When you hear 'Wine Country', the first thing that probably comes to mind is Napa, or possibly Sonoma, the two most popular winemaking regions in California. When we were planning this leg of our trip we were hit with the reality that we really couldn't afford camping at $60 or $70 per night most campgrounds in those areas charge. Luckily, California offers a cheaper, more casual, less uptight alternative to the crowds of Napa in areas like Lodi, Merced, and Lake County. Yeah I know I was hard on the Central Valley in my previous posts, but there is one good reason to visit. Wine. And what better way to tour California's 'other' wine country than to actually stay at the winery itself? You can't do that in Napa! Using our Harvest Hosts member benefits, we were able to stay at four different California wineries for free. Yes, that's right FREE! While the camping was free, the nightly…

Joshua Tree... check. Death Valley... check. Next on the list of California's Gold was the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Specifically the Alabama Hills, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and Yosemite. Our first stop would be Lone Pine California, the gateway to the Alabama Hills, and Mount Whitney. Diaz Lake Campground Looking Towards the High Sierras. The drive from Death Valley to Lone Pine was a little dicey. First, we had to climb out of the valley. There were frequent roadside water spigots for the expressed purpose of refilling overheated radiators (nice blast from the past). There were also signs warning against the use of air conditioning in order to prevent engine overheating. I figured I'd better obey if for no other reason than to prevent an 'I told you so' moment later. It was a hot, white-knuckled, climb out of Death Valley followed by a cooler but even more white-knuckled decent into the Owens Valley. Our Leprechaun…

We left the Phoenix metroplex ready to ditch the traffic and overcrowding, at least for a little while. Our next destination was the boondocking mecca of Quartzsite Arizona, and it certainly was a change of pace. Apparently, Quartzsite camping areas can get extremely busy in the winter due to snowbird RVers taking advantage of the plethora of free BLM camping in the area. We were there for the same reason, with a plan to spend a few free nights living off our recently filled/emptied water tanks, and then move on to Lake Havasu to quench our thirst for some water in the desert. We had researched camping areas on campendium (our favorite online resource to find camp sites), and found Dome Rock Mountain 14 day BLM camping area. Although we weren't sure what to expect, it turned out to be the perfect spot. There were some campers there, but not too many and there were plenty of spaces…

We knew lodging was going to be a challenge for the Phoenix/Scottsdale portion of our trip. It was mid-March so we had to contend with snowbirds, spring breakers, and MLB spring training attendees (yes that's a real thing, I can't imagine anything more boring). State park campgrounds around the metro area were all completely booked. In addition, many if not most of the RV parks are either 55+ or don't allow kids. Even if we could find a spot in an RV park it would have been cost prohibitive. Our experiment with casino camping in Tucson was such a success we decided to continue the streak in Phoenix. After all, casino camping is free (usually), and we're on a fixed income dammit! We scoped out a few promising leads and decided to try the Desert Diamond Casino in Glendale. We weren't sure what to expect, or if camping was even allowed, but we arrived to find a nice…

The full hookup convenience of our RV park in Alamogordo was nice and all, but what we really needed was something a little more rustic (think cheaper). We ended up in Aguirre Springs campground, just east of Las Cruces and it did not disappoint. For a mere $7 per night, we got one of the most beautiful campgrounds we've ever frequented. In-between Alamogordo and Las Cruces New Mexico lie the Organ Mountains, a rugged range made up of canyons, woodlands, springs, and rocky spires resembling the pipes of an organ. The Aguirre Springs campground is a BLM administered site nestled on the eastern slopes of the Organ Mountains. https://youtu.be/x6QttAI-Xm4 Alamogordo to Las Cruces with a stop at Aguirre Springs Campground The tiny cover charge gained us access to a campsite with a garbage can, a covered picnic table, a charcoal grill, and a fire pit. Quite a bargain, although considered "dry camping" due to the lack of water,…