5 of Arizona’s Best National Parks

Above, a cactus at the Tucson Mountain District (TMD)
 of Saguaro National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Arizona border is only 40 miles west of my home in New Mexico. Understandably, I have made frequent trips into the state. Most recently, was in Willcox, Tombstone and Tucson. On that same trip, I visited the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) of Saguaro National Park near Tucson.

Arizona has a number of national parks and forests. Signals AZ has posted five of them.

They begin with:

Arizona gets the reputation as a hot, dry desert. But did you know the the state of Arizona is the top 5 of most biodiverse states in the United States? From the southern Sonoran desert to the northern mountains, Arizona sure has it all. But to truly take in the stunning natural landscapes across Arizona, we recommend these 5 national parks.

To read more, go here. 

Are RV Parks Too Expensive Now?

Above, at the Willcox/Cochise AZ KOA Holiday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During the "heyday" of the pandemic, new buyers of RVs were hitting the road and filling up RV parks and campgrounds. Old-timer RVers were complaining that it was hard to find a campsite, especially during the holiday weekends like Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.

At the same time, thanks to inflation and the law of supply & demand, RV parks and campgrounds were jacking up prices to camp. 

Now, it seems that people are avoiding those high-priced RV parks and campgrounds. They seem to be saying, "Screw this, I'm not paying these outrageous prices." An article on this subject is in today's Newsletter in RV Travel.  

The start it off with:

Earlier this week, RVtravel.com publisher Chuck Woodbury emailed me a video discussing the status of camping over Memorial Day weekend. It was a commentary about empty RV parks over this traditionally packed camping holiday. I have to agree. I watched the video and share a lot of the observations after traveling this last month. Campgrounds may be empty again… but what does that mean?

Empty campgrounds on Memorial Day

My RV park on Memorial Day had a lot of empty sites. I was so surprised. I hadn’t hesitated to pay $70 for one night to get a spot because it was Memorial Day weekend. But I was too late planning and figured that the high price was my just due. Little did I know that $70 has become the new $40!

A few of our staff members nodded their heads in agreement at a recent staff meeting where we discussed this. They had the same experience over Memorial Day weekend.

I have found the expensive parks are, at most, half full, and some are only 10 percent full. We stayed at a huge lower-cost “Mom and Pop” RV park across from the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park in June. School is out and while there was a row of full-timers, dozens of sites were empty.

My most recent trip took me into Arizona. The most expensive RV park during that trip was at the Willcox/Cochise AZ KOA Holiday. That was $55/night, only because I used some bonus points I accrued that brought the price down. The park was, at best, 50% full.

To read more, go here.

Is KOA Abandoning RVers In Favor of Glampers?

Above, at the Tucson-Lazydays KOA Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my recent trip to Arizona for the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus spring clampout, I stayed at two KOA Kampgrounds. One was in Willcox, Arizona and the other was in Tucson, Arizona.

I did not make reservations for either one. I simply drove in and asked the clerks if they had any spaces for my 23' Class C motorhome available. Both did. Thanks to the accumulated bonus points I had, I was able to stay at each for way under $100/night.

Granted, we're not in the summer camping season yet (that officially starts during Memorial Day weekend next month). 

At both KOAs, I did not see any evidence that either one was "abandoning" RV business in favor of glamping. Apparently, some of them are as Chuck Woodbury at RV Travel wrote about in today's Newsletter.

Here's a snippet:

So now we come to KOA, Kampgrounds of America, once referred to as the Motel 6 of campgrounds when its parks were less expensive. I am here today to suggest that KOA is no longer focused on serving RVers. Today, it’s about “glamping,” offering non-RVers stays in luxury cabins, designer tents, yurts, tee-pees, railroad cabooses, covered wagons and other profitable “glamping facilities.” Other RV parks are doing the same, but KOA is the best known.

This summer, an RV site at any KOA close to a popular national park may cost you $100, $150 or more a night — that is if you are lucky enough to find an available space. For example, a two-day weekday stay in my 32-foot motorhome at the KOA in West Glacier, Montana, for a full-hookup Super Site “with grass” goes for $199.70 a night. It would be higher on weekends or holidays.

But good luck getting a reservation. Most of the popular KOAs are already booked solid this summer.

To read more, go here.

Rex Allen Museum In Willcox, Arizona

Above, Rex Allen at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1980. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is something I was unaware of: Willcox, Arizona is the home of the Rex Allen Museum.

It is located in the downtown historic district. It is at 150 North Railroad Avenue. Admission is $5.00 per person. Kids under 10 and veterans are free.

Rex Allen was born and raised in Willcox and had a successful singing career and was known as "the last of the Silver Screen Cowboys" (at least according to an advertising card for the museum).

Their website is at www.rexallenmusem.org.