"There will be times when standing alone feels too hard, too scary, and you will doubt your ability to make it through the uncertainty. Someone somewhere will say don't do it. You don't have what it takes to survive the wilderness. This is when you reach deep into your wild heart and remind yourself... I AM THE WILDERNESS." - Brene Brown
Leaving Utah and Northern Arizona was bittersweet, and it left a permanent imprint on my soul, and the experience forever changed me. There is so much I still want to explore and discover. I can't wait to return.
Staying wild with Fern in Phoenix! We ARE the Wilderness!
I read Brene Brown's book Braving the Wilderness and loved everything about it. One of the many things that stood out to me was when she wrote about how various wilderness metaphors share common themes of being alone, vulnerable, and on a journey of emotional, spiritual, or physical discovery. To fully embrace oneself and be willing to stand alone is to enter a wilderness - an untamed and unpredictable place of solitude and exploration. This place can be both dangerous and stunning, desired yet feared. However, it is ultimately the place of true belonging - the bravest and most sacred ground one can stand on. I felt this so many times on this trip. I felt it physically and metaphorically, but I have never felt braver or had a stronger sense of peace and belonging.
We stopped at this incredible hidden gem on the way back to the Phoenix area to Apache Junction. It is called Montezuma Castle National Monument in Camp Verde, AZ. This is a pre-Columbian Pueblo Indian cliff dwelling, considered one of North America's best-preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings.
It is impressive how they constructed this. It is five stories tall, has 20 rooms, and covers 3,500 square feet of floor space. The Sigagua were the group of people who lived in the dwelling. People were living there much earlier than they were, but they made it a permanent living structure starting in the early 1100s. The Hopi, Zuni, and Yavapai all recount oral histories of their ancestors living there.
I have never seen a more beautiful tree! Every time I look at this picture, I am captivated by its beauty.
These Arizona Sycamores are the most beautiful and unique trees. They have grown along the creeks and riverbeds of the Verde Valley and were a precious resource. They were used in the construction of Montezuma Castle, and their limbs made strong beams still there today.
This is the beautiful Mesa/Apache Junction KOA Journey, just a 40-minute drive from Phoenix. I don't think I've seen a more consistently gorgeous sky than I have in Arizona.
I caught a beautiful sunset on my first night while driving around.
I checked out Goldfield Ghost Town, just down the road from where I was staying. I had a cold beer and a burger while taking in a good old gunfight outside the saloon.
Goldfield was established in 1902 during the gold rush. Two years later, the mines were producing 30 percent of the ore in California. That equated to 2 million dollars. In 1902, that was a lot of money. It was a mining town with three salons, a boarding house, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a brewery, a meat market, and a school houses. Much of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1923. The city was abandoned twice by its residents after the mine veins faulted.
The beautiful Superstition Mountains surround Goldfield.
For tonight's entertainment... I'm hiking Superstition Mountain to watch the sunset 🌅 Oof... This is a big one!
As I started hiking, I heard a pack of wolves and coyotes. I could see the cayotes standing at different peaks around the mountain, watching everyone below. It gave me an unsettling feeling like we were being stalked. Just then, a frantic woman came out of nowhere with her dog. She had been hiking with him off the leash, and I don't know exactly who went after who first, but the dog was chased by either the coyotes or wolves. It was quite an ordeal, and he was lucky to have survived.
The mountain was so beautiful at sunset.
These are some of my favorite sunset pictures from my trip.
I have been lucky to have had great experiences at almost every campground I have stayed on my trip. Unfortunately, Apache Junction was the exception. The first night was very peaceful until my neighbors moved in next door. They were insufferable. They rolled in later in the evening and blared music from their vehicle... and I might add it wasn't even good music. Then I heard him moving around outside and talking to himself for HOURS! We were sitting on gravel, so I heard everything. He did take some time out to fight with his partner. This continued until 1:00 in the morning, and he started moving things around again at 6:30 the following day.
I was planning to stay another night but couldn't put up with this another night! I went to the office and explained that I wasn't one to complain and had been on the road for months without any issues, but this guy... was a pain in the ass. She said he reserved his spot for a week, but they could speak to him. I thought that wouldn't go over well for me. So I asked if I could be moved to another location. They had another spot, so I thought, "Perfect, problem solved!"
That's what I get for thinking. I packed up and moved to my new spot, which wasn't near as pleasant as the site I was at previously but hey... I'm nothing if not flexible. Kids were running around my campsite screaming, but I wouldn't let it bother me until... The dad next door started yelling and cursing at them nonstop. They had a television set up outside their camper, and escaping the family drama unfolding was impossible. If I had a dollar for every time he told them how f'ing ungrateful they were for something, it would have paid for my campsite.
I finally had enough and thought this was a sign that I was supposed to hit the road a day earlier than expected. So I packed everything AGAIN and hit the road late in the afternoon for Holbrook, AZ, and the Petrified Forest. In theory, it was only three hours and seemed like the best option.
Next stop... The Petrified Forest just outside of Holbrook, AZ
Stay Wild 🌿
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