090208 Desert Shadows

090208
Desert Shadows

Our last location was a Western Horizon Resort in Casa Grande, Arizona (between Tucson and Phoenix) called Desert Shadows. As parks go, it's large and active. There's a big clubhouse which also serves as the dining room with a full commercial kitchen that serves meals almost every day. The pool area is attractive with an roomy hot tub and nicely landscaped.
A well stocked library, a spacious poolroom for the local hustlers, a crafts room for those inclined to bead making and other trinkets and then there:s the card room. This is one of the most active areas of the park where fortunes are won and lost. Of course, with a five dollar buy in, they are small fortunes. Texas hold’em is the favorite game and there is always a seat for a new player at one of 4 or 5 tables nightly. Besides the dining room this is one of Peter’s favorite rooms because he gets lots of attention and people are always rubbing him for luck. He knows it doesn’t work but he enjoys the petting.
The activity schedule reminds me of summer camp. All day long there is something to do. There is no shortage of people who are willing to lecture on their travels, or the use of cell phones or computers or RV equipment. For the more adventurous, there are day trips to historic and archeological sites and Indian casinos or golf courses. In the evening, there is bingo, local talent entertainment or some other kinds of social events.
The super bowl took place while we were there and of course since it was the Arizona Cardinals playing, there was a large party in the clubhouse on a big screen TV. If you weren’t a Cardinal’s fan, the wisdom of concealing it was suggested. With about 100 enthusiastic fans, combined with beer, wine, hotdogs and hamburgers – it was a fun place to be – that is until the last 2 minutes when the tide changed and the Pittsburgh Steelers stole the game.
The weather has been nice and comfortable but when it comes to discussing it, we are surrounded by people with license plates from Canada, Minnesota, Montana, Washington and many more states that are frozen and snow covered from November to May so we tend to reserve our comments and nod our heads in agreement when they compare Arizona weather to their hometown.
Other common discussions revolve around individual travels and many of our neighbors have been on the road for years as “full-timers”. That means that they usually have sold their home, bought a large RV and live on the road 24/7. Generally they are retired seniors with lots of stories and advice, which we listen to with great interest, and then there are some “younger” couples who have “caught the bug” and decided to get out of town – which reminds me of an Albert Brooks movie called “Lost in America”..
One interesting couple had lived on a boat and sailed the Caribbean for years, and now switched to a land yacht.
From here, we'll camp out in the desert for a while, staying in low altitudes and south of I-40.