There are often two questions in the back of our minds ...
Could we settle down for a while, and if so, where???
These questions seem to be popping up more often in the last few months as the pandemic continue to create traveling challenges. So when our RV buddies, Joanne and Gary, told us how much they love their winter community at Far Horizons RV Resort in Tucson, Arizona, we were curious to find out why.
After some fast-traveling couple of months on the west coast, we both felt ready to slow down for a bit, so we booked a site at Far Horizons for a month. It was early in the 'snowbird' season, so we were able to get a site for $680/month. When we arrived, we quickly realized that we had landed in the 'lap of luxury' as our friends showed us around. The central community building had a gorgeous pool area, sewing and craft rooms, library, laundry, billiards, ping pong, and pickleball courts. The poolside cabanas with their comfy lounge chairs became my new 'sun room'. Add to that the fact that we had access to long, hot showers in the clubhouse and all the electricity that we could ever need at our site, and I would have to say that we were in RV heaven!
With palm trees and cacti (and quite a few RVs and park models) surrounding us and mountains on the distance, we settled into our 'home' for the next month. Time to mellow out and work on a few van projects, maybe read a book, or
... hit the pickleball courts (I didn't know Doug could stretch like that),
... hop on the Tucson Loop bike trail that was located just a block from the resort gate,
... take a hike on one of the many trails in the mountains that surround Tucson,
... stretch out those weary muscles afterwards in the heated pool,
... hang out with the guys and watch football,
... or join my new girlfriends for a resort-sponsored poolside happy hour on Friday evenings!
We quickly got into an 'active' daily routine. Mornings were filled with competitive pickleball matches or a less intense bike ride. During the afternoons, we tried to tackle some of those RV projects that pile up when we are constantly on the move. Doug sealed the crack in our shower pan and modified our shower door so that we will be able to easily use our own shower ... that is, if Doug can tear me away from these amazing resort showers. I sorted through the 'stuff' that even people living in a small place accumulate over time and downsized once again. But come 4 pm, all work must cease as we joined our friends for socially distanced happy hour as the sun set over the desert.
A few times a week, we forgot about 'project afternoon' and joined our friends for hikes in the surrounding area. Some of our favorite hikes were:
Mount Lemmon Trails: Green Mountain, Bug Spring, Sunset Trail, Arizona Trail, and Sycamore Canyon
Mount Lemmon is a part of the Santa Catalina Mountains that lies to the north of Tucson. A drive up the Catalina Highway took us from 2300 feet in elevation in Tucson to 9000 feet in elevation at Mount Lemmon's peak. Needless to say, these high hiking trails are popular destinations on hot days. When it is 90 in Tucson, it is only about 75 near the top of Mount Lemmon. There is even a ski resort that is open for the few weeks during the winter when snow blankets the mountain top. Mount Lemmon supports four life zones ... desert, grassland, woodland, and forest ... so depending on the elevation of the trail, each hike treated us to views of very different vegetation.
Sabino Canyon Recreational Area: Bear Canyon
Sabino Canyon is located in the desert foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. As we hiked through Bear Canyon, we were surrounded by tall saguaros and even taller canyon walls. The trail lead us across a river bed several times, but no worries about wet shoes this time as the Tucson area did not get much for rain in the last few months leaving the river beds dry and parched. We are hoping that snow will soon blanket the peak of Mount Lemmon as this area is in need of water.
Upon the recommendation of a friend, we stopped at Three Canyon, a beer and wine garden located about a mile from Sabino Canyon. The owner, Steve, who is a high school friend of a friend, transformed his former landscape nursery business into a huge, comfortable patio restaurant. We enjoyed good food and drinks along with live music and spectacular views of the mountains. What a treat!
Saguaro National Park
This is our second visit to the eastern portion of Saguaro National Park. Once again we enjoyed hiking under the towering saguaros that line the edge of the Rincon Mountains.
Our time in Tucson passed way too quickly ....
This month long stay in Tucson was just what we needed. It was good to slow down for a few weeks and get some projects on our 'to do' list done. It was nice to take a break from making daily travel plans. And did I mention those luxurious showers?? Nice!! But the greatest gift was being able to spend time with friends in the beautiful outdoor sunshine of Tucson. Like so many other people, we are missing the joy of spending time with friends ... a gift that we took for granted before Covid struck, and a gift that is even more precious now!
While we may be guilty of not following the CDC's social distancing guidelines to the T, we feel grateful to be able to expand our social bubble for a short time, and recharge our 'time with friends' batteries!
So, getting back to our original questions ...
Could we settle down?
And if so, where?
We quickly learned why an extended stay at a RV resort like Far Horizons is so appealing. Tucson's mild weather makes it possible to enjoy outdoor activities almost every day during the winter. During this time when the need to social distance is so important, it was great to be able to still gather with friends for outdoor games, hikes, bike rides, walks, and happy hours. But the real draw for us, was to meet so many wonderful new friends and be welcomed into their community.
A winter stay in a place like Far Horizons definitely has some appeal to us ... but just not right now. As much as we enjoyed our extended stay, we also realized that there is still so much of our country that we want to see. Baby Beest is a traveling machine, and we are still very much enjoying the variety of places that she takes us. But even as we continue RVentures, we are grateful for the smiles that we can share and the friendships that we can renew along the way!
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