beeoh
b.c.
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retiring soon and we would like to find a small town to spend our rainy Vancouver Island Canada winter in. We find Yuma to be too big and busy. Ideally we would like a small town, with a regular RV park(not spetacular) where we could stay and bicycle or walk into town...this would be a town that has not been yuppie-fied, but retains an old town flavor maybe with a small cafe we can have coffee at every morning..an old style movie theater..a nice old hardware store to shop in (not wal-mart) It should be fairly warm in the winter to be comfortable for us (not too far up in elevation) I think you all know what we're getting at. I know some of you will have seen such a town so looking forward to hearing from you
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was_butnotnow
Fulltime: Emery, SD
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Looking for heaven, and hope you find it. Now to get real, try Quartzsite, AZ, Sure it's busy for 10 days in January but after that it reverts to that small town feel.
* This post was
edited 08/12/08 08:15pm by was_butnotnow *
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thomasinnv
where ever i stop
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you could try bouse, az. it's pretty much like you described, and not full of snow birds. there are some, but not crowded. and it is less than an hour from Q.
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The Texan
Summer: A Cool Climate Winter: A Warm Climate
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I can think of two towns in Arizona that meet your requirements, Brenda and Ajo. Both towns fit in every category you mentioned.
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Polishnurse
Schodack, NY
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I guess Greenwich Village in New York City is not in the picture, I hear the subway air vents can be pretty warm.
Actually we will be doing the same thing, but don't plan on staying in one more then two weeks at a time. Since this is our first year as snow birds, were going to wonder around from Baton Rouge to California then down in the Tampa area to visit working relatives. Bill
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dbbls
Missouri
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Florence or Coolidge, Arizonia .
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D&E Johnson
Ontario Canada/Brenda Arizona
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we stay in Brenda, there's really not anything there..the country store and Black Rock cafe-thats really IT!. Nice parks, you can bike thru desert gold, cross hwy 60 and bike around Black rock rv park. You might try salome, about 23 miles east on 60. they have a hardware store and a post office..desert palms rv park is very nice and has a golf course next door, don't play golf but as a passerby-it looks nice!LOL. Quartzsite does have a lot to offer. Library, senior center, places to have breakfast, hardware store and you can bike all over town..a nice town park with large pavilion. Things to do always come in handy when you are a newcomer..Dona
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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I always enjoyed visiting Arizona for a week around Thanksgiving time.
I went to Lake Patagonia one year, and also took a trip across the boarder, and also visited Tubac City and the nearby historical areas.
Another year we went to Benson, where there is an excellent Escapee's park - very large sites and reasonable rates.
Another year we went to Congress, and another excellent Escapee's RV park. Near there if you go up the hill is a great place to get BBQ pork and brisket. That town is in the 3,500' elevation area, so you can "Visit" snow up there.
Another year we took a free visit to a membership campground near Parker. We also took daytime drives to Lake Havasu City and some other areas.
I spent a week in Brenda. I agree with the above post that there really was not much to do there, but I was busy installing solar panels on a large fifth wheel in the RV park. THey have a nice cafe there, I think I was in Blackrock campground. Yearly sites are something like only $1,500 a year + electric.
Quartzsite is only about 25 miles to the west of Brenda. It has a lot to see and do if you want to wander through the swap meets, or if you have access to a dune buggy and want to do some off road diving.
I am not sure where the nearest Wal Mart is to Quartzsite, but think it is well over 55 miles away in Yuma. Being over a hour from Wal Mart might be a rare change!
Ajo is a desolate town. I drove through it once, blink and you will be out of town and in the desert headed for the Cactus park just south of town. Another place I went one year.
Outside of Tucson is a few great places to camp. Tucson is getting to be really large. I think you would rather be in Benson or Tombstone? Much smaller towns - but Benson and Tombstone are also at a higher elevation, so it is best for early spring, before that area gets to warm.
Don't do what I did one Thanksgiving. Drove all the way to the Grand Canyon only to see a bunch of snow. It is around 6,500 feet elevation and the roads where covered with ice. You know how once you get REALLY cold and then no ice will stick to the roads? The Grand Canyon is not like that. The snow falls at night, followed by some rain, and you end up with 1" of ice on the roads. And the locals do not know how to drive in the snow, let alone ice conditions.
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burgess001
Springfield, MO USA
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Sierra Vista is a bit larger than the picture you are drawing. There are some other area possibilities, ranging from ghost towns to places like Tombstone (which I really like). I love Coronado National Park and other area features. Maybe best, it is not nearly as dusty as Quartsite. Don't know about Public land dry camping.
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1995brave
San Antonio, TX
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Does it have to be in Arizonia? How about Fredricksburg, Texas?
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