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Stacy
Trip Date 10/20/2019 Posted On 01/25/2020 13:27:26 |
Camping | Arizona | Benson | Valley Vista RV Resort | Passport America | RV Parks in Southeast Arizona | Camping near Tombstone | RV Parks for I-10 Travelers
Benson, Arizona was one of several stops that we made to break up our return journey from the Phoenix area back to Austin, Texas. While there, we wanted to explore the eastern side of Saguaro National Park - the final national park we would visit during our second year as Annual Pass holders. As we also hoped to visit Tombstone, a stay in Benson was perfect for easy day trips to both.
Being Passport America members, selecting Valley Vista RV Resort made sense. After all, we received a 50% discount on our two night camping stay. The resort's location also offered us great convenience due to its 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 near Tombstone, you've also come to the right place. In addition to reading about the amenities offered, you'll find photos allowing you to get a glimpse of the resort before making a reservation. Our two night stay convinced us that if we are ever again in search of RV parks in southeast Arizona, Valley Vista would definitely be one to consider!
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Campground Amenities at Valley Vista RV Resort
Located in southeast Arizona, Valley Vista RV Resort is a community for age 55+ RVers. With a total of 145 full hook-up sites, the former drive-in theater turned resort is a member of Encore RV Resorts.The same building housing the check-in office is also home to a nice sized clubhouse, coded restroom/shower facilities and a laundry room. Check-in was quite efficient, even with our lack of preparation! (In our 2 1/2 years as RV owners, we'd never previously been asked for our RVIA certification number which apparently confirms compliance with fire codes. Fortunately, it was easy for a member of the resort's staff to find so that we could quickly be on our way to get settled in.)
In addition to a comfortable sitting area with a sofa and television, the clubhouse/activity center has an area with several long tables surrounded by padded folding chairs. Free WiFi is available in the clubhouse which also includes a small library stocked with books, board games and videos. (As our stay was before peak season, the advertised scheduled activities had yet to begin.)
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From the clubhouse to the RV sites and all facilities in between, the resort was clean and well-maintained during our stay. The resort offers aluminum can recycling and dumpsters are conveniently located throughout the property. The bathhouse facilities are well appointed with toilets, sinks and showers, and even some light decor not often found at campgrounds.
Just beyond the bathhouse was a gated entry to the laundry room and outdoor recreation area, which in conjunction with the clubhouse, all close at 9:00 PM each evening. Washing machines were priced at $1.75 and dryers at $1.25 per load.
Outdoor recreational amenities include a swimming pool and jacuzzi plus shuffleboard and horseshoe courts. Although we were the only two to do so, we enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub during both evenings of our stay.
Positioned among the RV sites, the resort also has a couple of small community picnic areas as well as a dog park.
The staff at the resort could not have been more helpful or friendly. During one of our walks about the grounds, we learned about two hiking trails that back up to the park. I went off on my own and found the Path to Wellness, actually designed to promote health and retention for employees at Arizona Generation & Transmission Cooperatives (Arizona G & T). The 1/2 mile walking loop even has signage along the way with inspirational quotes such as "Find the joy in the journey"!
Easy day trips from Benson include Tucson (Saguaro National Park), the famous Wild West town of Tombstone and even the neighboring country to the south, Mexico. The total cost for our two night stay was $45.73. A one night deposit of $33.00 was required at the time that we made our phone-in reservation. With our 50% Passport America discount, the balance due at our arrival was for taxes plus the daily per site $4.00 resort fee. (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 Valley Vista RV Resort
Reservations for stays of one day or longer can be made either via phone or online with sites being assigned upon check-in. Valley Vista RV Resort offers either 30- or 50-amp electric connections at sites with a choice of pull-through or back-in gravel parking. There were some shade trees interspersed throughout the grounds and some sites had picnic tables.All sites appeared to be well maintained and were trash and litter free. (We even observed a staff member preparing a campsite for an upcoming reservation. To make the site just right, he was raking the gravel parking pad shortly after the departure of the previous guest.)
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After paying our balance due, we were led by a golf cart driven by a member of the staff to pull-through Site 27. With the cool autumn temperatures, we had selected a site with 30-amp electric knowing that we would not need to run both of our air conditioners. The site also had water, on-site sewer and cable included in our rate.
Although the site had a slight side-to-side slope, it was not bothersome for our two night stay. We did have a single large tree which provided afternoon shade on our site, but no second tree which would have allowed us to hang our hammocks. Other than a wooden picnic table, the site had no other amenities.
As free WiFi was available only in the clubhouse, luckily we both had good phone and data service through our mobile service providers (T-Mobile & Verizon). The cable offered at the resort had one of the most generous selections of stations when compared to other RV parks where we've previously stayed.
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Favorite Campsites at Valley Vista RV Resort
Doing our walk around the large resort to choose our favorite sites was made easier due to the small crowds. Had we arrived a few weeks later during high season, there would likely have been more vehicle traffic inside the park.Should we return to Valley Vista RV Resort, we would inquire about availability of the following:
- Pull-through Sites 19, 25 and 27, all with 30-amp electric connections, were well shaded in the afternoon and therefore among our favorites.
- Although not as well shaded, back-in Site 52 was nicely landscaped with a garden filled with various cactus.
Valley Vista RV Resort Site 52 - Located on the opposite side of the resort (and all with 50-amp electric), pull-through Site 171 and back-in Sites 172, 175 and 176 were also well shaded.
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Benson, Arizona
Due to the short duration of our stay, we didn't have a lot of time to spend in Benson, Arizona. As we happened to be staying in the right place at the right time, we did venture into town early one morning. The Union Pacific's historic Big Boy Steam Locomotive No. 4014 was in town! The morning stop was one of many made across the country in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad.Rather than heading back to "RV There Yet?", we decided to try out a local restaurant. Since being away from home for nearly two weeks, we hadn't had a great Mexican breakfast. That changed after our burritos from Adolfo's Taco Shop. If we make it back to Benson, we'll definitely make a return visit to this great little strip-center restaurant!
In the late afternoon, we made one more stop in Benson for an afternoon treat. We couldn't go wrong with glaciers from Old Benson Ice Cream Stop. Rather than heading "home", we enjoyed them as we walked by some of the Murals of Benson.
Tombstone, Arizona
One of the things that drew us to Benson was its proximity to Tombstone, Arizona. The city of Tombstone, often referred to as "the town too tough to die", is home to a number of historic locations including the O. K. Corral. It was there that we enjoyed front row seating for one of the midday gunfight reenactments.Unknowingly, our two night stay coincided with Helldorado Days, the city's biggest annual event held during the third weekend each October. During Helldorado, we found something going on each time we walked along historic Allen Street that caused us to stop in our tracks!
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Tucson, Arizona
Prior to our stay in Benson, we spent two nights in Tucson, Arizona. Our stay at Rincon Country West RV Resort gave us easy access to the western Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park. Stop back in the coming weeks to see our post titled Review: Rincon Country West RV Resort. It's there that you'll be able to read about our experience (and see some photos of the amenities offered) during our stay.RV Resorts in Southern Arizona
What are your favorite RV Resorts in southern Arizona, and why do you rate them so highly? Weather:55F Clear
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