Countryside RV Park, Apache Junction AZ 1/1-15/2014; Val Vista Village, Mesa AZ 1/15-21/2014; Emerald Cove RV Park, Earp CA 1/21-30/2014

Countryside RV Park, Apache Junction AZ  1/1-15/2014

After watching some fun fireworks with Travis' family at their home on New Year's Eve, we packed up and went to one of our Encore parks back in Apache Junction.  We like the other park, Golden Sun, a little better, but we were just glad for a place to go for a couple of weeks. 

 

Val Vista Village, Mesa AZ  1/15-21/2014

The new Gilbert Temple had it's open house during January.  This is where a new temple allows anyone to tour it before it is dedicated.  We had invited our friends, Jim and Sue to go with us, so we had to find a place to stay until then.  We had already stayed at both of our Encore parks (which we have to be out of for 28 days before going back in) so we stayed at one of the biggest RV parks we had ever stayed in.  It was actually three parks that had all been bought by the same people and made into one.  It had three different swimming pool/club house complexes.  One pool had cabanas around it, with a bar and live music every afternoon and evening.  There were lots of different activity rooms--leather working, woodworking, rock polishing, exercise, and more.  It had it's own beauty shop and post office, and fancy sports complex.  It is a good thing it was part of a membership we have and we were able to stay for $15/day ($25/day after all of the taxes).  



 

Our site was pretty nice--with our own orange tree.  We were guided to our site by a guy in a golf cart.  We even had our own garbage and recycle cans that we put out twice a week to be emptied.  There were a lot of park models for sale in the park--they even had their own real estate office.  There were about 15 that were being sold by them and there were "open house" signs on them so we spent a day checking them out.  Who knows, maybe some day . . .

 

We got to have a couple of our grandsons, Nic and Josh, spend a night with us while we were there.  It is also within bike riding distance from our friends, Jim and Sue, so we saw them several times.  The temple open house was a great thing to go to, especially having good friends go with us.

 

Emerald Cove RV Park, Earp CA  1/21-30/2014

Emerald Cove is a really nice park right on the Colorado River.  It has a long sandy beach and lots of palm trees.  We stayed there once several years ago.  Because we upgraded our Coast-to-Coast RV membership, we can now stay there at no charge!  We also get coupons to allow other people to stay in the park for $15/night.  So, Larry and Elaine, from Oregon, met up with us there and stayed a week.  Elaine wanted to use her new blow-up kayak, but Larry wouldn't get it out for her!

The park is close to where Ron and Sharon (Terry's brother-in-law) stays, so we saw them a couple of times. The park is not too far from Quartzsite and they were having the big RV show and flea market there so we went for a day.  It will be fun to stay at Emerald Cove a lot more often now.