Visiting Friends, and another SKP Park under our belt.

North Ranch is a SKP (Escapees Club) park, just as are our Saguaro Co-op Park and the Rover's Roost we just left, but North Ranch is different. Co-op parks like ours are owned by a corporation consisting of the park's leaseholders. North Ranch is what the Escapees Club calls a Rainbow Park, owned by the Escapees Club itself, but managed locally. Residents here own their lots rather than leasing them.

Over the years, North Ranch has become perhaps less an RV Park and more a 55+ residential community. There are still overnight sites available for traveling SKPs, but the majority of sites are owner occupied at least part of the year, and are not available for renting out during the owner's absence.

North Ranch is a more sophisticated (our word for it) park than ours, in that there are better streets, with rolling curbs, a higher level of landscaping, and certainly a higher level of residential buildings. Some of the homes are stick built, others are true park models (as opposed to our park trailers). A lot of them are as nice a home as you would find in some of the better suburban neighborhoods. Yet there are some totally vacant lots, and we saw at least one site with a trailer on it, with the lot grown over with weeds.


An example of the landscaping here at North Ranch.

Our friends Mike and Pat McFall have been owners in this park for several years, and now actually own two lots: the one they live on while here, and the second one is open (by invitation) to their friends to stay on. They keep both lots immaculate.

We're staying on Mike and Pat's "other lot," backed up to open desert

Enough of that! We arrived here Tuesday afternoon after making one false turn down in Wickenburg. Our GPS said to take the second exit on the round-about. We miscounted and took the first exit, ending up on a dead-end road. Had to disconnect the car, move it out of the way, turn the motorhome around, and reconnect the car. Took maybe 10 minutes, not a big deal, but frustrating anyway.

Mike and Pat were shopping in Prescott when we arrived, but Mike had sent us excellent directions, as well as alerting some of the neighbors that we would be coming in. By the time we had settled in, Mike and Pat drove up with big Escapees Hugs for us. An hour later we were at their home for Happy Hour.



Mike and Pat in their delightful screen room.



And this is Ms MegaByte2

On our second evening here, we joined our friends again for happy hour and a dinner. Their neighbors Paul and Nancy joined us. Paul had greeted us when we first drove in and had some suggestions for easier backing in, which we appreciated!

On our three-day site,and in several other locations, we saw these cactuses (cacti?) that are different from any we have ever seen at our own park, although there are many varieties there.



We were told that these are called Easter Cactus, and they bloom just about this time of year (right before Easter!). Each bloom lasts for about a day, then is gone. Sure enough, Wednesday evening this is what we found after happy hour.

Happy Easter to all from Jerry and Suzy, once again out and about in ... Our Life on Wheels!