arizona Archives - RV Wanderlust

19 Favorite Moments of 2019, Our Sixth Year as Full-time RVers

December 31, 2019 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

It’s been an incredible year-our sixth as full-time RVers. We’ve traveled so quickly that between work and family commitments, microblogging on Instagram has been most manageable! I’m excited to finally share these experiences with you here.

This is the companion piece to “2019 in Review: Stats and Camping Costs.” Make sure you read that article for a big picture view of our year.

And now, you’re in for a treat! We’re counting down from #19 to #1, with #1 being our top highlight of 2019. How many of these places have you visited?

[Read more…]

2018 in Review: Stats, Photos, Adventures

June 1, 2019 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

I’m a wee late publishing this one, but the turn of the year was so crazy and the future so uncertain. All our thoughts were consumed by selling Meriwether, moving into our Jeep Wrangler, and overlanding through the interior of Mexico for 2-3 months.

But we bought another RV home sooner than expected and are now straddling the RV and overland lifestyles. And since 2018 was such an epic year (our favorite year of travel yet), it seems a shame to drop the ball on the annual review…even if it is a few months late.

So here goes. In February 2019, we marked five years of full-time travel. The year 2018 started and ended at our home base of Austin. After speaking at RV Entrepreneur Summit, we embarked on our Western Mountain Loop Trip. It was an unbelievable journey through Arizona, all five national parks in Utah, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier, the Dakotas, and more.

In the process, we drastically changed as travelers. We broke out of our comfort zone by dry camping for extended periods of time, driving our RV to a few crazy camping spots, and breaking our travel rhythm a number of times.

[Read more…]

Go South From the Beaten Path to Bisbee, Arizona

May 5, 2019 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

It’s been years since we first heard of Bisbee from our friends and previous full-time RVers at Tales From the Mutiny. But you don’t drive past Bisbee, Arizona. You’ve got to drive to it…a destination on the way to nowhere else.

As we were making our way west once again, this time along the far southern edge of the country from Big Bend National Park, we finally charted our route to Bisbee.

We spent three nights in town and could’ve stayed longer. While the small town’s quirky, substance-altered vibe may not make everyone want to stay forever, there’s definitely something charming about it all.

[Read more…]

You’ve Got to Park Your RV Here When You Visit Page, Arizona

April 24, 2018 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

It doesn’t matter how long we travel. New places and new experiences continue to stretch us, and the excitement never goes away.

Dry camping hasn’t been an emphasis for us throughout more than four years of fulltime RVing. While we have our reasons, we never stop questioning the way we do things: asking ourselves whether there’s something better outside our norms and comfort zone.

Shortly before we started our Western Mountain Loop Trip, I told Eric, “We’re not doing it right.” I felt like we had been taking the safe, routine route: staying in private campgrounds with full hookups and a strong Internet signal, while missing experiences beyond the edge of civilization.

With that unsettling realization, I decided this year would be different. [Read more…]

Loving Flagstaff for Off-roading, Natural Beauty, Proximity to Everything

April 16, 2018 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

I was mad at Flagstaff, Arizona, last time we were there. We only went because our first attempt at wild camping had failed miserably. As far as I was concerned, Flagstaff was an inferior Plan B to the grandeur of Sedona.

But time was kind to my memories of Flagstaff, and Eric never had a grudge like I did. So when it came time to plan our route for 2018, I gave Flagstaff another shot.

Good thing I did. Because after our two-week visit, I kinda think Flagstaff has made my Top 5 list of places we’ve stayed in four+ years of fulltime RVing.

The day we arrived in Flagstaff, our three older boys flew in for Spring Break. Eric drove to Phoenix to pick up Darius (20), Javen (17), and Silas (14). [Read more…]

2016 in Review: Stats, Photos, Adventures

January 15, 2017 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

As we enter the month of February, we close out three years as full-time RVers, and enter our fourth year! These stats describe our travels from January-December of 2016, the year of our “Grand Loop Trip:”

Number of States: 8 (6 new states with the RV: Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Montana)

Number of Overnight Stops: 26

Where We Stayed: 1 BLM dry camping, 1 national forest, 1 national recreation area, 1 county park, 1 state park, 1 service center, 4 parking lots (hotel, restaurant, Walmart), 4 military bases, 12 private campgrounds [Read more…]

6 Reasons to Be Amazed by the Sonoran Desert’s Saguaro Cactus

March 24, 2016 by BrittanyHighland 7 Comments

The Sonoran Desert is one of the world’s unique deserts, and the saguaro cactus is its mascot. Until we spent a couple of weeks in Tucson last month, I had never seen this fascinating plant up close or been able to touch it, and I certainly had no idea how much it means to the desert ecosystem it calls home.

So call this my ode to the saguaro (pronounced “sah-wah-roh”). I’m only starting to learn about it, so I’d love you to share any thoughts or knowledge in a comment. I’d also love to know where I can see your favorite specimens!

Here are six reasons to be amazed by the Sonoran Desert’s saguaro cactus: [Read more…]

Sparkling Water Under the Desert Sun in Lake Havasu City, AZ

March 19, 2016 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

Hiking in Lake Havasu City

Lake Havasu City didn’t become a legal entity until 1963, and it wasn’t incorporated until 1978. I wasn’t alive yet, so I can’t be blamed. But I’m surprised no one else had the foresight to capitalize on this beautiful setting.

After a drive through Arizona desert, the sparkling blue waters of Lake Havasu appear in the valley below. From 7,000 feet of elevation in Flagstaff, we’ve descended to a mere 735 feet. Across the Colorado River, which flows into and past Lake Havasu, lies the state of California. The state line is right down the middle. [Read more…]

Getting Our Kicks in Kingman, Arizona

March 17, 2016 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

Our travel itinerary is typically planned months in advance, and stays pretty firm. So while changes of plan can be disconcerting, they’re also exciting. We were supposed to spend two weeks in Sedona, followed by two weeks in Lake Havasu City. We never intended to go to Flagstaff, or Kingman to the west. But because plans changed, we ended up getting to stay in those two cities we wouldn’t have seen otherwise, and they were both super cool. [Read more…]

Spontaneous Stopover in Flagstaff, AZ

March 16, 2016 by BrittanyHighland Leave a Comment

Snug in our site at Fort Tuthill Recreation Area in Flagstaff, AZ

We were heartbroken when we had to leave our first “real” wild camping spot in Sedona. I had been looking forward to living in the peaceful desert, on our own for a whole week, and really proving to myself that I could do it-and enjoy it!

But when our generator decided not to function, we had no choice but to pack up and find power. [Read more…]

First Time Here? Get to Know Us!

Join Our Adventures

Search Our Blog

Recent Posts