Tuesday, March 30, 2010

PARK REVIEWS: Valley Vista RV Resort and Van Horn KOA

We were able to find an ROD membership park for our overnight stay in Benson, Arizona on Monday.  We checked into the Valley Vista RV Resort, a Western Horizons Resort.  This was our first time visiting this RV park, and we feel that it is one we do plan to return to next year.

Valley Vista is located in high desert country in Southeastern Arizona, elevation 3,500 feet.  Nearby sightseeing is available in Bisbee, Douglas, and the Nat'l. Historic Sites of Tombstone.  There is a lot of beautiful scenery to take in as well.

Upon arrival we went into the office and were greeted by a very friendly park manager.  He had assigned us Site # 137, which was a pull through site.
Following the manager's directions we drove slowly to our site and crossed this dry wash on the way.
Here are some of the remaining RV's that haven't flown the coop yet from their snowbird vacations.

Here is space #137.  All of the spaces in this park have full hook-ups with 30 amp electric.  I will have to say that it was a little difficult getting the big Tour leveled out, as the site sloped to the driver side a lot.  We observed that many of the RV's had several leveling boards under jacks or tires, too.  We got the job done, though, and our tires weren't off the ground. (I don't like to have our wheels up off the ground)
After getting organized I took the camera for a walk around Valley Vista.  I found the pool area and it was small, but well kept with very clean water and nice landscaping.  Plenty of patio chairs, too.
Next to the pool area was the laundry.  Wow!  What a clean place.  I was impressed.  They had a rack full of magazines to borrow and there was even a sewing machine set up on a counter.  It was available for any park guest, but it needed to be used inside the laundry room.

Next, I went into the clubhouse area.  Again I found a neat and clean facility.  There were tables for games and social gatherings....plenty of space for potluck suppers!  There was also a pool table on the other side of the room.  Adjoining the dining room was a TV room.  There was a seating area for watching television, a library with books to trade, and boxes of jig saw puzzles for guest use.

There are a total of 145 full hook-up sites at this park.  There were also areas for horseshoes, shuffleboard, and a hot tub by the pool.  It was a great park and an easy find from I-10.  It is affiliated with Coast to Coast, RPI, AOR, and ROD.  We did see a sign by the road that said, "$25.00 per night".  We figured since peak season was over now, they probably accept campers not associated with membership parks.  We are hoping to return to this area next spring and plan to spend at least 3 or 4 days at this RV resort.
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Today...Tuesday, March 30th....we are staying at the Van Horn KOA in Van Horn, Texas.  Here is that brief review:

I have to admit that normally we do not choose KOA parks.  Most of our experiences staying at KOA parks have been so-so to lousy, plus the prices have been a little high compared to some other parks we'd stayed at.  Coming into Van Horn, Texas today we decided to choose an RV park rather than dry-camp as we had planned.  It was about 90F and we wanted air conditioning for the evening.  There were 2 parks in our Trailer Life Directory to look at and the KOA sounded best.  I phoned for reservations when we were driving through El Paso.  The manager who answered the phone was extremely polite and helpful.  He took the information for our reservation.  The usual large KOA sign greeted us upon arrival.
The office was right at the gate with plenty of room for the larger RV's to pull in and forward to allow room for several to park while checking in.  There is also a small "Kafe" on the property that serves breakfast and dinner.  The manager was on hand to check us in when we arrived.  He could not have been a more gracious host.  First of all he shook hands with us, then handled the check-in procedure with efficiency, and then bade us a good-night and "thanks for the business, I appreciate it."  What an awesome experience! 
We were assigned to a long pull-thru site with full hook-ups and 50 amp electric....for $35.00.  I think that is a very good price by today's standards for a full service park.  This park also has a barn and corrals for campers bringing their horses with them.  This is Texas you know!


The pool was still empty from the winter season, but will be ready for lots of swimming very soon.  There is also a little mini-golf course that kids will enjoy.  This KOA offers free wireless internet service also.  I really like this KOA park and will choose it again if we pass this way on another trip.  You might want to try it, too.  http://www.vanhorntexaskoa.com/


We didn't get here tonight until 7:30 as we encountered a time zone change.  So, I didn't get a chance to take many photos of this campground.  This will give you a brief peek at what this place looks like.

Until next time.....so long for now!

10 comments:

Cindy said...

Yeah you are in Texas!!!!WELCOME!!!!

Cindy

Margie M. said...

Thanks Cindy. Texas is a great state to be in. We'll enjoy our short stay here.

Carol K said...

I enjoyed the park reviews. Thanks, Margie!

Dinahsoar said...

Seeing you photos of TX makes me want to be there. I need an adventure..LOL. Will have to wait until school is out...then we'll be off to see the son and dil in the Dallas TX area. Can't wait to get a Whataburger. Had my first one in FL on vacation...wasn't sure I'd like it (the original) since it had mustard. It was perfect. Though I tell myself it may have been a combination of factors that made it taste soooo good. Being in FL on vacation makes everything taste better. We were staying at Seaside in a beautiful Victorian style home--a tropical paradise it was.

Rick said...

Thanks for the great park reviews and pictures, Margie. We're heading out that way next week and if we are looking for a place to stay for the night, your reviews will make it a lot easier for us to decide. Both of those places sounded and looked very nice.

Gypsy said...

Your experience with KOA is similar to what I got in most KOA's I've stayed at. I've never been in one in high tourist season or I might feel differently, but since I mostly travel in off-season, I don't mind pulling into a KOA.

Motorhomes in Texas said...

A Largest State of USA, is full of Enjoy & Peace.....

Phyllis said...

Thanks for the park reviews. I always like to read them. I can understand wanting hookups when it is in the 90's.

KarenInTheWoods said...

Nice of you to review the parks and include photos too. Letting others know of good places to stay is a great form of RV networking!

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Karen and Steve
(Blog) http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/

Used Motorhomes for sale said...

I swear i could say a best state in US, where i get full peace of mind, i always prefer to have joy with my family with my Keystone RV.