Our relaxing month in Camp Verde came to an end and it was time to slowly head north.
Traveling through Northern Arizona is very familiar territory to us. We have been here many many times.
Being in a familiar place had me thinking about why people keep returning to familiar places rather than exploring new ones.
For us it is because there are some places we really like and are happy to return or they are on the route we need to take to wherever we happen to be going.
For others it is a fear of the unknown.
For others it is just disinterest or lack of curiosity about anything new.
I have talked to many of the people that come to Arizona for the winter from Canada or the Northern States that take the same route back and forth staying at the same places and never exploring anything new.
Some people are creatures of habit. They like going places they are familiar with and they know their way around.
Some keep returning to the same place because of an emotional attachment. They have good memories of family and friends there so retrace the same steps.
Some places have such unique beauty that there is no reason to choose any other place to go.
For some the places they go are due to family traditions. That's where they've always gone so will always go.
Which leads me to me. Why am I always so curious? Often I am thinking "where can I go next? what have I missed seeing?"
I'm not dissatisfied or discontent when I am stationery. I can settle down and be happy as a clam in one place.
Then I read a book or see a program on TV about someplace interesting and the travel bug bites and the location is on my wish list.
Today's travels are brought to a close at the Kiabab Paiute Tribe RV Park near Pipe Spring National Monument. Over the years we have watched the park being built but this was the first time we have stayed here. It is nice with quite a bit of grass and the promise that those twigs of trees that have been planted will grow into beneficial shade in the not too distant future.
The next morning we are on our way again. This day we are heading into Nevada.
Nevada is a state we have done quite a bit of exploring in but this visit we are going somewhere new.
We have arrived in Caliente, NV staying for a few days at Young's RV Park. Nothing notable about the park except its location.
The most notable building in Caliente is it's beautiful old railroad station. This architectural masterpiece was originally built to host a Union Pacific Railroad depot in 1923. It held the railroad station, a full service restaurant and 50 room hotel. Why here in the middle of nowhere? Caliente was thought to be the next big resort town of the American West. As Caliente is the halfway marker between the larger cities of Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, Union Pacific formerly used this railroad depot as a major hub. When Union Pacific moved its hub to Las Vegas the big resort dreams were over.
Caliente has tried to put some rejuvenation into the town and this pretty path along the river is near the RV park where we stayed. Caliente is named for the nearby hot springs because Caliente means hot in Spanish. I couldn't find anywhere that you could soak in the hot springs other than at the Hot Springs Motel. It was once owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ and was the site of several forced marriages between under-aged girls and older men. This was brought out in the trial against it's leader Warren Jeffs. The new owners have remodeled and are hoping its reputation is forgotten.
On my walk at dusk I lingered on the bridge overlooking the wash that runs through the area. This sweet girl came walking down toward me and was as curious about me as I was about her. She posed for several photos and didn't flinch when cars drove over the bridge. Finally I tired of standing in one spot and started to move. She moved in the direction I headed and when I came to the end of the bridge she aimed for the trees and bedded down.
Just like the deer I made my way toward the trees and bedded down in GypsyII. Another great traveling day.