Munds Park RV Resort and Flagstaff AZ

With only staying one night at Homolovi  State Park we didn't even have to hook up the car the next morning before we hit the road.  Our next stop was only 84 miles in distance but up several thousand feet in elevation.

It wasn't too long before we pulled into Munds Park RV Resort. We have stayed here before so we asked for a site under the trees. The sites are very tight but people come for the location, not for large sites 

With the RV park being only 3 hours from Phoenix it's a very popular spot in the summer, especially with temperatures in the Phoenix valley reaching in the 110's this time of year. I tried to book a week but there's no way to book on short notice a weekend spot. During our stay the highs were in the upper '70s to low '80s with overnight lows in the '50s... perfect.

We decided to make the most of our time with lots of outdoors time. We played disc golf at the nearby Ft Tuthill course, about 15 minutes away. By dodging afternoon showers we were able to slip in a couple of rounds on two different days. 

 

We also took a couple of hikes at the Kachina Wetlands Preserve. It's nice walking there because of the beautiful views of the mountains just outside of Flagstaff. Also, this is a great birding site even in the summer. 

 

Of course, we had to drive into Flagstaff to check out Northern Arizona University. We returned to our favorite Flagstaff brewery called Lumberyard. Not only do they have a great happy hour but they have tasty IPAs and an excellent Porter. We were also intrigued with their very popular $10 mason jar drinks...maybe next time

Alas, before we knew it, time was up again. Unfortunately, that meant we're headed down the mountain and into the heat. We will arrive in Phoenix 5 days earlier than planned but fortunately for us the excess heatwave has diminished and thankfully we don't expect temperatures in the 110s.

Wish us luck...

El Morro National Monument and a check engine cod

I almost forgot to mention a trip we took to El Morro National Monument. What a cool place this turned out to be. It was a good 45 minute drive from the casino we stayed at. Upon our arrival we were in awe of the huge sandstone bluff that is the El Morro, a beautiful historic landmark! 

I found a hike that short and very popular we decided to do. As we began the hike it was clear we were to climb atop the El Morro on one side and descend it on the other side. We followed the well marked trail consisting of lots of stairsteps.

Even more surprising, was that the trail was not really designed for those with a fear of heights, like Sharon . Nonetheless Sharon gutted it out and after we descended she was really happy to have conquered the trek across the top of El Morro 

At the tail end of the hike we added the 1/2 mile trail taking us by inception rock. Here are numerous inscriptions carved into the rock by early explorers, as well as some petroglyphs carved into the sandstone by the native Americans.

What a great hike this was. We had a good two days at the casino campground but It was time again to roll. Our next stop would be down the highway some 180 mi to Homolovi State Park near Winslow, Arizona.

This was just a one-night stop because we wanted to get to the higher country to escape the heat. It was 100° the day we arrived at Homolovi State Park and thankfully we've visited before so we didn't feel the need to hike the ruins.

We set up and walked around the park before one of those little thunderstorms which blow up in the desert this time of year during the so-called monsoonal season dropped some rain on us. It did leave the remnants of a rainbow behind so it was enjoyable. And oh how I love watching a good thunderstorm.

The next morning we took our time to head to our next destination because it was only a little over 80 miles away. We broke camp and about 30 miles down the road we had a check engine light flashing. I noticed it alerted me to a scan code that suggested our ERG cooler or valve was malfunctioning, code 412.

Those who don't know what the ERG valve is, it is the exhaust gas recirculation valve which basically is a component of the pollution control system. It helps reduce the NO2 which helps reduce emissions. 

It sure was nice having my scan gauge to pick up the code and have Sharon read about it to me while we were driving down the road to discern if it was something urgent or not. Discovering it wasn't urgent we had already had a plan to stop and get diesel at a casino travel center some 40 mi down the road from where we started.

As we filled up with diesel, we decided on a whim to go over and check out the casino. This would also allow the engine to cool a bit so I could check the radiator fluid. At the casino we received a little bit of free play from Sharon being a new member and me being a veteran.

After playing a little bit and taking some of their money (not very much), we went out to check on the motorhome. It started up just fine, didn't give me any codes and didn't act funny so we headed on down the road to our next stop at Monds Park RV Resort.

We set up and I did a little more research on the code suggesting the ERG valve was defective. After reading everything, I'm guessing that the valve was sticking just a bit. This I'm not too worried about making it on to Mesa after we leave Munds Park but will check it another day after we get settled in there.

Until then...

Malpais National Monument NM

It was time to hit the road once again. Next stop would be the Sky City Casino RV Park a whole 70 miles away from Coronado campground. Upon checking in we discovered RV'ers are also allowed to use the hotel pool and hot tub.  All this, for only $19.00 per night! Our plan was to stay in the cooler parts of New Mexico before we have to head on down to Arizona where we know it's hotter than Hades. 

If you're wondering why we're going to Arizona so early, it's because I have a full knee replacement surgery scheduled for September 10th. Our plan is to arrive in Mesa on August 20th and we will leave the motorhome there. My surgery is scheduled in Raleigh, North Carolina so we will fly out on the 21st of August. We plan to stay in North Carolina with our daughter and her family. As soon as my daughter who is a physical therapist and the doctor release me, we will return to Mesa for the winter season. 

In the meantime, we'll spend 2 days here at the casino and do a little gambling. We love to play video poker but we don't gamble very heavy as we try to find the nickel slots when they are available. When we signed up for a player's card, we both were awarded $10.00 in free play. At the end of the day, we both ended up winning a meager amount but had a blast playing. Video poker.

Our second day at the casino, we decided to drive down to the Malpias National Monument. We mostly did a lot of driving around and sightseeing at the over a million-year-old lava flows which predominate the landscape.  We also took a small hike at the sand bluffs overlook which was fabulous. The rock outcroppings, hoodoos and panoramic views were worth the trip to the Malpias National Monument.

We also took a short hike on the Arch trail to an arch as impressive as many in Utah. The arch is named La Ventana, which means the window in English. The hike wasn't very long but took us close to the arch which was a worthy sighting for the area.

Alas our two days were up and it was time to move on...

Enjoying Albuquerque NM

We left Santa Rosa State Park and made our way over to the Coronado campground at Bernalillo, New Mexico. The drive was about 144 mi and was a nice drive with no issues. 

We spent 7 days in Coronado campground and of course rains followed us. It rained nearly every afternoon for a short period of time and sometimes it rained a lot overnight. 

This was an odd stop this year in that we socialized way more than we normally do. It was fun however, because we met up with JoBeth and Catherine, former bloggers, who have settled in the greater Albuquerque area.  We enjoyed a happy hour at one of the local breweries over some nice beers. It's just great meeting up with some like-minded folks on the road.

We also met Carol and Ed who are friends we made on the road while staying in Puerto Penasco, Mexico the first time around. They happened to also be in Puerto Penasco the next time we visited when we were having the RV painted.  They too live in this area and we had a wonderful time having lunch with them at Garcia's Kitchen. 

Serendipitously we also saw Paul and Sue who we also met on the road during our stay at Quartzite AZ. They were passing through town and ended up in the campsite two away from us in Coronado Campground. So, of course, we walked over to Bosque Brewing and had some cold adult beverages and reminisced about old times. 

Prior to our arrival we made plans to meet up with one of Sharon's besties, Vicki and her husband Roger. We first met Vicki in Austin, Texas when we were all working stiffs and have reconnected often over the years. Happily, this time one of our get togethers included dinner with her mother, brother Dave and his wife Kelly as well. Again, it is always fun catching up with old friends.

 

We sure got our fill of New Mexico cuisine as we ate out way more than we normally do. Although I'm not sure one can ever get too much New Mexican food, we definitely tried our best.

  

We also went to about 10 breweries while we were in ABQ because I discovered an app called the beers of the city for Albuquerque. It has nearly 40 breweries who offer two coupons for half price beers per month. The charge was $8 and change for a month and is a recurring charge if you live in the area.  We elected to only use it for one month and then will cancel it when we leave. It sure was fun being able to visit lots of different breweries to try different IPAs all over the city.

  

It wasn't just all socializing and eating and drinking as we also found time to go up to the top of Sandia peak to savor the cooler weather. The Sandia Crest is always a great place to visit when it's hot in the valley. We also found a hike at the Corrales Bosque Reserve and took daily walks in and around the Coronado campground. We even got in a few rounds of disc golf at a nice little nine-hole course that we discovered not too far away.  Another fun outing was a walk downtown to see the many murals found throughout the city.

 Before we knew it, it was time to go and so we shall continue down the road of retirement.. .