WEEK 1
Let the adventure begin! We left Dallas Wednesday afternoon, May 25, with the intention of getting to Las Vegas by Sunday. I had a marketing offer from Caesar’s Palace for $400 in gas cards—which coincidentally is how much we spent on gas to get there. Since the plan was to kick off the “real” trip in Utah, it made sense to swing by Vegas first even though it meant traveling at breakneck speed for the first four days or so. And we made it! After three nights of boondocking and one night at a KOA, we left our RV in oversized/remote parking at McCarran Airport, rented a car, and cruised into Vegas, baby! WITH baby. Ok, my baby isn’t exactly a baby at three and a half years old but it was still the first time I’d experienced Las Vegas with a kiddo in tow. It was also the first time I left Las Vegas with a lot more money than I came with. That’s right, I hit the jackpot – TWO of them, actually! Not a bad way to wrap up the week.
HIGHLIGHTS
-The boondocking
Fritch Fortress Campground on Lake Meredith in Fritch, TX
We arrived in the dark and woke up to beautiful lake views at this FREE campsite complete with super clean bathrooms AND showers. Such an easy place to dry camp and a great start to the boondocking on this trip.
Sandia Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, NM
We drove into Albuquerque, rode the Sandia Skytram, ate dinner at the Mexican restaurant there, then parked for the night at Sandia Casino & Resort just up the road. This was blacktop boondocking/urban camping at its finest, as far as I’m concerned (which in full disclosure isn’t far because I’d only done this a few other times). Plenty of dedicated overnight RV parking with some pretty level spots. The cherry on top was the self-serve coffee available in the casino, which I enjoyed the next morning. There were A LOT of other RVers there for the night; many even set up camp.
Coconino Forest (I think), near Walnut Canyon National Monument in Flagstaff, AZ
This was a great wild camping experience—we built a fire and star gazed for a while after sundown. The drawback was a creepy armchair in the spot next to us. Strange.
-And the jackpots, let’s be honest.
LOWLIGHTS
-Driving uphill and into the wind through West Texas and New Mexico
Despite the engine revving like a race car, I was afraid we were going to come to a slow and gradual stop!
RV COSTS
Fuel: $400 gas
Camping/Parking Fees: $115.50
Maintenance/Repairs: $0
WEEKLY TOTAL: $515.50
TRIP TOTAL: $515.50