Natural Setting Extended Stay RV Parks In Arizona

[elfqueen]

Hello I am new to the full time RV lifestyle. I would like to leave California for Arizona for a change of scene and am looking for a nice extended stay RV park to spend the winter.

I had a bad experience of checking out a park that looked beautiful on-line and when I went there it was nothing like the brochure, a very run down giant parking lot. I'm a little discouraged right now from this experience. I am looking for a natural scenic park that still has access to stores. I don't need a RESORT with pools and activities, I can entertain myself by watching nature and wildlife or working on my crafts. The disappointing park was called a resort and now I'm shy of parks with resort in the name. Can anyone recommend a nice park?

Thank you for your time.

Victoria

[BillAdams]

AZ is a big State with very different weather. Any idea where you would like to go?

[tbutler]

Victoria,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

A good place to start looking might be RV Park Reviews. You'll get the low-down on the parks from people who have been there. If the reviews look good to you there are links to the campground web site if they have one, plus phone numbers so you can call and talk to someone at the park, make reservations, etc. You can't beat national and state parks for natural settings but finding one near a city (stores) might be a challenge. Usually the connections (water, sewer, electric) are limited in national and state parks and many have limits on how long you can stay.

As Bill said, Arizona has a lot to offer. What kind of natural setting do you want. There is everything from desert to mountains, hot to cold, forest to city. If you are full time, I'd recommend that you go exploring. Pick out several areas and spend a little time in each this winter. You'll know when you find a place that feels good to you. Some people are comfortable staying in one place for an extended time, others like to move occasionally to explore something different. As a full timer, you are free to follow your interests. If you travel then stop for a week or two and then travel again, you can stretch the travel out so the fuel costs aren't huge in any one month and you can take advantage of weekly and monthly campground rates which usually offer a nice savings over the daily rate.

Once you are out exploring, you might want to venture further than Arizona. There are many other areas where people winter and each offers its own unique set of plants, animals and natural resources. We winter in the Rio Grande Valley, the southern tip of Texas. McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Harlingen, Brownsville and South Padre Island are a few of the cities in the area. There are over 70 RV parks, some small, others huge. Some are rustic, others resort quality. Some of the parks are near or within cities and others are rural. Some have many activities, others don't have any organized activities. There are many nature parks and state parks there. Our park is called a resort and is truly a resort with well kept grounds, heated pools, tennis courts, a part time restaurant, apartments and a recreation room. One of the big attractions of this area are the birds from Mexico and Central America. The native plants are also quite different than those found in the the rest of the US. The Gulf Coast offers a bountiful supply of migratory birds from the the northern US and Canada so you can enjoy the birds and butterflies to your heart's content. Within a 20 minute drive we have every big city store you could want. There are three international airports in the area and each of the large cities have quality hospitals and plenty of doctors as well. Parks in the area cater to the winter visitors as do the parks in Arizona. There are craft clubs in nearly every park. Parks have dance and music groups, bicycle and motorcycle groups, golf and exercise groups, just about any interest you want to pursue can be found in some park. This is true of areas like Arizona, Florida, and many other wintering areas in the southern US.

I hope that you find the full-time RV lifestyle as enjoyable as we have. Again, welcome to the FMCA Forum.