Our lunch is packed and we’re ready to go!
I lock up the Best Little Trailer and the crew jumps up into the Perfect Tow Vehicle. It’s sunny and clear with all the promise of a beautiful and hot day. I go to the rear of the PTV and unplug the power cord before starting the engine. We’re going to Burro Creek Recreation Area, ten miles south of our camp.
Bridget climbs up into the copilot seat.
“What’s this, little girl? Are you going to be copilot? It’s a big job, you know.” She’s so cute I have to take a photo. By the time we’re at the end of our lane, turning onto Highway 93, she’s decided copiloting is not her line of work, and goes back to lie down on the bench seat with Spike.
The entrance to Burro Creek Rec Area is not clearly marked, but we don’t pass it this time.
It’s immediately past the bridge that spans the river gorge when heading southward. After cautiously descending a short distance on an 8% grade, the campground comes into view. RVs of all types are nestled on a terraced slope. Burro Creek (more than a creek, less than a river) runs alongside with a spectacular backdrop of striated cliff in hues of tan, cream, and gold. Wow! This is some place! I park in the lot by the restrooms and the crew piles out.
Bridget and Spike are wiggling and jumping with excitement.
I’m feeling the same way, too, as we walk toward the campsites on the dirt lane. Oh, there’s the river! Gee, it’s so nice to see water again! We haven’t been out of the PTV for more than five minutes when I spy a woman sitting in front of her RV enjoying the view.
“Do you feel like talking?” I call up to her.
“Sure! Come’on up!” She tells me her name is Beck and she pulls up a camp chair.
Within a few minutes I’m sitting with Beck, Diane, Nita, and Bill. They’re friends who arranged to meet here at Burro Creek. They obviously love Burro Creek.
“Look up there,” Diane points to the cliff. “Do you see the heron going to her nest?” The others chime in.
“Look at the river! Do you see the ducks flying over the river?”
“There’s even a beaver dam!” Beavers? In the desert? There’s no time to question that amid the excited voices.
“We waded across the river and saw burros on the other side!”
“Have you been out on Burro Creek Crossing Road? It’s a dirt road. If you follow it, keeping to the left, you come to this place where burros hang out, and there are these white cliffs . . . . “ The talk is non-stop, interspersed with lots of laughs about the fun they had the night before, getting wild and crazy . . .
Bill shows me some rocks he picked up, including white ones that look like coral.
He also gives me a map of the area and shows me a book he relies on . . . Guide to National Forests – Arizona and New Mexico by the Dows. Bill has two huge tanks in the back of his pick-up for water. I ask lots of questions and everyone is laughing and it’s obvious these folks are good people. We are going to camp here. This is so perfect!
The crew and I go back to the PTV to get our lunch.
Diane catches up to us. “Would you like to have dinner with us tomorrow night? I’m making Parmesan Whitefish with spaghetti squash.”
“Oh, I’d love to! That sounds so good!”
I take the crew into the restroom so I can wash my hands.
We find a picnic cabana. After a lunch of PB & J, an apple, and Gatorade, we walk back to the PTV. I want to change into my hiking shoes before going down to the river.
“Hello, Sue!” A lady appears with a big smile on her face.
“Do I know you?” I ask, awkwardly, knowing how bad I am remembering faces.
“No, but I know you! I read your blog. You’re rvsue and her canine crew!” She introduces herself as Jeanne. Her husband, Don, joins us.
“Don, guess who this is!” Jeanne points at Bridget and Spike.
“Oh my gosh!” He gives me a warm grin and extends his hand. We shake while Jeanne exclaims, “I wouldn’t have recognized you, Sue, but I knew as soon as I saw the crew!”
“That usually does it, or the sight of the PTV. I used to think I was driving badly when people would honk and wave!”
We talk like old friends, standing there in front of the restroom.
Soon they’re urging me to explore the meadows and pine forests of the Show Low-Pine Top area of the Apache Seagraves National Forest in east-central Arizona. They spend the summer months there.
“If you want, we’ll show you places to camp that you’ll love,” Dan offers enthusiastically. “In a few hours, you’ll know where the best places are, instead of driving around looking for three or four days.”
We exchange email addresses and say goodbye, hugging like old pals. As they leave, Jeanne says they’re going to take a look at Hidden Oasis RV Park in Wikieup. What friendly, nice, interesting people. I’ve got to take them up on their offer!
The sun is high in the sky and it’s getting hot.
The crew and I haven’t been down to the riverbank yet. I change my shoes and we walk back by the group I met earlier. Someone hollers, “Keep going, Sue! The gate is right down there!”
Bridget, Spike and I find the gate, hurry down the path, and scramble over the river rocks to the water’s edge.
The river moves serenely along, the rock cliff on the other side, bright green grasses growing on our side.
If you’ve been reading rvsue and her canine crew, going back to last fall, you know what Spike does as soon as he sees water! Even Bridget plunked down her bottom to cool off.
Tomorrow we’ll break camp and move to Burro Creek![slideshow]
rvsue
Note: Unfortunately, there isn’t internet signal at Burro Creek Rec Area. I’ll keep writing, but it may be a few days before I am able to post another entry and respond to comments.
Great place! Been to Show Low area, Nice!!!! Bridget and Spike look cool, very cooling!!!!
Chuck
Wow! What a cool lookin’ campground! AND friendly folks as neighbors is a definate plus! Love photos of the crew testing the waters! Have fun while you are there and we will see ya when we see ya! Nice to know where you are gonna be and that you are gonna be safe!
I had to laugh at the Lazy Daze rig in your Burro Creek photo!!! I just got back from Morro Bay, (the Yahoo West Lazy Daze GTG) , the ladies next to me (a singles group) had 2 Casitas and a Scamp in their group. I told them about your wonderful blog. I understand there will be a meeting of the “egg” trailers up in/near Oregon!!
Lisa and Ghost Rider
Lazy Daze Southwest
Oh Sue! I think you found a great new place to camp! You will have lots of fun there. I’m adding this campground to my list! Thanks, Julie
Sounds like good fellowship and nice treks! So glad you changed into your boots. With the snakes around, I think I would wear them all the time!
Oh Sue, I felt like I was right there with you experiencing such a wonderful day and meeting great people. I know you will enjoy this place. You can’t blog but you can take wonderful pictures for us to see. I love knowing what was for dinner. Fish and spaghetti squash. Yum! Maybe once in a while we can add a meal and some recipes. I would love to add this place on my list of places to visit. I would love to see your expenses for staying here. I will be going on withdrawals waiting for your next blog, but am happy that you and the crew are safe, enjoying new friends and the beautiful site along the
waters. Enjoy!!!!!
Sounds like you ran into a great bunch of people in a great place! Enjoy.
Is there a fee? Sounds like a cool place for Spike – and looks like Bridget is learning the benefits of cool water.
What a serendipity! Isn’t it great when things work out that way?
Great looking camp area!
When will we see the pics of Sue cooling off in the water? The kids are having fun, aren’t they?
Look forward to your next post.
Bob
when we take our girls onn trail ride, they get hot chasing good smell, and cool of inane wayside puddle, no matter how murky,leaving no room for the horses to drink,cause they ate stet he’d belly down in the water. Take the crew swimming again, and join em this time. Good site, Sue
You are going to really enjoy yourself here I can just feel it. There is something about water that just draws us toward it. All of us…….animals of every kind. Will be looking forward to your adventures and reflections. It often seems that the very best places are those with little to no internet. Are they trying to tell us something???
Sherry
http://www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com
WOW…how exciting and inviting!!! Looks like great fun and nice people too…great combination!! Will be anxiously awaiting the “rest of the story”….whenever you can post it!! I have a friend who used to live at Show Low…so that sounds very interesting to me too.
Sue, so glad you are moving to Burro Creek Rec Area, the Camp Wikieup didn’t look as friendly as your other camps. It’s funny how even though I don’t know you I feel invested in your adventure. I look forward to your post every evening and worry when one doesn’t appear.
Show Low is a beautiful place, we use to camp up there on my aunt and uncle’s property,
lots of pine trees. We are heading to Mesa, AZ. next week for 10 days and won’t have internet, so when we get home, I’ll have lots of your adventures to catch up on. Enyoy a blessed Easter.
Debbie & Bill
I liked that campground, especially being by the river. I think you’d like the piney forests of Show Low also.
Linda is right in thinking that rattlers swim, Sue – I have a friend who lives in Lake Havasu who was down on the dock fishing, and had a mohave green rattlesnake crawl up out of the water onto the dock. Of course, it was between him and the parking lot end of the dock, so that was interesting… That looks like a great campground – enjoy!
‘Have been having a great time reading your blog – you paint great pictures!
Sue,
How are you getting internet access most of the time while boondocking?
My wife and I are just about to launch our adventure and I need to learn from what others already know….. sorry to ask this here but I do not see a link to send you a message….
Thanks very much for all your info..
Wayne & Rhonda
I use a Verizon air card.
What a great trip I got to take with you this morning. Like every one else I look forward to your posts and pictures.Thank you so much for taking the time to keep us up to date on what you are doing. I was wondering the other day who long it takes to do one of your posts.
I saw you go thru Vulture peak. Ishowed Bob your article on Boswell. They are back in Wis. Im on my way back now too. Boswell is quite the dog. Yoy stat petting bim he leans into you and then falls down. Bob is internet clueless so if you want to stay in touch i can relay messages. Bob was pretty impressed with you. He said if he hadnt been going home he would habe invited you out for a sandwich.but you only had eyes for Boswell
i “only had eyes for Boswell.” Ha-ha! Give my regards to Bob and thank him for providing inspiration for a blog post . . . er, rather . . . thank Boswell!
Hello to you Raymond. Thanks for letting me know this . ..
Susan, I am trying to get back to being Pauline. I had once thought I would start a blog but changed my mind. Can’t seem to get rid of it. This is a test to see if I really have deleted it.
FINALLY….it worked!!!! Thanks for letting me use some space on your blog. You can delete these.
Beautiful campsite, Sue. Is it state, federal, or privately run? Enjoy!
Hi Sue! Happy the drama has passed you by. They”re picking on somebody else by now I”m sure.lol. Sorry to rehash bad memories. Sounds like you and the crew are having a new adventure. Go girl!!!! Joe
Go guy!!!