TOUR AMERICA, 2020: MARICOPA, ARIZONA – THE GRAND CANYON STATE

Places We Have Called Home in 2020

Home Is Where We Park It – Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino and Hotel, Maricopa, Arizona

March 15, 2020

Temperature 78 Degrees

Travel Day, First Leg

Advantages of Living in an RV During These Difficult Times

Today was the first leg of our journey to Escapees North Ranch in Congress, Arizona.

This morning we said goodbye to a great group of Canadian neighbors that had been a part of our lives for the last several weeks.  This is the same group that has been keeping track of all the delivery trucks coming to our site.  The same group that constantly joked with me about all the many boxes delivered and who wanted to know if we were on a first name basis with all the drivers.  They were also in the midst of packing up with most of them leaving off the course of the next several days.  It was great getting to know them and to be included in their circle.

The first leg of our travels took us from Yuma to

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino and Hotel.  A little internet research reveals that:

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino is a Native American casino located 40 miles south of Phoenix in Maricopa, Arizona. The casino is owned by the Ak-Chin Indians, who contracted with Harrahs to manage its operation. Harrah’s is a management brand of Caesars Entertainment.

The Ak-Chin Casino first opened its doors for business on Dec. 27, 1994. A 152-room hotel tower was added in 2011.

In July 2016 Ak-Chin began construction on a major expansion project to add a hotel, a luxury spa, additional gaming space, a conference center, additional restaurants and a parking garage. The project was totally completed in 2019.

I decided to come here today rather than drive the full three hour and thirty minute trip to Mesa tomorrow.  The trip today took just over two hours and thirty minutes leaving us about an hour to go tomorrow.

This is our site for tonight.  Casino Camper states RV’s are to park in the West lot behind the casino, but since I saw two rigs already here I pulled in.  The parking lot is behind the casino and hotel, it is level and as you can see we really don’t have any neighbors.  Casino security has already been around several times and so far they have not asked us to move.  I don’t believe they will since there doesn’t appear to be a need for the hotel/casino to use this parking lot today.

The overall trip here was not bad.  Route 8 is a mixed bag in terms of road surface.  Most of it is smooth, some recently paved.  However, there was one section that was so torn up when I hit a huge pothole I swore both front tires were going to blow!  Thankfully, the only damage was a broken ceramic giraffe that fell off a ledge.  A little super glue and he will be as good as new.

I’ve had some time on my hands and so I got to thinking of some of the advantages of living in Elvira during these crazy times.

• we can avoid all forms of public transportation.  Our only mode of transportation is Elvira and our toad.  We can still get around without the unnecessary risk of using a bus, a plane or whatever
• we have our home and creature comforts with us at all times.  Elvira has a great living room, a roomy kitchen, a cozy bedroom and a shower and a bathroom.  Everything we need to live, play, travel and stay healthy.  We can bake muffins, whip up a meal, or sit back in our recliners and just read a book with a good glass of wine.
• we are able to continue to travel this great country without undue risk of exposure to the virus.  We can avoid high risk areas, crowds,  and big cities.  To date we have still been able to make reservations without an issue.
• we have learned, and are learning even more so now, to be self sufficient.  We have to fix things on a regular basis, change plans, adapt to new environments, and deal with breakdowns. We have learned to keep things in perspective, stay calm in the face of challenges, and be resourceful in how we deal with them. A positive attitude and a good sense of humor will get you through in the end! All we can do is take it one day at a time, and remember that God is still in control and is always waiting for us around the next corner to sustain and support and see us through.

OK, the full time RV lifestyle is not for everyone.  Nor is it the ultimate answer to escaping the madness of today’s world.  But this lifestyle we’ve chosen definitely offers us a very comfortable and convenient way to ride out the storm.

Excuse me now why I go wash my hands – again!

Our first travel day in a long time has come to an end on The Road of Retirement.  We are sitting in our recliners just enjoying the good life.  I’ve got my computer.  Barbara has a favorite book.  We’ve had our lunch.  In an imperfect world it is about as perfect a situation as one could ask for.

Thanks for coming along with us today.  We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  Till tomorrow when we’ll be in Mesa.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!