Author: JRWilkinson

15 March 2024: Watson Lake, Prescott AZ

by JRWilkinsonArizona / Day Trips / Hikes / Sightseeing

Another rainy day so we decided to try heading west towards Prescott. We have never travel through this part of Arizona and hoped the weather would improve. It didn’t. Watson Lake looked like an interesting area to hike. The rock formations remind of Joshua Tree National Park. The lake and rocks are amazing and this area is an easy hike although navigating through the boulders can be challenging during a rain.
I was surprised to see Frisbee Golf baskets so near the lake. I imagine you have to be pretty good not to lose all your discs in the lake.
I did a short hike along the east bank. Carol was cold and burned out on hiking in the rain so she stayed in the car. Most of the photos I took were with my iPhone since I wanted to keep my camera gear dry.

14 March 2024: West Fork of Oak Creek Trail

by JRWilkinsonArizona / Day Trips / Hikes / State Parks

We have friends who have lived in Phoenix for quite awhile and visit Sedona often. During Spring Training post-game dinner, we asked them what is their favorite hike in Sedona. They said “West Fork of Oak Creek Trail, so we added it to our list of hikes to do this trip. Oak Creek Canyon is ~5000ft just 14 miles south of Flagstaff, 40mi from Camp Verde. The weather was holding, with a slight chance of rain in the afternoon. Not a big deal but this trail has about a dozen creek crossings so any rain could affect the trail.
This hike was amazing and reminded us of Utah and Zion National Park. Forested, cool to cold, and narrow into the canyon. The creek crossings were slightly more challenging because the recent rains had elevated the normally dry rock & log crossings.
It did start to rain lightly but it turned to hail then snow. So we ended up hiking the deepest part of the canyon in the snow – it was wonderful. During warmer parts of the year, you can continue the hike up the creek. Hiking through the water like Zion’s the Narrows, up the narrow canyon. In March, with our gear, we were happy to just do the 3.1mi in then back. Six miles on such terrain is a really good workout.

13 March 2024: Crescent Moon Ranch, Sedona

by JRWilkinsonArizona / Day Trips / Hikes / State Parks

Our second day in the Camp Verde area was rainy. We hoped the weather would improve as we drove north toward Sedona. Most of the earlier part of the day was scattered showers so we were able to enjoy some time in the late morning exploring & hiking Crescent Moon Ranch. Unfortunately, it began to rain too hard for our hike to be enjoyable so we figured we’d grab some lunch and come back. Since there is a $12/vehicle day use fee, I asked the ranger at the entry booth is reentry was possible. He gave me a dated day pass that I could show when we got back. The afternoon was clear so we were able to finish this short 2mi easy hike.
The road and hiking trail to Cathedral Rock and Red Rock Crossing Vortex were closed. So we considered crossing Oak Creek here and taking the trail. But with the muddy conditions and lateness of the day, we were happy to explore Crescent Moon Ranch.

12 March 2024: Courthouse Butte/Bell Rock Loop

by JRWilkinsonArizona / Day Trips / Hikes / Sightseeing

Wednesday was a great weather day – clear and cool – so we drove to Sedona, stopping at the Visitors Information Center. Sedona was really busy while we were visiting since our trip happened to coincide with Spring Break. We asked the docent of which popular trail we should hike and she recommended a less crowded trail. We agreed and ended up heading toward Courthouse Butte & Bell Rock Loop. As much as we wanted to take her advice, we found parking and that dictated our hiking route.

11-16 Mar 2024: Camp Verde/Verde Ranch RV Resort

by JRWilkinsonArizona / RV Parks / Travel / Trips

When we take our travel trailer to Padres Spring Training, we like to extend our time away to explore Arizona or Utah. Last year, the late snow season around Flagstaff diverted us south to Tucson, instead to Page and Monument Valley. This time we headed north but did not travel as far & stayed at a lower elevation. We didn’t have as much time to travel & Camp Verde is 1.5hrs north of Phoenix. A very short travel day, and great when you only have a few days.
There are only a few RV parks in Sedona and they are usually fully booked & expensive. So we reserved a spot 25mi south at Camp Verde at Verde Ranch RV Resort. We figured it was a short drive north to the Sedona area. Plus we could explore other places like Montezuma’s Castle along highways 17, 169 or 260.

Unfortunately, the rainy weather we had the first game in Phoenix, as still hanging around. So the five days we had in the area to hike & explore were often affected by rain.

Verde Ranch RV Resort is a CRR “Lifestyle” destination – associated with the River Sands RV Resort we’ve stayed at in Ehrenberg AZ. Like River Sands, this resort is fairly new, opening in August 2019. It has plenty of spaces, amenities, and activities. There are even covered spaces at the top of the hill with great views. One of these sites would be great during the heat of summer. But in March, our RV site at the bottom of the hill was fine. The Verde River runs through the northeast border of the resort and is a nice hike.

08-10 March 2024 – San Diego Padres Spring Training

by JRWilkinsonArizona / Baseball / Sightseeing / Travel

It’s become a family tradition to travel to San Diego Padres Spring Training. Other than in 2020, during the Covid shutdown, we’ve gone to Arizona in March for baseball. The last few times, we taken our travel trailer, Howie, and made a vacation of it, traveling beyond Phoenix after attending a few games. Our son Matthew arranges the tickets dates and we find a RV park near Peoria. We’ve were lucky finding three nights during this peak season in northern Phoenix.

Friday 08 March 2024 – San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres

We had tickets to Friday night’s SF Giants vs SD Padres game at their Peoria Sports Complex. The evening started well. That was short-lived because after the pre-game warm-ups and the National Anthem. The dark clouds rolled in and it started raining. We were hopeful the game would be delayed but still played. But after the lightning lit up the skies multiple times and the downpour started. It was obvious that the game was rained out.
Fortunately, we visited the team at the practice field the next and saw a day game against the Angels. Mike Trout is still with the Angels but Ohtani is now a Dodger. Seeing the up-and-coming players trying to make the team is always fun. Plus you get to see the veteran players up close, like pitcher Joe Musgrove or Fernando Tatis.

Practice Field before the game

One of the funnest things about Spring Training is visiting the practice fields at the Peoria Sports Complex before a game. It’s a great opportunity to see your favorite players up close and even get a hard-to-get autograph. If you travel to Spring Training, be sure to make it a point to go to practice. Note: if the game is away, players are gone early. So go when they have a home game.

Saturday 09 March 2024 – Chicago White Sox vs San Diego Padres

Thankfully, last night’s thunderstorm blew through and the Saturday day game at the Peoria Sports Complex was played. Usually, during the first five innings, the starting players are in. Then after the fifth inning, the newer players come into the game. New, unknown players trying to make the team or non-starting players get their time on the field.
Spring Training games are also a great opportunity to see NL or AL teams the Padres rarely play during the normal season.

Sunday 10 March 2024 – San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Angels

During Spring Training, the Padres have away games at other complexes in the Phoenix area. The Los Angeles Angels practice field, Diablo Stadium, is in Tempe, AZ.

07-16 Mar 2024: Arizona/Baseball Spring Training

by JRWilkinsonArizona / Baseball / RV Parks / Trips

So far, we’ve stayed close to home most of 2024, with only a few short trips. Caring for our grandson has been a priority and we haven’t felt the ‘call of the road’. One trip early this year, was to San Diego Padres Spring Training in March. Our son, daughter-in-law, & grandson were going to Spring Training plus take a few more days to visit family in Arizona. So we had a long weekend for Padres Spring Training, then time to explore Camp Verde, Prescott & Sedona.
This trip, we got a later start Thursday so instead of stopping at Ehrenberg, AZ. We stopped for the night at Lake Tamarisk Desert Resort in Desert Center, CA. It’s an interesting place – a well kept retirement (55+) community on a man-made lake & golf course. They have a few affordable, full-hookup spots available and their location. Being just east of Coachella, it was the perfect ‘day 1’ driving distance from Oceanside. The ‘town’ of Desert Center isn’t much, mainly abandoned buildings on Highway 10. It has an interesting history but is long past it’s heyday. Only the US Post Office building near the freeway off-ramp, and a few mobile/RV communities are well kept.

After the quick overnight stop, we drove 3hrs more to Phoenix Metro RV Park. We were lucky to get 3 weekend nights here during Spring Training. Spaces in Phoenix around Peoria are hard to come by but we got lucky.

08 – 10 March 2024 – San Diego Padres Spring Training

15 Oct 2023: Manzanar National Historic Site

by JRWilkinsonCalifornia / Day Trips / Sightseeing / State Parks

We took a daytrip, north on the 395, to hike the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. On the way, about 15mi north of Boulder Creek RV Resort, we passed the Manzanar National Historic Site. We were in no hurry so we stopped. I was aware of the history of Japanese-Americans on the Pacific Coast being sent to internment camps after Pearl Harbor. The US was fearful of anyone who might be sympathetic to Japan, pose a “public danger”, and be potential spies. So anyone with Japanese heritage was sent here or one of nine other camps for the duration on the war. Most lost their homes, businesses, farms, and personal belongings.
In addition to Manzanar’s informational displays, the National Archives has more information.
This site can affect you when you read the many stories of Americans of Japanese heritage.
Myself, the son of a WWII Army Sgt & Japanese mom, became more emotional than I expected. It hit really “close-to-home” – if our family started during the war instead of after. My family & I, most likely, would have been interred here.

Particularly sad was many families had sons fighting and dying in service of their country. Private First Class (former Technical Sgt) Sadao S. Munemori was the first to earn the Medal of Honor. His family was sent to Manzanar & his Mom Nawa’s story resonated with me.

Entrance
Visitor Center
Names of interred residents
Barracks
Barracks
Barracks
Barracks Road
Barracks Rec Area

19-23 Jan 2022: Indian Waters RV Resort, Indio

by JRWilkinsonCalifornia / Campgrounds / Indio/Palm Springs / RVing / Trips

Our first trip in 2022 was a short 5-day trip to visit family in Palm Desert & Indio, CA. This area is popular with snowbirds this time of year, their peak season. The weather in this area is perfect for escaping the frigid north and east winter conditions. Even though we live in SoCal and could find warm places to RV closer to home. We prefer the Palm Springs area because of family, the hiking & photography possibilities. Joshua Tree National Park, Anza-Borrego State Park, and Salton Sea Recreation Area are an hour out of town.
We stayed in-town to be close to family, at a RV resort with full hookups – Indian Waters. It has great reviews on the Good Sam’s website. It’s just a few miles further away than Shadow Hills RV Resort, where we stayed the last time we rv’d to Indio to visit family.
Indian Waters has a variety of activities and perks like complimentary breakfasts. Pickleball games & socials, water aerobics & yoga classes keep the many snowbirds busy. We didn’t stay long enough to enjoy all their hospitality but will definitely stay here again. I highly recommend the lawn sites versus gravel but they are all spacious with large close-to-level concrete pads.

Between visits with family, we did a day-trip to Anza-Borrego State Park instead of Joshua Tree this trip. I also spent a day on the north shore of Salton Sea to Salton Sea Recreation Area & Bombay Beach.

Towing With A Tacoma

by JRWilkinsonGear / RVing / Tow Vehicle / Travel Trailer

We bought our tow vehicle first. I picked a Toyota Tacoma after driving a Prius for 12yrs. Our 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-road 4×4, crew cab short bed is rated to tow ~6400lbs. So we shopped for small trailers under 4000lbs, starting with teardrops. We bought the Geo Pro G19RD because we loved its floor plan – rear dinette, front bed, adequate storage, tank volumes, dry bath – and its low GVWR. The sticker on the frame read 3150lb GVWR, but many rv’ers say this weight does not include the extras Rockwood adds. So reviewing Forest River’s 2021 G19RD specifications, the UVW may be closer to 3271lbs. Following the “80% rule” of not towing more than 80% of your rated tow weight. We should be able to tow up to 5000lbs. We wanted to keep it closer to 4200lbs loaded. We have not stopped at a weigh station but it’s on our to-do list.

Update: Towing With A Tacoma 2022

Forest River/Rockwood 2021 Geo Pro G19RD (discontinued in 2022)


This model of Tacoma is equipped with a tow package which means there are some manufacturer’s add-ons that help when towing. The class IV receiver hitch with trailer wiring, transmission cooler, engine oil cooler, 130-amp alternator and heavy-duty battery to allow you to tow 6400lbs.
We added an Equal-i-zer 10k E4 weight distribution hitch with 4-point sway control. I installed a Tekonsha P2 brake controller, using the appropriate Tacoma pigtail that integrates it with the Tacoma’s 7-pin wiring. A ScanGauge II OBD monitor is installed & configured to readout transmission fluid temperature. Which some people feel is the most critical engine item to monitor when towing w/ a lighter truck. The Geo Pro has a tire-pressure monitoring system factory installed which is also critical for any trailer, especially a single-axle trailer.

Since picking up the trailer in Nov 2020, we’ve done five trips, mostly short & within 270mi of home. Our 1st was a 3-day shakedown trip to Campland-By-The-Bay in San Diego, 30mi from home. The longest & farthest, a one-week trip to Ventura-Pismo Beach-Carpinteria. Two other short trips: 2 days in Joshua Tree; 5 days in Indio.
We’ve been very weight-conscience, only taking what we need. On our last trip, we added two folding bikes and dog to the Tacoma (~100lbs) and found the truck rode more smoothly. In the trailer, we distribute gear weight throughout the compartments – hoses, hardware, hookup accessories – in bins. The griddle, power cord w/ surge protector, leveling blocks, and safety cones in the rear compartments. We’ve been bringing food and 1-2gals of drinking water, depending on the length of the trip. For the Joshua Tree “dry-camping” trip we added 12gals to our fresh water tank, which adds ~100lbs.
Following the advice of another Tacoma tow’er, we shift our automatic transmission from “D” to “S4”. We’ve found that “ECT PWR On”, another towing feature of the Tacoma, so far does not make significant difference. Our mileage has been averaging 11.5mpg with it on. It’s too early to tell but we towed with “ECT PWR Off” last trip and may have averaged 12.4mpg. But we need more miles since this stat is based on towing with very few inclines.