There are several terms used for sleeping in an RV without any type of plugins. If you are in a rest area, Walmart parking lot, or a campsite with no power we refer to that as dry camping. If you park on a city street and try to make it look like no one is inside that is stealth camping. If you visit friends we call that driveway surfing, though that often comes with a plugin because friends kick much ass. By far and away the best version is when you get out away from civilization and that is called “boondocking”.
After getting our solar installed we went directly to boondocking. In the mountains just outside of Flagstaff are public lands. They are part of the Coconino National Forest, an area that allows people to park for up to fourteen days. It was a gorgeous area with decent sized pine trees and nice walking.
You can see us in the woods. 
Bedroom view 
Sunrise walk with Shanti 
More walking with Shanti
After three nights here, we had run the generator one time just to top off the batteries before night. We adjusted the location of Torta to maximize sunlight and didn’t need the generator again. Also after three nights there we had found the place will no longer be allowing free camping after this year and we found a lot of people had trashed the general area. Because of this we decided to move down near Sedona for the remainder of the week. That is in the same forest, but a very different environment. What a great decision that was.
Since the drive was barely over an hour Kendra took the Honda to scout ahead and the pets and I took the main highway while she took a more direct but curvier route. After pulling the car behind me for so long it was a pleasure to drive without it. The drive from Flagstaff is gorgeous and over eighteen miles downhill with four to six percent grades. This led to the best gas mileage we have seen so far, over nineteen miles per gallon.
We arrived at the dirt road leading back into the free camping areas with an hour until sunset. Kendra had researched and found a spot five point seven miles in called “Nolan Tank” that was especially nice. She took the Honda ahead and I drove Torta. This was a dirt road with a lot of the surface described as “washboard” and other areas described as “big ass rocks coming up out of the ground”. It took well over an hour, but it was worth it. It was about five miles as the crow flies from the nearest power line. There is a level of peace that you find that far from civilization that you cannot get any other way.
Cali loves climbing 
Sunsets are amazing 
In person the cliffs felt closer 
Private camping spot 
Nolan Tank 
Morning Coffee 
Bedroom View 
Red cliffs 
Dog playing ball
We left early on Saturday to go see friends in Phoenix on our way to Tucson for general RV maintenance. We found a slightly shorter route out. A couple sections were even rougher than the way in, but I managed to get this short video in the best section of road. It was slow going, but the views were amazing!
We intend to spend a full two weeks in the Tucson area to give ourselves a break. We have been moving fast and keeping busy for a really long time. I think I may nap one entire day.
May peace find you.
Torta Log 