As we quietly finished our bacon and eggs we realized we would need to leave that day. The food inventory was getting low and Mike was also stressed out (and rightly so!) about actually getting down that rough road without getting stuck again. It was about 2:45 when we finally pulled out-ugh, another late start! We did manage to maneuver the trailer to be facing the right angle so we wouldn't have to take Stace's advice and drive away and turn around. Mike had done some road repair to avoid another problem. We did get stuck but drove forward removing that pesky door step and stabilizer with sheer force! It was a very bumpy ride!
The view leaving Aravapai.
Driving back through Klondyke we realized we had a decent cell phone signal. Mike pulled over and called his daughter and I suddenly had an incoming call! It was my brother, Dave and my Mom. I heard all about Mom's 85th birthday party and a good time was had by all. I'm looking forward to spending time with my Mom when we arrive in New Hampshire on our journey.
Since we had started out so late and spent time chatting on the phone we realized we better use our Passport America and find an RV park to spend the night. I got the book out and found an RV park in Willcox about 60 miles away. They offered electric hook up, water, free coffee and waffles in the morning and hot showers. Just what we needed. We do have a shower in the trailer but right now it is completely filled with toilet paper and cleaning supplies. (Please note, don't buy in bulk from Costco if you are planning to live in a small trailer!)
We found the RV Park and checked in. While I checked out the bathroom/shower, Mike hooked up the water and electricity. When I got back Mike was busy inside the trailer cleaning what became known as the "Great Soy Sauce Disaster". After that very bumpy ride getting out of Aravapai Canyon the fridge door opened and a bottle of soy sauce loosened its top and poured out over everything. Our trailer smelled like a Chinese buffet! Also anything left hanging on the walls had come down. We managed to clean up and get to bed knowing our free coffee and waffles awaited us the next day!
After our breakfast I enjoyed a hot shower and Mike got on his bike and took Kilo for a trot. He took a tumble when Kilo, with no warning, stopped abruptly to poop. The good news was they made it back and Kilo had a good long run! Next it was on to Safeway to re-supply.
Ahhh...there was a Starbucks there! While sitting and drinking our coffee we happened to notice five mullet hairstyles. Is Willcox, AZ caught in an 80's time tunnel? We decided we better not stay to find out!
We took off on I-10 heading west and decided to re-visit Patagonia. A small town surrounded by the Coronado National Forest. That means more free dispersed camping!
Driving into the Forest via Hershaw Road we began our search for our next "backyard". About six miles in there was a dirt road on the right with a sign stating "This road not maintained for passenger cars". We knew this had to be the right place for us!
The road was indeed quite bumpy but we found a nice spot where we even had good cell service! This campsite even had some firewood left behind by a previous camper-sweet bonus!
"Gonna Tie My Pecker to a Tree". Yes, this a song - Google it! It did get stuck in our heads while in Patagonia for some crazy reason.
In the morning after coffee time and oatmeal we decided to do some exploring of our new neighborhood. A bike ride with Kilo was the best way to do this! Continuing up the road we came in on we passed some free range cattle and started climbing a bit. We had to abandon the bike riding but continued hiking up the road. The views kept getting better and better. We were very happy to watch Kilo trotting up the hill ahead of us only to trot back to us many times doubling the amount of exercise he was getting! (A very typical dog behavior when off leash) Realizing we didn't bring enough water to make a bid for the mountain summit we turned back.
Later it was time to explore the actual town of Patagonia. We drove down the Main Street and found a coffee shop. Coffee and cookies seemed like just the thing after our hike. The atmosphere was pleasant and the staff was helpful and friendly. We discovered the town library and used books for sale! I had been reading two books a week so I needed to re-supply!
We spent seven days at our campsite in the Coronado National Forest. During that time for daily activities we hitched Kilo up to Mike's bike and rode down Hershaw Road a mile and back. This is another great way to tire out a dog by the way.
One morning we thought we had trekked part of the Arizona Trail. The Arizona Trail runs 800 miles from the Mexican border to Utah. Part of the trail runs through Patagonia. However when the trail ended abruptly we knew something was wrong. We trudged back to the parking lot and this time actually read the sign that was posted there. We found out the trail started across the street! Wonderful, we just spent 30 minutes on a cow path. We hiked a Nature Conservancy Forest trail in town that would have been a great Halloween adventure in the dark. It was thick with over hanging trees creating a canopy that shaded us from the afternoon sun.
Patagonia is very bike friendly. We rode all over town with Kilo trotting along with us. We rode into the Sonoita Creek Preserve, a wonderful area for bird watching. (Unless you have your dog with you!) Kilo does receive lots of compliments in town. We met Pam, who invited us into her yard so she could get better acquainted with him.
Clothes washing was done for the first time on our journey in Patagonia. Tiny Bubbles was a two-washer two-dryer unattended laundromat where we managed to do our laundry. We had a couple competitive games of dominoes at a picnic table outside while waiting.
One afternoon we continued driving on Hershaw Road past the turn off to our campsite to check out our "neighborhood". We encountered nothing but ranches, one right after another. Some of the Forest Service signs we saw stated "illegal immigration and smuggling may be encountered". After all, we were only about twenty miles from the border. It did make me a little paranoid at night but after touring the area I knew I had no reason to be fearful. Besides there was a heavy Border Patrol presence in the area.
A Game and Fish Officer (Matt) visited our campsite along with a college student who was experiencing a "ride-a-long". We chatted with them about hunting (it was white tail deer-bucks only season) and the variety of wildlife in the Forest. There are mountain lions in the area but Matt told us our barking dog would keep them away. He knew of a small poodle that had actually treed a mountain lion with its barking! We complained to him about the large number of bees about and how Mike had been stung. He reminded us that in Arizona there are many things that will poke, sting or bite you! That is the truth!
After seven days we knew our trailer's water supply was getting low and that can make camping life more difficult. We felt we had experienced Patagonia and it was time to move on.
I am sooo jealous Guys!
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