RV Snowbird Trip Update for January 2023 - Ajo, Why & Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
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- čas přidán 29. 01. 2023
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Ajo and Organ Pipe - www.loveyourrv.com/tag/organ-...
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Boondocking Archive - www.loveyourrv.com/boondockin...
In this video, I briefly update you via Google satellite maps on where we have been camping this month. Then some on-the-ground footage of our boondocking camp along the Ajo Scenic Loop, followed by wildlife & dash cam clips, plus still photo slide show.
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#LoveYourRV #Arizona #nationalpark #snowbirds #boondocking #southwest - Jak na to + styl
*Related Posts & Videos* 🙂
Ajo and Organ Pipe - www.loveyourrv.com/tag/organ-pipe/
Snowbird Trip Videos - www.loveyourrv.com/tag/snowbirds/
National Parks - www.loveyourrv.com/tag/national-parks/
Boondocking Archive - www.loveyourrv.com/boondocking-related-post-archive/
Charming video! Scenery and wildlife beautifully captured.
The winter rains have done wonders. I have never seen the dessert so green this time of year.
Thanks Ray nice vid.
Great Video! Awesome scenery. Thank You!
HA!!😀 WE WERE IN AJO MID JANUARY TOO. OUR PATHS MAY HAVE CROSSED. WE STAYED AT THE SHADOW RIDGE RV PARK.
We have been meandering around that area as well. Even saw your rig at one point. Enjoy the rest of your trip. We leave this lovely area today to slowly wonder back to NC.
Thanks for the link: great site. And, yes, the Yellow Palo Verde. Gorgeous plant!!! 💫
Beautiful photography there Ray. Thanks for sharing!
You and your wife go to some of the prettiest places. I hope some day me and my wife can visit places like that. Thanks for the great video Ray
That is always our goal. We love natural beauty!
That was gorgeous! Love the bird shots!
About an hour away. May well head there early March. So beautiful
Wow! This is in my opinion the very best scenic video you have ever done ¡!! Watched you since 2017 and enjoyed the scenery information music . Thanks for sharing your travels with us!
Thanks!
I love your videos.
We are at the Roping Arena in Ajo.
This weekend id the fiddlers contest at the golf course.
Some of the fiddlers are camped out here, can hear then practicing at times. Met a couple a few years ago here. :)
Thanks for the update. Love the area.
Beautiful video. Lived in Ajo 2011 Did the "Loop" many times for exercise. Hope you got a tour of Curly School Neat renovation back in 2011. Organ Pipe Nat Monument is incredible. Seen a few Gila Monsters while hiking
Heading that way ourselves from outside yuma soon. Looks great
Spectacular! Thanks Ray and Ann!!!😊
Glad that you guys are having fun.
Nice directions and layout view of the area. Great area to camp in with all the cactus. Roads decent? Awesome video, thanks for sharing. Take care and safe travels. Dave.
The grader was busy a few weeks ago after the rains, so the main dirt roads are in decent shape. But any of the smaller roads need high clearance for sure. There are a lot of washes crisscrossing the terrain, so not good for long vehicles or trailers.
@@LoveYourRV Got it, thanks.
Beautiful area. When your camper came into view I couldn't help but reflect on how far rv technology has come since it was manufactured. Good stuff.
Fantabulous rewards for your brave boondocking Ray. I’m Canadian too but am too scared of the known trafficking traffic in this area. Good on ya.
Its not as dangerous as people imagine. Most of the fear is based on things that happened quite a long time ago. www.nps.gov/orpi/planyourvisit/safety.htm
Excellent.
Good one ,,, Thanks !
Great pictures and video clips, Ray. Thanks for the update.
Great bird shots!!!!
Very nice.
very beautiful Ray, will add to my list of places to visit
Beautiful! Would love to spend time there!!! Thanks for sharing with us! 😊
Thank you
Great information Ray! Thank you!
You're welcome. :)
Always love your videos Ray. I love this area, and the Organ Pipe campground is wonderful, in my opinion. The area is very relaxing. Unfortunately the ugly border fence is visible from the area. We were there a few years ago and observed NY Eve and the fireworks from over the border. Hope you and Ann (Anne?) enjoyed your time in the area. ❤️
Thanks, yes had a great visit thanks, ended up spending 7 weeks in the area. :) Cheers! Ray
Ajo Mountain Drive was still closed when I checked a couple of weeks ago so glad to hear it has finally reopened! I assume that the heavy 2022 monsoon season had washed out sections but not sure. I’ll be there for my annual camping & hiking trip in a couple of weeks. Gotta escape our rainy Pacific Northwest!
I noticed there was some new concrete paved sections on a few of the low points where washes cross the road. Overall the road was as good or better than previous drives on it.
We stayed at Justin’s Diamond J RV Park just west of Tucson and south of the Tucson Mountains for a month two years ago. It is about 70-80 miles east of Ajo. My favorite thing about that park was it was on the edge of an area that was more of a cactus garden than anything else. Lots of saguaros, chollas, prickly pear and many more I don’t know the name of. There were trails all through the place that went farther than I ever explored. Your boondocking spot reminded me of the cacti around Diamond J with the exception of the Pipe Organ cactus and the hills where you were. Very pretty! Great bird photos, too. Thank you for your video!
Hello Ray! Marty and I are big fans of your channel. We are Canadians snowbirding staying in Sonoran Desert RV Park in Gila Bend for the winter. We are currently checking out your Ajo scenic loop area where we have spotted your boondocking spot! Recognized your truck and trailer but did not see you around; otherwise we would have stopped to say Hi. Did not see your happy face flag though. I think we will boondock near here with our Class A sometime this month. Thanks for all your great recommendations!
You're welcome, too bad I missed you. Was inside working on a video. Had the flag down from yesterday as it was really windy and the thing was flapping like crazy. :)
Great area, definitely a bit of a hidden gem! We stayed there last spring on our trip down from Ottawa. The birds were a huge surprise for us, we just did not expect to see so many. Good coffee at the main square in Ajo too :).
I love that whole area. We stayed for a month in Gela Bend and we are now in California city Rv parks. We head back out to the desert on Thursday can’t wait to get out of the city. Enjoy your winter.
What are "California city RV parks"? Thx
Never thought of the desert as pretty, but I guess parts are! San Antonio TX here. Nice video.
The desert is very pretty. Most so when the lighting is right, like at sunrise or sunset golden hours or when there are partial clouds or fog. Mid-day or full sun tends to wash out the landscapes and mute the colors of the varying rock formations.
Beautiful country. That tufted bird looked like a Juniper Titmouse. We have those in the desert where I live.
Pretty sure it was a Phainopepla aka Silky Flycatcher. They have a reddish eye color Common here as they feed on the mistletoe berries that are parasitic on the Mesquite and Palo Verde trees. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Phainopepla/overview
Wonderful video. Your camera takes great video and still pictures or is it the fine gentleman behind the camera. Lol
Beautiful Ray!
Any creature/critter/bug. snake issues there in the southern Arizona desert? - Thanks! - Cheers!
Hardly any bugs to speak of and haven't seen a snake or spider. This time of year the snakes are generally hibernating till late Feb and March when more temps into the 80s start to happen and warmer nights. I have seen 2 Tarantula Hawk wasps though. They have a very painful sting I hear but rarely bother humans unless you bother them. :)
One of our favorite spots is Gun Sight Wash BLM area between Why & Organ Pipe Cactus NM. Last year had a wild burro walk right thru our campsite.
Camped there a few times over the years, nice spot for sunsets. :)
we stayed in this area too, thanks to you Ray! we saw in a video you did a few years ago and it was our first ''out west'' Boondocking adventure! It was not near as pretty and lush as now though. Thanks for the look!!
I talk to some people that spent the summer here and said they had a lot of monsoon rains and even a tail end of a hurricane so lots of moisture, been pretty wet winter too.
@@LoveYourRV glad to hear they got some rain, boy the west needs it!!
Hello to you both !
I know that you have plenty of time but for us it's totally different because we are not retired yet and we usually are in a hurry when we travel. We want to do the most in the least amount of time. For saving time and money, I bought a small portable washing machine that is surprisingly very performant. It weighs about 15 pounds dry. I store it in the shower and sometimes we wash a load when driving !!! I installed some drying ropes close to the ceiling of the shower but usually I start a load when I wake up very early in the morning before getting out for photography. When I walk back to the RV, I transfer the load into the spinning drum. We wear mostly all synthetic clothes so when the spinning cycle ends, the clothes are 99% dry. I deploy the awning and I have this kind of automatic rewinding spool of clothes line. It fits 3 awning lengths. By the time we finish breakfast, the morning sun and wind are drying the clothes fast. Here is the Amazon link of the washing machine. But there are a bunch of different brand, all similar. We live in Quebec and I paid $100 US delivered to my friend's house in Maine 4 years ago. It's been a game changer for us. No more weird laundromats where everybody are looking at us (I remember one close to Washington, DC !!! OUCH !) and no time waiting in a laundromat, even on a camping lot !! We also have lost some clothes, some users found that new clothes could be great for them !!!
a.co/d/4H6QcMq
Take care !
We have mostly cotton clothes and enough for 3 weeks between needing to do laundry. So hit the laundry with 3 big loads. In and out in around 2 hours. The dry desert air is really good as towels don't turn sour since the dry so quickly and we don't sweat much so clothes last longer.
Another great video Ray! Would you mind posting a screenshot of a map with a pin where you camped in the Ajo BLM? Thanks
Map - goo.gl/maps/K4ofP12Nq8nNt16N9
Arizona Boondocking on the Ajo Scenic Loop Drive - www.loveyourrv.com/arizona-boondocking-ajo-scenic-loop-drive/
Boondocking Near Ajo AZ Hunting for a Super Bloody Blue Moon - www.loveyourrv.com/boondocking-near-ajo-az-hunting-super-bloody-blue-moon/
EXCELLENT ! nicely done. We haven't been to this area as yet. Love your campsite. You've peeked my interest. Like Anne; I like to take a lot of photo's and the nights are great down there. Maybe next year? btw ... any packrat issues?
Haven't seen any signs of pack rats yet.
Great video - thanks for sharing. Do you see many snakes on your hikes ?
I've seen a few garter snakes over the years but never a rattle snake. I'm usually not here when its warm enough for them to be around much. They generally hibernate for the winter.
We were standing on that same rock today! We are staying at Coyote Howls East to explore boondocking options for future years. May I ask, where did you go dump your tanks midway through your trip out on the loop behind Ajo? We went yesterday and drove through Twin Peaks yesterday (2/10) and loved it. We always love your videos. Toby & Kathryn from the coast of Maine.
Cool. :) I used Belly Acres RV Park across from the grocery store in Ajo. www.bellyacresrvpark.com/ They charge $8 for dump and $4 for water fill. Cheers! Ray
Beautiful country. Hope to travel that way next winter from New Brunswick, Canada. Are there any critters that you need to keep an eye open for.
In the winter Nov to Feb not much to worry about danger wise. Most dangerous critters hibernate or move slow. In early fall and in spring if the temps are higher 80F+ be on the look out for snakes and scorpions. They don't want to attack you but if you accidently provoke some people get bit. Also if you have a smaller dog keep an eye out for coyotes. Don't let it roam. Mice and rats can get into the camper or truck and do damage so patch up any access points. In some areas pack rats area a problem so her is some advice - www.loveyourrv.com/pack-rats-aka-wood-rats-rving-tip/
If you find yourself heading west along 8, check out Oasis Rv Park in Dateland. Wonderful little full hookup campground with pool/cabana and view of the Aztec Mtns. Rates are cheap too. Only about 25 sites and the owners , Jim and Pepper, are wonderful. We pulled in for one night and stayed four 3 months .
Thanks for the heads up. Have stopped at Dateland travel center in the past for date shakes and dump the waste tank across the street and saw there was an RV park nearby, never stayed, though.
We stayed there for two nights in a water/electric hookup, this week. No dump station. We stay there every year on our way to Ajo/Organ Pipe. For the last few years, Jim and Pepper have had a lot of solar farm workers filling up the full hookup spaces not occupied by winter snowbirders. Good for them, not good for we traveling RVers!
Thanks for the update, looks like it closed in 2015 www.sanidumps.com/locationmap2.php?id=18838
@@LoveYourRV possibly wrong info. We were there in 2018. It’s the Oasis at Aztec Hills.
@@plumcreekantiques7191 I'm referring to the dump station across the street from the Dateland Trave Center. See the link I posted. William said "No dump station."
I’m planning on taking next winter off and planning on some extensive SW camping. Have you done any camping in New Mexico? If so, would love to hear about some of you favorite boon-docking spots there. Cheers!
New Mexico is an awesome state to explore the State parks are really nice and reasonably priced. Many of them have dry camping areas for about 8 bucks a night and water and electric for $14 last time I was there. There is also quite a bit of BLM and National forest lands. Here are my New Mexico videos www.loveyourrv.com/tag/New-Mexico/ Be aware though the average elevation is about 5000 feet so not great for camping in the winter as it gets pretty cold. Fall and spring is a better time to visit. Cheers, Ray
@@LoveYourRV Great! Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing. Like #7. What is the daily temperature there? Any bugs, spiders, snakes to worry about?
January has mostly been in the 60s for highs and 40s for lows with some colder days and some warmer. Hardly any bugs to speak of and haven't seen a snake or spider. This time of year the snakes are generally hibernating till late Feb and March when more temps into the 80s start to happen and warmer nights. I have seen 2 Tarantula Hawk wasps though. They have a very painful sting I hear but rarely bother humans unless you bother them. :)
Here is a great website to find average monthly temps for places weatherspark.com/y/2449/Average-Weather-in-Ajo-Arizona-United-States-Year-Round
You mentioned that you have Starlink. Have you done a review on it? We are BC'rs also and wonder how it works in Canada. Have seen other reviews, but would trust what you have to say. Thanks!
Yes, have done 9 videos about Starlink starting in early 2021 when it was still in beta www.loveyourrv.com/starlink-satellite-dish-internet-first-look-setup-test-on-the-rv/ Best bet is to watch the last few videos as it was a little limited in usage when it was in beta. Its been working great for 3 months now in the USA during this trip and for a couple years back in BC. Cheers, Ray
How do you arrange / setup / entice / etc the scene at about 14:50, where you are sitting (with a totally justified) repressed-smile - as the bird flies up and lands on the branch in front of your face? Maybe I have seen a similar scene in one of you previous videos. Bravo!
In noticed that the hummingbird had been returning to the same low tree branch so setup Akaso Brave 8 action cam on a tripod about 6 inches away then I knelt down a few feet away and stayed still. I set the Akaso for slow motion mode.
www.loveyourrv.com/akaso-brave-8-waterproof-action-camera-review/ The hummingbird appears very large compared to me due to the action cam's wide angle fish eyed lens making closer things appear larger than far away things. Cheers, Ray
@@LoveYourRV Cool, so very cool and creative! Thanks for this answer and for all your videos and info!
Ray, I was wondering if you found a place in Ajo to fill a water bladder? Thanks
I used Belly Acres RV Park across from the grocery store in Ajo. www.bellyacresrvpark.com/ They charge $8 for dump and $4 for water fill. Cheers! Ray
@@LoveYourRV thanks for the quick response. Safe travels!
Hi Ray - would you have grid coordinates for the Ajo loop campsite shown in this video? I got turned around and couldn’t find a spot for my fifth wheel here last time through. Thanks. Lou
Yes, goo.gl/maps/x3Am8Anmak4Wu5QdA You want to get to it from the entrance of the loop to the south east of Ajo where Darby Wells road comes off highway 85. Coming from the other end through the town of Ajo is shorter drive but there are couple deeper dips and tight turns not good for longer RVs.
I would love to do a group camp . We have a class a motor home. We are going to have to go full time soon
No longer can afford our home.....would love to get up with others . Please if you could reach back out to me .this is something we are looking to do is group camping
That looks like a really nice area. What camera were.you using to film the birds with? I assume you have used the same one for the whole thing but don't know really.
Most of the stills and video were my Sony AX53 camcorder. Has a 30x zoom and excellent image stabilization. Great for wildlife www.loveyourrv.com/love-your-rv-gets-a-new-4k-camcorder-sony-fdr-ax53/ Some of the stills are done using my Sony NEX5R www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-alpha-nex-5r Getting pretty old now but still takes nice pictures.
@@LoveYourRV Yes I noticed how nice that AX53 worked for this video hence my question. I know you don't have a Go Pro like so many but that's ok because it sounds like most of them have no hair left with software issues and auto power down syndrome. Those Sony seem to be doing a really nice job! I also know that you have a small off brand camera as well so wanted to know which one it was . Thanks!
Oh I forgot. The slow motion hummingbird clip with me in it and the time-lapse raining clip were done with my Akaso Brave 8 action cam www.loveyourrv.com/akaso-brave-8-waterproof-action-camera-review/ It works well for those kind of shots since its very simple to setup and processed in camera. My bigger cameras can do the raw footage for time lapse and slow motion but then there is post editing to do. Drawback to the action cam is it distorts the scene quite a bit due to the super wide angle fish eye lens they use. Cheers, Ray
Interested to know when you stayed at Twin Peaks State Parks, you mentioned it was $20 a night. I see on the website that in addition to your nightly charge you also have to pay a Park Fee ? do you have an annual pass, does that cover all state parks for the year ? Thanks for the great info you provide 😀
Yes, every year we buy what's called the America the Beautiful annual pass for $80 www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
If you are a US citizen and have the Senior Pass or Disabled Access Pass then camp fees are 50% off at many places such as Twin Peaks for example.
These federal passes don't cover state parks though its for all the National Parks, Monuments and other types of Federal Lands
"Each pass covers entrance fees at lands managed by the National Park Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service and also standard amenity fees (day use fees) at lands managed by the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Army Corps of Engineers. A pass covers the pass owner and all occupants in a personal vehicle at sites that charge per vehicle or, the pass owner and up to three additional adults (16 and over) at sites that charge per person. Children ages 15 or under are admitted free."
@@LoveYourRV Sure makes sense when your in the US for any length of time, pays for itself in no time. Thanks for the great info.
About 11:40 min was a greenish bush in front of the saguaro. Do you know the name of this bush?
Likely a Palo Verde tree calscape.org/loc-California/Parkinsonia-microphylla-(Yellow-Palo-Verde)?srchcr=sc634746f548709 has green stems
Ray, do you ever see scorpions or rattlesnakes?
So far in now our 11th winter spent camping in the southwest I've seen 2 scorpions and 0 rattlesnakes. Likely because I don't like to camp in hot weather, especially when off grid, so once it gets hot enough for the snakes to emerge from hibernation and get active I'm long gone to cooler places at higher elevations.
Hi Ray,
Been watching your channel for quite some time and I've got a question:
What do you do to help protect your rig from rodent/mice infestation?
Last year I had a lot of trouble with mice in southern Idaho and I finally , after about 6 weeks surrendered and went home.
I've tried cayenne pepper, flashing led's under the rig at night, and other home remedies and last year nothing worked. I eliminated a few with snap traps but that's a PAIN.
So.....what do you do to peacefully coincide with the rodents??
Appreciate your and anyone else's helpful comments.
For mice mostly, I've eliminated entry points to the trailer with pest block spray foam and steel wool. Then if they do get in I snap trap them.
Here are a couple posts on the rodent subject
www.loveyourrv.com/pack-rats-aka-wood-rats-rving-tip/
www.loveyourrv.com/tips-keep-mice-rv/
Thanks for your reply.
I travel in a Class A so closing up all the holes isn't an option.
I'm going to try some new (to me) product called Pro-Pell. It's a concentrated peppermint oil and other ingredients liquid with good reviews.
I do the same ..... if they get in use snap traps with deadly results (for the mice).
I'm also going to try small very bright tactical style strobes under the hood in addition to pro-pell.
As a last resort I'll wear my airpods with active noise cancellation on full so I don't hear them 😮😮😮😊😊
Friends of mine swear by stuff called Fresh Cab amzn.to/3DI0ULg Never tried it myself though.
How was the cellar service?
Not too bad, we have a Canadian cell plan that roams on AT&T. Did have to use our booster in a few places when camped in the hills behind Ajo but was strong at the Why and Twin Peaks campgrounds
@@LoveYourRV thank you for letting me know. We still need to get a signal booster. We are getting ready to hit the road and I have enjoyed watching you and Anna these past several years 😃
Any reported problems with immigrants passing through or sightings? Have been concerned with safety of our unit when out and about for the day.
Haven't heard of any problems. Been here numerous times. Illegal immigrants generally want nothing to do with being seen so I'd imagine give RVs a wide berth. Also about 10 miles away is the border guard main complex for the region. www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/border-patrol-sectors/tucson-sector-arizona/ajo-station My guess is your chance of getting burgled or robbed are much less than in or near any large urban center.