So, the week after Nevada (sorry it took so long to post this), I drove back to Arizona. The van needed an oil change and checkup and then I drove to find a spot for the night. There was a Cracker Barrel in Buckeye, which was convenient since I had some errands to do at the Post Office. That was an experience in itself. While waiting in line, I kept hearing cockadoodle doo sounds and thought it was someone’s cell phone. I wished they’d answer the thing. However, after a closer inspection, there were 2 men trying to wrangle a box with a bunch of holes in them, and it turned out that there were live roosters inside. OMG! They matched the ringtone perfectly! Apparently, the Post Office will ship anything.
Onward to Lake Havasu City, where I found a spot at Lake Havasu State Park for $25/night with no hook ups. There are 1/4 scale lighthouses situated around the lake that were built by volunteers. I was able to catch one nearby that was working. It was awesome being right o n the lake and in town. I stayed for 3 nights, and one night there was a very bad thunderstorm. Turned out that a tornado was spotted just north of me. The weather was fine the next day, and I visited the London Bridge, had my Tarot cards read (very interesting), and ate some of the local food. The London Bridge is the real thing that was purchased by a private party in the 1970’s. It has the original plaques and lighting and is quite the tourist attraction. I enjoyed the vibe in this little town.
Later, I met up with a photography friend who was in my show class at the school we attended and we had a great time catching up on life.
I went boondocking on the 4th day with Steven and found a beautiful spot south of Lake Havasu City. There is a lot of BLM land in Arizona. One day, we went hiking at Cattail Cove State Park, did some photography, and he set up my generator while I cooked burgers on the fire for dinner. It was one of the most relaxing and fun times I had and it felt great to meet up with a fellow Chicagoan and photo student! I also am happy to say that I was an influencer who told Steven about my future travels and buying a van and boondocking. Steven took the plunge and has a truck and a big trailer. He works remotely and gave me some ideas on how to stay connected while on the road. We are in touch and enjoying each other’s photos.
I packed up at the end of my stay and drove south toward Quartzite. All of the tents and most of the vendors gone by then, and I decided to drive back to California toward Indio. Boohoo.