2-21-2025
H: 76ºF L: 47ºF
Mesa Spirit RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona
Today is an adventure day! We are exploring my old haunt: Scottsdale, AZ. My family used to spend a few weeks in Scottsdale every year. We stopped by the Embassy Suites, the hotel my family stayed at. It’s changed a little. I have fond memories of going to the lounge for happy hour and playing billiards. As a child, I was pretty good at billiards and the kind old men who let me play with them were often surprised.
Next we went to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. They have three large model train displays, two trains you can ride, the Pullman train used by four presidents, a museum, and playgrounds. Daniel loves trains and this was a park I went to many times as a kid.
Next we went to Cosanti Originals which was very unique. They make expensive wind chimes which are popular worldwide but it is also a practice in architectural design by Paolo Soleri.
2-22-2025
H: 76°F L: 45°F
Mesa Spirit RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona
We did laundry again because Marcel puked on the bed. I dehydrated apples for apply-cinnamon chips and tomatoes and onions to make a savory powder. We also extended our stay in Mesa because we are enjoying having some relaxing days.
2-23-2025
H: 80ºF L: 46ºF
Mesa Spirit RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona
We went to an RV show and had fun looking at all the camper vans, Class C rigs, and Class A rigs.
Next we stopped at Miners Rock Shop. What a cool place! So many rocks including phosphorescent rocks which glow in beautiful colors when a black light is shined on them. They also have supplies and equipment for cutting and polishing rocks too.
2-24-2025
H: 81ºF L: 49ºF
Mesa Spirit RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona
We went to Arizona Falls which is a small hydroelectric plant on one of the canals in Phoenix, AZ. It was first built in 1902 at the site of the waterfall created during the construction of the canal. The waterfall became a popular area for locals to recreate. The hydroelectric plant has been rebuilt several times with the last design artistically incorporating the falling water.
We went to Tonto National Forest again by the Salt River to look for the wild horses. We didn’t find them but the area was beautiful.
We stopped and talked to a man from Salt River Wild Horse Management Group who told us the horses usually cross the road at a certain time. He said there are about 380 wild horses in the area, they keep the mares on birth control, and they feed the horses hay twice a week because there isn’t enough for them to forage on. We stayed for 1.5 hours but didn’t see any horses.
We ended our night at Green New American, an all plant-based restaurant in Tempe, AZ. It had a cool atmosphere and great food! The staff was very friendly and gave us free food!
2-25-2025
H: 85ºF L: 54ºF
Mesa Spirit RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona
Daniel really likes botanical gardens so he recently purchased an annual family membership with the American Horticultural Society for $70. Part of the benefits include free admission to 380 public gardens around the country. There are two gardens nearby which we are going to check out.
Our first use of our new membership was Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ. We really enjoyed the plants and landscaping. We learned that a large saguaro cactus can hold up to 1500 gallons of water. I’m not sure how that’s possible as they don’t seem big enough for that amount of water.
The garden also had a climate change art exhibit, Toward 2050 by Ann Morton, containing hundreds of quilting squares with different designs and themes. It was interesting and inspired artistic ideas for me once we have a house and I have a craft room again.
We went to see a movie – Companion. It’s about an AI robot girlfriend whose programming is altered to commit a crime. It was ok. On the way home, we ironically saw a delivery robot.
2-26-2025
H: 87°F L: 54°F
Mesa Spirit RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona
We hung out and did nothing. We learned that purple sweet potatoes smell like roses when they are heated.
2-27-2025
H: 81ºF L: 59ºF
Mesa Spirit RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona
We went to Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix, AZ. It was small but peaceful and nestled next to a large apartment complex. We both thought it would be nice to have an apartment overlooking the garden.
We drove to Dobbins Lookout to view Phoenix at night. Unfortunately, it was windy yesterday so the whole city was obscured by dust until it got dark. The city lights twinkled beautifully.
We went back to the Desert Botanical Garden to see the art installation, Light Bloom by Hybycozo, lit up at night. It did not disappoint! It was actually really magical.
2-28-2025
H: 78ºF L: 52ºF
Mesa Spirit RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona
We had drinks with Daniel’s friends: Mike, Debbie, and Chris. Marley, Mike’s dog, also graced us with her presence. We went back to Pedal Haus Biergarten in Mesa, AZ and I enjoyed watching the people on the sidewalk. Like most bigger cities, Mesa has a fair amount of homelessness and drug abuse.
Stats
Expenses:
- Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
- Tesla Model X fuel: $0
- Campsite: $0
- Camping memberships: $43.72
- Food: $286.97
Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 54 (17 kWh)
Tesla Model X miles driven: 298.9 (82.6 kWh)
Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 5
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Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com
