Left the campground at Homolovi Ruins SP about 9am heading for Payson, AZ. A clear, cool, not windy day. After seeing nothing but brown desert landscapes starting in West Texas, the mountains and pine & juniper trees growing on the Mongollon Plateau were a welcomed change. All brown gets old after a while. We both agreed we prefer the green of trees. The elevation at times, was just over 7.000'. There were patches of snow here & there.
We stayed at the Houston Mesa Campground in the Tonto National Forest. The campground is just inside the city limits of Payson. An attractive campground, heavily wooded but located right on the highway. OK for our use as an overnight stop, but too much traffic noise. We chose it because it's right on our way to the Lazy Daze Camp-out on the Theodore Roosevelt Lake. Spend the afternoon trying to identify different birds, trees and flowers with our reference books.
