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Old 01-04-2016, 10:25 AM   #1
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Info on AZ or Cal late Feb trip

I am gathering that all of AZ is not created equal, and some areas are far warmer than others.
I would like to make our 1st winter trip pleasant for the DW and put us in the best position to do it again, often!
We do want full hook ups.
So ideas for warm areas where there is some good hiking, small towns no problem.

Or southern/eastern CA. San Diego looks great but I KNOW she wont like a tight, hey neighbor, rv park for over a week.

Any and all input will be greatly appreciated!
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Old 01-04-2016, 10:43 AM   #2
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Warm

Quote:
Originally Posted by TMan59 View Post
I am gathering that all of AZ is not created equal, and some areas are far warmer than others.
I would like to make our 1st winter trip pleasant for the DW and put us in the best position to do it again, often!
We do want full hook ups.
So ideas for warm areas where there is some good hiking, small towns no problem.

Or southern/eastern CA. San Diego looks great but I KNOW she wont like a tight, hey neighbor, rv park for over a week.

Any and all input will be greatly appreciated!
First off is Quartzsite, Az it's a snowbird mecca. Southern Arizona is generally good weather in the late summer and spring. Tucson, Wickenberg areas are worth a look. Further south around Tombstone is a fun area. Phoenix area is typical crowded city and campsites. Southern California around Borrego Springs is good camping with a couple of good private campgrounds. San Diego is a great place for fun but crowded city and I don't have any suggestions for RV parks. The Gaslamp district in San Diego and the USS Midway tour are fun. Julian is nice but higher elevation and cold during the winter. Areas around the Colorado River may appeal to you and good for relatively warmer temps. Try a Google search for specific trails. We travel a lot of areas on horses in the Borrego Springs area and the trails are both hiking and horses and fairly extensive. Maybe there is someone out there with some specifics on campgrounds. Happy, safe motoring.
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Old 01-04-2016, 11:23 AM   #3
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For San Diego we've found the best place to stay which is a reasonable drive to be Santee Lakes. For a more remote experience we love Borrego Springs. We boondocked there but there are a few nice RV parks, although expensive.

We love Arizona. Generally for winter here are some areas you should concentrate on - from Havasu on the Colorado River down to Yuma to start. The Havasu area can be windy and sometimes cooler than you may want. Yuma is much warmer. Quartzsite is nice to 'experience' in January but there's not much to do there. It's just a crossroads.

Don't try the I-40 area and north until April/May. They get snow and cold. This includes Grand Canyon Nat'l Park.

We like the Cottonwood area which is near Sedona but again, it can get cold. We stay at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. It might be a nice option for you when leaving to head north. Prescott and Wickenburg can also be cold.

So...further south you would have the greater Phoenix area. Although a lot of congestion you can find wonderful relief in a 'country' atmosphere but close to many opportunities to do things. We have stayed at every Maricopa County Regional Park. They are awesome - big lush sites and hiking. The word is now out and reservations are a must in winter. April through Nov/Dec you can find sites without a reservation. Our favorites are Usery, McDowell Mountain, Cave Creek and Lake Pleasant.

Also in the area at the far east side of the greater Phoenix area is Apache Junction. Along with many RV parks, there is Lost Dutchman State Park, a true winner. (We've volunteered there) The hiking is wonderful and again, the sites large and scenic. They even have full hookup sites now but still a typical state park stay time of 2 weeks. We like to move from there to one of the Maricopa County Parks and then back again.

We wouldn't recommend the Casa Grande area but others seem to like it. We've been caught in severe dust storms in that area and there's no readily available hiking. It's a lot of 'flat'.

Moving south you'll be in Tucson. It's much smaller and laid-back than Phoenix. Catalina State Park is 'the' place to stay if you want excellent hikes. This is where we stay. Voyager RV park has every kind of activity you may want. There are other RV parks - Rincon West seems to be popular and it's close to Tucson Mtn. Park with extensive hiking, the Desert Museum (a must) and Saguaro Nat'l Park - West.

Further south at Amado is De Anza RV Park. You would be close to the Santa Rita mountains for hiking.

Heading 40 miles east is another favorite area of ours. It can also be cooler than Tucson and Phoenix but usually warms up sufficiently for us. Benson, AZ has Kartchner Caverns State Park and the cavern tours are great (we've given them). It also has a nice campground with electric and a few hiking trails. From there you can easily tour Tombstone (weekends are more festive) and Bisbee (the mine tour is highly recommended). Sierra Vista is known for the birding canyons and hikes but no RV parks. In Benson itself is Cochise Terrace and Butterfield RV parks.


Tombstone and Bisbee are much colder than Benson. It's all about elevation in Arizona.

So...that's a wrap. Hope you enjoy getting away for the winter months. For your first time I would suggest moving around for a week or so to various areas to find what you like.
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Old 01-04-2016, 12:35 PM   #4
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If you don't mind expensive try Chula Vista RV Resort. It is a great facility on the bay and next to a beautiful marina. San Diego temps are about as perfect as they get and it is a very nice city. Coronado is near and lots of fun. Lots of fun stuff to do in the area.
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Old 01-04-2016, 03:34 PM   #5
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Bingo!
Thats what I was looking for, spot on.
Thank you, it is VERY MUCH appreciated!
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Old 01-04-2016, 03:54 PM   #6
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Just booked 4 nights at the Lost Dutchman SP! Site 32, pull thru. Hook up.
Looks beautiful.
Again, thank you so much!!!!!
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Old 01-04-2016, 04:55 PM   #7
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You will love Lost Dutchman! We just left Apache Junction, stayed at Santa Fe RV park. Very nice and clean!
Great hiking in Lost Dutchman. We did the Flat Iron. It was a 8 hour, hard hike but we loved it! Experienced hikers only. So much to see and do!
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Old 01-04-2016, 06:49 PM   #8
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Here's your site #32....a beauty!


Lost Dutchman 032 - Lost Dutchman State Park Campsite Photos - campsitephotos.com
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Old 01-05-2016, 07:20 AM   #9
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Wow they are nice sites. Might have to look into them on the way home if we don't go the other route.

Thanks,
Tim
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Old 01-05-2016, 09:05 AM   #10
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Lost Dutchman is near the top of our favorites list.

Here is from site 27;



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Old 01-05-2016, 11:43 AM   #11
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I would recommend a stop in the Coachella Valley, CA. Great hiking, lots of wonderful things to do in the area, concerts, casinos, street fairs, art show, great restaurants, wonderful winter weather (warm days & cool nights).

Lots of RV parks and rv resorts. We stay in Indio, Palm Springs, Palm Dessert and any of the other local towns are nice.

You are a short drive to Joshua Tree National Park as well as Borrego Springs State Park.
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Old 01-05-2016, 09:09 PM   #12
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That sounds like a winner also!
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Old 01-06-2016, 11:12 PM   #13
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The best places in Southern California with full hook ups that we have found where you aren't parked in tight sardine rows, are military (Navy) campgrounds: Fiddler's Cove on Coronado is excellent, as is Del Mar near Oceanside (Camp Pendleton), and San Onofre in San Clemente. Right now, we are in Palm Springs where, with the rest of the Coachella Valley, there are tons of options. El Nino is now coming upon us in full force, however, both in AZ and CA, but given the mayhem on the coast, here in the Valley is probably a better option.
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Old 01-07-2016, 10:38 AM   #14
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The best places in Southern California with full hook ups that we have found where you aren't parked in tight sardine rows, are military (Navy) campgrounds: Fiddler's Cove on Coronado is excellent, as is Del Mar near Oceanside (Camp Pendleton), and San Onofre in San Clemente. Right now, we are in Palm Springs where, with the rest of the Coachella Valley, there are tons of options. El Nino is now coming upon us in full force, however, both in AZ and CA, but given the mayhem on the coast, here in the Valley is probably a better option.
Have to ask but not being Military are these available?
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