While on our recent vacation to Arizona, we noticed that most of the campers were from cold places - classic snowbirds - most of which appeared to be retired. We felt right at home among them - they were friendly, and in some cases, helpful. As I was hitching the trailer, one nice gent offered to give me a welcome hand.

Image - Camping in Wintertime Arizona - Click to enlarge.

This picture shows our campsite in the Apache Junction KOA. Apache Junction is a community just on the eastern edge of the Phoenix Metroplex. The Superstition Mountains are just east of the campground, providing a spectacular view.

I can see why lots of retirees invade this place in the winter months. Arizona has a very mild climate in the southern half of the state. The camping is nice and the people - both locals and other campers - are great.

Last week, we contacted the proprietor of Ballseye’s Boomers, Glenn B. to see if we could arrange a get together, since we were going to be in the same area. We threw a couple of ideas back and forth, and settled on a pizza place near the RV park where we’re camping.

I found the pizza place on Google and assumed it would have an informal eating area, where we could sit to enjoy the pizza and conversation. When we got there, it turned out to be a take-out only place. Luckily, there was a little Mexican food place just across The Apache Trail. We went on over and ordered food and sat down to eat and talk.

We chatted about our Arizona adventures and various other topics. Firearms got into the discussion, but didn’t dominate. We had a nice visit. Like most of our like-minded bloggers, it was a pleasure meeting Glenn B. and we look forward to possibly meeting again.

My Canon A710IS took this image of the three of us just after coming out of the café. Click on the image for the big picture.

East of Phoenix, AZ, the Superstition Mountains dominate the skyline. The legendary Lost Dutchman Mine just may be somewhere up in them thar hills. We woke up this morning and saw these scenic mountains. Click image to enlarge.

We’re back in the land of the Saguaro Cactii. Tonight, we’re near Phoenix, AZ. After we set up camp, I walked around the RV Park taking pictures of some of the plants and birds. I liked this one that I snapped just as the sun was directly behind. Click to enlarge.

Just across the border in Arizona, you can save 17 percent - or more on gasoline. I bet the folks living in Blythe, CA, drive to Ehrenberg, AZ, to top off the old tank.

Damsel and I have been talking about a possible winter vacation. We enjoyed the last one we took when we visited the Grand Canyon and other interesting places in Arizona and California. We had the cold weather, but we didn’t seem to mind it. We kept warm and cozy and dressed for the weather.

We would like to go again, but don’t know exactly when and where. Just thinking about all the possibilities has given me terrible wanderlust. So many places would be suitable, but we can’t go everywhere.

Decisions, decisions.

Hopefully, we can see some scenery like in this photo Damsel took last winter while we were on the road from Flagstaff to Grand Canyon. The Canyon had four straight days of snow and drifts up to several feet high. There were icicles on the eaves of all the buildings and wherever they could form on the red rocks and in the trees. It was like living in a Christmas card.

It must have been that Global Warming that makes it cold some places.

Last month, we went to Arizona, partly for a vacation and partly to look around the areas we visited for possible relocation. Our trip took us from the Phoenix area eastward toward Globe and then southward toward Willcox. From there, we drove to Tombstone, up through the Tuscon area and back toward Phoenix. Of course, we stayed at RV parks along the way.

This place, Marana, Arizona, came under consideration for a couple of reasons. We camped here for two nights just because there were so many vacation spots to visit in the area; Saguaro National Park and the Pima Air Museum, just to name a couple, but there are more. While we camped there, we found that we liked the area, the scenery, the climate and the people we met while we were there. Damsel likes the Wal-Mart just down Interstate 10 from here. I-10 is just a couple of blocks away from where we stayed, so getting to Phoenix or Tucson would be easy commutes, since Marana is between the two cities - albeit Marana is closer to Tucson.

We will probably return to our areas of interest in the dead of winter 2010 in order to scrutinize the climate at that time of year. We will post more about that later. Click on Damsel’s photo to enlarge.

This is a very pretty flower on what is called a ‘fish hook’ cactus. The cactus is a barrel type with spikes and spines similar to the ‘Devil’s Tongue’ that we have in the patio here at home. I took this photo on the grounds of the Casa Grande Ruins near Coolidge, Arizona.

The red color of these flowers contrasts nicely with the yellow colors of the pollen stems in the center. Click on the image to enlarge.