Roughing It Gently - Our Travel Adventures in our 2015 Discovery 40E: April 1 - 30, 2018 - Getting an RV Lot in Arizona & Arizona Legends

This has been a very busy month. As previously stated, we have been looking for an RV lot where we can spend our winters, while still in the Southwest, so that we can avoid the 4,000 mile roundtrip to FL every winter. 4,000 miles at even 8 mpg at $3.00/gal is a $1,500 yearly savings, not to mention the 4,000 extra miles added to our motorhome. Now, given that many, many RVers have recommended Arizona as an ideal such destination, our plan was to stay at different campgrounds... a week here and a week there, to narrow our search. Next year we would have taken our preferred locations and stayed a month here and a month there, until perhaps finding a place that we could contract for the six 'winter' months. However, seldom do things work out the way we anticipate them, and sure enough on the second day of looking at different campgrounds in Benson AZ, we found the perfect location and opportunity.

The Escapees (SKP) Saguaro Resort:

During our stay at the Valley Vista Campground in Benson, we went to see an Escapee resort that Escapee members can LEASE (not buy). Actually one has to pay $ just as if it was being purchased BUT one does not ever OWN it. It is a 99 year lease. The only advantage to it is that when you sell it, 1) there is always a waiting list of Buyers, and 2) You are guaranteed to get what you paid for it, plus any improvements you have made. The negative is that there are way too many rules and one is expected to work to some degree in the running of the campground.. Also they limit the size of the 'casita' which can be built to 288 sf (which is about 3/4 of our motorhome). There is no pool or hot tub in the Resort and Lessees are not allowed to put one on one's lot. The people were nice enough and the facilities were ample, but given much higher HOA fees, too many controls and the fact that being 500 feet lower than Arizona Legends we would not be guaranteed a nice view of the mountains and valley below, as we have in Arizona Legends.

From Valley Vista Campground in Benson we already had reservations at Fiesta Grande RV Resort (an Encore and Passport America park) so we decided to go there anyway, but once there, with neither of us really liking Casa Grande AZ, or the campground there, we decided to cancel all the other reservations and return to Arizona Legends to buy the lot and prepare the building of the 'casita'. Bill had an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon in Cottonwood, AZ, while we stayed at the TT Verde Valley, but realizing that if surgery was going to be needed for his knee we should be where we could stay for about a month or longer, as he would not be able to drive the RV, or get up or down during his recovery, we should be at the new lot in Arizona Legends where we could be there as long as needed. Given that he is going to transfer from The Villages VA Outpatient Clinic to the VA Tucson Medical Center in Tucson, as his primary VA facility and new doctor, this proved to be the best option.

Arizona Legends is a community of RVers, who have bought a lot and built a 'Casita' in which they spend most of the day in, on their lot. To remain an RV Resort (with a Homeowner Association) the owners can park their motorhome on their lot and connect it to sewer, water and electric, plus build a building up to 45% of the lot square footage (i.e. our lot is 40x100, 4,000sf, so we could build an 1,800sf house. However, the owners cannot sleep in their 'casita', or cook on a range (microwave/convection and outdoor grills are OK)... we know, weird rules, right? However, this is not a community of just lots with RVs and 'casitas' on them. There is a also a 6,500sf clubhouse with a pool, spa, billiards room, gym, huge meeting room, library, laundry, showers, etc. There is a Homeowner Association monthly fee, but it is only $60/month... SIXTY, that's it, and it covers use of the clubhouse, your own mailbox (at a mail station), plus city water, sewer and trash, therefore for the six 'summer' months that we are traveling on the mototrhome. However, the great things about this lot is that:
1) It is out in the country (OK, desert) but that is the way we like it,
2) It is close to shopping in Benson with a Walmart and Safeway,
3) It is within 28 miles of Sierra Vista, which is the more major town of Ft. Huachuca (a US Army post),
4) It is within 45 miles of Tucson,, whose entire metropolitan area is roughly 980,000, and is home of the University of Arizona and a major VA Medical Center for Bill,
5) And as an added benefit it sits just off of Interstate I-10, Exit 302 (SR 90 to Sierra Vista, which has a Love's truck stop and a Shell within 5 minutes on the way out or in to the resort.

It was an opportunity that when we visited it we both knew right away we would find no better anywhere else. At best, the same somewhere else, but not better, so we stopped our search and picked out a lot t hat has an unobstructed view of several mountain ranges(Dragoon Mtns., Swisshelm Mtns., Galiuro Mtns. among others) across 25 miles of valley, 500 ft below our lot. The Eastern view to the rear of the lot is spectacular and will promise wonderful sunrises from our rear covered porch.

But wait... there's more (like the advertisements on TV say). On the rear edge of the back yard we'll also have our own spa, and in the front we'll have a 12x16 garage to do double duty, a 12' x 8' storage room (thus being able to move our 10' x 10' storage in The Villages and a 12' x 8' garage for the golf cart or Polaris 4-wheeler to go out into the desert with, so when we leave for the summer trips, we can leave the lot closed up. OR we may be able to rent it out (RV lot and 'casita' without the garage) while we are gone for the summer.

Bill managed to change his VA appointment with the orthopedic surgeon in Prescott AZ, to one at the VA Hospital in Tucson. They don't have orthopedic surgeons at the VA in Tucson, so he was sent to a private ortho surgeon in Tucson at the Tucson Orthopedic Institute who has been recommended by several other RVers who have had successful surgeries there. His first appointment is April 26th, when they will do the additional Xrays, blood work, etc., and determine what degree of care he will need... non-invasive, invasive or total knee replacement. . And the best thing is that the VA covers all his medical expenses (as a benefit of his military service). It seems that wherever we go we benefit from that service with every matter of discounts (usually 10%).

For example, Mary decided that she wanted a large 26.8 cu. ft. French door refrigerator for the casita and found one on sale for about 60% or its MSRP... $1,499, marked down from $2,349, but then got Bill's military discount further reducing it $149.90, to $1,470 with accessories and tax included. With Verizon we also received two $200 rebates (for two lines), and at Total Wine and Spec's liquors we also benefit from the military discounts.
As a result of the potential surgery and building process we will probably be spending this summer here in Benson at Arizona Legends, and then the winter as well. Bill will undoubtedly be recovering from his knee care, and we shall also be building our 'Casita', which we have designed ourselves. It will be in the Southwest or Santa Fee (Adobe) style, typical of the area. As the work progresses we'll be posting photos of the progress, and in this post we show the lot itself, the views and the area around it.

Also, on the 27th we are on our way to our storage room in The Villages, FL to pick up Mary's stored antiques and other stuff. We found a One-Way car rental, through Enterprise, for just $60.07 TOTAL and with a Chrysler Mini Van, so we are leaving 'Edith' (F-150) in AZ with the motor home, and renting a 16ft Penske truck to drive back in with our belongings. Until the 'casita' is built (about 2-3 months) we have a storage space in Sierra Vista. This will be a quick trip just to pick up our things and get back to AZ as we have some things we have to attend to. Therefore, regrettably, we won't be visiting with anyone in FL.

In May, after our return we are sure to have more news and more photos.

ARIZONA LEGENDS - Photos of our new Winter Home:

Arizona Legend's Vacation Village. Our lot is Lot #155.

A Barrel cactus

The San Pedro River.

SR 90 which leads to Sierra Vista (Ft. Huachuca) about 28 miles away with a large Walmart, Safeway, Lowe's Home Depot, all of our favorite restaurants and shops (except Costco, which is in Tucson.) Sierra Vista is a town of 60,000 and is Home to Ft Huachuca, an Army base which is best known for training unmanned aircraft (drones) pilots.

The desert that can be hiked or explored on a four-wheeler.

One view of the mountains we get a view of from our lot.

A Border Patrol checkpoint

Abandoned barns in the countryside

The view from our lot with haze on the mountains. Some days they are crystal clear, some days not. Though we can see the famous dust storms beyond them, we never get dust storms here. No hurricanes, no tornadoes, no earthquakes, no dust storms, and the only Californians are the ones that are fleeing California given their politics there.

Gated entrance to our resort. This is the homeowner section of the resort, but eventually it will have another section for rallies and daily/weekly campers.