It’s Rally Time!
Our latest trip started with another Grand Design Rally. If you didn’t read our post about the first rally we attended, you can check it out here.
I don’t know much about other RV brands but Grand Design has a strong and loyal following of really cool people. There have been 5 or 6 rallies just in CA, AZ and UT so far this year and every one of them has been sold out.
So what is there to do at a rally?
Well, that depends a lot on what the Wagonmaster (or Rally coordinator) puts together. Here’s just a few of the things that could take place.
- Planned outing to cool places. On this trip, several of the early attendees toured Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
- Seminars to learn new skills or hear about new upgrades.
- Games and activities like cornhole tournaments and craft fairs.
- Social activities like booze crawls and concerts. We participated on both sides of the booze crawl table with homemade jello shots and red vines!
And hanging out with old and new friends which may be the best part of the entire event!
Rizzo was a bit wiped out after the booze crawl!
About the Campground – Grand Plateau RV Resort
The rally was held at Grand Plateau RV Resort. I’m not sure how long this park has been open but it couldn’t be long. The park is in excellent shape!
Site Type: The site has both pull through and back in sites as well as some cabins.
Site Surface: Nicely leveled gravel surface. We barely made an adjustment!
Power: Enough to run two AC’s in the midst of the heat! 50 amp.
Water: Water included and they warn you on check in if you don’t have a pressure regulator, it’s best to purchase one as their pressure is high!
Sewer: We weren’t going to have to be like Cousin Eddie and dump in the street because this place was full hook ups.
Space: This isn’t BLM land but there was enough space between units to stretch out and not feel like you were eating over your neighbor’s crap hose!
Wifi/Cell/TV: Free wifi is included and worked just fine. We also had excellent cell service but there were ZERO tv channels available. Thank you YOUTUBE TV!
Additional Amenities: Can we talk about the AMAZING bathrooms at this place? I felt like I was in a high end hotel! Great water pressure, plenty of hot water, benches, new tile and super clean!
The park also had a swimming pool (not heated), hot tub, club house and laundry facilities.
Oh, and a nice dog run area that was just enough for Rizzo to stretch her legs a bit and play with some doggie friends.
It’s a First
After the rally ended, we joined up with our favorite travel buddies, the Charming Millers, for a first time (for us) experience – BoondockingBoondocking in an RV is when you camp without hookups to el... More on BLM land!
Now, mind you, our rig is not ideally set up for boondockingBoondocking in an RV is when you camp without hookups to el... More but it was only a couple of days and we had a generator so, we gave it a shot!
We found a spot on the road back to the Old Paria Townsite that fit both of our rigs nicely and gave us a very pleasant view.
Temps reached the high 80’s so the generator definitely got a bit of a workout but handled it like a trooper!
The battery on the other hand… Let’s just say Jeff is shopping for two new ones as we speak.
Philip made us homemade pizzas using his new Portable Propane Pizza Oven. Talk about DELISH! That may just have to be a father’s day gift next month…
Hiking
To burn off some of those well worth it calories, we did two hikes.
Wire Pass Slot Canyon
The first was Wire Pass Trailhead. We weren’t lucky enough to win the lottery for the Wave so this was our next best option. The trail did require a pass (per person and per pet) but it was easy to obtain.
The trail was just under 4 miles through some pretty cool slot canyons.
Are the Views Worth It? Um, YES! How many places do you get to see some cool slot canyons?
Will your Doggie Enjoy It?
Probably. The only point that was tough was when we reached the ladder. Not all dogs in our party were willing to be carried up and down. But the rest of the trail was pretty easy for most dogs. Just be aware that the ground can get a bit warm during the warmer weather and their paws may not like that.
Cardio Workout?
Kinda, there was a lot of sandy terrain that was much like walking on a beach.
What about heights?
Not really. We went down one ladder and that was it.
Can I wear my flip flops?
Due to the sandy soil, you might think this is doable. Hey, you do you but I don’t particularly like walking long distances in flip flops!
Toadstool Hoodoos
The next day, before packing up for the trip home, we enjoyed another hike to the Toadstool Hoodoos.
I just can’t say that word without thinking of this David Bowie song from the movie Labrynth.
OK, so it’s a stretch but I can’t get it out of my head Hoodoo, Voodoo, You Do…
This was a shorter, just under 2 mile, hike to the hoodoos. The scenery here looks like something you might see on an alien planet.
Are the Views Worth It? Pictures never do these things justice. This was a really unique landscape that you just can’t appreciate until you are in it yourself.
Will your Doggie Enjoy It?
Yep, pretty flat walk for the majority of the hike. If you want to wander up to the overlook view, it’ll require a bit more rock scaling.
Cardio Workout?
The majority of this hike is through a very sandy wash. You can take the slightly higher route and avoid a lot of the sand or go low and get that cardio in.
What about heights?
There’s one point where the trail is narrow and drops off on both sides but it’s not deathly heights and isn’t very long. Once you get to the first hoodoos, you can stop there or continue around to the left and get some pretty steep views.
Can I wear my flip flops?
Average shoes will work for most of this hike without a problem. Just be prepared to empty the sand out after!
On our way home, we stopped at Horseshoe Bend. I’ve lived in AZ for almost 40 years and this was my first time there. It’s an incredible view but I think the people watching on the hike in and out resulted in more conversation! Apparently someone notified all the Instagram “influencer wanna-be’s” that this was a great location to take photos as there were a lot of Gen Zers with their own personal photographers perched on some hair raising ledges in the classic Insta worthy poses.
Next up is another trip to Fool Hollow Lake in Show Low. See you soon and safe travels.