Arizona

When Cold water is Hot

by Ingrid

Living a minimalist mobile lifestyle can be enlightening, fun, and rewarding but it can also present challenges. Last summer, Al and I meandered around Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado and although we had a fantastic time, the transient way of life can be stressful at times.

Moab, Utah
A transient lifestyle can be challenging but oh so amazing!

Wanting to keep our schedule flexible, we didn’t make any reservations last summer. That sense of freedom and rolling on a whim is one of many things we love about this RVing lifestyle. But there is a down side. Summer is a time for family vacations, peak travel season, which means state parks, national parks, and private RV parks are usually booked months in advance and for us that meant finding a place to camp was no easy feat without a reservation.RVing

This summer we decided to park in one place for a few months and see how long it would take for hitch itch to set in. This summer we’d have no worries or stress as to where to camp. In the past, I’m usually good for a month, maybe two, parked in one spot and then I’m ready to get those wheels rolling again.

Prescott, AZI’m enjoying my time camped here in Prescott Valley, Arizona, and there’s only a small part of me missing the adventure of travel …. just a little anyway. However, I’m sure my latest adventure with my daughter tempered that need to roll.

So to overcome any hitch itch, I’ve been keeping myself busy. When the weather isn’t scorching hot, which it unfortunately has been this past week, I’m out an about hiking or exploring with the camera in hand.

One of my favorite places to hike in Prescott, Arizona, is at Watson Lake. I’m never at a loss at finding a photographic composition in this unique little spot. And when the light isn’t quite right for those landscape shots, I always manage to find a willing model or two to focus my camera on.

Watson Lake

Not only is it a fun adventure exploring new landscapes, learning the idiosyncrasies of a new location can be equally amusing.  In early May when we moved up to Prescott from Phoenix, up to 5,200 feet in elevation, we thought we would be escaping the extreme triple digit heat which is normal in Phoenix. Boy, were we wrong!

First off, Phoenix has been experiencing record high temperatures this past week and that heat has permeated into every square inch of the state of Arizona, including Prescott. Now granted, we’re still at least ten to fifteen degrees cooler than the city of Phoenix, but who’s counting when the temps rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit 😲

Watson Lake
me hiking at Watson Lake when the temps were still comfortable

With those high temperatures in mind, when I take a shower in the late afternoon, I have a fun time adjusting the water temperature. I try putting the faucet nozzles in the same position all the time. Lately, the water is hot, I mean unusually hot. The other day when our thermometer was registering 108 outside, I kept turning the hot water nozzle down in hopes that the water temperature would cool.

bird photographyEventually, I had the hot water nozzle  turned totally off and just the cold was running. No cold water for this gal! Considering we only have a six gallon water heater and I’ve become quite adept at taking a quick Navy shower, the excess hot water was a treat. Yep, the cold water was hot …. how interesting!

I’m always learning something new with each place we call home.

Eventually, the water did turn cold, but it did take awhile for the above ground and shallow below ground water lines to be cleared of the heated water.

Watson Lake
This photo was taken in May. You won’t find any puddles around these days.

A transient RV lifestyle is anything but boring, and there’s always something new to learn and experience. And although there’s a part of me that would like to be on the move exploring like we did last summer, I’m enjoying the lack of stress associated in finding a place to park. Plus, I still have so much more to see around here, and I haven’t even mentioned our active social life yet.

There’s definitely an upside to being stationary for a time, but I assure you my transient RVing lifestyle won’t be coming to an end anytime soon. That freedom to roam is addictive!

Watson Lake

58 thoughts on “When Cold water is Hot”

  1. Hahaha! We sure enjoyed the coolness of Wisconsin! But we just left and are burning hot back here in central Illinois. PNW sure sounds nice. But we’re happy we made it to Wisconsin!

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    1. I always have mixed feelings about our return trips to the Midwest. Our last visit was awesome and we’re considering next summer, but too soon to decide 😉

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      1. It’s REALLY hot! So much hotter than any Florida summer-we at least had breezes. Wisconsin was the perfect temp. The mosquitoes were only bad in the forests and pastures!

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  2. Pingback: When Cold water is Hot — Live Laugh RV – Bee Organized with Pamela

    1. Since our children live in Phoenix, we do spend a great deal of our winter in and out of the area. We do love the weather in Phoenix half the year 😊

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  4. Oh…that so-difficult-to-find balance between least stressful about where to stay (or whether we will find place to stay) and most flexibility about where our next adventure will be. I’m a bit relieve to read that even seasoned RVers like you still need to constantly adjust.

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    1. Yeah sitting still isn’t fun when it’s not totally by choice. Our situation to sit for a spell was a little of both – have to, want to 😉 Hope your doctor appts come to an end soon and you can start rolling.

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  6. I would have gotten hitch-itch when the temps pasted 85*. We’re having a very pleasant low 80’s week here and I’m liking that pretty well.

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    1. So jealous of that low 80’s. I’d be out hiking if that were the case around here. Oh well, this too shall pass and it’ll be just a matter of time and I’ll be complaining of the cold 😆

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  7. I imagine it takes awhile to grow accustomed to this style of living Ingrid. It seems you have adjusted beautifully!

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    1. In a few days we’ll hit our anniversary of 4 years living this lifestyle. So if I haven’t adjusted by now as I enter year 5, I’d say I may be in trouble 😆

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  8. Lovely photos of Watson Lake. We really enjoyed our one visit to the area and hope to return for a longer time. Hiking in Granite Dells was beautiful. We enjoy staying at least a month to have that time to tour and relax. Summer is a crazy time to travel which is why we have just gone east to visit family for the last few years. But we realized that we had to plan way ahead if we ever wanted to visit the Olympic Peninsula. So here we are this summer. Next summer…back east!

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    1. I have to admit, as much as I’d love to be exploring the PNW, it has been extremely relaxing to hang out in one spot and not worry about things. Plus our truck was in the shop over a week. So we were grateful we were in the Prescott area when it broke down considering this is where our diesel mechanic has his shop. I’m enjoying your posts on an area I have yet to visit.

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  9. I never realized that Prescott could get so hot! I agree, it’s nice to have a place to settle down in the busy summer months. I don’t know if we’ll ever give up our summers on Lopez!

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    1. I’d say you two have a pretty nice summer gig that you enjoy. Thus, no reason to change it up. One day, I’ll make it up to the PNW. I find your posts on the area very intriguing.

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    1. When all is said and done, we will have spent four months here, which is the longest we’ve ever stayed in one spot since going full-time four years ago. Should definitely give us a good feel for the area. So far, we’re loving it!

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  11. How funny Steve and I were just talking about the same thing, not getting cold water. But I liked it for it reminded me of my showers back in the Phil. We are mostly hibernating inside Betsy most of the time and in all days. So am glad for you that you have a Watson Lake to go to not only for photo ops but also to cool off.

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    1. I was thinking of you guys as I was writing this. I know down there in Tucson with the extreme heat, you probably aren’t getting any cold water. Yep, during the middle of the day, we find ourselves staying in the RV or running errands …. running from the air conditioned car to the air conditioned building lol.

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  12. Living an adventurous life (as a transient) has a cost: being uncomfortable and exhausted at times, the need to be flexible without getting annoyed or frustrated and being able to deal with challenges of all kinds. Sigh… But, the advantages are worth the hassles. 🙂

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    1. I think hubby and I were feel worn and exhausted. Thus the sitting in one spot for a few months is the perfect way to rejuvenate. I’m sitting on pins and needles waiting for you to share your big news!

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        1. I cherish my time with my daughter because it’s few and far between. She does have a demanding job and of course a social life, so any time I get is special. I’ll need to catch up on your posts considering we’re talking about the PNW for next summer and although we aren’t Thousand Trails members we are Elks thus appreciate your shares.

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  15. Glad you are finding plenty to keep you busy in Prescott, a good place to hang out for awhile, despite the heat. We’re doing the stressing this summer trying to find places to stay.
    Having lived in Florida we were used to the cold water always being warm in the summer, but when we visited my family in Pennsylvania it was always a surprise that the cold water was actually cold!

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    1. Sorry to hear about the stressing. I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse especially with the boom in blogs and youtube videos sharing the subject/experience. It’s been nice sitting and getting caught up on projects. We feeling very relaxed and will be more than ready to roll in a couple of months.

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  16. It is such an interesting and adventurous way to live… including the naturally steamy water spouting from the shower. Keep enjoying your adventures. I am certainly enjoying the posts on them xx

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    1. There’s rarely a dull moment living this lifestyle. It certainly isn’t for everyone, but it’s been working for us… at least for the time being 😉

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  18. What a beautiful place to be – I just love the granite dells of Watson Lake. We can actually turn the water heater off for the summer, cause there’s no such thing as cold water in LHC in the summer! Ha, ha! Wonderful shots of the lake!

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    1. Our neighbors and new friends here in the RV park own a house in LHC. They thought they’d escape the heat of Havasu and will be moving on next week for even cooler temps. Do you own a house or RV lot in LHC?

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    1. Yep, most RVer’s can relate to the cold/hot water issues and we have indeed found a nice spot to spend the summer. Although next summer, I may want to be a little more mobile 😉

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      1. Just remember, you have such an opportunity to scout locations if you ever settle down again… I hadn’t realized you hadn’t been up to the PNW. What a treat you ave awaiting you. Try and get there for the wildflowers next year around Rainier. Meanwhile, enjoy your Arizona family 😊

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        1. Good advice! I’ve been eyeing tulips and lavender in Squim, WA. We’re spending the summer in Prescott, AZ to see if this is an area we’d like for a home base….. not sure 😉

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  20. I wondered how hot you guys were getting there. I had no idea it would get triple digits up there. It was 97 when we left Utah, and that was plenty hot for us in an RV. Thankfully Idaho has been very pleasant with mid 70’s and maybe 80’s today. Hitch Itch is a real thing. After 3 months in Utah, I was more than ready to get going. Watson lake looks nice and full though, so I bet that’s been wonderful.

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    1. We didn’t think the extreme heat would stick around as long as it has. We knew we’d get some hot days, but didn’t think it would last weeks. Learn something new all the time. Even with that said, we do like it here very much, and could see buying something down the road. The weather is such that if we did encounter a health problem, we could live here year round.

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  21. A wonderful post Ingrid, stunning scenery and photographs. Other than the heat, it looks like you have chosen an amazing location for your latest stop 🙂

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        1. When the weather isn’t quite so hot, it’s a great place to hang out. They say June is the hottest. Once the rains roll in during July and Aug, it should cool some 😊

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  22. It’s all about perspective and stuff I don’t think about.. and you’ve learned from experience. … but on the flip side we had a wet winter a couple of years ago then none chilling cold and sump pump line froze SOLID. I had to go out and jerry rig an alternate line with heat wrap. I think it would be a good test to be transient for a while and learn what I treasure most. As always, great photos.

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    1. Thanks Clay. Yeah, the transient life presents challenges BUT a bunch of treasures as well. I’m not ready to change anytime soon. Ah, but a lake front property like yours could talk me into settling down in a heart beat.

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  23. Good morning, Ingrid,
    Even living in a house and not in the really hot parts of Texas, we have the same hot/cold water “problem” – only not that much, maybe. But I always define summer here as the time when we get warm water out of the cold water faucet in the master bathroom. There, the uninsulated pipes are in the uninsulated south wall of the house, and we have to let it run for a while before we get the really cold water from our well. I don’t like this waste of water. Btw, it’s the same in winter, only the other way round: then for a minute or two the hot water comes out ice cold, before we get the slowly warming water from our hot water heater. Maybe at some time we should have the pipes insulated.
    Have a wonderful Sunday,
    Pit

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    1. You can imagine, in the RV that insulation is even worse than in a regular house making it even more extreme. Ah, makes life interesting, doesn’t it! In the winter, I run out of hot water real quick which is never fun thus I love the extra hot water in the summer and take full advantage 😊

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  24. I am always amazed and impressed at the ongoing travel adventures of you and your husband, Ingrid — for years you’ve kept up intrepid journeys; so I appreciate the change-up this summer. I can imagine how difficult it is to find reservations during the busy summer months. Fantastic photos.

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    1. Yeah, I still can’t believe we’re about to hit our four year anniversary of living in the RV full-time. Not sure what happen to that year or two only scenario 😆 It has been a nice break to sit still for a spell, but I’m already scheming up a different plan for next summer!

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