Debriefing

Click the pics of the future of America starting in 2035.

The entire graduating class of kindergartners at my granddaughter school. My granddaughter is on the top row, far left

I started my winter travels last Fall, fearing problems finding diesel fuel as I traveled. All the news from the day said there would be shortages, but like all too many predictions of doom and gloom, not only did it not pan out the way, diesel fuel actually got cheaper as I traveled.

If I had to sum up my winter travels, it would be... Too chilly, too wet, and too many boondockers. There were very few days during my winter travels when I didn't have on a coat or jacket at some time during the day. And that's very rare for the Arizona desert. There were also very few days when it wasn't cloudy or rainy to one degree or another. And yes, there were too many boondockers.

Not that I begrudge other folks taking advantage of the freedom and challenges of long-term boondocking, but there were some places I had to pass by because of the crowds. There is no one thing to blame for that, but I did notice an inordinate amount of camper vans in the places I enjoy going.

I mentioned before that camper van manufacturers were using advertising for their vans that often showed them boondocking next to a crystal clear lake or at the foot of some snowcapped mountains, clearly indicating that boondocking was where a camper van and the folks that traveled in it belonged. Conspicuously missing was pictures of camper vans huddled together awning to awning like plump rectangular sardines in an overflowing commercial campground where every view is of the side of another monstrous motorhome.

I've been going to Picacho Peak State Park near Eloy, Arizona, for many years, and it is one of my favorite places to be while in that area, but my biggest complaint was, it is often crowded and difficult to get a campsite. But imagine my surprise when I found out from another boondocker that Picacho Peak State Park has some overflow sites which you can get in on a first-come, first-serve basis, and in my opinion, despite the fact that they have no electricity, their way nicer than the regular campsites. But they don't offer them to you; you must request them, and the main part of the campground has to be full.

Now for the most important question about my winter travels... How did the Lance work out as my tiny home as I traveled around the Southwest? Did its tiny interior give me no room to roam? Or did its teensy weensy design get me to places where I could roam outdoors? This blog post will largely ignore this and many other questions that may be answered in tomorrow's blog.

Theboondork

My granddaughter, top row far left.

My granddaughter giving her speech to the audience.

Leaving the graduation ceremony. My daughter,  son-in-law, and granddaughter.

My granddaughter and a couple of her friends from school.