525 Sun City to Olympia and back again with points in between

Now that the repairs on Vannie D0T1D9 are fixed I was eager to get on the road again. Destination a thanksgiving dinner that could not be beat compliments of the Caron Family somewhere near Olympia. 

I had a good start heading NW through Las Vegas then on to highway 93 that parallels the Nevada - Utah North and South border all the way to Idaho. I pulled into Pahranagat Rest Area after dark, found a level spot and stayed the night. 

Morning was a quick bowl of oatmeal I headed north. I was going to stop at the Alien Research Center but the alien's were off for the holiday and they were closed 🙁 so I continued north. Driving conditions were very good and I made good time. My plan A, a casino campground in Jackpot at the north border of Nevada and Idaho, was a bust. I just didn't have a good feeling about Cactus Pete's Saguaro RV Park. So I continued north into Idaho and found a gem. 

Lud Drexler Park

USFS Lud Drexler Park right next to Salmon Lake Dam. High desert at 5000 feet. It was about 45°F when I parked. I was the only one there, including any Rangers, but they were open. I paid $13.50 and pick a site that had a view of the lake. I had to break out the sleeping bag because it got down to 28°F. In the morning I cooked breakfast inside on the butane stove which help warm the up the inside of the van. I walked down to the dam and around the park. Found a geocache near where I parked. So it was already after ten by the time I lwas back on the road. Highway 93 meets Interstate 84 in Twin Falls, I figured I would make it as far a La Grande in Oregon before sunset. For the third day I didn't really have a confirmed campsite because this late in the season the state USFS campgrounds are closed in the high elevations. So I figured I would stay at a rest stop. But I thought I would check out Forest Road 21 Dispersed Camping between the La Grande exit and Deadman's Pass.

Forest Road 21

It seemed fine when I pulled in and there was only one other camper. The ground was wet forest floor, not muddy. Satisfied, I found a nice spot between the trees. I checked the weather forecast that shows "wintermix", whatever that means,  starting at 2100 with accumulation of .3". It was already after dark, so I figure I was good, after all it was warmer that last night. I woke up at 0230, stepped out side for the necessary and discovered about 2.5" of wet snow! Now I know what "wintermix" is 😟 

Try as I might, I could not go back to sleep. I was worried about getting Vannie out of the snow. Front wheel drive is good, but with so much weight in the back, I'm always afraid of spinning my wheels. So I forced myself to stay in bed, knowing myself I would try to get out in the dark, and wait until sunrise. No telling when the snow might stop, best to wait until there is at least traffic on the freeway. I decided that I would try to go out the way I came in because I know that ground was somewhat level. So at about 0630, have everything packed up, forgoing breakfast for now, I made my first attempt, which was all that was needed. I did spin the front wheels, but there was plenty of traction all the way to the pavement. Feeling relieved, I stopped at Deadman'd Pass Rest Area and had my breakfast before heading out for the 5 hour drive to Glenwood Park. 

Gus

I arrived right before dinner time, I have a knack for that. We had salad and sausage rolls, a NW treat! Banjo and Fiddle-Mandolin caught me up on all the PNW news and the agenda for the weekend. This includes a nice walk with Gus each day, a Thanksgiving dinner that could not be beat, a music jam and a trip to Tacoma to see old friends.  I always feel welcomed and I'm treated more like a inhabitant than a visitor these days, just part of the big familia.  Thank you all very much!

Alas, I do eventually leave, usually before there is any serious work to be done, always with a heavy heart and anticipation for my next visit.  Sunday morning, after yet another fine Banjo breakfast, I headed south down interstate 5 with my sites set on Umpqua Lighthouse State Park on the coast of Oregon. 

Umpqua Lighthouse State Park

The weather forecast was very favorable for this time of year and there were plenty of campsites available.  I arrived way before sunset and set up in a nice back in site with electrical and water hookup, almost glamping for this trip. There was plenty to do, several geocaches to hunt and the lighthouse to visit. The park was maybe 1/2 full make for a nice and quiet visit. 

I walked around Lake Marie an found all the tiny geocaches, then rode Jagurandi down by the beach. At the lighthouse gift shop there was a real nice Letterbox geocache. I discovered all the travel bugs and swapped a pair. I visited the gift shop and got some stickers.  It was nice to have a whole day to explore and relax. My visit went by quick, next thing I knew it was time to get back on the road.  I spent some time planning my stops as I head south. 

I thought I would stay on the coast as I enter California, stay a night then jump east towards Reno area. The USFS and State campgrounds in the Redwood forest were closed, but I did find a first come first serve campground near Trinidad Ca.

Sue-Meg State Park

The drive down the 101 was beautiful with open skies and colorful transitions from forest to sea. The only traffic was through the numerous small towns along the route. I arrived Sue-Meg State Park about 1600 but didn't get parked until about 1700 because I had to drive into Trinidad to get correct change for the envelope drop pay station. I still had enough sun light to take the stairs down to the beach and take in the view. 

The campground area was nearly full so I was lucky to find a site for the evening.  I'm not complaining, but the difference of the facility up keep between Oregon and California State Parks was drastic. Maybe it was only because one is more popular than the other, still this is a nice park, just somewhat run down after the summer season.

Nevertheless, this was only an overnight stay and made the best of my time. Having filled up with water and emptied the grey tank in Oregon, there was no worry about it in the morning. After breakfast I was off again, only heading east across California, wanting to stay clear of any big metro areas. It took most the day driving the very curvy highway 299 from Trinidad to Reading through the Redwood Forest.  I took my time and arrived safely. From Reading I continued east up highway 44 towards Susanville.

Again, a lot of the campgrounds are closed this late in the year, so my choices for an overnight were thin.
Fortunately, Goumaz Campground was still open. A USFS free area with no facilities but nice level spots to camp. "Pack in pack out" rules apply! The forest road into the park was well maintained, mostly free of ruts and level except for the last part. I still had time for a nice walk around the forest, down a babbling creek, almost I wanted to try a fly. So peaceful it was kind of eerie because there was absolutely nobody else here. I defiantly needed my sleeping bag here, temperatures were in the 20's.  Maybe that was why I was the only one here. There was no waiting around in the morning for the temp to rise, so after a quick breakfast, I was off early making Tonopah BLM land for overnight before the end of the day. From here it was a 6 hour drive through Las Vegas and home. 

Here is a link to my shared photo album for this successful Thanksgiving trip. 

Thanks for reading my blog. 

 

Repairs and the numbers

 10102025 - 🌵

I arrived at home and delivered the Van to the RV body shop to repair the hole in the drivers side. You can read about what happened here  The RV body got the insurance company to reassess the work because they will need to take the inside apart, away from the hole, so they can cut and weld.  I was able to stop by 2 weeks ago to see their progress, estimated date I will pick it up, 11/21/25. 

This marks the end of my first summer with a van, I made 3 major trips and saw many places. I am spending October and November at home to catchup on doctor appointments and wait for van to get repaired.  So how much did I spend?  From April 9th 2025 ending October 10th 2025 184 days, I stayed in my van 127 nights. I averaged $20.04 per night, this counts moochdocking, for a total of $2,545.61. Fuel, this is pretty accurate because I used the same credit card for payment a the pump. I got gas 92 times averaging $45.88 per fill up for a total cost $4,221.35.  +  camping = $6,766.96 ,  $751.88 per month. 

This is a good benchmark for summers to come. Depending on when I get the van back, my next outing will be local camping here in Arizona, then head north for Thanksgiving. 

Thanks for visiting, leave a comment is you have one. 

Update Photo 11/20/25

Nevada, October 2025

100825 - 101025 

There is a lot more to discover around southeast Oregon,  but I was ready to make my way towards home. I'm finding that my travel time has been between 4.5 and 6 hours  on average which has been working out good. I have been using a trip planner called Roadtrippers with Campendium that helps me find places to camp along a route. I try always a plan B incase my first selection does not workout. I continued to take the less travel route into Nevada stopping at the Virgin Valley Dispersed Camping, yes another free camping area in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge.  There was quit a few campers for being in the middle of the week. The rigs range from car campers to 40' mobile homes, with everything in between.  I parked in a gravel space that was pretty clean, however there was some trash in the fire ring. I settled in and had an uneven-full evening.  

The next days destination was Kinston Campground USFS Auston Nevada, a 5 hour drive through Winnamucca, a short time on Interstate 80, then South 1/2 way to Tonopah NV. This is another free campground and being later in the season, the campground was pretty empty. I imagine it is much busier in the summer. The trip in was fine for a front wheel drive Promaster, but the narrow bridge make it difficult for a bigger rig.  7092' Elevation, beautiful fall like temperatures.  I did not have T-Mobile cell service but Starlink mini worked good. I arrived right a 1600 so I had plenty of time to get setup and settled before dark.  I know in the future I will be driving to and from Washington, so it will be likely I will stay here again. 

Right behind the van was a flowing stream and a nice place the sit and just think. This is where I was when I finally decided to go ahead with another Cochlear Implant on my right side. This got me thinking of getting home and all the things that need some of my attention.  I left for Indiana a month ago, so I was feeling it was about time for me to get home and get these life balls rolling.  

So I was off early in the morning headed south. Fueled in Tonopah and onto the 95 which goes through  Las Vegas.  My destination was Silver Hill Dispersed Camping located between Las Vegas and Kingman AZ.  The horizon started to turn dark and then it started raining.  I made it through the Vegas traffic and passed the Hover Dam and it was still raining when I stopped for gas in

White Hills AZ. This is when I realized that I'll be camping in the rain. So I got a footlong Subway tuna to have for dinner. The sun was low on the horizon when I arrived at the dispersed camp area. There was only one area that was not flooded and there was a big rig there. I pulled in and just did not have a good feeling, so I head back through the small town to the highway.  I pulled over and ate my sandwich, then took a 30 minute nap with the rain pounding on the van. My plan B was Hualapai Mountain Resort , I've had my eye on this for a while, but with the pouring rain, I was not eager to go driving in the mountains after dark and I was only a little over 3 hours away from my desert habitat (home 🌵). 

Considering game 3 of the ALCS was on the radio, I decided to
break my 6 hour driving time rule and drive all the way home. It was still raining when I pulled onto Willowbrook Dr. at 2148, but surprising enough the game was not over. I was able to watch the 18th inning on my TV!   My 30 day trip I drove 126h 22m 14s averaging 50 mph and traveled 6,334.9 miles.

👀 Nevada OCT25 👀

Here is a link to my map:

Thanks for visiting, please leave a comment if you have one. 

Oregon - 2025

 100525 - 101025 

We parted ways on Sunday, John, Todd & Kate headed home and I took off for 

Fort Stevens Oregon on
the Columbia River. I was only able to get an RV site for Sunday night, there was nothing available the rest of the week. This was one of the biggest campground I have ever been to, but the campsites were individual, not like a RV parking lot. I got in after dark, but I did get a walk early in the morning. There was a lot of free ranging Elk, like everywhere! According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, over the last 30 years, the elk population along Oregon’s northern coast has ballooned. It seem that Elk have figured out where man cannot hunt. The areas where hunting is allowed, do not have a problem with the Elk population.  

I didn't have much time to explore the Columbia river area, so I have added this area to my list to return to. Staying off the interstate was pretty easy in Oregon, I only drove a few miles of I5 on my way to Bend Oregon and the Deschutes National Forest. 

I made it to USFS Prairie Campground before dark, so I was able to get a nice walk in and geocache. There was a cache on 250' from campsite #9, but I had to balance a log to get across the natural creek running next to the campground.  There was only one other camper, I'm pretty sure they are the host. Maybe because it was a Monday? Or, maybe it was because they have already shut off the water in the park for the winter and at 7am it was 39°F inside the van and 22°F outside! 

I am used to living without a schedule, I mean I try to schedule, but I like to keep things flexible. After a cold night at #9 Prairie campground, I proceed up the highway to visit a place Todd told me about, the Big Obsidian Flow Trailhead and Interpretive Site part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.  The trail takes you up the side of the lava flow and through massive blocks of obsidian. I completed the Earth Cache but had no cell service to upload. So I left the Big Flow parking lot and headed into the an adjacent campground to set up my Starlink to get online. Plus there was quit a few geocaches near the Little Crater Campground.  

I drove through the campground, along Paulina Lake. looking for a place to park. I found a beautiful spot right on the lake, so I decided to stay.  

I paid my 1/2 price fee and took off to find some geocaching. There was a wonderful loop trail up to the top of the side of the little crater. I found 8 cool geocaches and took in the awesome views of the lake and of the lava flow on the other side. 

I had a wonderful van life evening, salad and patty melt for dinner and I watched the game 3 ALCS.  Definitely a Win. One of the best overnights I've had in the van. 

Okay off to Nevada then home. Thanks for stopping by, here is my shared album 👀 Oregon OCT25 👀

 

2025 Kinetic Sculpture Race - Port Townsend WA.

 100425 - 100525 Port Townsend WA.

Kinetic sculpture races are organized contests of human-powered amphibious all-terrain works of art. Artist teams with their amazing creations have been competing since 1969. 

In Port Townsend, the race is scheduled for the first weekend in October each year. The race starts on Saturday downtown by the waterfront.  All racers parade through the streets, then a downhill break test then splash! in to the water. Sunday involves mostly off road in sand and mud courses. It was very entertaining, with all the costumes and creative vehicles. The race is hosted by The Great Port Townsend Bay Promotional Consortium.    

👀 Kinetic Sculpture Race 👀 Thanks for visiting.