Merry Christmas 2008!

Merry Christmas friends!

Sharing with you the Glory,
the Wonder, the Miracle
of this Holy Season.
Have a Blessed Christmas and New Year.

With Love,
The Wylie Family

Prayer request for my dear student

To all my blog readers- I have the most sincere prayer request. One of my students, Mary Stine, is currently at Phoenix Children's Hospital in pediatric ICU. She has been in the hospital about a month now...and the docs said today they are expecting her to be there at least until after Christmas. She has ulcerative colitis, and now a liver disease stemming from the colitis. She is experiencing extreme stomach pain from her bile ducts being constricted.

Please pray for Mary! You can visit her caring bridge site to track her progress and leave her a message of encouragement!

Thank you all!

Sedona silliness

I thought I'd add a few more funny camping pics to the previous post....above is the one and only "Beware of Campers" paperplate face with custom fire hair, prepared by Caleb of course!

Can you read the ancient dirt writings? It says "bobcat" with an arrow. Discovered on a hike with a not so ancient, real-life bobcat track!

I told you we had game night right? Gage, the dog, joined in for the fun with Chuck, Caleb and Ken!

The clouds lifted Monday morning over the Red Rocks.

Sedona Red Rocks

Veteran's Day Weekend brought us to the fantastic Sedona Red Rocks. Close to home, yet far enough to feel like we were not at home, we joined together with some friends for another great camping weekend!

Caleb, above, stands in the morning sunshine with the spires in the background.

Who says there's no boondocking near Sedona? We all purchased a Red Rock Pass and found a wonderful location. We waved to many of the Pink Jeep Tours driving down the road. We also were amazed when they kept coming, as the winds, rain and chilly air drove us inside the 5er!

Here is our view....

We joined our friends Chuck & Janet, and Ken & his daughter, Ashley, for another great weekend in God's country! Friday and Saturday, the weather was just about perfect...sunny with enough of a breeze to keep it cool. The guys went for a long hike and wore out the dogs. We sat around the campfire, enjoying each other's company. Games were on the agenda for the cooler and breezier times. Yahtzee, There's a Moose in Your House, and Mexican Train Dominoes filled the 5er with good times! Did I mention the food yet? We always seem to team up for some of the best meals! Sunday afternoon brought wind and rain. We put the picnic table in the 5er and hunkered down for a game night. :-)

Until next month....Safe Travels!

Fall Break - Take 2

I'm getting used to Picasa, the Google photo manager, so here's Fall Break- take 2....but it is really the same trip. These towering Aspens were in Lockett Meadow!

Our timing was perfect for the golden, quaking leaves!!

A glimpse of the heavens above!

Cranium game night in the Toyhauler :-) Rule was...winner of a game made breakfast! Yahtzee winners were on breakfast duty. Thanks Ken and Chris for the hot breakfast!

More November details...mark your calendars for the November 7th weekend. You'll need a redrock pass. We'll be off forest road 525 (I think). We'll plan a trip to the petroglyph site nearby. You know you want to go....so plan on it!!

Fall Break- Flagstaff, AZ

This is our view from our boondock site, near Hart Prairie in Flagstaff, Arizona. The clouds in the sky were moving quickly. We had winds come through about 60 miles per hour. Overnight those clouds brought snow to the peaks! We were there at the perfect time to see the Aspens in their golden splendor.

We took a scenic drive around the San Francisco Peaks and into the Lockett Meadow area of the Inner Basin. Along the way we kept our eyes open for the elusive mule deer. The dogs were able to find some during their forest walks and a good chase ensued.

The weather was chilly! That is probably an understatement. It was the first "cold front" of the year and daytime highs were about 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Saturday night got down to 19! Brrr.....

Some of the guys explored the Lava Tubes. The San Francisco peaks area is a dormant volcano that erupted years ago. When the lava flowed like a river, it created this lava cave as the tops and bottom hardened more quickly than the lava in the middle that continued to flow.

Many thanks to our friends Ken, Chuck and Janet for another great weekend camping. We all enjoyed game nights in the back of the Toyhauler so that we could be in the comfort of the heater!

Next month? Yes that's right, once a month....we'll be camping close to home in the Sedona Red Rocks!

Wandering of the Mind

It is almost Fall in the beautiful Southwest. There are two spectacular seasons in Arizona, in my humble opinion. Spring and Fall. But you have to be strategic, depending on the year, you may only have a couple weeks of opportunity. Our air conditioner continues to run during the day, but the nights are cooling off. I can even get into my car to run an errand in the middle of the day without suffering heat stroke. My hands don't scorch on the steering wheel, so that's an indication that a preferred season, Fall, is on the way.

Arizona....desert, cactus, dirt. All those things are true. But Arizona has elevation changes and with that comes variety. I plan to head to the mountains very soon to spend some time among the Aspens. Hopefully my timing will be just right to see the glistening, golden leaves quaking in the breeze. I'll stack heavy blankets on the bed and snuggle in for the crisp, cool night. Ahhh, I long for my next camping adventure.

For after Fall camping, my enthusiasm for excursions fades with the leaves. Winter brings desert camping. There are certain environments which nourish and soothe one's soul. For me, it is in the forest. The desert does have its beauty. But it's not the same. I'm sure we'll venture out...perhaps down to Kartchner Caverns State Park near Benson or to one of the desert lakes. But my true desire as Winter proceeds, will be for the first breath of Spring, when the forest wakes from its slumber.

So for now, I anticipate Fall. With all it's glory and wonder that even Arizona can offer.

Labor Day Fun!

Labor Day Camping was lots of Fun!! We boondocked in Arizona with lots of our friends from church. Many thanks to my friend Leah for the pictures!!! My camera sat on the kitchen counter at home...oops. The picture above is Chris and Caleb outside a cave entrance. Many went spelunking in a nearby cave.
This is the spelunking group hiking in to the cave.
We had good, clean, competitive fun playing Rummikub!
Our boondocking campsite in the woods....ahhh...smell the pines! Where were we? Near Pivot Rock north of Payson.

Short and sweet :-)

Dead Horse Ranch State Park- Cottonwood, Arizona

It has been a full two weeks since we've been on the road, but it feels like a lifetime. For all my blog buddies, I'm going to show you Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, Arizona. As I've mentioned, this would be a perfect place to visit in the Winter or Spring when you're in the South!! The picture above is a very appealing, but a tad short, back in RV site. There are many sites with water and electric for $19 a night. There are three different loops for water and electric sites. The lower loop has more mature trees and the upper two loops are more open. Cottonwood makes a perfect base to explore the nearby mining town of Jerome, the Verde Canyon Railway in Clarkdale, and the red rock famous Sedona.
The pond is a fishing hot spot and is stocked with trout and catfish. A nice trail circles the pond. There is an extensive trail system at the state park for equestrians, hiking and mountain biking.
Cabins are a new addition to the park and are set in a loop by themselves, nicely shaded by the native trees. Dead Horse State Park sits right next to the Verde River Greenway for a respite from the high desert.
The monsoons roll through the area until about mid-September. Monsoon storms can cause flash flooding in one area and not leave a drop of rain on the other side of town.

Our next camping excursion is Labor Day weekend. A group from church will circle our wagons for a weekend of food and fellowship! We will be boondocking...so stay tuned to see where we end up. The rule for Arizona is you go North in the summer, so we will climb the rim, either North or East, to be in the Ponderosa Pines.

Home Again, Home Again- Cottonwood, AZ

Yesterday we traveled from Colorado City, Colorado to Acoma, New Mexico. It was a smooth travel day. We stayed at the Sky City Casino RV Park, which I believe is in Acoma. Although on Mapquest I had better luck plugging in Acomita or Sky City. It is on the Acoma Pueblo Indian Reservation west of Albuquerque and east of Grants. When we settled into the park, there were only 3 other RV's there. One more came in after us and that was it! It is a pretty new park and they allow you to just "pick your spot". That was nice because the pavement they used for the slots was not heavy duty, and some spots were more level than others. So we pulled into one, checked for level, didn't like it and pulled into another. :-) We stayed hooked up to the truck for our last travel day. The scenery from the park is beautiful. In the park they xeriscaped with Russian Sage and some other pretty desert plants. You are able to use the casino hotel's facilities...so Caleb and I cooled off in the pool. We checked the pool's hours so that he and his dad could go back later! We decided we were tired of the food in our trailer and would eat at the casino's restaurant. We all enjoyed the buffet- the food was decent and we didn't have any dishes to wash! Oh...one more thing...the cashier gave Chris a Senior Discount...LOL! For those of you that know that Chris is not quite to that age group yet, he let his hair grow out a bit and it grows gray!

This morning we were the last over-nighters out of the park for our final travel day home. God blessed us with another smooth day and we arrived home at about 1 PM Arizona time! When we pulled into the driveway, the truck was reading a hot 98 degrees outside. So inside we went to get the AC cranked up!

We sure did enjoy our time on the road, but it was also nice to arrive at our stucco-n-sticks! And if you're wondering what will happen to the blog now... here goes. I'd like to give some of you a taste of Arizona Boondocking. We usually take the trailer out about once a month or so... so that will probably be the frequency of my posting! I'll let you know where to go and of course, share some pictures and events along the way.

To all who have been reading, thank you! May God bless each of your journeys- both on the road and in your lives!

Colorado Thunder

Sunset in Wyoming

Today we traveled from Glendo, Wyoming to Colorado City, Colorado. Make no mistake...this Colorado City is the one in Colorado, not AZ. We are at the Pueblo South KOA. We pulled in minutes before the thunderstorms came crashing through. We're planning on 2 more travel days to be back in Arizona. We will probably stop near Albuquerque or Grants, New Mexico depending on the afternoon thunderstorms.

A Bit More Cody and Travel- Glendo, WY

Yesterday we went back to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. This '57 Chevy Belair is being auctioned off...and Caleb decided we could win it and store it for when he gets his driver's license! He's only 8.
Chris and Caleb visited with Hollywood the Bull. You can get your picture taken on him at the Cody Nite Rodeo. Caleb refused that! But he did pet him at the Historical Center. They had some special activities for the annual "Day of the American Cowboy".
Today was a travel day...down WY 120 to WY 20 to I-25. We were able to see these rafters going down the Wind River. We always seem to be heading home during the Cheyenne Frontier Days. Cheyenne is not an ideal spot for RV parks and during this time of year they are full and the price is jacked up. So I did some research on rvparkreviews and decided we would stop in Glendo, Wyoming.
We stopped at the Glendo Lakeside RV Park, which is fairly new. The spots are very wide, long and level to allow us to stay hooked up. We were also able to get a great satellite signal! The only downfall is the 1/4 mile washboard dirt road before the entrance.
Here's a view of the washrooms and picnic pavilion. Unfortunately they don't have the code-lock worked out yet, so you can't really get to the washroom unless the office unlocks the door. As the trees grow a bit, this will continue to be a better park. Full hook-ups are $29. Travelling through Wyoming is a plan ahead RV drive. There aren't too many towns and therefore there aren't too many campgrounds.

Tomorrow we will continue South on I-25...through Cheyenne, Denver, and Colorado Springs. We will probably stop near Pueblo or Walsenburg...until then, safe travels!

Western Flair- Cody, Wyoming

Here's a campground review of the Buffalo Bill State Park- North Fork Campground. There is a daily fee, which I didn't catch on the drive-by, but the nightly camping fee is $12 with no hook-ups.
Here are some of the views from the campground of the Shoshone River.
The drive pictured is typical of all the pull through sites...they are all paved and nicely separated from your neighbor. We aren't staying here...but it is definitely on our list for a future stay! It is west of the town of Cody by about 15 miles or so and definitely in a beautiful location!
In case you forgot where Cody, Wyoming is ...here's the local MapQuest flair! This is actually a map completed in small tiles at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. We spent a few hours there today. There are actually 5 different museums inside and we only got through 2 today. But the Historical Center knows that there is lots of good stuff inside, and your ticket is good for 2 days.
This is Chris, Caleb and I in front of the building.
Following a picnic lunch on the grassy grounds of the historical center, we challenged each other to a fierce game of mini golf. Chris offered to keep the score card for the scrapbook...because he won.
Every night there is a gunfight in the street in front of the historic Irma Hotel. After 20 minutes of trying to sell us posters, and a weak attempt at a show, we went back to the truck shortly after it actually started. Don't waste your time stopping. If you want to see an entertaining gunfight, go to the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Arizona. That is a good show!

Another nightly event for Cody is the rodeo. With a bit of hesitation, we went. You see, it is not a professional rodeo every night and sometimes amateur rodeo can be a bit disappointing. But they know how to rodeo in Wyoming! The rough stock was bucking and the cowboys were flying! They also have junior events...and we saw the cutest little cowgirl, only all of 3 years old or so, make a spectacular barrel run! I think she got the loudest cheer for the night! Definitely add the rodeo to your Cody itinerary!
We took a drive west of town, towards Yellowstone National Park, and came upon this house in the Wapiti Valley. The Wapiti Valley has some beautiful ranch homes. The area is also frequented by Grizzly Bears.

Tomorrow's plan is to return to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center to check out the museums we didn't see today. And the rest...well...check back tomorrow to see what the day will hold!

Cruised into Cody, WY

OK...I had a few pictures from the other day. This is the sign by the Red River State Park in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
We traveled from Dickinson, ND to Billings, MT. All interstate highways are not created the same. I-94 has very little traffic, which is nice. One thing about travelling with a 13 year-old, black lab is that she doesn't always time her stops with ours. So this picture of the flag above was taken at a Historic Site off the interstate which has some of the only evidence of the Lewis and Clark expedition; some carving in the sandstone on the Yellowstone River. We didn't check out the site, but stopped for a nice dog walk spot. :-) As we approached Billings, we noticed a smokey haze. Since we haven't watched the news, we contemplated where it might be from. Apparently there was a lightning strike fire in Billings the night before which was being problematic. But the smoke wasn't too thick where we stayed, at the Billings KOA. And wouldn't you know it... no pics. What was I thinking? This is a VERY nice KOA too! I would highly recommend it...check out their website...their pics don't hide anything. It's only downfall was a very weak to non-existent wi-fi signal.

Now....today we had a short drive...Yeah! 2 hours! And we arrived here...at the Cody KOA. Hopefully you can tell from this picture that I did take that this is NOT our kind of place. Dead attempt for a tree, narrow site on top of your neighbors...but we shouldn't be spending too much time at the campsite. I looked into the Buffalo Bill State Park, which IS our kind of spot, but there is no electricity. With the temps in the mid-80's this week, we need AC for the dogs. We will be here 3 nights. Our plans include touring the Buffalo Bill Museum, seeing the nitely rodeo, and who knows what else. :-)
Now Chris was embarrassed that I would actually put these pictures on the blog...but some of you will surely understand. This pic is our vacuum assortment in the 5er. 3 vacuums for a 35 ' 5er is a bit excessive. We started with the green Bissel...should have known that just wouldn't clean up enough. Then we added the little shop vac...well that only worked if I vacuumed on my knees, but we're going to keep it in here in case of a 'wet clean-up'. So the new vac is a GE vertical from Wally World. So far so good! Wow- there was a lot of dog hair on the floor.

So I should be able to get some more interesting pictures than my new vacuum cleaner in the next few days ;-) Until then...safe travels...and a special thanks to our friends at home feeding our horses! :-)