Wednesday, March 7
Boondock near Benson, Arizona (Photo taken shortly after arrival, March 7, 2018)
From our overnight camp in Gila Bend, the crew and I travel east on Interstate 8 through the Sonoran Desert National Monument. Traffic is light.
At Casa Grande we merge onto Interstate 10.
Its southeasterly direction takes us to Tucson. Its lunchtime and there’s more traffic on this six-lane section. Continuing southeast, we arrive at Mountain View where our direction turns due east, taking us to Benson.
We exit the interstate and find a lovely boondock in the grasslands.
The first thing I do . . .
Before positioning the Best Little Trailer where I want it, I clip Reggie and Roger to their leashes and take them for a scout around the area. They have a lot of pent-up energy, even though we stopped for a couple, brief walk-arounds during the drive here.
Next I set out my camp chair.
“Here. Have a drink,” I suggest, setting out their water dish. “I’m going to take a little break before setting up.”
It’s peaceful here. We could stay for two weeks. There’s a Wal-Mart and Safeway nearby and lots of services in Benson. The boys can run around. Yeah, this is perfect for us!
I need a favor.
Usually I give a detailed description of the location of our boondocks. I often explain exactly how to drive to the secluded spot where we’ve made our home. I share our good fortune, knowing there is a risk involved, because many of you seek this information.
Frequent readers of this blog know not to visit or even to drive by. I’m bringing it up again because at this camp it’s especially important that my desire for privacy be known and taken seriously.
I suspect that a lot of my readers are in the Benson area right now. It’s a common place to stop to get off the interstate. The large Escapees RV co-op is here, in addition to commercial RV parks.
You may recognize where we are camped.
You may have boondocked here yourself. The favor I need is this: If you recognize the landscape around our camp and figure out our location, please do not reveal it on the internet.
At some point you might be tempted to say to someone, “Hey, let’s go see if RVSue is camped where we think she is. C’mon! It’ll be a fun drive!”
Please don’t.
I’m letting the crew run around off-leash because very few vehicles go by. Please help keep it that way, okay? Thank you!
Thursday, March 8
Say what you will about Wal-Mart, the place is a comfort for this full-time traveler who’s often in unfamiliar towns. I see the big blue sign and I know what the inventory will be. I find every item on my shopping list.
Returning to camp, the Best Little Trailer coming into view always gives me a happy feeling.
You can see from the photo (above) that this campsite is very similar to the one we recently enjoyed at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. (See February 2018 post: “Treasures at Buenos Aires NWR boondock, AZ.“)
Waving grass. View of a mountain. A level and easy loop around a few mesquite trees. Peace and quiet. Solitude.
In the photo (above) the dirt road is to the left, out of frame. The dirt road on the right is a narrow, spur road.
I positioned the BLT so the boys’ tether won’t get tangled around the mesquite trees.
Friday, March 9
An enjoyable day at camp! We have only one neighbor and he’s quite far away, perched on a low ridge. See zoomed-in photo below.
Our campsite is nice. His is better. That’s one reason I don’t put out the blue mat.
Maybe he’ll leave soon.
Saturday, March 10
I’ve fallen behind on my blog posts. This morning I’m determined to put one together. While I’m making links to Amazon (Usually that’s the first thing I do when starting a post, kinda’ like a warm-up exercise.), I see the tan trailer go by.
“He’s leaving!”
I snap the laptop shut and hurry to pack up, hitch up, and move camp. I hurry because it’s Saturday and someone else could show up.
I want that site!
Well, we settle into the campsite — Love it! — and the blog post isn’t written.
Oh, well . . .
Instead, I let Reggie and Roger run loose!
Photographing their fun is entertainment for me and seeing them run is a joy.
These photos were taken before I set up the outdoor room.
Weary from consecutive days of travel, I pace myself. Instead of putting down and staking the blue mat, I toss the crew’s two big pillows on the ground. This tells them we’re home. I’ll do the outdoor room tomorrow.
What happy pups they are!
Besides having a large, open play area for a front yard, a rarely used, two-track lane is handy for our walks.
One of the first thing Roger does is find an old bone!
Here he is, holding it between his paws while chomping away and keeping an eye on Reggie that warns, “Don’t you dare!”
I have to trust Roger will chew the pieces well. There’s no way he would let me take it away from him.
Okay then, be fully dog . . . .
When finished, Reggie invites him to play.
The weather pattern here is cool mornings, warm by mid-morning and into early afternoon, wind and cooler air by late afternoon. Highs in the 70s, lows in the 40s or 50s. Last night we had intermittent, light rain.
I like it here.
And it looks like the boys do, too!
rvsue
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