Suggestions Please for first Snow Birding to Arizona

[rkassl]

This finally could be the first winter we try to escape to the warmth of Arizona for the winter. I have never done this before that is booking a place for 3-4 months in one area. Can some of you experienced Snow Birds suggest a few places to check out? We would be looking for more of a resort type property with the usual amenities. When you folks go down to Arizona do you normally stay at one place for the duration or do you move around? I would like to stay more rural if possible rather than being in a busy urban area. If anyone can help us with some suggestions to begin to explore I would greatly appreciate it.

Happy Camping!

[Me_Again]

Thunder Mountain wrote:
DO NOT LOCK IN ONE RESORT NO MATTER HOW HIGHLY RATED FOR YOUR FIRST SNOWBIRD! Now that I have yelled, AZ is a big place with many wonderful places and resorts. We are on year 5 of a multi-month snowbird. We have yet to stay in one place more than a month. Next year we are branching out to Indio, CA for a month. Suggest that you use this forum and rvparkreviews.com and select 3 or 4 resorts the first year.

These come to mind from our experiences: Canyon Vistas at Gold Canyon; Palms Resort, Yuma; McDowell Regional Park, Fountain Hills; Desert Trails, Tucson; Lazy Days KOA, Tucson; and Distant Drums, Camp Verde. These will give you a slice of local life and attractions as well as interesting resorts. Each location and resort has its own unique qualities.

Some people drink coffee, others tea and still others beer. What you like is not necessarily what others like! Some are loners and others are social animals. Loners tend to drift around a lot while social animals tend to stay and build relationships with other snowbirders.

Not everyone is the same!

BTW the OP said "I have never done this before that is booking a place for 3-4 months in one area."

Again to OP, you can not go wrong with Canyon Vistas RV Resort in Gold Canyon.

Chris

[Luke_Porter]

pjsky wrote:
Yuma is the warmest and sunniest place in the USA.

But not in the winter. Jan highs of only 70 and lows of 46---brrrrr.

[Thunder_Mountai]

DO NOT LOCK IN ONE RESORT NO MATTER HOW HIGHLY RATED FOR YOUR FIRST SNOWBIRD! Now that I have yelled, AZ is a big place with many wonderful places and resorts. We are on year 5 of a multi-month snowbird. We have yet to stay in one place more than a month. Next year we are branching out to Indio, CA for a month. Suggest that you use this forum and rvparkreviews.com and select 3 or 4 resorts the first year.

These come to mind from our experiences: Canyon Vistas at Gold Canyon; Palms Resort, Yuma; McDowell Regional Park, Fountain Hills; Desert Trails, Tucson; Lazy Days KOA, Tucson; and Distant Drums, Camp Verde. These will give you a slice of local life and attractions as well as interesting resorts. Each location and resort has its own unique qualities.

[Me_Again]

pjsky wrote:
Cocopah RV and Golf Resort in Yuma AZ is a GREAT place to winter. Yuma is the warmest and sunniest place in the USA. Don't let the golf throw you. Many stay there that don't golf. The activities and amenities are second to none. We have spent eleven winters there(6 months)and will be going back again next fall. PM me for further info on Yuma.

Got to love the park, as it is off in a corner of Yuma away from all other snowbirders! Not much close by! By the time you go and get an early bird, it is cold when you get back to the park! Chris

[pjsky]

Cocopah RV and Golf Resort in Yuma AZ is a GREAT place to winter. Yuma is the warmest and sunniest place in the USA. Don't let the golf throw you. Many stay there that don't golf. The activities and amenities are second to none. We have spent eleven winters there(6 months)and will be going back again next fall. PM me for further info on Yuma.

[Me_Again]

hermy wrote:
My advice is much like some previous posts. I would recommend trying 3 different areas for a month each- and in varying parts of the southwest. If your interests are golf then maybe Phoenix area in Feb and do the Phoenix Open tournament. Rocks and gems? Then do Tucson in Feb for the gem and mineral show and do Phoenix in January and try out the Barrett-Jackson car stuff. Try Palm Springs, CA for a month. By the end of your stay you will have a much better idea of what you are looking for and just how many options you have!

Pretty hard to get into better parks for a single month and/or a good site. Just saying!

[BarbaraOK]

hermy wrote:
My advice is much like some previous posts. I would recommend trying 3 different areas for a month each- and in varying parts of the southwest. If your interests are golf then maybe Phoenix area in Feb and do the Phoenix Open tournament. Rocks and gems? Then do Tucson in Feb for the gem and mineral show and do Phoenix in January and try out the Barrett-Jackson car stuff. Try Palm Springs, CA for a month. By the end of your stay you will have a much better idea of what you are looking for and just how many options you have!

March in Phoenix for all the Spring Training games. :B

[hermy]

My advice is much like some previous posts. I would recommend trying 3 different areas for a month each- and in varying parts of the southwest. If your interests are golf then maybe Phoenix area in Feb and do the Phoenix Open tournament. Rocks and gems? Then do Tucson in Feb for the gem and mineral show and do Phoenix in January and try out the Barrett-Jackson car stuff. Try Palm Springs, CA for a month. By the end of your stay you will have a much better idea of what you are looking for and just how many options you have!

[2gypsies1]

Me Again wrote:
SO, I asked my parents why they returned to Yuma each year. There answer was that they went the first year and returned year after to year to be with the friends they met the first year. If you do a "scouting mission" you will not find a group of new friends to see the following years.

For us that would be a terrible way. Did they every really see Arizona?

For the first year at least, move around and explore the state to see what's out there. Then if you want to go to the same place year after year you'll know the environment and park you'll really want to spend your time.

[BarbaraOK]

My only problem is Gold Canyon is another 30-40 minutes added on to trips to get to all of the good shopping, restuarants, arts centers, performances, museums, concerts. Even a Starbucks is a good drive.

Barb

[bjbear]

Me Again wrote:


Check out Canyon Vistas RV Resort in Gold Canyon. The West side of the resort is on the desert. You are out beyond Apache Junction, yet have a local grocery store, a Walgreens and a few restaurants. Everything else is back up Hiway 60 to the West 10-15 miles.

Gold Canyon is on the South Side of the Superstition Mountains and provides a get view for the park. Lots of pickle ball, dancing, happy hours, hiking club, cards, RC race track, etc etc.

Now for the big plus, this is a newer resort than most of the others in Mesa and Apache Junction with 40' wide lots vs 30' on the older parks.

If you want to be there this winter or any of the other nicer parks in the area you should be making a reservation NOW!

http://www.cal-am.com/resorts/canyon-vistas/

X2. When we did our first snowbird trip 9 years ago, we intended to travel around and try out a few places. After doing a lot of research, we chose Canyon Vistas as our first stop. Liked it so much, we ended up staying there every year for 4 - 5 months! More info at Clicky

[Me_Again]

SO, I asked my parents why they returned to Yuma each year. There answer was that they went the first year and returned year after to year to be with the friends they met the first year. If you do a "scouting mission" you will not find a group of new friends to see the following years.

I can tell you that a very high number of winter residents at Canyon Vistas came to the cheap seats up front and stayed "if" they could get a spot or returned the following year for the winter.

So if you want to be a returning snowbird, just pick a nice RV Resort and go for it. Book now! The good ones (in Arizona) are not available if you wait.

Chris

And remember!

[Paleo_Ron]

Arizona is a great state and there's a lot to see. For your first trip, rather than spending lots of time in one spot I would suggest you do a "scouting mission" and visit various areas. And don't ignore the state parks; some are just great. (For the more popular state parks you'll want to book in advance.)

[olygene]

Since this is your first extended stay as a snowbird, why would you want to stay in one park for 3 months? We were snowbirds for 10 years and we traveled from park to park. If we liked a place, we stayed longer...if we didn't, we moved on. Sure, you get lower rates for a 3 month stay, but one of the major advantages of RVing is having the freedom to travel and sightsee. Isn't that one of the main reasons you bought a RV? After you've roamed the West you'll know where you want to nest for the winter next year. Yes, some of the parks may be full, but we've noticed that the last several years, the RV parks have far more available spaces than in previous years. If they are full, just drive until you find an available park. Maybe some other RVer can comment on park reservations versus roaming. Whatever you decide, safe travel and best of luck.