Snowbirds who have dreamed of spending time in the Tucson, Arizona, area will appreciate a chance to visit the Voyager RV Resort, part of the friendly network of Encore RV Resorts. When you first drive into the park you will be struck by the towering palms, and the profusion of cacti gardens that edge the buildings and RV sites. In the distance is the calming view of the jagged mountains rearing their peaks above the city.

The Southwestern states have unique scenery. No matter where you drive there are purple mountains on the horizons begging you to explore more closely. In the evening and
early morning, the sun paints them with stunning ever-changing colours. However, when a desert sunset flames the clouds with brilliant reds, yellows, and finally fades to lighter pastels, you know this is the place for you.

Tucson’s attractions include drives through Saguaro National Park. Forests of saguaro cacti will amaze you as they stand as sentinels over the desert. They are home to numerous singing birds, cactus wrens, Gila woodpeckers and owls. Nearby is the site of Old Tucson Studio where many top notch western movies were filmed. To visit here is to re-live history. To the west you can visit the Kitt Peak Visitor Centre and learn about the huge array of optical and radio telescopes on the mountain. The twisting drive up to the top is a wonderful drive full of long vistas across the Arizona deserts. The Desert Museum provides two miles of paths and a wide variety of plants and animals. A favourite with many people is the short drive to Picacho Peak State Park.

The Voyager RV Resort isn’t just about the scenery. It’s all about having a great time, whether you just want to sit and relax, or join into some of the many activities offered.  The lately upgraded pool and spa will provide the relaxation. Soak a few of the aches away in the spa before heading over to do a few laps in the pool, or just laze away in the pool before settling into one of the deck chairs.

The five volleyball courts can provide some room for fast and furious exercise and you can top it all off with a visit to the fitness centre. There’s no lack of things to do. There are twelve pickleball courts, four new bocce ball courts, and the long paved roads are perfect for bicycle riding. The nine hole par three course, backdropped by the purple mountains can provide some walking exercise.

Craft workers will look forward to spending time in the well outfitted wood shop, or perhaps the silver shop. Are you good at acrylic painting, creating fired ceramic objects, or making decorative jewellery from stones, minerals, or gems? Opportunities abound to show your creativity in this RV resort. The library is available for quiet reads before, perhaps heading to one of the card rooms to show off your skills.

The Voyager Bar & Grill is available for filling that hungry spot whether you had a hard day of exercise, or you’ve just wakened and want a special breakfast. If you are thinking of a big party, the 5700 sq. ft. Ballroom can host your meetings or your weddings. Then there is the smaller Catalina Room, stage, dance floor, and 125 seats, or the Arizona Room, just right for smaller parties, or meetings.

There is a Health Centre clinic to provide high quality health care so important for seniors, such as foot care, injections, and several other important services. A Physical Therapy clinic is also there for rehabilitation services and balance and fall prevention programmes. The Therapeutic Massage centre also uses acupuncture and other wellness programmes.

The park has a mixture of homes, park models and RV sites. The 600 full hookup RV sites will fit any RV and still give you room to sit outside under your awning in comfort.

In the words of Pam Stone, a resident since 2005, “I enjoy the beauty of a well maintained and attractively landscaped park. We share a “small town” community environment close to the conveniences of the City of Tucson.  There is a closeness among all of our residents…positive attitudes, friendliness and sincere caring for everyone.

You can be busy from morning to night doing things like learning Spanish or memoir writing to creating works of art in our silver shop or stained glass shop. We have over 300 activities ranging from sporting events like pickleball, tennis and shuffleboard to card
games, quilting and exercise groups.  There is also a wide range of entertainment including potlucks dinners, a variety of dances, dinner shows and outside musical entertainers.”

Now is a good time to make arrangements with the park. Until August 31, they are offering US$75 off a stay of 3 months or more. Just mention promo code EVOY16. Valid until March 31, 2017. Call 877-570-2267 to book now. Also, for Thousand Trails members they are offering a US$499 month plus tax and utilities, which is 10% off the retail rate through August 31, 2016. Don’t know about the Thousand Trails Camping Pass? Visit www.thousandtrails.com to learn more.