RV Park Mini-Reviews for December 2017

During December, we went from Nevada to Arizona to California.

After leaving Bullhead City, AZ, we drove to Pahrump, Nevada.

Pahrump, NV - Wine Ridge RV Park:  This is a nice, well kept RV Park, with great amenities and lots of activities.  We are not activity people, but there is plenty to do if you like that sort of thing.  Bonus points for the winery that is attached to the park! We spent our time in Pahrump relaxing and just driving around, checking things out.  I won $50 at Irene's Casino, which is a little hole in the wall place with a good restaurant, a bar and about 250 machines.  We also drove out to Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge, an oasis in the desert and worth the trip - we were only gone a few hours.  They have a nice visitors center and well informed rangers.

Las Vegas, NV - Thousand Trails Las Vegas:  There were a couple reasons we stopped here for a few days.  First was just to check it out.  People either love or hate this park, or they admit that it is primarily about location, location, location, plus a free place to park the rig if you are a Thousand Trails member.  I will say this is not my favorite, or even close to favorite park, but what it does have going for it, aside from the location aspect and as a base camp for exploring LV, is the staff.  All the rangers and staff we met were very friendly, helpful and on the job.  The spaces are tight, and it is basically a gravel parking lot, and not the type of campground where you sit outside and visit with people walking by.  

The other reason was to see our niece who lives in Summerlin, and whose sister was also visiting from Washington, so two nieces in one trip, and a wonderful late breakfast at the Peppermill.  That alone made the stay at this campground worthwhile!

Lake Havasu City, AZ - Lake Havasu State Park:  This park had been recommended to us over and over again.  Let's get the bad news out of the way first.  These sites are W and E only.  There is a dump station in the park.  Inconvenient, yes, but certainly doable.  We had a river front site, and the boats were loud.  I can't imagine what it is like during the summer.  Those are really minor gripes.  The big sites, the beautiful views, the trails, everything else - I loved this park and would highly recommend it.

Palm Desert, CA - Thousand Trails Palm Springs RV Resort:  Truth be told, we came to this resort expecting to just hate it.  It pretty much borders on a busy section of I-10 (there is a frontage road between the resort and the freeway).  Many reviews of this park were not good.  You will hear that the spaces are tight, it's too loud, there are trains at all hours, etc., etc., etc.  However, you will also hear the people that love it at this resort.  We decided to check it out for ourselves.  We were surprised how much we did like it.  There is a 50 amp section, which is tight - most spaces are between palm trees.  There is also a 30 amp section, where spots are much wider and bigger.  This is where we stayed.  There are lots of activities, again if you like that kind of thing.  While we were there, we encountered many friendly campers and people to chat with.  Kim joined in on the daily pool tournaments, and he really enjoyed that.  There are so many things to do and see around this area, even if you are not the touristy type - which describes us.  We did drive out to the Salton Sea, Slab City, East Jesus and through Joshua Tree National Park.  We will be going back because there was still so much we didn't do or see.  As Kim often reminds me, we are not on vacation.  We are full timing.  We don't have to do and see everything the first time there.  We know we will be back.

Menifee, CA - Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes:  This is a park where we had stayed about 7 years before.  At that time, there was a big dairy farm nearby, and you could smell it.  The dairy farm closed down but the property has remained agricultural, minus the smell.  We like this park.  The site spaces are big.  It is low key, but close to shopping.  Hemet, Temecula and Lake Elsinore are just 10-20 miles away plus you could easily make a visit to San Diego in a day trip.   This park also has plenty of activities, plus a separate family and adults only pool.  Kim enjoyed the daily pool tournaments here as well.  We have a number of friends in the area which is why we continue to come back.

I Can't Believe We Are Headed Home - First Stop: Needles, CA

It rarely happens, but I was actually up and ready to go before Kim.  Of course, he has a lot more on his list of things to get packed and put away than I do.  I asked him the night before what time he wanted to leave in the morning, and he said 10am.  Well, much to his surprise, I was ready at 10am.   He was not.  Therefore, I got to spend a few more minutes visiting with his aunt and uncle before we headed out.  We started our drive up the road to the Thousand Trails Verde Valley gatehouse.  We checked out, and drove about ¼ mile more before Kim realized he had not had anything to eat yet.  We pulled over before we even got out on to the highway so he could grab an energy bar from the pantry.  We had a good laugh, turned left onto Highway 260, and headed east toward I-17.

The previous evening there had been quite the discussion between Kim and Uncle Bill and their GPSs about which route to take.  With the Rand McNally GPS, you can plug in whether you are driving a car, a motor home, or a trailer/fifth wheel.  If you select car or motor home, the route took you south on 17, picking up AZ Highway 89 through Prescott, and then joining I-40 at Ash Fork.  If you put in fifth wheel, it took you north up I-17, picking up I-40 in Flagstaff.  We still don't know why one route was selected for a motor home, and another for the fiver.  We took the route through Flagstaff.  Next week, Kim's aunt and uncle will take the other route and let us know how it goes.  The GPS said that the route through Prescott was quicker by about 20 minutes.  It took us 2 hours from the Verde Valley TT Preserve to Ash Fork.  I know because that was just where we decided to stop for a potty break.  There are a few sections of I-17 and I-40 that are quite bumpy, and after 2 cups of coffee, my bladder had had all it could take.

Back on the road, we motored along until just before Kingman, where we stopped at a Love's to fill up, paying $3.86 per gallon for diesel.

We were headed for the Walmart in Kingman to pick up some groceries, but found a Safeway with a big parking lot and a traffic light (making it easier to turn left to get back on I-40).  We picked up some veggies, a bag of meatballs, some pretzel M & Ms, 5 gallons of water, and a roll of paper towels.  With what I already had in the refer and freezer, that should at least get us through California and possibly into Washington before having to stop for groceries again.

It had been windy the last two days in Cottonwood, and I guess the wind was following us as we were fighting the wind most of the way on today's trip.  Eventually, we crossed over the California/Arizona border, had a laugh with the agent at the Agriculture Check Point when I tried to claim Kim as live-stock....and the agent offered to quarantine me if Kim was offended.  We decided that calling Kim a "live one" was a compliment, and off we went.

We had reservations at the Desert View RV Resort in Needles.  Once we turned left from the end of the off-ramp, the road (part of Historic Route 66) was definitely in need of resurfacing.  Luckily, the resort was just one mile down the road.  As we were driving up, I was a little skeptical.  The surrounding  area was not something I would have picked, but as we approached the resort, I had a change of heart.  What a delightful place!  The spots were level.  It was very quiet.  The staff was very friendly and helpful.  The gentleman who escorted us to our spot even asked Kim if he wanted help or if he'd rather just do it himself.  To me, that's good insight into how your customers think.

I didn't get a chance to check out the pool, the laundry or the bathroom/shower facilities, but everything looks well tended to.  Here's a few quick shots of an empty site.

This was just an overnight stop, but I would definitely come back and do a little exploring.  Laughlin is just 20 miles away to the north, and Oatman is 25 miles to the northeast.  Lake Havasu and The London Bridge are just 40 miles south.  And there is a wildlife refuge I'd love to visit as well.  We will probably return in the next year or so, and spend more than just one night.

Next stop:  Bakersfield, CA.

Earp, California and Quartzsite, Arizona

We camped 3 nights at the Emerald Cove Resort along the Colorado River.  It's a large park, over 700 spots I think.  The place was packed for the MLK Holiday Weekend.  I was afraid it was going to loud and a party park.  Actually, it was very pleasant and quiet.  Beautiful putt putt golf course.  Two pools.  Two spas.  Lovely back in sites along the river.  Unfortunately, these are reserved for members of the Colorado River Adventures campgrounds.  We stayed there under an RPI membership.  It was adequate and the spaces large enough to accomodate our 3 slides. 

While there, we made a trip into Quartzsite for the Rock and Mineral Show and the RV show.  Never in my life have I seen so many RVs on the road, and campground after campground filled along with all the folks dry camping on BLM land.  Oh my goodness.  It was a sight to see.  And that was it....a sight!  The place was packed full of vendors of all things - not just RV related or gem related.  It reminded me of the vendor areas at a huge state fair.  Not much rhyme or reason to where things were.  I'm filing this under the heading of Been There, Done That, Don't Need To Do It Again.  On a positive note, if you are looking for large crystal geodes, or are a jewelry designer/beader - you will find great prices on things.  If you own a metaphysical store, prices on bracelets and necklaces were very very good as well.

(photo courtesy of therockwarehouse.com)

(photo courtesy of travelsw.com)

(Pictures courtesy of http://www.quartzsitervshow.com/)

We also took a ride up to Lake Havasu City as well.  We had driven through on our way from Laughlin to Phoenix, but we were towing the 5th wheel and unable to stop to see the London Bridge.  It really was amazing to see the bridge reconstructed there.  There is a replica of London Town, a shopping area, under the bridge.  Worth a stop to see and snap a few pictures.

We also stopped to take pictures at the Earp, California post office.  Yes, the town is named after Wyatt Earp, who homesteaded in the area while he was working some gold mines just south of here.  There is a picture of Wyatt on the building, and we stopped to see if Kurt Russell or Kevin Costner looked more like the real Wyatt Earp.  If you care, IMHO it would be Kurt Russell.

Next stop:  Yuma, Arizona

Laughlin to Ehrenberg, Arizona

We let Roundabout Rhonda (GPS) have a day off.  We knew the route she wanted to take, and it wasn't the one we wanted to do, so we reverted to (if you can believe it) a regular map!  We liked taking Arizona Hwy 95 to Needles, and then hopping on I-10 for a few miles.  Note that when you first get on I-10 going eastbound from Needles, the highway is very much in need of resurfacing.  However, it was only a few miles, and the pavement improved. 

Our drive today took us through Lake Havasu City, which prompted the discussion of is it Hava-Sue or Hava-Saw?  The city is much bigger than I had realized.  Population over 41,000.  The shopping centers, including a Super Wal-Mart, Staples, Home Depot, Lowes, Safeway, and all the requisite fast food places one could imagine, were fairly new...and if not new, well maintained.  I was surprised that at the number of homes we could see from the highway that were without grass.  With all the water from the 45 mile long Lake, I would have expected to see more green.  Pulling out the AAA travel guide, I did some 'research'.

Lake Havasu City was originally an Army Air Corps landing strip, presumably for bringing in supplies while they were building the Parker Dam, the land was purchased in 1963 by Robert P McCulloch Sr, and developed as a planned retirement and recreational community.  The city's claim to fame came when Mr McCulloch bought The London Bridge.  (Side commentary - either he was a genius or a kook - who buys a broken down bridge and transports it from London to Arizona?).

So back to the lawn question - the water from the lake supplies water to Arizona, Los Angeles and other cities in between.  If I had to guess, I'd say that the water is more valuable to sell, and therefore the cost to maintain a green lawn is probably higher than someone on a fixed income (ie a retiree) would want to pay.

Coming from the north, the London Bridge is on the far side of town.  You can see part of it from the highway (still Arizona Hwy 95), but we might have missed it had I not been looking right at the London Bridge Parking sign (which is definitely in need of updating).

(photo credit http://www.desertusa.com/)

Anyway, it looked like a nice pleasant and clean community, and we will come back here to camp at some point.  There are plenty of camp sites along the river between Lake Havasu and Parker.   It's a pretty drive along the river here.  We stopped in Parker at the Blue Water Resort and Casino.  It's a nice little casino.  I only saw 2 table games open, and the rest was slot machines.  We played a 25¢ Wheel of Fortune Machine.  I should have stopped after my first 'spin' of 100 coins and walked away, but alas, I didn't, and we once again contributed to the economy, this time of the Colorado River Indian Tribe.

We had lunch at the buffet, opting for the salad bar which included tossed salad and all the standard extras, coleslaw which was wonderful, cucumber salad, potato salad and macaroni salad, plus fruit and cottage cheese, bread/crackers, soup (a very delicious beef vegetable), dessert bar and drink, for $5.95.  The casino is small, but quite clean, with friendly employees.  There is also a movie theatre in the complex, and although I can't be certain, it looked like there were 4-6 screens.  They do have an ampitheater as well.  Three Dog Night is scheduled to be there on November 21st.  http://www.bluewaterfun.com/


Next stop, Quartsite for fuel.  Finally, we paid less than $3 a gallon for diesel.  The sign said $2.83 on the Shell reader board, but it was actually down to $2.75.  We drove through town just to get a feel for it.  We will be returning in January or February for the big rock and mineral show.  There's not much there.  Population is around 3,400, but swells into the hundreds of thousands during January and February.

                                     (Photo credit http://www.desertusa.com/)


An interesting little note, there is a Memorial to a man named Hadji Ali (from the Middle East - the AAA Guide refers to him as an Arab man) who came to Arizona in 1856 with a herd of camels at the Army's request.  The camels were never used successfully in the area because they caused the horses, mules and cattle to stampede. 

Quartzsite to Ehrenberg is a short drive, about 20 miles.  We are staying at the Colorado River Oasis, in spot #20, a pull through.  The sites are all gravel, but there are cement patio pads with full hook ups.  Because we were just staying the night, we didn't want to unhook.  The electric and water hook ups are at the front of the pad, and we did not have enough extra electrical cord to plug in without unhooking.  So instead, we pulled in backwards, and ran the water hose and the electric cord under the trailer.  We did not hook up to the sewer.  (A side note, the sewer hook up did not have a solid cap, and it was a little smelly.  There was a slotted cap, like a drain filter, and we put a plastic bag on top of slotted cap and covered it with some rocks to deal with the stench).

Again, it's a clean park with nice swimming pool, hot tub, laundry and rec center.  I'd rate it 3 out of 5 stars.  Nothing special, but quiet and clean with friendly hosts.

Most of the sites are pull throughs on the gravel, but there were about 20 back in spaces right on the river, with a grass lawn between river/beach and camp site.  We stayed here on our Resorts of Distinction membership, so it was free for the night.  If we could reserve one of the waterfront sites, we'd come back again for sure!

Picnic tables by the Colorado River

The grassy area in front of the primo sites (picnic table shot above is to the right of this shot)

Today, we are off to Laveen.  No camping tonight.  We are spending the night at Kim's brother Tom's house, and visiting with their folks, sister Cathy, and brother David.  And I have a scheduled date for a luxurious sea salt bath in Tom's garden tub!  Tuesday, we are off to Buckeye, AZ for a week stay to see if we like the area.  Rumor has it that Buckeye is a bit like West Seattle, only warmer LOL.