So jealous. We spent a week in March 2017. Did you hike to the top? We got as far as the falls Here's a trick we learned from the director of AZ state parks: drive up and spend a night in the overflow, then be at the check-in booth before 7:00 am to get first dibs on the sites as they empty in the morning. Worked for us.
Good tip. no, we didn't do any long hikes, our beagle is too old to go now and I don't like to leave her too long in the rig. I'll add it to a future todo list. Cheers! Ray
Bryce William we stayed about one week. Probably depends on the time of year, and whether any reserved are available. First come, first served. We were there about first of March.
Born and raised in Arizona, just moved to Apache Junction, I get a breathtaking view of superstition mountain right outside my new home. Can't wait to take photos of the amazing sunset! ♡
I absolutely love the way you integrate maps into your videos. Other video makers try to do this, but you do it much more effectively than they do. Excellent work.
That's a gem of a cg! We were there several years ago and it was cocktail hr outside when a swarm of bees flew overhead and turned the sky dark! Once in a lifetime!
You have the best format on RU-vid. Map of route, walk around campground and visit to local attractions. LOTS of valuable information. Thanks a million.
The filming of the vistas and photos are gorgeous...thank you both so much. I always smile when I hear Miss Angie's tags jingling on the walks... Godspeed.
We saw a javelina there and our first ever tarantula. We had just come from the Grand Canyon and I was way more awestruck by the Superstition Mountains. I couldn't take my eyes of them. Great trip down memory lane with your video.
Outstanding job of recording this amazing place. I always tell you that every place you camp gets put on my bucket list, this one is no different. You do such a good job of telling the narration and the camera handling is superb. You make me say, "I'm going West next winter if I have to hitch hike". Thank you so much Ray for sharing.
Very nice! My wife, our two kids, and I stayed there the last week of December, 2017. We stayed in site number 75 (with electric and water). Did you take AZ State Route 88 up to Roosevelt Dam? The views along that road are outstanding. We stopped at Tortilla Flats, and had lunch at Apache Lake Resort, which had great views of Apache Lake, before finally making our way to the dam. The views of the dam are quite impressive, both from below and above it. Yes, State Route 88 is a two lane dirt road for the eastern half of the way, but we had no problems driving it in our 2012 Ram Mega Cab dually. It was a wonderful way to spend a day.
A few years ago my wife and I rented a Harley in Tucson and rode out to tombstone. I could see those camp grounds out in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. I wish I would have ridden out there just to see the campgrounds. Other than that, the Pima county air museum and mothball field seemed to be the only modern things out there. We did hit Old Tucson and did some riding in the desert. Beautiful at sunset.
Another great video Ray. I like the park reviews and the boondocking areas. I'm actually in Langley BC and the past month it been above 4 and 5 degrees Celsius everyday. but so much rain I hate it.. lol. safe travels.
Beautiful, if somewhat crowded and touristy place... But I think we still might give it a try. Good to know you have to plan way ahead to stay there. Too many people these days.
Thanks Ray. Another great video. Wish wife seen this as her Aunt and Uncle don't live that far from there. Maybe this would get her more in the mood to visit LOL
I will never go too far out of my way to avoid major cities. I will take outer belts, but I do time when I will be going through. I have driven through Chicago, Indianapolis, and KC just to mention a few. Between 10 AM and 2 PM ain't too bad, but after 10 PM is best. Loved all the Gambel's quail. The lost Dutchman State park is where we want to stay when visiting family in the Phoenix area.
Such a sweet area of the country. :) You document it very well and definitely looks appealing haha. Hopefully we can head out there sometime and enjoy it. Thanks for sharing Ray! - Shane
Ray..... Great Video. Thanks so much for the "Google Earth" part in the beginning. I really get a good grasp of your location and then your route of travel. Please continue this format. Be safe and be well...
You just put Lost Dutchman on my bucket list. Wow loved it. Would love to ride my 3 wheel bike running my Yorkie (Big 15 inch yorkie) and pappilion, they love to run.
We stayed a week in Apache Junction at a Passport America stay...we def want to go back, so watching all your videos to better plan the next trip! Thx Ray!!!👍🇨🇦‼️hey, just adding: have you done a video about snowbirding, as in how long can you be inUS and best way to pay for stuff...
No haven't done too much to do with Canadian snowbird logistical stuff as my Canadian audience is actually quite small, most that watch about 85% or so are Americans. Basically though I got myself a real US bank account with a US Visa card via the RBC Bank www.rbcbank.com/cross-border/us-bank-accounts.html#new and you can stay up to 182 days per year, if longer you need to apply for a tourist visa extension but it costs several hundred dollars non refundable to do so. Cheers, Ray
Surprised they haven't gotten the power and water to the large loops. We moved out of Phoenix back in 2004 and they were advertising the addition of power and water at that time. And I see the housing has spread out to the southern edge of the park. Also, next year you may want to also stay a few days in Usery Mountain Recreation Area. It is just west of Lost Dutchman a few miles and has a lot to offer as well.
Another great video. Of all the RV Vlogs going on out there, yours is the most informative and practical. Not to mention great photography, but I think I know who is helping you with that, and her name is not Angie. :)
I love Lost Dutchman State Park. We have stay there few times. I think you done a video on it before. That's how I found out about it. The cost to stay there gone up.
Definitely looks like a beautiful area Ray! I definitely agree with you about bypassing Phoenix, and actually as we begin our RV travels I'd prefer to avoid all major cities. Have you had any problems finding routes to bypass the big cities?
Not too much, I'm pretty good at finding an easy but longer way. But it's not like I'm in rush, it's nice to see the rural country and pass through some of the little towns instead of freeways.
you truly do make some great videos John sir, it is truly the way you for real!! not making all kinda fancy and they are just YOU sir! truly sir i believe in time you will truly be a you-tube l;legend with Rick & Zeb too there is better to for real people then ones that over try sir!
We can last a week without needed to dump or refill. 60 gallon fresh tanks and 120 gallons of waste tanks on our rig. Even easier when they have showers.
Hi Ray - Have you ever thought of doing a RU-vid live Q&A session? I know a lot of your viewers would love to be able to chat with you. It would be fun!
No, I haven't. Not sure how much bandwidth that would take, I'm not on an unlimited plan, we pay per megabyte and often our connections aren't ideal, maybe in the summer back in BC when I'm hooked to premium unlimited WiFi at our campground there or can mooch off my families high-speed cable, I'll give it a try. :) Cheers, Ray
I think all the AZ parks as far as I know are no drones unless you get a permit from them but I think that is for commercial projects and I imagine a fee is involved. Just my guess. Cheers, Ray
Nice share. Are there rattle snakes? It looks like ideal habitat for rattlers. And, do you ever worry about leaving your portable solar panel outside when you're off on a lengthy hike?
Yes, there are rattlesnakes pretty well everywhere in Arizona. But they generally are hibernating until the weather warms up in the spring. Depends on the location sometimes I just leave it other times I will slide it into the basement storage out of sight. I'm not overly concerned though as it's only worth about $130 bucks to replace. Cheers, Ray
It's a Sony AX53 - www.loveyourrv.com/love-your-rv-gets-a-new-4k-camcorder-sony-fdr-ax53/ I'm planning a review soon now that I've had a chance to use it a few months. Cheers, Ray
Hello Ray, I asked before but so many notes,, what's the page at the beginning, Google earth or plain Google maps or else? I would like to do Saddle Mountain and Dutchman this year but don't like to reserve, March still possible? Cheers. Cold in Quebec meanwhile :-0)
@@LoveYourRV Thank you, Ray, for the quick response ;-0) I am taking good notes this time. I love hot but it is difficult for the cat. And some years seems to be cold everywhere like last year where I remained in Floride but saw everyone in snow in AZ 🥶
@@projet2907 Accuweather is a good website to check. You can look at monthly weather and look back at previous year's temps and historical averages for a place. Here is Apache Junction March 2019 near Lost Dutchman - www.accuweather.com/en/us/apache-junction/85120/march-weather/331814?year=2019
That "tourist trap" is a restored mining town called Goldfield. It's overly commercialized for my taste but worth a walk through. There is a dirt/gravel parking lot big enough for big RVs. A more interesting place for me was the Superstition Mountain Museum, which has indoor and outdoor exhibits. It's worth spending some time there. superstitionmountainmuseum.org/
It was dashcam footage from the truck of driving around the entire campground. Thought it may be useful to folks wanting to visit and get a sense of the campground, but didn't want to lengthen the video any further, so added it there as a PIP. Thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Ray
I use it where we spend the summer months with its access to lots of flat paved areas to ride it on. I left it back in storage for our snowbird trip as it's pretty useless in the boondocking areas we camp at, so not worth the hassle and extra weight/storage space. It would be ideal for a place like FLA. No hills there and plenty of paved paths, not so much for the southwest with dirt, gravel, and hills. Even a decent mountain bike can be difficult in soft sandy washes. The ideal bike would be a fat bike but they are pricey for a decent one - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatbike
We took a drive out highway 88 past Tortilla Flat and also over to Superior and visited the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. we are gonna come back next year and explore deeper, loved the scenery. Cheers, Ray
Guess you went through Coolidge to get there. I was raised in Coolidge, burned in Florence. Did you ever stay in the BLM land between Florence and Florence junction?
I mean this in a nice way. Look into Previcox for Angie. She looks like she is walking stiff and this medicine made walking much easier for my dog. When they start to show severe signs of arthritis it can be too late. The earlier you can get her started the better. At least ask a vet.
Thanks, she coming up on 15 now so has a few problems, a major one is called Lafora disease, a neurological disorder. That, unfortunately, will likely be her undoing as it's not curable and progressive. :( She was looked at by her vet just before we left he didn't see fit to prescribe anything drug wise as he didn't feel she had bad arthritis. Many of these drugs have side effects worse than what the solve. You have to be careful. So far she does well enough with a small dose of aspirin when needed.
