Keystone Cougar 28RBSWE (aka 28RBS) Totally Trailer Tour

Take a look inside our new rig!

Swansea Arizona Ghost Town Video

Come visit Swansea Ghost Town with us.....

Abandoned Poston War Relocation Camp Video

The Totally Trailer Trio presents our Poston War Relocation Camp Video :)

"Outlaws" in Sedona

The city of Sedona evokes many emotions from visitors. From the red and orange stained skyline, to the jagged rocks that seem to pierce the bright blue sky, to the calm and tranquil atmosphere…Sedona truly is a diamond in the rough.

One of the best features of Sedona is the ability to venture off on hiking trails, biking and off road trails to really experience the true beauty of Sedona’s back-country.

We were fortunate enough to find the friendly staff at Sedona ATV and rented the four- seat RZR for the day. Due to the snowy conditions, we could not take the Schnebly Hill road that we had our hearts set on exploring. Instead, we found ourselves on the Outlaw Trail and I’m so glad we did!

Before long, we felt like true outlaws fleeing the town confines to find ourselves in the middle of the wild west. Surrounded by jagged rocks, cacti, red dirt and washouts, this rough and tough trail was exciting to navigate and gave us a 360 degree, panoramic view of Sedona.

Sedona ATV provided us with all of the gear, a picture book and a “there is no way you can screw this up” map of the trail. They even gave us two blankets; however, the cold was so piercing that day, no amount of blankets could save us. The Totally Trailer Trio was so, ridiculously bundled up that we actually looked like bandits, which ended up befitting this rugged Outlaw Trail! When I say we were bundled, that might be an understatement, considering I had on four layers, a turtleneck, scarf and face cover, earmuffs and headband (under my helmet), long underwear, three pairs of socks inside my Columbia snow boots and four packets of hand warmers! I wore a whole department store that day and is was absolutely worth it. 

The trail consisted of steep rocky ledges (that required careful wheel placement), ancient red rock arroyos, desert-brush landscaping, Indian ruins and went through Sedona’s western canyons. Adding to the adventure of the day, it even delicately snowed on us near the Honanki Ruins.

The adventure also brought us to the Vultee Arch Trail and the famous Devil’s Bridge hike which are each their own mini adventures.

We had an expert driver (hubby) but no matter how careful we were, we still ended up caked in red clay mud that sprayed up the sides of the RZR and coated us like an art canvas. Speckled from head to toe, the splashes were a reminder of the fun we’d had that day.

Considering Sedona covers over 19 square miles of gorgeous countryside, there is no better way to see the land than cruising in an off-road vehicle. The ATV ride was an overload of the senses: feeling the bumps in the rugged road, seeing the richly pigmented landscape, experiencing the adrenaline rush of navigating rocky crevices and tasting the freedom of the great outdoors.

There is so much to see and do in Sedona and just when you think you’ve seen it all…you discover a new hidden gem. Totally Trailer invites you to get outdoors and get dirty in Sedona!

The Sedona area has a plethora of places to stay, eat, camp and is surrounded by some of the best and scenic RV camp spots.

Stay tuned for our Sedona Backcountry Video!!!

Our RZR chariot for the day and little one ready to get dirty!

Map and detailed picture book with "you can't screw this up directions" provided by Sedona ATV (by the way, we still took a wrong turn)!

Just getting started on the Outlaw Trail and the GoPro is ready for action front and center

The family of bandits on the Outlaw Trail is a little too realistic here!

Check out the different colors in this landscape, can you see the snow falling from that dark cloud in the background?

Awww...Outlaw Love

The texture, the colors and the formations are simply breathtaking out here in Sedona

parked out front of the Honanki Ruins Site (equipped with muddy blankets and all)

Passing the Honanki Heritage Site 

Red, green and blue...some of our favorite colors perfectly blended in nature

Live action selfie in Sedona

Granite Dells in Prescott, AZ are a feast for the eyes and the camera!

Just north of Prescott, Arizona there is a magical place with a spherical-like shoreline and tiny islands that beckon to be photographed. The deep blue water, green foliage and brown boulders of Watson Lake’s Granite Dells, create a feast for the eyes as well as a natural outdoor playground.

This unique geological formation eroded into unusually lumpy, rippled and stained boulders that are surrounded by two man-made reservoirs (Watson and Willow Lake).

The entire area is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream playground! The Granite Dells are surrounded by hiking and biking trails, picnic ramadas, BBQ’s, horse shoe pits, bouldering and rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, migratory birds and seasonal camping.

From biking, bouldering or just taking in the view, Watson Lake is sure to impress. The panoramic view from above the lake is just as photogenic and the shoreline below. Walking the shoreline and clamoring over boulders at the water’s edge you can see many semi-submerged boulders that look like hippos lounging in the lake. The water is so calm that the reflections of the boulders dance across the water. The only movement is an occasional breeze or a flock of birds landing in the middle of the lake.

Visiting the Granite Dells could take you hours or days to explore. You can see the view from the upper parking lot in the comfort of your car, take a leisurely kayak through the reservoir, scale one of the boulders or take one of the many trails around the park.

Since we were visiting during winter, we did not have the option to kayak or camp, but we did spend the day exploring the shoreline, climbing boulders and taking many pictures of this geological wonder.

At an elevation of about 5,150 feet, the Granite Dells get snow and the Prescott area is known for their true four season climate. Whether the boulders are basking in sunlight or dusted with snow, Watson Lake is breathtaking any time of the year!

During summer months the city of Prescott has 19 dry camping spaces to camp at the Granite Dells park. For Rv's, trailers and other lodging, the Totally Trailer Trio recommends staying in Prescott or nearby Verde Valley. Happy bouldering!

http://cityofprescott.net/services/parks/parks/index.php?id=24

Gorgeous panoramic view at Watson Lake's Granite Dells

Looking out over the photogenic Granite Dells in Prescott, AZ

It was cold, but so worth the visit to Watson Lake

Hubby and little one taking a break on a water front boulder

Granite Dells selfie

Visiting the "Wickedest Town in the West" - Jerome

Jerome went from being hailed the “wickedest town in the west” to a modern-day charming, mystical and mysterious tourist destination.  

Jerome became incorporated in 1898 and during the last 118 years, the town has fallen victim to prosperity, greed, explosions, fire, the Great Depression and has still managed to become the number one recommendation of things to do in Arizona by Phoenix Magazine.

Not many old mining towns survived after the Great Depression, but Jerome has managed to rise, fall and rise again. During its mining days, the population in Jerome peaked at 15,000 people and it was once known as the richest privately owned copper mine in the world (bringing in 29 million dollars in one year alone)!

We experienced two very different sides of Jerome on our visit. We saw the town socked in with fog, snow and sleet. There was no impressive view of Sedona in the backdrop and no sense of being in a town that sat precariously on the edge of a blasted out mountain. And yet, the fog added to the mystery and intrigue of the city. Running from store to store to avoid the harsh weather conditions, we met friendly shop owners, saw unique jewelry and heard a lot of great “wild west ghost stories” from the locals.

The second day was picture perfect and allowed us to gaze upon the gorgeous colors and rock formations of Sedona and experience the windy and steep road into town. We were able to visit the museums and mine shafts, see the buildings that slid down the hill due to considerable dynamite explosions and learn more about the history behind this “wicked” town.

Whether you are a geologist, history buff, artist or ghost hunter, this town is sure to delight any visitor with its rich history and mysterious vibe. As a visitor, it is easy to get submersed in the Douglas Mansion (aka Jerome State Historic Park), the Mine Museum and the Gold King Mine Museum.

History envelopes you and you can imagine the rowdy streets, the numerous open mine pits and the characters that must have mined this area. You can almost detect the scent of dirt, sweat, cigars and the determination to strike it rich. The photos and memorabilia in the various museums really help paint that picture of what life was like in Jerome. From the cave-ins to the earthquakes (Jerome sits on multiple fault lines), to the dynamite explosions where the mining companies would use over 250,000 pounds of TNT in one blast, to the large number of brothels, saloons and opium dens….it’s easy to see how Jerome earned the title of “Wickedest town in the West”.

Today, at 5,200 feet above sea level, Cleopatra Hill proudly overlooks the Verde Valley and the color soaked Sedona skyline. Now a tourist town with unique storefronts, quirky restaurants and plenty of local art and galleries, the area has become a popular travel destination. However, the town of Jerome still holds many haunted secrets that shroud this area and keep people intrigued and coming back for more.

The Totally Trailer Trio does not recommend taking large RV's and trailers up to Jerome due to the narrow and winding streets. There is great camping and RV parks throughout the Verde Valley and Jerome sits between Flagstaff and Prescott, Arizona. We parked our trailer in Cottonwood and made day trips to Jerome.

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/JERO/ 

http://www.azjerome.com/jerome/attractions/

Thankfully "people are tolerated" in Jerome!

Dodging the winter weather at the Jerome Historical Society Mine Museum

Inside the cave system under Jerome, Arizon

Never ending view of Sedona from Jerome

Mining cart tracks deep inside the Jerome mining town

Little one enjoying the view up towards Cleopatra Hill

The ghost town built on the side of a mountain...Jerome, Arizona

Peering down a mine shaft that's 1,900 feet deep! See the pic below to get an idea of just how deep that is...

The Audrey Shaft as seen above is 1900 feet deep as compared to these other notable landmarks

Little one ready to go down the mine shaft

Hubby and little one exploring the Little Daisy Mine in Jerome

The eerie, blustery day in the historic town of Jerome

Rainbows and Road Trips

"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!

From Desert Sand Dunes to the Sandy Island Beaches of Kauai

Life is truly a beach along the glorious Kauai coastline. 

From Tunnels Beach to Poipu Beach there is something for everyone. The beaches are perfect for kite surfers, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and just relaxing on the beach. 

We didn’t do much “relaxing” on the beach and dove (pardon the pun) right into snorkeling off Tunnels Beach and Anini Beach. We looked like Snorkel Bob’s walking billboards, but we were warm and ready for action. Along Anini Beach we befriended a very large and hungry sea turtle. We snorkeled with him for about 45 minutes before bidding our new friend farewell. He didn’t seem to care that we were there taking endless photos and video of him, he was more concerned about eating (we all can relate to that feeling sometimes)!

Hubby and little one saw a gigantic eel and I found a tiny fish that looked like he was impersonating baby Shamu or a killer whale.

The beaches were full of crabs, giant sea cucumbers, shells, rocks, moss, crashing waves, protected monk seals and so many other treasures.

Although Poipu Beach was named “America’s best Beach” by the Travel Channel, it was always quite crowded and we found it was quite popular with the humans and monk seals alike. 

We enjoyed walking along Ke’e Beach in a rainstorm, snorkeling at Anini Beach, visiting Haena Beach and exploring the tide pools off the Kukuiula small boat harbor.

The Totally Trailer gang can never go too far without sand and water and as luck would have it, the beautiful island of Kauai had plenty of both!

There's nothing quite like the feeling of sand between your toes and waves lapping at your feet

"Dar she blows" Admiring the Spouting Horn blow hole on the south shore of Kauai

washed up tree, coconut and coral make for a great photo opportunity

Sebastian, is that you? Our crab friend hanging on the volcanic jetty along the south shore near the small boat harbor of Kukuiula Bay 

Magnificent sunset after a day of snorkeling at Anini Beach, Kauai

A walking advertisement for Snorkel Bob's we enjoyed our snorkel adventure and sea turtle sighting

Little one taking in the Maui sunset at Poipu Beach, Kauai

Sun sets over the famous Na'Pali Coastline at Ke'e Beach

Hubby and little one gazing at the Spouting Horn blow holes

Our perfect snorkel spot destination on Anini Beach, Kauai

We left our heart in the rainforests of Kauai

The totally trailer gang ditched our trailer and left the continental United States for some island time!

We exchanged our desert hiking gear for swimsuits and rainforest hiking gear as we ventured deep into jungles looking for secret waterfalls.

From the Na Pali Coast to Waimea Canyon, we explored just about every inch of the island and took in the normal tourist attractions too.

Hiking to the Ho’opi’ Falls was one of our highlights along with tubing down the irrigation ditch. Being surrounded by so much green was intoxicating. We loved the huge elephant ear leaves, the invasive vines that grew hundreds of feet in the air, the endless rainbows and never-ending WARMTH!!

Our home base was near Kapa’a and it was a great location to access everything we wanted to see and explore. We spent the first day just exploring the “rainy side” of the island and venturing down to Ke’e Beach for an awesome sunset down the Na Pali coastline. What made the journey were the little stops along the way to see rustic churches, jagged coastlines, sea caves, ancient sites, numerous rainbows and fun shops. 

The second day we toured the “sunny side” of the island by cruising through Lihue, Poipu and up to Waimea Canyon overlook. From tree-lined roads to protected Hawaiian monk seals, spouting blow holes, Grand Canyon-esque views and more rainbows….we were in heaven!

After the normal “touristy” things, we jumped right into some exploration on our own determined to find the Ho’opi’i Falls, the Secret Falls, rustic swinging bridges and old Hawaiian villages.

We kayaked the Wailua River from the Kamokila Hawaiian Village (which was an absolutely perfect day) of seeing the sacred falls, Fern Grotto and the Hawaiian village. We also thoroughly enjoyed our “white water” tubing down an old irrigation ditch with Kauai Back Country Adventures. Our guide “Pooh” was humorous, informative and a lot of fun. We had so much fun, we wanted to do it again immediately after the tour was complete! The road to the arboretum made us feel like we were lost in some jungle and the rain forest put on a magical display for us.

Between spending quality time with family and enjoying all that this lush island had to offer, it was difficult to get me on a plane to leave.

We still managed to get muddy, get wet, get a little lost, find caves and have a ton of fun doing it. Which just proves that you can take the family out of the trailer, but you can’t take the trailer out of the family! 

http://kauaibackcountry.com/tubing/

http://villagekauai.com/

Beautiful old church in Kilauea 

Little one and Wailua Falls in the background

Wailua Falls close up with the Totally Trailer gang

Kauai Tree Tunnel on Maluhia Road which dates back almost 150 years          

The impressive Waimea Canyon overlook complete with rainbows!

The road to the arboretum

Giant taro leaves are almost bigger than we are!

Safe from a rainy day under a taro leaf umbrella

Tropical jungle complete with swinging vines and everything!

Over the river and through the jungle.....

                  

Lost in the jungle looking for Ho'opi'i Falls

SUCCESS!!! The magical Ho'opi'i Falls, Kauai

Hiking our way out of the rain forest 

Crazy walkway thought the rainforest

Kayaking on the Wailua River

All smiles from this jungle adventurer

Wailua River Secret Falls

After swimming behind and underneath we posed for a digital memory (p.s. it was cold)!

Kauai dry cave near Haena Beach 

The Swinging Bridge in Hanapepe Kauai. I loved it, little one...not so much