Handbook: Arizona

A state that shows the diversity the desert can hold, Arizona is sprawling massive cities and some of the smallest, most authentic towns you’ll ever find. It’s ponderosa pine forests and scrubby brush plains. It’s home to a petrified forest and one helluva hole in the ground. They’ve even got their own, authentic, London Bridge.
Our favorites? The small towns of Bisbee and Tombstone, in the southeast corner of the state. Flagstaff, Sedona and Jerome are sights to behold, more interesting and typically progressive towns surrounded by national forest and BLM land to explore. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is nearly as interesting as the Grand Canyon, and Petrified Forest is certainly something to see (just make sure you bring plenty of gas).
Start from there and find your own corner of the Copper State to love.
Featured Articles on Arizona
Snowbirding Southern Arizona for Young Travelers

Amazing places to camp, hike and explore in Southern Arizona. Snowbirding does not have to be a retirees-only affair!
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

We pull into Gunsight Wash, some BLM land just north of the national monument. No one is there. The ruts in the sand, abandoned campfires and cow patties sit lonely in the desert, no tires to dig deeper, wood to be burned or fellow campers to complain about the occasional waft of last night’s hay. […]
Bisbee, Arizona

Discovering the hangover town trapped in time and beauty between the Mule Mountains.
Tombstone, Arizona

A summary of the town of Tombstone, Arizona, fabled home of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, modern day site to see.
The Best BLM Camping in the American West

The wild open wilderness of every American’s backyard. Notes on cell coverage, specific sites in each state, photos and general vibe included.
The Most Beautiful Free Desert Camping in the Southwestern United States

Exploring some of the lesser-known, most gorgeous areas to camp completely free in the Southwestern United States. Includes links to actual camping spots on Campendium and info on flora, fauna and natural surroundings for each place.
Articles on Arizona
Discover These RV-Friendly Golf Courses In North America For A Quick Family Tee Time

Golf courses with RV parks attached – a golf lover’s guide to RV destinations.
Snowbirding Defined

The best places to survive the winter in your RV, including temperatures and pricing across California, Arizona, Texas and Florida.
Mimosa Market

Our favorite spot for groceries, beers and American Spirits in Bisbee, AZ.
Free Accommodations in Bisbee, Arizona

How to stay in Bisbee for free…that is, roughing it.
1000 Steps on Stairs

Bisbee’s annual stair race event, recanted in Wand’rly fashion.
Hike the Mule Mountains

The story of two lovers hiking to the “B” at Bisbee, and then onto the Cross altar.
Black & White

A short story about the freedom of stray dogs in the Arizona desert.
Old Hands

An old tour guide tells the history of Bisbee, Arizona.
Liquid Bisbee, AZ

A recounting of various outings at the bars around Bisbee, Arizona. A collection of short stories.
Texas Trash, the Trainwrecks, and the Hotel San Ramon

Short story about a desperation for living, a woman fabled, and marijuana.
Campfire in a Claw Foot Tub

A fictional story of a time spent in Bisbee, Arizona, with particular focus on the Copper Queen Hotel.
Bisbee via RV

The best two, and nearly only, RV Parks in and around Old Bisbee, Arizona.
Stories about Places to Stay in Bisbee, Arizona

A multitude of places to stay in Bisbee, AZ.
Blog Posts About Arizona
Greetings from the Basin & Range!

Endless straight traversions of empty two lane highways broken up occasionally by a few turns through some mountains. Welcome to the Basin and Range.
Greetings from Picacho State Park!

The hum of the highway, Phoenix outskirts in the distance, and the promise of a campfire.
Greetings from Catalina State Park, just North of Tucson!

Coyotes go howl and saguaros go kingly royal with their bicker.
Greetings from the Cactus Forest!

Living amongst the cacti, the night sky, and the desert’s abundance.
Greetings from Glen Canyon!

Kayaking, hiking and playing on beaches in a land of many time zones.
Bisbee New Years 2012

Last night’s clothes still intact and my Lady still sleeping deep beneath the sheets in the room we’d rented for a couple of nights, I snuck down the long stairway from the hotel room in the heart of Old Bisbee to step into the already daylight 7am sky of a New Year’s Eve on the […]
The Deputy
Meet Deputy Dog, the newest addition to our tribe.
Climbing Jerome

The Bus barely made it up the grade to Jerome…
An Assortment of Photos from Our Time in Bisbee, AZ

Snapshots of some of our time in Bisbee, AZ. There was so much more…
Sunset over Tombstone

Bob Dylan, a few beers and my Lady dances as the sun sets thick along the road, south of Tombstone, Arizona.
Tourists, Traps and Travelers
A few thoughts on the benefits of tourism, and traveling & adventure in general.
Where Paul’s Mighty Axe Did Carve
Simply one of the greatest days of my life: Grand Canyons, shooting stars, camping and cookouts.
Arizona and RVers
The old come to die in Arizona, and refuse to share with those of us still young enough to actually “enjoy” it.
Planning Ahead, Is It Good Sense or Defeating the Purpose?
Do you want to plan the next 6 months of your trip, or just show up wherever, whenever?
105.9, Kingman’s Hottest Station
Fishmongers, melted handlebar grips and the ever looming danger of heat stroke!
Kingman, AZ
A ’96 Dutchmen with a propensity to overheat combined with 113 degree temperatures over Las Vegas forced us to leave camp at the KOA Circus Circus at 4:30 this morning. We made it a good 90 miles, choosing to go around the hell that is trying to climb the Hoover Dam by heading south on […]
On KOAs
To KOA or not to KOA, that is the Mike Tyson Punch Out quandary.
Bisbeeing
I could extol every virtue, use every splint and sliver of writing talent in my bony body, and still never come close to explaining the actuality of Bisbee, Arizona.
Adventures in Bisbee
Climbing mountains in an RV with a temper tantrum prone transmission is always a blast. A 3 mile walk through the winter Arizona night and a kind offer from an ex-firefighter later, though, and we were safely back on our way to Bisbee, AZ.
RVing in Phoenix, AZ reserved for the Rich and Old
If your license doesn’t read 55 or older and your RV doesn’t shine like a pig’s ass, don’t plan on finding a place to RV in Phoenix.