2019 SouthWest: Observations and wrap-up

After ten years of Alto camping, we had a pretty good idea of how an extended road trip might play out, and for the most part, that was the case. What we found intriguing though, was when some of those past experiences did not play out as we assumed.  We thought a little wrap up might be appropriate.

A few simple stats of our journey to start:
- 78 days on the road
- 74 nights in the Alto
- 16 states
- 36 different overnight locations
- 15,305 Klms (9,510 M)
- 2687 litres of gas (710 gallons)
- Average 17.6 Ltr/per 100 klms (13.4 mpg)


We covered a lot of ground.
We wanted to explore and learn as much as could about the SouthWest, but about half way through the trip we found that we were not staying long enough at our destinations. In fairness, that was sort of the plan, but next time out will certainly be different, and slower. We could have easily stayed a week in Santa Fe and Savannah, so even a few extra days here and there will be a good thing in the future.

We did a lot of hiking...sort of.
As much as we intended to spend a ton of time on the trails, we did far more “hiking” around the cities and towns we visited. This is by no means a surprise, we just thought our focus would change somewhat because of the amazing landscapes we were in. We think the combination of the shorter stays, and our love of exploring the urban landscape, put our hiking plans a bit on the back burner.

We were surprised about food and meals.
We love camp cooking. Planning what to cook and eat is a huge part of the enjoyment of our weekends away. Not the only part by any means, but still a big part. This trip...not so much. I know for a fact we pulled the Q out twice, and the little Coleman stove, the only purpose it served on this trip was to annoy us with its constant tinny rattling while we drove.

Oh, we tried to cook for sure, but ended up wasting a bunch of our first grocery order. What caused this shift...we figure it was our short stays. By the time we got back to camp from our exploring, the last thing we wanted to do was haul out the gear, prep the food, and cook up a meal. So easy eating became our style, and we still ate relatively healthy. What helped was the quality and variety of offerings found in the grocery stores. From the creative in-house kitchens to the vast selection of products, we had more than enough options available for quick, simple evening meals. We did not solely rely on this and made our breakfasts, like our new favourite, avocado toast with tomato, topped with balsamic glaze...Yummm

We thought we would boondock more.
Our plan was to boondock where and when we could, but that soon changed, mostly due to the unseasonably cool, actually, cold weather. Faced with cold evenings, having power was a much desired service. Some nights we ran our two electric space heaters all the time, just to keep the cold at bay. We could have managed with the propane furnace, but the question was, why bother? The state parks we camped in were all very nice, well run, and the sites generally came with electrical hook-ups. They were also a tremendous value compared to what we are used to paying. Pretty much a no brainer given the weather situation.

We did though, boondock at Quartzite, and it was a neat experience. We were well past the crazy times of the big RV show in January, so we almost had the place to ourselves. That experience gave us a little taste, and it is something we will do more of in the future.

We are not fans of the Interstate.
We already knew this, and the trip only solidified this for us. One does not get a good view of a state while hurtling down an interstate crammed with transport trucks and drivers with dubious skill sets. You need to get onto the secondary highways to really see both the landscape, and the people that live in it. As an added bonus, it is a far less stressful journey...there is a lot to be said for being able to mosey along, driving through towns and cities, soaking it all in.

The key take-away is to slow down.
We will spend more time in each location, exploring and just relaxing. This has been expressed by many others, we just had to figure this out as well. Many spots deserved far more time than we allowed before hitching up again, and that will change.

We learned a lot on this trip, not only about the SouthWest, but also about how WE travel for extended periods. All this will help make our next big adventure even better, and we already can't wait.