Camping in the Snowies

Camping in the Snowies

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Fool Hollow Stae Park and Over the Rim

For those of you who know what state parks in Wyoming are like, fool Hollow is not at all similar but not necessarily better. All the roads and sites are paved and the pads are level. There is electricity and water if you desire it and even sewer if you want to pay the price ($30 per night for electricity and water).  There are lots of juniper trees, some Ponderosa pines, rabbit brush, yucca and other short vegetation. Bath houses with private bathrooms are on all loops with handicapped facilities and lighted pathways. There are camp hosts on all camp loops who have flower and vegetable gardens! There even is a free library, give and take as needed. However, even though the camping sites have a good distance between them, a lot of the sites are doubled so that two RV's are stacked in one site. We had a double site but no second camper came while we stayed.

Talking to Sandy, drinking a beer and birdwatching. A good day. 

Dave and I took a nice hike called the Rim Trail just south of the town of Show Low. It was only a mile but had interpretive signs explaining the area, geology and vegetation. The General Crook trail follows the Rim. He was in charge of subduing the Apache Indians so making a road that troops and supplies could travel was a priority. Must have worked, the White River Apaches now have a nice casino in Payson AZ. 
Along the trail, we saw our first Acorn Woodpecker and noticed our first alligator bark juniper. 
    Enjoying beautiful scenery along the Rim trail in Show Low, AZ. 
While in Show Low we took advantage of a laundromat, got groceries at Safeway and used the internet at the local library. 

          Rain at Fool Hollow campground. 
On Friday we broke camp and headed over the Mogollon Rim.
   A view over the Mogollon Rim from an overlook.
South and west to Payson, AZ we had lunch at a great Thai restaurant in the Big Lots! Strip mall. Our destination was the rodeo  grounds south of Payson, elegantly named the Event Center but everyone calls it the rodeo grounds. 
There were three other RV's in the parking lot under shaggy barked juniper trees. We headed their way and found a fiddler.  Leonard Cook is a fiddler and fiddle maker and native Arizonan.  His grandfather and father homesteaded at Sedona when the area was opened up by the state in the 1920's. Leonard has made 66 fiddles in the past 15 years since he retired from mason work. He was planning to enter the fiddle contest so he practiced his tunes and Dave accompanied on guitar.
         Dave is examining fiddle number 66. 
We attended a great Special Consensus concert at the high school auditorium Friday evening. Greg Cahill plays a solid banjo with great vocals by his mandolin and guitar players. The bass player was using an electric stick bass which was not so enjoyable but he added good bass vocals. Their four part harmony on a gospel tune was outstanding. 
Heavy rain in the night had Dave outside closing our back window and getting soaked. The rain moved the fiddle contest on Saturday morning to the high school. Dave got to know some AZ fiddlers and played back up guitar. Not being an AZ resident, he couldn't enter the contest. 
I found the library, looked at my email and did this blog.  We may head on to Surprise tomorrow after the contest ends or stay another night if there is a chance of a fiddle jam. 
I hope you have enjoyed our travel blog. Our next trip will take us to a fiddle or bluegrass event around this state.  We are looking forward to seeing Arizona. 








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