Camping Research

There is so much information online that it's overwhelming. At the same time, it feels like there isn't enough. I'm researching for our first Airstream journey next week, and it's exhausting.

Originally we thought we'd go to Usery or Lost Dutchman to try out the trailer for the first time, but the weather here right now is ridiculous. Yes those campgrounds are close to home and don't require us to maneuver many winding roads or steep climbs, but did you hear me say it's 107 degrees? I'm not camping in the desert in 107 degrees. There are hardly any trees, it's all dusty, and it's freaking hot. So the mountains it is.

We decided on Payson because it's the closest cooler place. The forecast calls for rain on Monday, though, so I took a brief, manic detour in my research to find out more about the Grand Canyon. I think that trip may be a little too ambitious for our first time, so I'm back to focusing on Payson.

To avoid the rain and allow it to dry out (That should only take a few hours since it's still Arizona.), we'll head up the mountain on Tuesday and back down on Friday. Hopefully our batteries last that long as there are no electrical hook-ups. We'll conserve. We're good at that. There are some hikes we've wanted to check out for a while, so we'll do that and maybe go play in a creek. We'll explore, play, and relax.

In the meantime, I've been looking through campground maps, online campsite photos, and site details. Attempting to find the perfect campsite to reserve without seeing it in person is enough to drive a person mad. I'm trying really hard to locate our spot but probably not hard enough on staying sane. There's so much to consider. Back-in or pull-through? Shady or sunny? Will the Airstream's door face the campsite or the other way? These things matter to me, so I'm doing my best to find just the right spot, and I'm afraid of leaving anything to chance at least this time. Thank you, camping websites and Google Earth.

I think I've done all I can today. My eyes won't stay open, and campsites are starting to jumble together in my brain. My pal Aimee is heading to New York City next week, and she said she's studying Central Park like there's going to be a test! We're cut from the same mold, and I think we should both call it a day and get a fresh, focused start tomorrow morning. We'll probably find exactly what we're looking for as soon as we get back from our morning runs. Here's hoping.