White Bridge Campground | National Forest Service | Utah

This is where I've been staying for the past few days - White Bridge Campground in the Dixie National Forest. I find the name Dixie a little strange for this area, since I've always associated it with the southeastern U. S. - Georgia, Alabama, etc.  This is easy to get to, just take Route 143 out of Panguitch, Utah and keep going until you see the sign for the campground.  The fee is $17, a little high for the forest service, but Senior Pass will get you half price.  They do have flush toilets, trash dumpsters and water available.

If you're lucky to get a site on the south side of the campground road, you will be backed up to a little stream which will provide soothing background sounds.  It just happened that I found a decent looking site and didn't even realize I'd have riverfront property!

On the way to the camp, you might see deer, so drive slowly if it's early morning or evening.

You might also see sheep - this is a small group that wasn't interested in moving very fast.  Actually, they were standing still, just gazing around.  There was another, larger group that stopped traffic on this road in another location, until they felt like moving on.

There are little chipmunks and ground squirrels, as well as regular squirrels running around.  They won't pose for a photo, so sometimes I get just a tail end or a blur.  I did finally get a couple good shots of these guys.

I am always trying to get a great photo of a hummingbird, and this isn't it.  However, it does show something interesting about these birds.  If you look closely at the end of this guy's beak, you'll see his tongue.  Their tongues are actually little straws that suck up their nectar.  I can hear them buzzing around the campground at all times of the day.

I did check out other dirt roads in the area for boondocking, living without any services, so they would be free of cost.  There are some BLM areas available.  I didn't feel like I wanted to take my 5th wheel on any of those roads.  I found that most of those were out in the open, some were visible from the road and most had no shade. 

Breaking the Inertia

I have been in Why, Arizona for a month now.  During that time, I have had the most relaxing time doing not much of anything.  I'm really waiting for the winter to get over so I can head north and explore again, in relative comfort since I'm wimpy in the cold weather.  There are hikes in the desert, socializing, and we go play Bingo once a week.  Otherwise, everyone has settled into a relaxed mode and there are no projects that seem urgent.    Obviously, since I can sit waiting for a hummingbird to come by and actually get a picture of one of these guys who whiz around at the speed of light.  I even caught one with a bee flying away from the feeding dish.

 

I'm totally amazed at how fast their wings move - they can hover, fly backwards and when they're on a trip to the next feeder, you can hear them fly, sounds like a little motor when the buzz right by you.  There are other birds hanging around, the Gila Woodpeckers keep coming to eat out of the hummingbird feeder and other little ones I have no idea what they are. 



 

 

Now that it's almost the middle of January, I want to start moving again.  So, in the next few days I'll be moving down the road to a national monument I wrote about in a previous blog, the Organ Pipe Cactus, they have a great campground there.  No hookups, so I might just stay there a few days to do some hiking.  This will get me out of the inertia that I have settled into while I've been here.  Then, I'll head on to Yuma to explore over there and then go slowly north as it warms up. 

 

Tomorrow I plan to head to Ajo ten miles up the road for a few little parts for my generator - spark plug and gasket.  I'll fill up with fuel and get a few groceries and then in the next day or so I'll head south about 20 miles to the park and get back into the traveling mode. 

 

Staying a month in one place has been a record for me, since I tend to move around while I'm exploring.  Sometimes I stay just a few days at a spot, other times it might be a week or so.  It just depends on how much I like the area and if I have seen everything I wanted to see. 

 

I already have been planning where I want to go this summer, making notes on maps and lists of things to see and do.  I'm looking forward to the warm weather and the adventures ahead.