Back Day Tripping Again

After the big one, and the parking of UGGS and I at home. After all the stuff was done, the boredom of everyday set in.then the challenge came. Spend two weeks in an isolated camp, rough style. Challenge no accepted yet. Challengers camper tho not that much bigger than UGGS, is fully loaded, and he has yet agreed to balancing down to meet my setup. Like no generator, no A/C, or Refrigerator.

Soo in the mean time it was time to shake the dust, and roll out looking for a camp spot, and some two lane back road wanderings, and site seeing towards off the grid camp grounds.

First up, the historic John Wade Ranch grotto. A neat little stop along the road between Nogales and Patagonia, AZ.

Rolling on it was time to go dirt. So it's off the blacktop and hit Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve via the back way. Which soon after the turn off gets a sound bite from M as we approach the Sonoita creek. Your not going to drive across that are you she queries, just as the tires hit the wet. I do suggest that you only do the back access road in a high clearance vehicle, and take caution when it comes to crossing the creek. After a pleasant drive thru some great nature we arrive safe and sound, and a truck in need of a wash. This place is a haven for birders. But also a great place to just go for a picnic in the wild before the crowd season begins.

Next up Hummingbirds, another pleasant stop along the way, also has a place for a picnic lunch, or rest.  Tucson Audubon's Paton Center for Hummingbirds,Patagonia, AZ.

Both of these places are accessible from the town of Patagonia, but you will still be driving on the dirt road, I highly suggest if your a first time visitor, that you go to the info center in Patagonia and get a map. your GPS may not be reliable. While your there, stop off for some great food at the gathering grounds, or in our case. We went for the fresh baked pie. Rhubarb for me and peach for M, and coffee. 

After a few in and out wandering thru the back roads of Elgin< AZ and some yard sales along the way. A bit of boring back alley look at the declining side of Tombstone. It was time to smell the rose's. A visit to the worlds largest rose tree. Which unlike the old days is now only accessible through a Museum entrance at $5.00 a head. Aaaah the changing of Tombstone never ends.

A little more touristy my way stuff before it was time to roll back towards the valley.

A nice rough drive up Gardner Canyon and forest service road # 163 and bit of disappointing end, as we reach our destination of Kentucky Camp and the large $$$$$$ locked gate. With signs informing one, that you had to contact the Forest Service to pre-pay and arrange for a key to enter the camp grounds. It is a rough drive up to this gate on an unmaintained road. It would be nice if they had this info in a sign 12 miles back down below, where the have a sign about OHV use, but hey it's their land, I guess they get to do it the way they want.

At least we got to see the Abbey, and a bit of my southern love, the Arizona desert.

Love

And some yard art.

Kentucky camp. That we didn't get to see.

The best part of it all, when you go to the website, you find that you can't camp inside the boundary of Kentucky camp. You have to camp out side in one of the dispersed campsites, most of which the forest Service has closed. The only one I found left in place, down close to the bottom. Close to one of the Arizona's new state sign.

End of this one, Next up Rucker Cayon and Cochise stronghold area. and Riggs Flat top. Even with a few clouds, it's alway nice to get out and about in the back areas of Arizona.