First trip of 09

[AZsix]

We took our first trip of the year yesterday to Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa, AZ which is about a half hour from our house. We had never been there but have heard good things about it. One of my sons had asked if we could camp during winter break and that was all the excuse I needed. This was also going to be our first trip with our new dog (2 yr old black lab mix we got from a animal shelter) so we were curious as to how that would go.

The weather was perfect (low 70's) and we left about 11 AM. We missed the turn as there was no sign which was surprising since the other regional park we went to had plenty of signs. We had to go a ways to get turned around. As soon as we got onto the right road our dog got car sick and threw up. Of course she had to throw up on MY pillow. After a brief stop for clean up we drove the remaining two miles or so to the park. We were assigned a spot right near the restrooms. The spots are huge with a lot of room between them. It is a desert landscape and we had a giant Saguaro in our spot. They have water/elec hookups for $20.

After lunch we took a walk since the kids wanted to go over to the playground and play a little. We met a couple that got married New Years Eve and were camping with their kids for their honeymoon in their new tt.

At 7 that night there was a ranger led flashlight walk through the desert to look for nocturnal creatures of the desert. It was a huge crowd since it was featured in the local Phoenix newspaper that day. The ranger said that it was the biggest crowd for a flashlight hike they had ever had. The walk was a mile around one of the smaller mountains in the park. There was a coyote that crossed the path about 30 yards from the start of the walk before we left but we didn't get to see it. We didn't actually see any animals but we did see signs of animals and there were stops along the way where the ranger shared educational information about desert animals with us. I actually learned a few things. We did hear some coyotes off in the distance toward the end of the walk. It took slightly more than an hour to complete and it was well worth it.

We had planned to have a campfire after wards but saw a sign on the way in saying that there were no fires permitted as it was "National No Burn Day". I have never heard of this but we went along with it and played Mad Lips with the kids instead. We had fun doing that. During the night the coyotes got pretty loud and I swear one was standing right outside the pup howling though I know it wasn't quite right outside.

An added bonus to this trip was the meteor shower this morning. I read about it in the paper that morning and it was supposed to peak around 6 AM. What better place than the dark desert to watch a meteor shower? I set the alarm for 5 and woke everyone up. We sat in the chilly desert morning air and watched a fantastic show put on by nature. Some of them were spectacular with long tails. Three of our four kids went back to bed and fell asleep for awhile before breakfast.

The dog did real well on the trip much to our relief. It was just a quick overnighter but it was fun and we LOVED the park and cg. It's definitely a place we will go back to.

[cjpoppin]

Sounds like you had a good time......We too have our first '09 camping trip under our belts....Looks like it'll be a good year.

[tlhdoc]

Sounds like you had a good time.  I should have gone camping this weekend.  It was dry here, cold but dry (15F over night).  There is a state park 17 miles from my house that I love, but the campground is closed for the winter.  I have to travel several hours to camp in the winter.

[AZsix]

Sounds like you had a good time.  I should have gone camping this weekend.  It was dry here, cold but dry (15F over night).  There is a state park 17 miles from my house that I love, but the campground is closed for the winter.  I have to travel several hours to camp in the winter.

Come on out to AZ. You can get some good deals on houses right now.   Of course you would have to sell yours first. :eyecrazy:

[campnagle]

I have drove through the campground there and it is very nice, like you wrote it has nice big spots and beautiful new bathrooms. Lots of great hikes like the wind cave. I can almost throw a rock from where I live and hit the park. I have "camp" set up at home and sleep in my Casita on my days off. I have a fire pit and have a fire most every morning and drink coffee. I have a campground theme in my yard and a 30 amp service to hook up the trailer. I still want to go to the park for an overnight at least. I am going to Quartzite in Feb for the giant RV Mecca swap meet type of thing. There is everything in the world of RV stuff there, stuff you would have never dreamed of and some great bargains like those 9 x 12 camp mats for 12 bucks. A dozen  or so Casita's and other fiberglass trailers go to Boone dock and compare each others trailers and mods, A fun time. Prescott is nice but only about 5500 ft so is a April, early May destination as it gets hot there also.