Travel is a noun. It's what we do, who we are, what drives us and what calls to us. From 300 feet below the barren desert, tubing through a tropical rainforest and atv-ing through snowstorms there is nothing stopping our quest to discover and explore. Together, using our super human powers of humor and common sense, we attempt to take over the world one buffet at a time and we aren't afraid to be totally trailer!
According to the March 16, 2015 market and data trend report prepared by The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, there are more than 9 million households that own an RV, which is a record high and a 16% increase from 2001 (and a staggering 64% increase since 1980)!
So, why the increase in RV/trailer/5th Wheel demand?
* RVing and Camping support a healthy and balanced life and lifestyle. This includes being active, experiencing nature and good old fashioned quality time with family and friends. According to RVIA, RVers said they report better bonds with their children and family members.
* Rvers can take more frequent, shorter trips throughout the year that are closer to home. Rather than taking one large block of time for one family vacation a year. With busy family schedules, RV owners are able to do more weekend getaways and be involved in recreation close to home.
* RVs can be used for a multitude of purposes including: tailgating, traveling with a big family, the ability to take pets along on trips, being involved in team events that travel or for business purposes.
* RV traveling is much more cost effective than flying, cruises etc. A 2014 Vacation Cost Comparison done by PFK Consulting USA, proved that a family of four can save 27-62% on vacation costs by traveling in an RV. From food savings (not eating out), to hotel savings (you can dry camp or RV parks typically only cost $30-$45 on average) and no luggage fees or rental cars, this really adds up (even when you factor in cost of ownership and gas)!
* IRS tax deductions for owning an RV
With all of these benefits, why wouldn't you want to experience the happiness and freedom that come with owning a recreation vehicle?
"Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud" ~ Maya Angelou
Every day on the road is a new experience that reminds us that life is an amazing adventure. We never know what's around the corner and even in the midst of a storm there is beauty and light!
If we didn't go outside our comfort zone, if we never stepped outside the box, we'd miss rare opportunities to see complete rainbows, meet new people and find that the journey is way more fun than the actual destination.
The Totally Trailer gang invites you to take a road trip, take a drive, take a hike and take a break....because you never know what you might find.
A rare sight to see- A complete double rainbow!
After rain, there is a rainbow and a chance to get back on the road!
Over the aqueduct and through the desert to the Swansea
Townsite we go!
On a long dirt road,
just 30 miles outside of Parker, Arizona (in literally the middle of nowhere)
sits an old copper mining town.
Archaeological and historical sites litter this once bustling boomtown
and the Bureau of Land Management has done an excellent job restoring and
protecting this massive and extinct townsite.
It’s no surprise that we were once again lured to an
abandoned mining area full of mine shafts, artifacts and the residual smell of
history and danger.
Swansea Townsite was a copper mining town that was settled
around 1909. It’s one of the largest ghost towns we have visited so far. At the
town’s peak (of about 750 residents), it boasted everything from a car
dealership, a moving picture theater, lumber yard and an electric light company
(in addition to the normal saloons, barbershops, cemeteries and restaurants).
What a cutting edge town, to have their very own electric light company! As you
walk the dusty “streets” of Swansea, it’s difficult to imagine a car dealership
out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by open mine shafts.
What a journey this copper went on after being mined from
the earth. It took a train ride along the Colorado River and ended up on a boat
down the Gulf Coast, around Cape Horn to Swansea, Wales (hence the namesake)! That’s
over 4,900 miles…….
The townsite sits surrounded by large mountain ranges in
every direction. It’s even a steep, curvy and hairy drive into the townsite (so
we don’t recommend going when it’s been raining, or with a trailer or large
RV). Once nestled into the town, you can’t help but feel safe and thousands of
miles away from anyone and anything.
At the entrance to the town, BLM has a kiosk with flyers,
maps, historical photos and information as well as pit toilets. We could have
spent days wandering and exploring the historical gems hidden within Swansea,
and particularly appreciated the massive mine shafts, finding portions of the
old railroad and the ramshackled brick buildings from long ago. The old copper
mining town still has evidence of the massive copper smelter and dust chamber,
which was a rather large and impressive brick building. Due to recent toppling
walls and bricks, the building has been fenced off, but you can’t miss the
undeniable presence this building had in the town.
The mine shafts are all covered for safety purposes. These
heavy duty safety measures allow you to walk over and around the shafts safely,
while eerily peering down these deep black holes.
There is an interpretive trail, hiking trails, picnic spots
and ATV trails in the area. The interpretive trail takes you through the worker’s
cottages, general office, company store, company residences, railroad depot,
manager’s house, copper smelter and dust chamber, the hospital and school site
along with rusted old cars and magnificent views.
Just like all the ghost towns we have visited, Swansea fell
victim to the Great Depression and the last milling was reported in 1944.
Today, Swansea gives us glimpse back to our past as well as a reminder at how
wild the west really was.
Although there are a handful of small campsites in Swansea, Totally Trailer does not recommend any large RV's or trailers due to the hairy roads getting into the townsite. The campgrounds at Swansea are perfect for small vans or tent camping only. It's a fun day trip and beautiful drive in from Parker, AZ. We recommend parking your RV or camper in nearby Parker.
Here is our short video on the Swansea Ghost Town
Welcome Kiosk and pit toilets
The remains of the copper smelter and dust chamber
Sunset in Swansea was eerie and exciting at the same time! Standing on a mine shaft looking back at the worker's cottages and enjoying the sunset
Interpretive plaque for the Worker's Cottages from 1917
This old rusted guy had so much personality, he looked like he belonged in the Disney movie Cars!
Standing on a giant mine pit and enjoying the expansive view of nothing-ness
Inside one of the worker's cottages. It was said that there were 6-8 people in each cottage- hard to imagine in that tiny space.
Interpretive trail guide and railroad tie steps make for an easy hike around the townsite
Hubby admiring the view and imagining a once bustling copper town
Look back at the previous picture and you can get an idea of how big this town was
Massive brick building and dust chamber dwarfs us
A wall recently collapsed and left this pile of bricks and rubble
Over time, walls are collapsing and succumbing to the harsh climate
Once a busy railroad line carrying copper ore. The first train arrived here on the Swansea Railroad in 1910
The final leg of our "shake down cruise" with the trailer led us down the San Andreas Fault, through the geology rich Mecca Hills, around the Salton Sea and at the Fountain of Youth Spa RV Resort. Hubby and I had been here before, but it was a first for all three of us. We knew there were multiple pools and mineral tubs to choose from and usually a lot of other kids for her to hang out with. Driving through the Mecca Hills was a geologists dream, with portions of the landscape split in two from earthquakes. One area had protruding, jagged mountains slanting up the to right and the other side of the mountain was split in half and it was slanting heavily to the left (creating a perfectly carved V in the center of this wash). Amazing history of the fault zones here (San Andreas and San Jacinto) and some very impressive geological reminders that this area was created from massive earthquakes. We will be going back soon to do the Painted Canyon's Hike and explore more of that area.
The first thing we did when we pulled into Fountain of Youth was head up to their RV wash area up in the dry camping lot. What a find this was!! For fifty cents we were able to wash and rinse off our car and trailer (and boy did it need it). The wash was on a paved slab and the hose had great water pressure (note, you do need a spray nozzle or attachment or your thumb will get tired).
Because hubby was in charge of the hose, we all got wet. Luckily it was hot and we all enjoyed the refreshing impromptu shower.
We got a spot close to the family pools and little one and I went right for the pools and sunbathing!
The park has 835 full hook up sites, 165 dry camp sites, 2 pools (adults only and family pool), Artesian mineral spa, 3 fresh water hot spas, 4 rec halls, 8 bathrooms (4 with showers), natural steam rooms and an oversize spa with a waterfall...and so much more! Little one found friends to "hang out with" (apparently I can't say play with anymore because she is a teenager..haha). They played a unique teen version of water volleyball, which essentially means no rules, just lob the ball and hope to make it over the net. I got enjoy the warm sun and hubby got to enjoy the warm mineral baths. We all enjoyed the waterfall (some of us more than others) and overall had a great time at Fountain of Youth.
The next morning as we were unhooking and getting ready to leave. Hubby hooked up the black water flush tank for the first time and water started pouring out from under the bathroom sink. Apparently we had a leak and this was not tested at the dealership. We had a brief frantic moment of dashing around and mopping up water, before we found the little part inside the bathroom cabinet that was leaking. After drying off and calling
Fault Line Map of the Area
Mecca Hills with Geology Slanted Left from Earthquake Activity in the Area
Heading out to Joshua Tree all three of us were very excited. We had picked out our favorite campground (Belle Campground) and even went as far as to narrow down the spot we were most interested in getting. There are nine campgrounds inside Joshua Tree and they are first come, first serve spots.Three of the campgrounds (Hidden Valley, White Cove and Indian Cove) will not allow trailers over 25 feet and none of them have RV hook-ups. Being that it was the week before Easter, we called the ranger station on our way to see how full the campgrounds were getting. We were told it was filling up, but that there were still quite a few spots open around the park and in various campgrounds.
By the time we got there and checked in at the welcome center, there was a large sign that read: ALL CAMPGROUNDS FULL (except a few spaces in Cottonwood Campground). Cottonwood was the campground that was furthest south and furthest away from the typical Joshua Tree sites we wanted to see. We envisioned a camp spot nestled among the inspiring jumbo rocks and picturesque views and stargazing. Cottonwood was so far south that it was a very different terrain, with no big boulders and jumbo rocks to climb or admire. The spaces were "pull off the road to your right" spots that left our slide out on the main road waving "hello" to everyone that passed.
We had never been to Joshua Tree, so we picked a spot in Cottonwood long enough to fit our rig and settled in. Campers next to us said there had been no wind and it was perfect temperature outside when we arrived. Blue skies, hot sun on your face and an occasional light breeze to cool you off and keep you comfortable. We opened up all the windows in the trailer and sat for a few minutes just to enjoy the breeze and finally take a moment to relax in our trailer.
Before sunset we ventured up into Joshua Tree, not realizing that the nearest campground and large boulders were a 45+ minute drive. We drove through Joshua Tree completely in awe of the sheer size and remoteness of the park. You can't see anything but the park for miles and mile and the terrain changes from flat open, prarie-like areas to rugged mountain terrain in a matter of minutes. The park itself is 794,000 acres and NO cell service anywhere...talk about feeling remote and isolated (even with the 1.4 million visitors they get each year)!
We finally found the jumbo boulders as it was getting dark and we had to head back for dinner...no rock climbing on this trip :( We decided to only stay the one night and come back again when we can camp at Belle or Jumbo Rocks Campground and really make the most of the true Joshua Tree experience. It's a good thing we decided to leave the next morning, because the high winds followed us up to Joshua Tree and we spent another night and early morning with a rockin' trailer. Up next for us....San Andreas Fault and Hot Mineral Baths...
Cottonwood Campground in Joshua Tree at 3,000 ft elevation and has 62 sites
First Joshua Tree we saw near the entrance to Belle Campground at 3,800 ft elevation
Breaking in the appliances with some good old fashioned "burnt" marshmallows!
Hubby also put out small orange cones around our slide out on the street, just as an added precaution. We tied rocks to them to keep them from blowing away, lo and behold, they ended up scattered around the camp area when we woke up the next morning. If you were to pan right you would find three other cones on the far side of the road!
Bisbee.....what's a Bisbee? It's a mining town just a few miles south of Tombstone. This town also has history as it was part of the Tombstone story (Doc Hollidays girlfriend "Big Nose Kate" lived there and it's where people from Tombstone had to ride to get supplies). Once dubbed as the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco, Bisbee was a real copper mine.
The Queen Mine operated continuosly for 100 years and was the largest production of all mining districts in the world...producing metals valued at 6.1 billion (valued in 1975)!! We got to take the tour of this mine! We got our own hard hats, very flattering yellow raincoats, a mining light and a ride on a mining cart 1,500 feet down into the mine. We saw the elevator shafts, original drills and leftover precious metals still in the mine. Our tour was led by an actual miner who worked in the mine and had a lot of interesting facts and stories to share. It stays 47 degrees down there, but that was nothing compared to outside.
The night we showed up in Bisbee it snowed on us and left a nice little blanket on the charming town (and our car)!This adorable town was built up around the mine, with most homes and businesses built directly into the mountain. With it's old buildings, unique setting, red and multi-colored rocks, a massive mining pit and a dusting of fresh snow; this was an absolutely charming town that we really enjoyed. The history behind the mine is fascinating, check it out: http://www.queenminetour.com/History
Tunnel coming in to the town of Bisbee, it had just started to snow
Queen of the Copper Mines, Bisbee has some amazingly colored rocks, mines and massive mining pits
Speaking of Massive Mining Pits....Check out the 850ft deep Lavendar Pit (water in bottom and snow around the top edges). That's a looong way down
Visitor information at the viewing site for Lavendar Pit mine (as seen in our pic above)
Light dusting of snow on the town of Bisbee (Queen Mine entrance seen in center of pic). It looks nice and sunny, but trust us...it was cold.
We took a drive through the heart of Bisbee one night. No one around and the street lights all lit up, surrounding old historic buildings and quirky shops; this was so much fun!
The RV park was attached to the Queen Mine, making it very convenient for us
Our car and trailer were attacked by snow during the night. By the time we took the picture most of it had melted, but we know our trailer and truck's tires were begging for some slippers to keep warm (they are southern california natives ya know)!
The old Queen Mining cart that took us down into the mine
3 little miners looking to strike it rich in a historical copper mine
No turning back now, we are committed to going 1500 ft down into a mine with a bunch of people. Thank goodness we have yellow slickers for protection...haha
Looking back down into the mine shaft. If you look above there is a marker indicating how far down you are (they had one every 100ft). Little one loved keeping count!
Inside the mine...off to the left is the elevator shaft along with the bell and a list of codes for emergencies
Two miners trying to retreat from the main copper room where there are still visible signs of minerals all around
Down at the 1500ft level we got off and walked around with the guide. They weren't lying when they said the mine stays about 47 degrees year round. Note to all, if you ever get lost in a massive mine, just look for the "Surface this way" sign...it's better than google maps! haha
Actual veins and remnants of precious minerals 1500ft underground. Look at the amazing swirls of color embedded deep within these rocks! We stood right next to it...quick where's my pick ax?
Original mining carts left underground
We followed the sign and made it out alive....apparently the yellow slickers and blue plastic hard hats are good luck! Although, I'm not sure what was colder?
After the Living Caverns, we continued to head East to Dragoon, Arizona where we found ourselves at Triangle T Guest Ranch. This ranch was recently renovated thanks to a show called "Hotel Impossible". It was a real ranch with RV hook-ups, horse stables, Private cabins and bungalows, hiking/biking trails and some amazing grounds filled with massive boulders and great rock formations.
Triangle T Ranch
Our Campsite up against the boulders
The rock looked like a baseball glove
Campfire in the wilderness
We specifically chose this place for the rugged horseback riding in the picturesque setting. A certain little girl was so excited and loved her trail ride. She had a horse named "Chiquita" which was perfect for her. Mommy had a gorgeous horse named "Cisco" and Hubby had a feisty guy named "Romeo".
The Three Amigos
There was no real trail, as we wandered around the acreage surrounding the ranch on a perfectly sunny day....needless to say, it was a great adventure! After the ride, we walked around the ranch (which was deserted in the middle of the week) and admired the old stagecoach, played a little horseshoes and spent more time bonding with the horses and rock climbing. Our campsite was tucked up against a big boulder that had a split down the middle that we liked exploring. That night led to a big campfire and glo-stick dancing....Great time all around! http://www.azretreatcenter.com/ (Triangle T info)
