Calam RV Resorts - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Olywa · RV-Dreams Family Member

Calam RV Resorts

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have stayed at Val Vista Village in Mesa multiple times. Diane loves the quilting group and some of the exercise classes. It is a decent campground with a mix of RV sites and park models, much like the other places in the area. Lots of activities, if you like that kind of thing. We stayed at Mesa Regal, also in Mesa, in May one year and it was also OK, but quiet then. If the park itself is very important to you, look at Happy Trails in Surprise. Most Arizona parks are cookie cutter, designed to be just good enough, to maximize the number of snowbirds that can stay the winter.

Edit: I also wanted to say that my advice is to move around your first winter and maybe more than one winter. Stay 1 to 2 weeks in multiple places and multiple areas/states if possible to get a feel for them. We did that and definitely learned what we liked. Places we did not care for, some friends loved, places we liked, some friends did not.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Saturday 17th of May 2014 09:29:32 AM

Olywa · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Bill for your response.

I would like Val Vista for some of the same reasons Diane does, what did you like about it? My husband enjoys sporting events and the woodworking shop would be of interest as well.

I looked at Happy Trails and just on first look I didn't get the feel for it that I get from Val Vista....can't put my finger on it. The park we stay at is not the most important thing but we would like to have lots of choices for things to do in the area and I have heard that Mesa offers a good variety.

We have talked about moving around some but with my husband just retiring we thought maybe being someplace for several months might help him decompress and it will give us a chance to just look around the area. We do have some family in Scottsdale too so we will want to spend some time with them.

Again thanks for your input, if you think of any thing else please let me know.

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lots of good parks in Mesa. We enjoy the area because of the good Arts Centers in Mesa, Scottsdale, and Chandler, lots of restaurants, ease getting to museums in Phoenix (Musical Instrument Museum isn't to be missed), ease getting out into the desert, and most of the parks have various rooms for different hobbies as well as pools and spas.

Barb

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

We really enjoy Canyon Vistas in Gold Canyon. We originally planned to spend a couple of winter months there but our travel changed. It's a gorgeous park with even a track for those little motorized cars. Their laundry room is awesome. Not all sites are equal so study the park map when making your reservation. We like it because it's quiet, friendly, immaculate and a little out of town (Apache Junction & Mesa) with lots of area hikes but very easy access to shopping.

I liked Bills suggestion to try several.

Sherry

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barb and I like Mesa because stores and restaurants are very close, while Sherry wants to be a bit away from town. Different wants, different people, which is why I recommend trying several areas. We found we did not like being in Apache Junction because we were constantly driving into Mesa, so Gold Canyon was out for us.

When I meant different areas, I was thinking even further afield. In southern California you can winter around Temecula, San Diego, Pismo Beach, Palm Springs/Desert Hot Springs/Indio, and El Centro, all with a different feel and experience. In Arizona the camping is different in Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City, Quartzsite/Brenda, Yuma, Gila Bend, Casa Grande, Surprise, Phoenix, Mesa, Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Tucson and Benson. The Rio Grande Valley of Texas and the area around Rockport are both different than each other, and other states. In Florida the weather and experience vary by coast, being inland, and how far north you are, so the experience in Crystal River (NW coast) is very different than Homestead (SE coast), or Orlando (inland, mid-state). How close do you want shopping, restaurants, what kind of shopping (Costco, Sam's, Super Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's, Fry's Electronics), campground activities, how quiet, hikes close by, 4-wheeling close by, friends from home, wildlife, etc. We are all different and the camping experience is different at each place. Price can also come in. In Florida the price goes up the further north and the closer to the coast, so the Florida Keys are much, much more expensive than inland camping up north.