Florida to Arizona

        We left Florida on March 10 and drove to Alabama where we camped for three nights.  This was the first of a series of short stays we would have on our way out West, and the quick moving was different from what we were used to, but it was kinda fun in my opinion!  Also during this time we were traveling with my nana and her husband, who have been featured on the blog before. 

The day after we arrived in Alabama, we went to visit a covered bridge and do some hiking.

 

Our campground was on a lake, so we went down there for the sunset and some photos one night

We went to a park that had a walking trail with exercise machine stops along the way 

Spring is coming!

My nana suggested I take a photo of these mushrooms growing on a mossy tree trunk--don't they look cool?

Waterfall hike!

My parents

We came upon a random patch of very green grass hiking, and Mia and I couldn't resist lounging in it--it was so green and fluffy!  

Shangri-La Falls in Alabama was beautiful. It's a steep and sometimes muddy slope to get down to it, but it's worth it. When I walked up to the waterfall I felt like I'd been teleported to the Mexican jungle or something-it looked just like something from a brochure!

        Next we made our way to Arkansas, where we were staying for two nights.  We only had one day to explore the area, and we chose to spend our time in Hot Springs National Park.  This was such an interesting NP; it was in the middle of a town and had actually been protected land before Yellowstone became the nation's first national park!  Here's a quick history of the hot springs: Native Americans lived in the Hot Springs area for years before settlers began to build camps by the springs in the early 1800s.  In 1832 Congress passed a law designating Hot Springs as a federal reservation, thus ensuring the protection of these special waters. This act also guaranteed public access to the springs.  Skip forward a few decades to the early 1900s, and the Hot Springs have become a world-famous destination. The springs have a reputation for healing qualities, and flocks of people come to the springs for healing and rejuvenation.  Ornate bathhouses and hotels in town offer accommodations for visitors, and bathhouse treatments (similar to modern-day spa treatments) range from thermal baths to steam treatments. In 1947, Hot Springs has its peak year when the bathhouses give more than one million treatments. But by the 1950s and 1960s, antibiotics have changed medical practices and people no longer come to the Hot Springs for medical treatments. The bathhouses close down and fall into disrepair. In the 1980s, the National Park Service begins to think of ways to bring the bathhouses back into their former grandeur.  Today, if you visit Hot Springs National Park, you will see a line of ornate bathhouses dating back to the late 1800s--early 1900s.  You can still receive treatments and soak in the 'healing waters' in the bathhouses, and we saw many people doing so.  This is such a fascinating destination, with both historic and geological aspects, and we enjoyed our time here. Though we didn't take a treatment at one of the bathhouses, we explored a few of the buildings, walked around the town, and went on a nice hike. Then we had an early dinner at 420 Eats, a food truck park, and started on the route back home. 

On our drive to Arkansas we went through Memphis and saw this giant Bass Pro Shop in the shape of a pyramid!

The sunset on our first night in Arkansas

One of the treatments was the steam cabinet--you would sit in a small 'cabinet' with just your head poking out like you can see in the picture above. The temperature of the steam in the cabinet was 115-140 degrees Farenheit, and would cause sweating and quickened pulse. This was used to treat patients with jaundice, rheumatism, and obesity. 

The men's bath room

In the museum were all these old pictures of Hot Springs

On our hike

420 Eats. The food trucks offered several different cuisines, from Thai to Southern to European

Pad Thai at the food trucks

        The next day, we left Arkansas and drove to Oklahoma (where the wind comes sweeping down the plains 😆).  We had only two nights here as well, and we spent our one full day in Tulsa.  I'd never been to Oklahoma before, and I enjoyed seeing a bit of the state and its culture. 

We've seen the funniest things on the road

The Prayer Tower at Oral Roberts University.  It's shaped like a modern day cross and the points at the top represent the crown of thorns Jesus wore.

Oral Roberts University is a lovely and peaceful campus (we visited during spring break however, so it probably isn't always so serene). 

ORU is also home to the world's largest pair of praying hands. The hands weigh 30 tons and are 60 feet high.

"Death is swallowed up in victory."-- 1 Corinthians 15:54

Late lunch at Mother Road Market on Route 66--this food hall holds the honor of being America's best.

This is practically my motto! 

I love architecture!

Tulsa's Woodward Park has lovely gardens with all kinds of flowers and plants

We visited a portion of Route 66 that runs through Tulsa

Buck Atom--the space cowboy muffler man!

Enjoying some old-fashioned taffy on Route 66

My parents at the Outsiders house 

Standing at 76 feet, the Gold Driller statue has been a Tulsa icon since 1966 

        Next we were on to New Mexico, the 'Land of Enchantment'.  We stayed there for two nights on our way to Arizona and got to see Monument Valley and Four Corners.  Four Corners, where four states meet, was so much fun.  We hopped over the state lines of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona; and sprawled out to be in four states at once.  Monument Valley was strikingly dramatic, and it was also probably one of my mom's favorite things we'd done so far on this year's travels.  

Our drive through New Mexico was beautiful

At Four Corners Monument

Driving to Monument Valley!

Three Sisters Formation

        Our first stop in Arizona was the town of Page, known for its proximity to many natural wonders such as Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, and Antelope Canyon.  We had just one day here, but we got to see some amazing things.  I definitely recommend a visit to Page--it's a one-stop shop for all kinds of outdoor adventures!  

Toadstool Hoodoos trail is a must when in Page.  The colors and formations were so unique, making for a special experience. 

Overlook at Glen Canyon Dam

Horseshoe Bend has been on my mom's bucket list since before we started RV-ing, and we finally made it here!

We saw a baby diamondback rattlesnake when we were at Horseshoe Bend--Mia nearly stepped on it!

The sunset cast beautiful colors on the mountains

My dad, sweeping off the roof of the RV as we prepared to leave

        Our second stop in Arizona was Cottonwood, where we've stayed a couple of times before.  We went on a shopping day in Prescott and hiking in Sedona while we were here, but otherwise we just enjoyed the chill time after our busy schedule.  

Our trail in Sedona, Soldier Pass

We climbed up through a crevasse into this sort of cave (see pictures below)

        After a week in Cottonwood we moved on to a campground in Yuma, Arziona.  Yuma is the sunniest place on earth, with about 3 inches of rain a year on average.  This town also produces about 90% of the U.S.'s winter vegetables and holds the prestigious title of winter lettuce capital of the world!  On our first full day in Yuma we started out our day at the Peanut Patch, a cute country store that reminded me of the mom-and-pop shops back home in North Carolina.  During the short history tour of the Peanut Patch, we learned that it had formerly been a peanut farm until the white fly epidemic in the 90s, when an invasive species from Brazil entered Yuma and began wreaking havoc on the area's crops.  Today, the Peanut Patch imports peanuts from Texas and Oklahoma and uses them to make their famous peanut brittle, peanut butter, and flavored peanuts.  After the tour, we purchased some brittle and each got some peanuts to take home (I chose chili lemon, my dad got chili, Mia stuck with simple roasted and salted, and my mom, not a fan of nuts, picked out some corn nuts).  Our next stop was Mexcio!  Yuma is only a short drive away from the Mexican town of Los Algodones, aka 'Molar City'.  This town is known for its many dentists (more than 900!) that offer cheap yet quality dental care ranging from root canals to simple cleanings that attract customers from Canada and the U.S.!  We didn't have any dental work done on our visit to Los Algodones, but we did explore some local stalls and shops selling all kinds of souvenirs and stopped at a local restaurant for some Mexican fare.  This short visit over the border was one of the highlights of our time in Yuma, and it reconfirmed my love for exploring different cultures!

On our first night in Yuma we went out to a backcountry area with a super cute little chapel and a bridge to nowhere. After the sunset, the sky was streaked with these beautiful pinks and oranges. 

The interior of the chapel. It seats only 12 people (there's another set of benches not in the photo)!

Peanut brittle was yummy!

There was a display showing the three different types of peanuts: Virginia peanuts, Spanish peanuts, and runner peanuts. 

We got to go in the back where they had a fresh batch of peanut brittle cooling

Welcome to Los Algodones, Mexico!

I got my hair braided for $10 by this sweet young lady only a few years older than me. 

My mom wanted to get a margarita in Mexico

Mexican kitty! 

The restaurant we ate at was in a garden courtyard with live musicians--such a fun experience!

Mediplaza, a nice little area with restaurants, a hotel, and of course some healthcare options

Once we crossed back over the border we went to downtown Yuma and walked around some--it was a cute area!

Cafecito is a super-popular cafe in downtown Yuma that we went to on another day. It has an outdoor seating garden with vendors, plants, and art. 

Mia and my mom love the big cacti

One day we took our bikes out on a trail. It's always fun to explore new areas by bike as well as on foot. 

On our ride we saw a rattlesnake right by the bike path! Mia--who has super sharp eyesight when it comes to picking out patterns--pointed it out and we all stopped to take some photos at a safe distance.

Closer to the end of our stay in Yuma we hiked a trail only a few minutes from our campground that led up to a high view of the town. It was super steep in the last half, but we enjoyed the exercise and time together.

Cactus flowers were opening up around this time, which was so cool!

At the end of the trail we climbed out to a ridge (see the picture below). My dad took the picture above, so that's why he's not in it. 

Desert sunsets are beautiful

One night we saw a strange yet beautiful white trail in the post-sunset sky, which we later found out was a Space X rocket carrying satellites. 

My hair after I took out the braids I got in Mexico 😆

        On April 4 we moved to our campground in Palm Desert, California.  Our new location was so beautiful and nice, and the weather was, of course, pleasantly sunny.  We will be staying in Palm Desert for 20 nights, which is a really long time compared to how quickly we've been moving since we left Florida; but we have a lot of activities planned and I'm looking forward to spending time in this beautiful state!

The streets in our campground were lined with palm trees, and when they swayed in the breeze it was so pretty

        Our first full day in Palm Springs was a busy but fun one (I've noticed that often our first day exploring a new place ends up being my favorite day of the entire stay).  We went to the Marriott first, a luxurious sprawling resort with stunning landscaping and decor.  They had cute boat rides you could take around the resort, so we made plans to come back and do that another day.  After the resort, we went to the park which, like the rest of Palm Desert, was beautifully manicured. I had a photoshoot here with Mia, which was a lot of fun, then we went to Palm Desert's downtown district, El Paseo.  The shops and restaurants here were all very high-end (code for expensive) but we enjoyed walking around and window shopping.  In the later part of the afternoon we went to a coffee shop we'd heard very highly of and I (since I love my fancy coffees) ordered a honey-vanilla latte.  It was really good, and I enjoyed it as we did a little bit of shopping.  

The Marriott's driveway

The resort's lakes are home to flamingos! 

Geese  (Ruby and Kylli if y'all are reading--you know what I'm thinking of!😆)

There are so many varieties of cacti!

Inside the Marriott lobby is this 'dock'  area for the boats that you can take a ride in around the property's lakes!

The pool area

The resort even has an aviary room with several exotic birds! This scarlet macaw was preening himself while we were there.

This adorable little bird was falling asleep right on its perch

These black swans roam the resort's lakes

I love desert plants!

We made it to the park! Cue photoshoot!

Oop--small interruption 😂 my mom goofing off

On El Paseo there were a bunch of these classic cars

The art, architecture, and landscaping of Palm Desert is so aesthetically pleasing and I honestly just love it so much. 

This art sculpture looked like a partly-melted Rubix cube!

Afternoon coffee stop!

        Our second day out was spent at Sunnylands Center and Gardens in Rancho Mirage.  This contemporary spot is a mix of immaculate, futuristic, and lovely.  The actual home at Sunnylands (which we didn't tour, but there are tours offered), former home of Walter and Leonore Annenberg, has hosted prestigious figures such as Ronald Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, Bing Crosby, and several world leaders. All-in-all, a very pleasant and fascinating stop to make if you are in the area!  

      

Enjoying lunch on the central lawn of the West Garden

We also went to the Marilyn Monroe statue in Palm Springs on this day

          This isn't the end of our adventures in Palm Desert and I'll be writing about the remainder of our stay in my next post, so be sure to check in my blog in a few weeks! Thanks for reading and God bless y'all. ❤