They say that house hunting is about location, location, location but with RV living it's all about the weather.
Very few RV's are true four season campers so you have to be mindful of the weather. Leaving Lake Mead in Nevada we had decided to head into Arizona and see what someone here is calling, ''The Big Ditch". The Grand Canyon was astounding but the weather was less than stellar.
We arrived in the Grand Canyon area and took up residence at a dispersed camping site in the Kaibab National Forest which was very nice but had poor cell service. The weather was calling for rain so as soon as we set up we headed to the visitor center and viewing points. Even with the heavy cloud cover staring across the canyon and trying to take in the height and depth and breadth of it was almost overwhelming. There is something about viewing this special that reminds you that you are small yet unique.
We had a wonderful chance to view a bit of the canyon then turned back for the parking area having to run for the truck as the rain swept in.
The next day we checked out another free site that had better cell service while it rained then toured more of the rim. Oddly as amazing as it was to actually be in this spectacular spot we decided to pack it up and head south.
So why would we leave behind these amazing views to hit Flagstaff Arizona? You guessed it; weather, weather, weather. The combination of rain and cold were not going to make for happy campers and somehow we just knew it was time to roll. When you talk to or listen to other people who do what we are doing, and there are many of them, you hear one thing again and again. "If you aren't feeling it. Get out." So we did.
On the gray trip to the Grand Canyon I rode in the truck and wrote, wrote, wrote. This is actually how I decided on the Tag for these blogs. We are truly Rollin' and Writin'. On the way south I did it again and a little over an hour we pulled into the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff. It mid afternoon and there was evidence of recent rains but we found a slightly less than muddy site.
Honestly, this is my second favorite camp area ever. Not only do we have high prairie, Douglas Fir, and rolling hills we have these astounding mountains to view. I love the forest and have not been disappointed in this one at all. Not only is the landscape beautiful the area is filled with interesting and active wild life. We even include the free range cows that toured our site in the middle of the night in that category.
Unfortunately the weather is catching up to us again and since tomorrow night will be below freezing we'll be rolling out once more heading to warmer climes.
It will be time to head south looking for a bit of warmth and hopefully having some time to sit and do some maintenance. It might seem like we aren't spending enough time seeing some of the sites, but we remind ourselves that we can always come back.
It's as if we are learning the land as we travel. We're learning how to find the right places to stay. Learning to understand what suites us even when someone else might be looking for something very different. We're learning to balance this life.
Today we wrote, walked, viewed, shopped and just lived. Tomorrow we'll roll. Some days it is hard to believe or even process all of the things we've seen so far. As we continue this mad adventure we will continue to adapt and change to our circumstances. It's not just a vacation it's a life.
Hopefully next week we'll be warm and also be able to catch up with the chores. We have laundry to wash, cupboards to clean, the truck to wash and so many other little things that are just like daily life in your own home. For now though, I'll listen to the freight train in the distance and snuggle under my blanket so I'm ready for another day of Rollin' & Writin' tomorrow.