When life gives you lemons… 1/4/22

… make some damn good lemonade, spike it with tequila, and walk it across the desert to a bonfire of a guy you met just a few hours before! Or at least, that’s what we did lol!

Ahhh, the first post of a new year! We wonder what new adventures await us! Already we have enjoyed 2022.

Twenty twenty-one went out quietly here as we were tired and the two men we were celebrating with were the early-to-bed-early-to-rise retired type. But not before we had a wonderful cookout and bonfire with our lovely lemonade! While looking for firewood, Jeff and Braydon found a pile of branches that someone had recently pruned off their lemon tree and dumped on the State Trust Land not far from where we were parked. It was laden with fresh, juicy lemons! We grabbed our foraging bag and picked as many lemons as it would hold, being mindful of the citrus thorns! The lemonade was incredible and we have since stripped the branches of every usable lemon and are well on or way to consuming, in some fashion, a lemon a day each!

The new year started off with two police on a dune buggy paying us a visit early on the ¹st. While we had all the proper permits and  paperwork to be camping on State Trust Land, someone had just leased that portion of the expansive acreage and we were no longer allowed to use it. So Jeff ran a mile down the road in the Jeep in search of a new spot while Braydon and I finished our breakfast and started the tedious task of packing up the bus… again! Jeff found a lovely spot and, after we finished packing up the bus, we drove the minute or two down the road to another, slightly more populated but, equally as wonderful spot where we have been since!

This area we are at is considered “dispersed camping” meaning there are pathways through the desert with little pull-offs to camp at. There are no camp hosts, bath houses, electric boxes, water hookups, or – best of all – fees! Our solar array is keeping our solar generators topped off each day, so we don’t miss the electric box. We bought 8 5-gallon water jugs that we fill up at the Lake Pleasant Recreation Area as needed and bring back to the bus with the Jeep, so we have as much water as we are willing to work for. We saw on iOverlander that the park has water spigots at their restrooms throughout. There is a $7 daily fee to enter, but we opted for the annual pass that came in at just over $100 for the two of us. We can go every day for the next 363 days and fill our water jugs as well as use any of the many dumpsters they have conveniently scattered through the huge park! Not to mention utilizing the amenities that the park has to offer such as a swimming area, boat launch, an incredible nature-themed playground, trails, covered picnic areas, and a Discovery Center. There’s also a marina and a restaurant! If we were to fill our jugs at a kiosk like they have at grocery stores, each jug would cost $1.50. We are keeping a log of how many times we fill up, but something tells me we will easily pay for our annual pass!

The desert is much less sandy than I had originally anticipated. It is more like dirt, but not “soil”, just dirt. And oh so dusty! Sort of like what one would find on the infield portion of a baseball diamond. I think I’ve consumed more dust while breathing since arriving in Arizona than I did in my 31 years prior!

On New Years Eve, a huge wind storm rolled in as the sun set and pained the desert with incredible shadows! The wind howled viciously all night. But the impending storm didn’t stop Scarlett the cat from making sure we didn’t wander too far from the bus! She follows us as we explore and when she can’t see the bus anymore she stops and meows at us until we go back with her.

We decided we should get some vinyl stickers made before Skooliepalooza, so we grabbed a good photo of the bus and sent it off to a graphics company in Scottsdale. We will be adding a purchase link to our Sponsor Our Trip page shortly where you can order your very own!

Jeff has been having a blast with Hot Air Expeditions! He crews for at least one flight most days of the week. Some days he crews for a morning and an evening flight. He has an official uniform polo with the company logo on the chest and “FLIGHT CREW” on the back. With his new dessert sand-colored khakis, he looks pretty official out there chasing hot air balloons! As expected, the balloons have been taking off and landing near the bus. We got some photos of the bus with the balloons the past few days. Jeff has some more detailed photos to share soon. He will explain the flight process better then. But for now, enjoy the “glamorous” side of #buslife below!

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So much more to share, but enough for now!