Vegas Slow Go
It was an all-hands-on-deck moment. We had to get to Vegas. Ginny’s mon was in the hospital there and was not doing well. After a week and a half of tests, prods, and pokes, they were going to release her. It was going to be imperative for us to be there to help with home care. We both had concerns about COVID and travel. We have been living in QPI, quiet, peaceful, isolation. I will do my best to give you a snapshot of precautions and COVID protocols at each RV Park.
We decided Ginny would fly, and I would take the RV to Vegas from Tennesee via a southern route with Zoey. To execute that plan, I would need to wake up Natasha 2.0. A month or so earlier, I had winterized and covered her for that long winter nap. I would need now to bring her to life. That meant loading all the bedding, supplies, and everything else to be out for at least a couple of months. I got Ginny to the airport, and I managed to get the rig ready three days later.
Why A Slow Go
This was going to be a solo trip for me using the new rig. We did do a minor shakedown earlier in 2020 but nothing of this magnitude. The weather was going to be a factor. I choose the southern I-10 route to give me the best chance of a relatively fair forecast. The shot across the country looked good with the exception of Southwest TX. The trip was going to take a minimum of 12 days at the 4.5 to 5-hour rate of travel I preferred. That timing is all relative to the fuel, food, and relief stops along the way, which adds about 1 hour or so to the journey. With RV Trip Wizard laid out and the first week of stays booked I was ready to hit the road. I would de-winterize the water system when I got to Florida or warmer weather. I loaded Zoey up in the truck, and off we went. I knew I had to be very flexible given the weather forecast, here is what it looked like:
Mileage: 2,510 Nights: 13
- The Woods – Montgomery, AL
LTW RV Park Review – Coming Soon
Nights: 1
We have stayed at this location on our way to the Emerald Coast of Florida on a number of occasions. It is a cheap overnight with working power, water, and fair cable. If you are using satellite you have no problem with the signal as there are few if any obstructions. The park is 50% full-timers and there were plenty of sites open. The check-in was fairly touchless and the attendants wore a mask.
Not sure why they call this the Woods. It would be hard to find a tree anywhere near an RV. However, it is surrounded by trees and there is a small fishing lake in the rear of the property.
- Gulf Pines KOA – Milton, FL
LTW RV Park Review: Gulf Pines KOA
Nights: 2
The park had limited sites available. This is a snowbird location and it was darn close to full. When I booked there were a handful of pull-through and patio sites available. The staff is masked up and the check-in was fairly touchless. As a general observation, most of the RVers in the park were wearing masks when in public places. Venture outside of the park and you will find the situation a bit different. Masks are the exception and not the rule. Restaurants and open with some precautions in place.
We have stayed in the park on numerous occasions. The only caution I would give you is if there is heavy rain in the forecast the regular pull-through sites tend to collect a ton of water. We have been staying in patio sites to minimize this during rain forecasts.
- Cajun Palms RV Resort – 1055 N. Barn Road, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
LTW RV Park Review Cajun Palms RV Resort
Nights: 1
This park does not take overnight reservations. You must call the day you plan to come in to see if they have any sites available. I arrived midweek and they were practically empty. Weekend stays in the past were pretty full. The COVID protocols were good at check-in. I did venture out for some takeout and found Buck and Johnny’s, one of my favorites open.
- Katy RV Resort – Houston, TX
LTW RV Park Review: Coming Soon
Nights: 1
Located on the west side of Houston, this RV Park is located in a residential area. Many of the sites surround a fishing lake. The park was very full with a touchless check-in process. If you are interested in getting a quick meal you will have to chase it with your toad or truck. The park is a good 1/4 mile + off the main road.
- Travelers World RV Resort – San Antonio, TX
LTW RV Park Review: Travelers World RV Resort
Nights: 2
This is one of our Gold Star resorts. We love this location and RV park. The COVID protocols are excellent and check-in is touchless. This was not our first stay in this area. Once we can get back to normal here are a few places to visit: San Antonio
I am an avid skier and I always am checking the forecast for snow around this time. The forecast for the Southwest was looking dicey, great for skiing not so good for driving. There was a river of moisture coming in on the west coast that was going to dump a ton of snow in the Sierra’s. The temps in southwest Texas and New Mexico were dropping bringing snow down to 3,000 feet in the near future.
I was going to need to stall the trip out in NM to avoid high winds and snow on the higher elevations of I-10. I started the reservation process for the remainder of the trip with this in mind. It would call for moving or extending a couple of set reservations.
- Hill Top RV Park – Fort Stockton, TX
LTW RV Park Review: Coming Shortly
Nights: 1
Stockton or Vanhorn is a good midpoint for me when it comes to getting to Las Cruces. I choose Fort Stockton this go-around and a new park to stay at. I choose Hill Top based on the Campendium reviews. The staff could not have been more friendly or accommodating. The park is situated on a high bluff on the outskirts of Fort Stockton. Again you will need to be pretty self-sufficient if you decide to stay. There are no restaurants close by.
I am not sure I would like to be here during high winds or rain. If it does rain you are going to get pretty muddy as there is not a speck of grass. There are some pretty amazing sunset views on the west side of the property.
- Hacienda RV Resort – Las Cruces, NM 88005
LTW RV Park Review: Hacienda RV Resort
Nights: 3
The forecast was calling for some very nasty weather to the west of Las Cruces, NM. I have family in the area so I extended my stay a few extra days to wait out the weather and look for an opening to get to Tucson and beyond. We love this location, the check-in is touchless. My review above gives you a snap-shot of this great RV park and surrounding area.
During none COVID times here is are some must-see attractions.
White Sands National Monument is in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It’s known for its dramatic landscape of rare white gypsum sand dunes. Trails through the dunes include the raised Interdune Boardwalk and the Dune Life Nature Trail, dotted with interpretive exhibits on wildlife and other features. Dunes Drive is a looped road from the White Sands Visitor Center to the dune field.
We arrived early morning on a rather rainy day. This had its advantages as the park was not crowded at all. We made our way to the end of the driving loop and had the view and park to ourselves. This is a dog-friendly park with plenty of areas to walkabout.
Be forewarned, check to see if they will be closing the highway due to missile testing. White Sands Missel Range is one of the most active ranges in the USA.
- Lazy Days KOA – Tucson, AZ
LTW RV Park Review: Lazy Days KOA
Nights: 1
This is another Gold Standard RV park in our book. Snowbirds abound and the park is just one of the best we have stayed in. During this time of year, it is tough to find a site. They do have covered sites that go unused during the winter as most want to be in this sun. This did leave an opening for me to stay and move my reservation around to accommodate the coming weather forecast.
The staff here is great and very accommodating. If you do have some time to spend in Tucson below you will find some recommendations to see and do. Zoey and I had a great stay and off we headed to Kingman to wait out yet another snow and wind event.
Sight Seeing, Attractions, and Restaurants
Here are a couple of the restaurants we tried during our visits to Tucson. I enjoy cooking so we do plenty on the rig, but we are both foodies and try to find gems along the way.
El Charro Cafe – 311 N Court Ave, Tucson, AZ 85705 Established in 1922, El Charro Cafe of Tucson, Arizona is The Nation’s Oldest Mexican Restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Featuring traditional Northern Mexico-Sonoran style and innovative Tucson-style Mexican Food, El Charro Cafe is true as Gourmet Magazine wrote: “A Taste Explosion”.
We would whole heartily agree with that. Our taste test for most Mexican food is there Chili Relleno’s. I ordered the Original Anaheim version with Christmas Sauce and it was delicious. Ginny had a fried version with a light batter that she also enjoyed. I am not a drinker so Ginny generally goes for a Margarita. The pour was strong and she loved the drink. Highly recommended if your anywhere near.
Saguaro National Park East and West – In one word “Amazing”. Saguaro is home to the nation’s largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset. Make time during the cool of the morning or evening and go. Web Site: Saguaro National Park
Ginny and I being the casual hikers managed the trails around the Bajada Scenic Loop with relative ease. There is plenty more for the avid hiker to explore.
Five Points Market and Restaurant – 756 S Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 Basically everything is right about this place. The room is attractive comfortable and there’s plenty of room between tables. Service is efficient and unobtrusive and that includes the maitre d station. The food is uniformly excellent with obvious care and attention made to details. The salad has a light dressing the salmon benedict I have was perfectly poached. Ginny had the Breakfast salad and loved every bite. The bread is high quality and the desserts looked delicious. Even the ice tea I had was excellent as is the coffee both hot or cold. MAP
The Pima Air & Space Museum – 6000 E Valencia Rd, Tucson, AZ 85756, is one of the world’s largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres on a campus occupying 127 acres. It has also been the home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame since 1991
This museum is well worth the visit. The staff is mostly volunteer and are typically retired military. The bottom line, they have great stories about the aircraft and rockets and know their stuff. We did pay for the guided tour around the outdoor aircraft. It was informative and shaded out of the direct sun. That is one big area of aircraft and if you need to get your steps in, have at it.
They do have a tour of the military boneyard located near the museum. You will need to contact them regarding this and clear a security check before arriving at the museum. This will take a few days so plan ahead to fill out the application. We plan to do this on our next visit, the boneyard is massive and filled with all sorts of aircraft
- Kingman KOA – Kingman, AZ
LTW RV Park Review: Park review coming soon.
Nights: 1
- Oasis RV Resort – Las Vegas, NV
LTW RV Park Review: Oasis RV Resort
We rolled into Vegas in a bit of a rainstorm but avoided the high winds that were predicted. The park was surprisingly empty compared to what we have been used to in the past. There are a variety of sites available. The COVID protocols are good, masks are required in the buildings. The general protocols around the area a fair. I can’t give you an overview of downtown as we have yet to go and more than likely will not.
