Arizona - The Grand Canyon State | Uphill Zen

Arizona has beautiful desert scenery, along with a ton of blue sky and sunshine.

It’s not all desert, though. This state has pine-forested mountains, Wild West ghost towns, and a very Grand Canyon. 🙂

Some Arizona pix

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Yay! Zennie and I are back on the road! 🚐🛣😎
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We drove to Yuma as a bit of a test drive before crossing into Mexico, and Zennie passed with flying colors! 🏆 After all her recent repairs, she's stronger, faster and cooler than ever! She can cruise at 65 instead of 55 🚐💨, go up modest hills without even noticing them ⛰, and stays cool as a cucumber the whole time! 🥒 We're talking win-win-win! 🎰👍
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This little campsite seems like the softer side of Yuma. 😉 Usually I'm camped in the harsh yet lovely-in-it's-own-way #desert near here, but today we are on the water's edge. 💧🌴 Happy times to start our next adventure! 😎🎉💃 #lifeisgood .............
#usa #arizona

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Hmm... Something is missing here... 😜 ... ... A

Hmm... Something is missing here... 😜
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After #Zennie sat at the mechanic for so long, I picked her up and started getting ready for the road. I walked into the bathroom & saw the floor was covered in dirt! 😮❓ Then I looked up and saw the sky! 🌤 I had a 14x14” hole in my #roof, and the vent cover was completely gone! 😱
... ... I don’t know what happened. Perhaps the mechanic drove under a branch? 🌳 Or a big windstorm ripped it off? 💨 Anyway, I’m thankful for 2 things! 🙏😊 1- I happened to have a spare that I could install quickly 🔧⏳, and 2- I got it fixed a few hours *before* it started raining! 💦 #alwayssomething #goodtiming
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#arizona

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So here’s the offending part. 😈 This is the l

So here’s the offending part. 😈 This is the leaky head #gasket that kept me stuck in Tucson so long! 😳📆 But now Zennie’s all back together, thanks to my new fave #mechanic. 🛠💚 We should be back in action soon, on the way back to Mexico! 🚐💨😎 #cartrouble #betternow
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#zennie #arizona

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I've got a love/hate relationship with this place.

I've got a love/hate relationship with this place. 😇😈 I love the stark beauty of the desert 🌵, the abundant sunshine , #hiking with wide open views, and the many blue sky days.☀️ I love the way the city of #Tucson is ringed by mountains, sometimes dusted with snow this time of year. 🏔 I love a chance to reconnect with all the friends and family that I have here in Tucson. ❤️
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So what's the problem? Just a bad case of itchy feet syndrome,👣 and feeling stuck here waiting for vehicle repairs on Zennie. 🚐🛠 I have a problem staying in one place too long, no matter how nice it is! 😰 But things are going to change soon! #gottaleave #hittheroad #travelislife
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#arizona

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I could save time by taking I-10. 🚛🚙🚐🚛

I could save time by taking I-10. 🚛🚙🚐🚛🚚🚌🚙🚗🚚💨 But a thousand times over, I would prefer this! 🚐🐌😎 #slowtravel #backroads
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#usa #newmexico #arizona

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Inadequate: (adj) lacking the quality or quantity

Inadequate: (adj) lacking the quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose. ... That pretty much sums up my #tire changing gear! 😰 Quite a few good samaritans tried to help me 😊, with no success. Even two guys 🧔🏻🧔🏽 working this tire iron together couldn’t budge the lug nuts. 😭
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So my question is - what do you have and recommend for tire #equipment? I really need something that I can work by myself. 👱🏻‍♀️💪
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My story ended well, though. 👍 A Navajo woman with broken English told me she would go get her son the mechanic. 🚙 About 30 min later they returned, and he said he had tools at his place, so I slowly followed him there. 🚙🚐 They lived down a dirt road and sure enough he had a yard full of tools and car parts. 🛠 He fixed my tire and gave me some iced Navajo Tea while I waited, sitting in the sun on a plastic chair. 🥤☀️ Such wonderful people! They turned a nasty mishap into a memorable experience. 😎 #goodpeople .............
#usa #arizona #zennie

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ZZZzzzzzzzzzzz... I heard this odd noise while dri

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzz... I heard this odd noise while driving #Zennie & found this. 🚐😰 At least it wasn't the BANG whomp whomp whomp sound from the last flat tire I had! That one bent the exhaust and bashed in a storage compartment. 😱😭 This one kept the damage to itself! 👍
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I don't have much tire karma in the four corners region. 🚫🍀 All the flat tires I've had in my life have been right around here. So far I've had flat tires on the NM, UT and AZ sides, so I think I need to avoid this part of CO so I don't go 4 for 4! 🚫4️⃣
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Of course it happened far from the nearest town. But on the good side though, once again kind people stopped to help! 😎 #flattire #goodpeople .............
#usa #arizona

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Some days life delivers a delightful surprise! 😱😀 I wasn't expecting much from a little free camp spot near Lake Powell. 🚐 I just thought it would be a good base for other activities, and that's fine! 👍
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But much to my surprise, there is really cool #hiking right from the campsite, going around, between and over all sorts of awesome rock #formations. What fun! And all the better since it was totally unexpected. 😎 #coolsurprise .............
#usa #arizona

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Serenity on the Colorado River. 😊 The atmospher

Serenity on the Colorado River. 😊 The atmosphere at the bottom of Horseshoe Bend is quite a contrast with the hectic tourist-packed scene above! 😎 #peace #beauty .............
#usa #arizona #glencanyon

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Hard hat required? ⛑ Can I pretend I'm doing som

Hard hat required? ⛑ Can I pretend I'm doing something dangerous? 😜 About to board a Colorado River boat trip through the gorgeous Glen Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. No death defying rapids on this part, just a beautiful day in the canyon! 🚤😎 ... #boattrip #wonderfulday
Many thanks to @mcgreevy.mike! 😊 .............
#usa #arizona #glencanyon

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Who can resist the iconic shot of Horseshoe Bend w

Who can resist the iconic shot of Horseshoe Bend winding the Colorado River between its colorful #cliffs? Apparently nobody! 😂
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It looks so peaceful here, as though you could sit in quiet contemplation as you watch the sun sink below the horizon... 🌄😊 But sadly, Instagram posts like this one can be deceiving. The reality is that from the bottom of the canyon, it is still serenely beautiful. But from the top, I had to strategically block and crop about 47,000 people to get this shot. 😱😰. ... ...
When I was here a few years ago, it was quite different. Now it's a major tourist attraction with tollbooths and millions of visitors a year. 👫👬👭👫 That may be good for the local economy 💰, but in my eyes, the place itself is changed to the point that I no longer want to go there. So this is my farewell shot of Horseshoe Bend! 👋😕 (At least from the top!) #lovedtodeath .............
#usa #arizona #horseshoebend

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After my flex #solar panels didn't work so well 😫 I decided to go old school with these hard, heavy, but hopefully durable ones. 👍 ... ...
To avoid drilling through the roof, I got these heavy plastic bracket mounts (Renogy). The instructions that come with them say to glue the panels to the brackets and glue the brackets to the roof. So of course I did neither... 😜 I screwed the panels to the brackets, just so I can get them off if I need to. (You know, in case of problems?? I've got too much experience with that!) 😉😂 Then I used 3M VHB tape to attach the brackets to the #roof, and covered the corners with Eternabond just for extra protection. 🤞😊 ... ...
And what better time to give the whole roof a couple more coats of elastomeric paint? It may never look this pristine again! 😱😎 #zennie #sopretty .............
#usa #arizona

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Generations of artists have been inspired by the G

Generations of artists have been inspired by the Grand Canyon, and numerous plein air painters set up their easels by the rim. 🎨👩‍🎨 Since that's a skill I don't have, I'm doing mine the easy way! 😉 Here's my rendition of a well-named scenic point... 😮👍 #cantpaint #pretendartist .............
#grandcanyon #usa #arizona

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No, I'm not standing right on the edge taking a se

No, I'm not standing right on the edge taking a selfie! 🚫🤳 I see so many people here at the Grand Canyon taking risks that make me want to look away 🙈, all for the sake of a perfect shot for social media. I may be crazy, but I'm not that crazy! 😜 .............
#grandcanyon #usa #arizona #dk

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Yikes! 😱 You can't see it too well, but there's

Yikes! 😱 You can't see it too well, but there's a #bear in that tree! 🐻 But I should start at the beginning... ... ...
So we were out #hiking off-trail along the rim of the canyon, when I saw this black creature running straight at me! I saw it was a bear and yelled 🐻👀😲(a logical response, right?) 😜 and started to retreat (behind my friend Mike, who wasn't retreating as fast as me!).😂 But instead of barreling into me, it took off up this tree about 20 ft away.🌲 It was a black bear cub, and its sibling followed it up the tree a moment later. They clung there awhile just looking at us. 🐻🐻 Meanwhile, mom bear hung back in the brush, waiting for the kids. Eventually the cubs climbed back down to join her, and the three bears all ran away together. 🐻🐻🐻
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The little ones were really very cute, and boy could they scoot up the tree in a hurry! 🌲💨 Mom kept her distance, and made no moves in our direction. It was so cool to see them! 😎 .............
#grandcanyon #usa #arizona

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At the Grand Canyon - always awe-inspiring! It's h

At the Grand Canyon - always awe-inspiring! It's hard to comprehend the scope and complexity, so I just sit and stare... 😎 #awestruck .............
#grandcanyon #usa #arizona #dk

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Zennie in the #pines, and it's cool! 🚐🌲😀

Zennie in the #pines, and it's cool! 🚐🌲😀 ... ...
I spent longer in Tucson this summer than expected, in order to get my book finished in a quiet place with fast wifi, unlimited power, and limited distractions! 💻🔌🙈 (Somehow I never seem to get much done when I'm on the road - I am easily distracted!) 😜 Anyway, Tucson is a wonderful city, but the summer there? SO hot! ☀️🌵🔥🥵
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As soon as possible after the book launch, it was time to hit the road again! Destination? Anywhere higher and cooler! 🚐⛰❄️😎 #mountainair
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#zennie #usa #arizona

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With my #mom at the book launch party. She and my

With my #mom at the book launch party. She and my dad got me started on traveling a long time ago, so I'm so happy she could make the party! 🎉😊 ... ...
I realized when I was putting the book together that I had way more pix of Zennie than of me 🚐🚐🚐, since I'm always the one holding the camera. 📸 And I have never mastered the art of selfies - they always look a bit weird... 😝 But does anybody really care if they see pix of the author in a book? I'd love your opinion! 💭
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#usa #arizona #tucson #dk #launch

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Breakfast with Mom at the lovely #Arizona Inn. A l

Breakfast with Mom at the lovely #Arizona Inn. A lady outside was guessing we might be related... Think there’s a resemblance? 😉 #dk

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The head of this chuckwalla #lizard is camouflaged

The head of this chuckwalla #lizard is camouflaged so well you can barely see it, while the big yellow tail screams "Hey, over here - look at me!" Wonder which one it can live without... 😉😎 #coolreptiles #animalkingdom #arizona

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#Petroglyphs at Painted Rock. It's a fairly small

#Petroglyphs at Painted Rock. It's a fairly small boulder outcropping near the bend in the Gila River, but the density of rock art here is impressive. Hundreds or thousands of years ago, people were busy out here! Nice campground, too! 🚐😎👍 #arizona

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The Tucson beach! Ok, I know it's a pretty small b

The Tucson beach! Ok, I know it's a pretty small beach.🙄 But it *does* have 2 levels, each with its own waterfall & pool. Sounds like a luxury resort! 😉👍 I've gotten into a mode where #Tucson time is work time. I show up in town with a list of Zennie projects to do before hitting the road again. It's so nice to take a little time out & enjoy the wonderful things here, too! 🌵🌼⛰😎 #tucsonisgreat #arizona

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A picture perfect day for a #hike! I just ❤️ t

A picture perfect day for a #hike! I just ❤️ the sunny blue skies of southern #Arizona. 😎 How have I never been to Milagrosa Canyon before? Glad to finally discover it! 🚶‍♀️🌵😀

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Wow! This is the biggest #motorhome I've ever seen

Wow! This is the biggest #motorhome I've ever seen. It's actually got a sign on the side saying it's an RV and not available for hire. I don't know what they haul in the trailer, but just that back piece is twice the size of my rig. That little spec on the far right of the photo? That's #zennie! #itsamonster #arizona

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Getting ready for the #sailing races tomorrow! It'

Getting ready for the #sailing races tomorrow! It's the #Arizona Yacht Club's Leukemia Cup weekend out at Lake Pleasant. Should be fun! ⛵️😎👍 #arizonayachtclub

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Here's #Zennie, my travel companion & home on whee

Here's #Zennie, my travel companion & home on wheels. She's a 1986 Toyota Sun-Land Express, and we're currently full timing around the west, and heading south soon. Oh the places we'll go! 🚐😎👍 #arizona

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One thing I loved about Castle Dome #ghosttown 👻 is that they salvaged all sorts of stuff from this old mining district. When you walk into one of the old buildings, it's set up (with authentic stuff) to give you a better idea of what life really was like.
They've got mining equipment, glass bottles, saws, old blue jeans, saddles, pots & pans, newspapers, canned food, blacksmith tools, boots, lamps, wood burning stoves, and this old treadle sewing machine... All items left behind when people abandoned their lives here. It makes quite an impression! 😳👍 #arizona

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There were 300 mine shafts in Castle Dome, an old

There were 300 mine shafts in Castle Dome, an old silver mining town in AZ. ⛏ Walking around the ghost town today, they're all over the place. I'm imagining it with 3,000+ people back in the day, and these holes everywhere! 😮
The town has about a half dozen buildings in their original locations, plus a bunch more saved from demolition & moved to a museum area. Cool place! #ghosttown 👻😎👍 #arizona

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The last native palm trees in #Arizona are tucked

The last native palm trees in #Arizona are tucked away high in this canyon, and there aren't very many of them! 🌴The sun only reaches them for a short time each day - the rest of the time they're shaded deep between the high canyon walls. That, and the fact that it's not the easiest place to reach, has probably kept them alive this long. They do seem a bit lonely up there, though! 😉 #palmcanyon

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And another day draws to an end... It's a wonderfu

And another day draws to an end... It's a wonderful thing to be able to park your rig in a lovely spot for the night, and watch the mountains change color with the glow of the setting sun. 🚐🌄😀 We are so lucky to have fabulous free #boondocking sites like this available! 😎 #gratitude #arizona #zennie

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