We're planning to visit Arizona next winter, and there are a lot of 55+ parks. Although my husband and I definitely qualify age wise, we will be traveling with our disabled adult son. Sounds like most of the 55+ parks are willing to accept our son for an additional fee, so we could still stay at one of them. We're wondering how strange it will feel for our family to spend months in a park where there are no families with children. Is it like an old folks home? Wondering if anyone else prefers RV parks with a wider range of ages. Pros and Cons?
We have spent quite a bit of time in Arizona and have stayed at several types of parks. We are seniors traveling w/o children and prefer the more desert area parks and campgrounds over the more, shall we say, closed in and congested 55+ parks. So in reality it becomes what you like in the way of activities and crowds that are part of a 500+ space park versus one out of town with just 75 to 100 spaces. As for families with children there are many parks and campgrounds that are family oriented so that shouldn't be a problem if that's your preference. In all parks of all types it depends on the park as to what goes on and how it is run, etc. so it's best you do some research on several of each type and size to find out what they offer and what they don't offer. As to your question as to whether a 55+ park is like an old folks home I suppose some can be but several we've stayed at sure didn't seem that way to us. I think you'll find that a 55+ senior park is a lot more active than any old folk's home. At least they certainly are to us. Enjoy your trip and if you want a real nice Arizona desert camping experience just outside of Tucson by all means check out Gilbert Ray Campground on the reviews side of this website. It's close to the old Tucson Movie Studios that you and your son might get a real kick out of visiting. Hope this has helped a tad.............. Regards, BankShot................(aka Terry)
Age is not always the best measuring device. We have met a lot of "young" 55ers (as in they were very much into active entertainment). You are only as old as you think you are. There are a lot of 55+ parks in the southwest because there are a lot of "Snowbirds" there. These are people, perhaps like yourselves, that plan on staying four, five maybe even six months away from the cold. Most of the 55+ parks are geared to provide entertainment for their clients. Some of the activities provided are geared for older folk simply because there are older folks there. I believe the choices are pretty varied depending on the park you choose. Anything from Bingo to some Desert Hiking. We have just finished our first winter in the desert (and wish we were still there). We have not "stayed" at a 55+ park but did spend a considerable amount of time at one as we had friends who were. You will find most consist of Park Models that have a few spaces for conventional units. They are tight, but do give you a little room for outdoor living. I discovered that most of the folks are there to have a good time and they do socialize a lot. If this is what you are looking for, I doubt if your son will be an impediment. We, like Bankshot, like to stay where there is a lot more space between us and our neighbor. We are more into hiking, biking and sightseeing on our own rather than part of a group. Plus, we are a lot more transient. There are a lot of places to see and things to do in the South West and a lot are not day tripable. FYI, there is no shortage of people that like both lifestyles. We found the desert to be a very busy place. I'm sure you will enjoy you time there no matter what type of park you choose. Darrell & Jerry
Not all snowbird parks are 55+ parks. There are plenty of parks in TX, for example, that are similar to those in AZ but which are not formally designated as 55+. During the winter snowbird season it doesn't make a lot of difference whether a park is marked as 55+ since not most children are in school except during winter and spring breaks. In our experience, many snowbird parks are similar in that they have multiple planned activities each week. That makes sense if you are from out of town and look to your RV park to provide activities in a city about which you aren't all that familiar. That's fine for many RVers, it's not the model we prefer. We spend the winter in the same city each year and have lots of friends and activities without having to get our entertainment from our RV park.
