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Stacy
Trip Date 10/18/2019 Posted On 02/04/2020 08:04:52 |
Camping | Arizona | Tucson | Rincon Country RV Resort | Passport America | RV Sites near Saguaro National Park | Southeast Arizona RV Parks | RV Parks for I-10 Travelers
On our return drive from the Phoenix area back to Austin, Texas, we knew that we wanted to spend some time exploring Saguaro National Park located on both the east and west sides of Tucson, Arizona. Being Passport America members, selecting one of the two Rincon Country RV Resorts made sense as we received a 50% discount on our two night camping stay. The resort's location was well situated and offered great convenience due to its close proximity to the highway.
If you'll be heading east or west and hoping to find RV parks for I-10 travelers, don't miss this post. For anyone interested in camping or RV sites near Saguaro National Park, you've also come to the right place! In addition to reading about the amazing amenities offered at Rincon Country West RV Resort, you'll also find photos allowing you to get a feel for the resort before making a reservation. During our two night stay, we quickly realized that we did not spend nearly enough time at this southeast Arizona RV park to take advantage of all that it offers to its guests.
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Campground Amenities at Rincon Country West RV Resort
With almost 1,100 sites available, Rincon Country West RV Resort is huge. Although we walked around the vast majority of the resort, we did not enter every building - especially when there were multiple like facilities. All that we did see of the resort was very clean and well maintained. Updates appear to be made on a regular basis as evidenced by the auditorium that was in its final stage of renovations during our visit.The months of May through September at the resort are known as "quiet season". It is during those five months that some facilities are closed and improvements are made for the upcoming season. The remaining seven month period is peak season at Rincon Country West (RCW). No matter the season, access to the resort is through a gated entrance.
As far as amenities - WOW! The resort is hard to beat when it comes to all that is offered. To top it off, there are no resort fees charged at this age 55+ community. Between the onsite amenities, clubs and scheduled activities, there is so much to do that it would be hard not to be active, meet fellow residents and enjoy your stay. It's obvious why people from all over the United States and Canada return year after year!
Although we only took a look at one of the five bathhouses, based on the other facilities that we did see, we would expect the others to be smaller but in similar condition. The bathhouse that we did take a peek at had individual toilet/sink/shower rooms. If we avoided the use of our bathroom in "RV There Yet?" as we know some others do, we would be thoroughly happy to use those within the resort.
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We scoped out two of the three laundry rooms and were thoroughly impressed. In addition to having lots of washing machines and dryers, the rooms and the individual machines were clean and in good condition. Bill changers as well as laundry carts were available for use by residents. Washers were priced at $1.25 per regular sized load and $1.50 for commercial sized loads. Both smaller (priced at $1.00 per 44 minutes) and larger (6 minutes per quarter) dryers were available as well. There was even an enclosed outdoor area with lines available for residents to air dry clothes!
It's the wide assortment of recreational type amenities that make this resort stand above many others that we have visited. We've been to a number of RV parks and resorts that have both swimming pools and spas/hot tubs. We've never, however, been to a resort with two hot tubs plus a heated swimming pool. Since we love evening soaks in a hot tub, especially after long days of hiking, we couldn't wait to give them both a try. You can bet that if we have the opportunity to return, you will find us in one of the two hot tubs each evening of our stay!
In addition to the fitness classes offered during peak season, there are two exercise/fitness centers on the property.
When it comes to outdoor activities for those sports minded RVers, again, RCW has more options than we've seen anywhere that we've previously camped. Residents can practice with or challenge a fellow guest, participate in group play, join a league or even take lessons. In addition to the shuffleboard courts located near the pool, almost an entire side of the property is devoted to a variety of other sports courts. Full size courts are available for tennis, pickle ball, horseshoes and bocce ball. There's also a golf driving net, putting green and basketball hoop.
There are way too many clubs at RCW to even come close to naming or categorizing them all, so we'll include just a sampling. Creative types may enjoy one of the many arts and crafts clubs while those who prefer the performing arts might be interested in some of the production clubs including drama, dance or musical instruments.
There are clubs who gather folks together to play cards and games as well as clubs for those who prefer spending time on their computers. There's exercise and sports clubs, a religion club as well as clubs for those desiring to volunteer. There's even a railroad club! (Reportedly the RCW Depot is a beautiful sight to see during the Christmas holiday season.) If there is not a club supporting one of your favorite hobbies or interests, the Activity Director even encourages residents to start new clubs.
Clubs such as the woodworking, silversmithing, ceramics and other craft clubs even have dedicated rooms filled with some of the equipment needed for projects. In addition to the "club rooms", other facilities within the complex include classrooms, an auditorium, coffee room, library and activity office.
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Throughout the peak season, the Activity Office staff (along with volunteers) host/coordinate numerous activities and events for all residents. A sampling of events includes movies, potluck dinners, dances, bingo, tours, shopping expeditions, concerts ... the list goes on and on. With the exception of longer distance destination events, the cost for participation in many events ranges from free to nominal. There's even an RCW Shuttle which provides transportation to various locations within 100 miles of the resort at no cost.
On the morning of our departure, we were able to join the first Friday Morning Coffee & Donuts of the season. In addition to being advertised in the monthly online or print publication The West Villager, residents can learn about upcoming events each Friday morning. (There's also the possibility of winning prizes by purchasing $0.50 tickets for the 50-50 Raffle!)
Since many guests at the resort stay for extended periods, all guests staying for a month or longer are assigned a private keyed mailbox located in the Mail Room. Shorter term guests can receive mail which is available for pick-up at the office during business hours. With so much going on at RCW, there's also a large Message Center where news from both the activity office as well as individual clubs is posted for all to see.
After a 50% Passport America discount (valid only April through December for up to five nights), the total cost for our two night stay was $61.62. A $20.00 deposit was due at the time that we made our reservation with the balance due upon our arrival and check-in. (If you are not already a member of Passport America, sign up today at Passport America and The Wordy Explorers will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We truly appreciate your support!)
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Campsite Amenities at Rincon Country West RV Resort
A reservation request for a site at RCW can be submitted online or reservations can be made via telephone. All sites are assigned upon check-in at the resort. Sites can be rented for as little as one day with discounted rates available for weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual stays. For stays of one month or longer, cable television is optional and electricity use is metered with both being billed on a monthly basis.There are four dumpster and recycling areas within the grounds at RCW. Each campsite that we saw was clean with RVers all parked according to the provided guidelines. (Each back-in site has a driveway for car parking and an RV parking pad with utility hookups. A concrete patio with a nearby palm tree separates the two parking pads.) In an effort to keep pet owners together, RCW has "pet sections" as well as two pet play areas.
At check-in, we were assigned Deluxe Courtyard Pull-Through Site 756. Parking at the site was on a paved pad that had a slight side-to-side slope. The site had an electric lamp, grill and uncovered concrete and inlaid tile picnic table located beside a grassed-in "quad" area. Both 30- and 50-amp electric as well as sewer, water and cable were all onsite. Site 756 was well shaded in the afternoon yet had no hammock trees.
The WiFi signal at RCW was intermittent, so fortunately we both had good phone and data service through our cell phone providers (Verizon and T-Mobile). Cable television was included for our two night stay and offered an excellent selection of channels.
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Favorite Campsites at Rincon Country West RV Resort
Although priced at a slight premium, our favorite sites within RCW were the deluxe courtyard pull-through sites. Unfortunately there are only eight of these sites within the "no pet" zone plus another 16 sites available for those traveling with their furry friends.Due to our short two night stay and the vast size of RCW, we did not have the time to do our normal walk around the entire community in search of our favorite sites. As all of the back-in sites have almost identical amenities (grill, picnic table, paved pads and utilities with nearby palm trees), we would be happy to stay in any available site.
Hiking on the Loop Trail
With all of the available activities, there are plenty of opportunities to get some exercise at RCW. Due to its sheer size, just a walk around the entire resort can help anyone trying to reach a specific step count to attain their goal. Those who prefer to do some walking/hiking with views other than the RVs and park homes within the resort will find the nearby Chuck Huckelberry Loop to be a great alternative.
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RCW backs up to a portion of the 131 mile long shared-use path. Resort guests can leave a small ($5.00) refundable deposit to check out a key which unlocks the gate separating the resort from the path. Although we only had the opportunity to walk along a very small part of the pathway, we did enjoy the surrounding desert scenery.
Walking just a part of the path, we were unfortunately unable to see much of the artwork along the loop. From sculptures to arches, decorative bridges and more, there are over 50 artistic pieces to be found along the trail by runners, walkers/hikers, bicycle riders and their leashed pets. We did get to see several monuments recognizing those who contributed or had trees dedicated on their behalf.
Saguaro National Park
In addition to being a great place to call home while exploring the city of Tucson, Saguaro National Park is also an easy day trip from RCW. With two separate entrances and no link between the two sides, there is plenty to see and do at the park. Be sure to check out our article titled "2 Saguaro National Park Districts in 1 Incredible Itinerary" to see our tips for spending a day at both the east and west sides of the park.Activities at RV Resort Communities
Which activities have you participated in when staying at an RV resort community?
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