2010-36 Work Camping, Cottonwood Arizona

Cottonwood AZ
Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Lagoons at Dead Horse Ranch State Park

This month has flown by so quickly.  As you may remember, I have been work camping at Dead Horse Ranch State Park here in Cottonwood.  I’ve been working in Quail Loop which has 45 campsites, mostly electric and many pull thru’s.  Because our camp loop has the most shade trees, most campers try to get into our loop and it’s been full many weekends and continues to be filled throughout the week as well.

Fred and Jo are fellow work campers in my loop and this is their first time to work camp here at Dead Horse.  They’re from Wisconsin and had never gone camping before.  Having lived in town in a condo.  One day they got a bug up their butt and decided to chuck the ole work a day world.  Did some research on the Rv lifestyle and before you knew it, they were out on the open road.  We also have Jerry (a pretty little gal) who’s also in our circle and is work camping in a small Casita camper.  She’s divorced from Bob who has been work camping here for years.  They remain friends and I often see them sitting outside enjoying the cool evenings.

cutting wood, one of our Camp Host duties

Eric our Ranger who’s in charge of all of us work campers (and does a darn good job of it) has gotten married this past year, has a new baby boy who I like to call Little Eric.

It’s nice to be around all the other work campers, giving back to the community and enjoying friends I’ve met over the past couple of years in the area.

John Hoopes, a friend from the area and I went to Scottsdale last week to see Taliesin West.  Frank Lloyd Wrights  winter home and architecture school.  We took the 90 minute tour which included his personal rooms, large expansive angled ceilings, originally just large beams and canvas.  (They had no idea wha the winters would be like in Scottsdale Az.)  Compact bedrooms, his and hers as it was common to sleep separately back then.  Huge walk in fireplaces, even in the bedrooms.  A dynamic, demanding, inventive, creative person who lived his life exactly the way he saw it.  Never compromising.  Not always an easy person to get along with as many of his clients would testify.  But can you imagine what a joy it must be to live ones life  fully to the beat of your own drum… never getting out of step.

Taliesin West, Frank L Wright 

I’ve gone up to Jerome a few times, the most active ghost town that was once a mining town clinging to the side of a mountain.  Now filled with artsy shops and hippies from the 70’s that found the place and have claimed it as their own.  The winding cliff hanger road leading to the town will get your heart pumping real good.  If that doesn’t work, a good walk along the winding roads and sidewalks along the three main levels of town will work up a good appetite.

Jerome, Az

In a few days I’ll be heading out to tour Lake Havasu, Quartzite, Park dam, Yuma, Organ Pipe and a few other places on my way to Tucson for the winter.  So you can expect one more report as I sneak in one more adventure before settling in for the winter.