Life in an RV Park Fort Victoria RV Park
By Dennis Begin
In Canada, one of every nine Canadians owns some type of recreational vehicle. T e majority of these owners generally use their RV’s from May through October.
T ere are, however, thousands of snowbirds who travel to Southern California or Arizona to spend winter is the sun. Some of the more popular snowbird destinations are Hemet, Palm Desert, Lake Havasu City, Yuma, Tucson, Apache Junction, Mesa and Casa Grande. Year aſt er year many snowbirds return to the same RV Park, expressing a feeling of having a home away from home.
RV Parks fall into three categories: 1. Overnight parks for RV’s only. 2. Combination RV Park and park models with short term RV sites. 3. An RV Park with short and long term stay, combined with permanent park models/trailer residences.
In the early years of our RV travels, it was exciting to visit as many places as
possible over three months as the years passed, and we visited many of the major tourist sites. We are now content to spend most of our winter in two places. With the cost of RV’ing continuing to increase, staying longer in one park is also a practical way to reduce costs. T e longer you stay in one place, the cheaper the costs. Aſt er visiting numerous parks in the Tuscon area, we selected Cactus Country
on Houghton Road, just off I-10 and located in the southeast part of the city. Cactus Country is part of Adventure Bound Resorts, based in Florida. T e park is managed by Kim and Dan Workman, with a very capable staff of seven. T e park has a combination of both park models and 260 RV sites, along with a tenting area. Some of the facilities include: heated pool/spa, fi tness center, library, horseshoe court, shuffl eboard, laundromat, desert garden, recreation hall, picnic/camping area, dump station, private mail boxes, cable, internet and a doggie park. Cactus Country is typical of most full service parks, providing amenities for comfortable living throughout the winter months. Fry’s grocery store and Costco are only a few miles away, with a major mall on Speedway. Life in a RV Park has its own routine, with a social director responsible for
planning daily activities. A myriad of activities include a camera club, bible studies, cigar afi cionados, billiard tournaments, quilting and sewing, yoga, line dancing, bingo, card/scrapbook making, aerobics, jewelry making, a golf club, hiking club, cactus garden and karaoke. Food always plays a major role with pizza night, pot- luck, dessert auction, coff ee and donuts, omelet breakfast and fi sh night. Special events include: Movie Night, Texas Hold’em, Casino Night, Mystery Murder Night and Saturday Night Dances. Bus or car trips are arranged to local casinos and the Triple T Ranch. T ere is no pressure to join any club or get involved in any activity, as participation is leſt to the individual. If you want to sponsor a club or activity, you will be encouraged to provide the leadership. Many guests participate in setting up/running the numerous activities. If none of these activities are of interest, there is the opportunity to help at the local Food Bank. As a result, the winter weeks pass quickly with friendships developing among the RV’ers who travel from across Canada and the United States. Adventure Bound claims that 84% of their guests are repeat customers and that includes our friends. Friends/family back home oſt en ask, “What do you do for three months?” Believe
me, there never seems to be enough time to be a tourist, complete the routine chores and take part in various activities. RV ing provides a unique opportunity to experience new places, make new friends and appreciate that RVing is more than just owning a home on wheels. e
RVT 156 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 21
✔ 300 Hookups ✔ Free Showers ✔ Laundromat ✔ City Bus ✔ Playground
✔ Water/Sewer/Electric/TV ✔ WiFi & Modem Access ✔ Sani-dump ✔ Salmon Fishing Charters ✔ Whale Watching Tours
Just 6 km from City Centre 340 Island Hwy,
Victoria BC V9B 1H1
250-479-8112 • Fax: 250-479-5806
info@FortVictoria.ca
www.FortVictoria.ca
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