Driving in the Elements: The Apache Trail

Driving in the Elements: The Apache Trail

There’s no question about the type of vehicle you should take on the Apache Trail. It should be a 4-wheel drive, high clearance, manly type of machine. But in a pinch, a Toyota Sienna will do. The road starts out tame and paved, but then 

Overheard at Lost Dutchman State Park

Overheard at Lost Dutchman State Park

Lost Dutchman, like basically everywhere else we camp, is mostly filled with old peeps. They’re retired, they’ve got time, they can camp in December. But it also has some … other people. The place just draws some oddballs. There are the partiers from Phoenix out 

Visiting Arizona’s Lost Dutchman State Park

Visiting Arizona’s Lost Dutchman State Park

Lost Dutchman State Park must have a guardian angel. Or not – it has been threatened with permanent closure at least twice since 2002 due to budget shortfalls. It seems like an expensive place to run. The ratio of staff/workers to visitors is at least 

Phoenix Chore Day Wears Us Out

Phoenix Chore Day Wears Us Out

You’re probably thinking: “Paul, sleeping in a van is probably the most comfortable thing ever, how could you ever improve it?” Well, let’s talk about that. Our tricked-out van platform bed is great … but it’s hardwood. Literally hardwood. And descriptively hard, really hard … and wooden. 

Dive Bar Serendipity in Tucson at The Buffet Bar and Crock Pot

Dive Bar Serendipity in Tucson at The Buffet Bar and Crock Pot

St. Elmo’s Bar in Bisbee was a lucky score, and our luck continued in Tucson at The Buffet Bar and Crock Pot thanks to Kelly Lewis, a free copy of Zocolo Magazine, and the Oro Valley Library.  Here’s how it went down: We’d been going to the 

Biosphere 2 is Dying

Biosphere 2 is Dying

If you grew up when we grew up, chances are you learned about the Biosphere 2 project in science class. Maybe you even read about it in Ranger Rick magazine. It was a hugely ambitious project — recreate the earth (aka Biosphere 1) so that people could 

Warm Up, Please, Arizona!

Warm Up, Please, Arizona!

Well, we were snowed on in Arizona on Saturday, and today we woke up to 38 degrees and rain! Holy cow. Tonight we’re retreating to a hotel. Phoenix needs to warm up or we need to move on. Here’s what it looks like today: we 

Thankful for Scotch

Thankful for Scotch

Thanksgiving isn’t usually a Scotch day for me. When we hosted the meal a few years ago, we had wine, spiked cider, and local Goose Island Beer. This year was different — we had my sister’s in-laws in attendance and my brother-in-law and his father 

Bicycling the Catalina Highway

Bicycling the Catalina Highway

As Lisa alluded to earlier, bicycling the Catalina Highway is pretty popular. But when you’re waiting for a bicyclist to pass on a extra-scenic stretch of road, it’s sometimes not popular enough — at least this close to sunset and its long shadows. But with 

The Catalina Highway

The Catalina Highway

Catalina, Catalina, Catalina. More posts about Catalina? Enough already! Why the obsession with this tiny range of peaks? If it isn’t obvious already, you’ll just have to see for yourself. And if you do get here, be sure to make the Catalina Highway one of 

Another Sunny Day in Arizona

Another Sunny Day in Arizona

Usually, when you’re on vacation, you’ve got to stick to a schedule. You have to move on to get to that next reservation, even if you haven’t fully explored your current location. I’ve always hated this. One of our biggest luxuries now is having the 

I Finally Understand Southern AZ

I Finally Understand Southern AZ

After spending a week here, I finally get it. I finally understand why people live in southern Arizona. People suffer through the few burning months of summer just like northerners suffer through six months of winter – because the rest of the year is amazing.