1/12/20

Melanie and I really like Tucson. We spent two weeks there in 2019. 

We arrived in December on our second visit on Christmas Eve, made our way to a local Whole Foods market and, as luck would have it, drove by Tohono Chul. I noted  the park looked interesting, but thought nothing else about it until a friend from Birmingham, Diane, mentioned we should go. So, we did.

As Melanie and I were wandering around the gardens there, one of the best parts of our visit happened. Janel. She's a docent there and struck up a conversation with us. Next thing we know she's taking us on a tour identifying the flora and fauna and giving us some great history. It was a splendid way to spend an afternoon.

Rillito River Park Trail and the Santa Cruz River Park Trail

On the advice of friends, we spent a day in Bisbee. 

Continuing our trek west, I found this gem of an overnight spot. Fort Lancaster Scenic Overlook is a very basic overnight camping spot (covered picnic table and grill, garbage can, asphalt pad) for the reasonable price of free. Located off I-10 about 7 miles, the overlook also has a premium view looking west. 

Very little traffic along the scenic 290 loop where the scenic loop is located and we're sharing the entire area with one other camper this evening. Free bliss and our Verizon WiFi is fast.

When is Austin, Texas, strongly consider McKinney Falls State Park. Hiking, biking, fishing, picnicking, and the RV sites are nicely spaced. Water and electric. 

Easy access to Austin.

We are enroute to the Southwest for the winter and after a bit of business in Florida, and since it was kinda on the way, we decided a few days in New Orleans was a good idea. 

I checked out potential camping in the area and found French Quarter Public Parking as a viable option. It's not cheap at $50.00 per 24 hour period and it's dry camping, no hookups, no restrooms, no showers. There is noise associated with being in a city. It's a parking lot.

Located in Treme' only a few blocks from the French Quarter makes hanging out in the quarter really easy. For those of you concerned with safety, there's a local police precinct about a block and a half  away and the lot is patrolled regularly. 

We've camped at Prairie Creek before, we'll camp here again. What a great spot west of Montgomery, Alabama. The Corp of Engineers rocks.

Fort Pickens Campground.  From Recreation.gov:

This large campground is open for reservations year-round. It contains 137 family sites with electric and water hookups, as well as 41 non-electric tent sites. A group site with water hookup is also available. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station.

The campground is located on a barrier island between the Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola Bay. Groves of live oak trees are scattered across the island, providing shelter for resident and migrating bird populations, as well as shade for park visitors. The Gulf Islands National Seashore is home to sparkling blue waters, white beaches and coastal marshes. However, more than 80% of the national park is underwater, as it's a vital protective habitat to marine life.