Tuesday 15 May, to Camp Verde via Phoenix AZ

Woke early again to another clear, blue sky.  By 8.30am it’s 29C and we are already on the road heading towards Phoenix – Valley of the Sun.  Phoenix has more land designated for parks than any other major city in the US and more than 20 cities and towns make up Phoenix, America's fifth most populated city - just behind Houston in fourth place.

Enroute we stop at the Blue Beacon Truck Wash in Eloy AZ and give our ‘girl’ a birthday - $48, including $12 worth of Rain-Ex. was a great deal (the staff did it all) and all three of us are happy : )

Next stop for diesel, expensive here around $3.50 but thanks Gas Buddy we found a place selling at $3.12, bonus!

Back on the I 10, we see off to the left what appears to be a aeroplane graveyard.  Pinal Airpark is in fact a boneyard where out of service civilian and commercial aircraft are stored.  The low humidity of the Sonoran desert provides an ideal storage environment.  The last Boeing 747 from Delta Air Lines arrived there earlier this year, with much fanfare.

Pinal Airpark, just north of Tucson

Driving though Phoenix wasn’t too stressful, many lanes wide, good signage and the traffic was relatively light. 

There are palm trees in Arizona

Phoenix doesn't look to complicated to get through!!

Found some great radio stations, one was all Queen music and the other was Oldies 92.7, will definitely try and find that station again.

Nice drive!!

Love that these cacti grow wild on the mesas

We climbed up to an altitude of over 4,500 feet and then down the other side, seems like such a waste of effort, they should make a tunnel for trucks and us - the poor trucks turn on their hazard lights and grunt up the incline nose to tail in the right lane.  Just as well there is at least one other lane.

Driving down the 6% decline with a run-off for the trucks etc with brake failure

We arrive up at Camp Verde and we choose Krazy K RV Park, a different park to where we stayed last time, just for a change of scenery.  The park was actually booked out but we were offered the overflow site and that works well for us. 

There are a couple of mansions overlooking the RV Park, wouldn't that rock your socks?  I guess they can easily escape by using their private airstrip!

Spend the afternoon in and around the pool, it is hot but a dry heat so much easier to deal with.  The night sneaks up on us, very dark and the stars are super bright, just slightly marred by the headlights we can see travelling along the highway.  All in all another good day!!