While we have been traveling the last 10 years we have largely stayed away from 55+ communities. Part of that is we were only 46 and 48 when we started but it was also that for a long time these weren’t the kind of environments we were looking for. Now at 58 and looking for some kind of winter home base I wanted to at least try it out and through mostly dumb luck I booked us at Voyager Tuscon for 42 days.

We needed a long stay because Lee had a 10 day trip to Columbus scheduled and then we were both going to Hilton Head to meet my oldest daughter and my grandson. I also wanted someplace safe with things to do while Lee was gone and boy does this park fit that bill. First though we had to get there so we pulled in and were escorted to our site on Saturday.

The shorter terms sites I really like because they are long and narrow but staggered. What I mean by that is the RVs are at opposite ends so when I sit at my desk I look over the neighbors car and directly at the mountain. Beautiful view.

Better still I was handed a book of possible activities (and I do mean a book) upon entry and I was excited about the possibility of all the things to do. First though Lee and I had to get set up and then drive north up to Marana to meet Steve, Diana, Ruth, and Dale. Ruth and Dale settled in Tucson last year and I was excited about picking her brain about the area, but it also turned out Steve and Diana were passing through and this was their last night. We hadn’t seen them in person since 2015 so drove up and had a fantastic rib dinner. It was really great catching up.

They were fellow RV-Dreamers (although in a different class) and it was nice reconnecting in person. As folks move from full-time to part time travelers it is interesting to hear their transition stories. Since this is what I would like to do I took good mental notes and of course just enjoyed catching up with them! We will be seeing Ruth and Dale more later I am sure.

We spent the next few days getting settled and then Lee left for Columbus. This left me 10 whole days to explore the park and it is large enough that it took me that long to get acclimated. First off Voyager is an Encore park which means it is affiliated with the Thousand Trails system but it has also merged with a senior housing community called Cove Bay. This means there are multiple types of living in this community but they all have access to similar services.

I am going to do my best to explain the options but to be clear I am by no means an expert. There are a few basic categories though:

1. Pay monthly ($1,089 a month, daily $39) just like any other RV park (electric is extra)
2. Thousand Trails membership – This is an annual fee and you can stay for free for X amount of days and then extend for a reduced rate. You do have to leave the park after so much time but you can then move to another Thousand trails park.
3. Seasonal rent for 3-6 months (Three tiers of sites based on size) runs from $2868 – $6,144). Signing up for this guarantees your site and lock in your costs (electric is extra). Most of these sites are not the long staggered ones but standard side by side double stacked
4. Annual rent is for the entire year and is either $8244 – $8352. With annual rent you can put sheds or RV covers on your sites and again gives you a permanent spot.
5. Park Models – There are numerous park models for sale in the village which ranged from $32,500 – $68,900 while I was there. Along with buying the park model you have to pay the annual rent which is the same as above.
6. Finally the Cove has small houses and the monthly HOA fees for these homes are I believe $960. Those homes are in the $250+ range.

So what do you get for all of that. Quite a lot actually. There is a golf course, three pools, a work out facility, onsite restaurant, onsite hair salon, woodshop, ceramics studio, silversmith shop, billiards rooms, softball fields, pickleball courts, tennis courts, several dog parks, library, and a huge ballroom. There is more but you get the gist.

There are also multiple activity rooms and a huge list (well over 150) of activities that are either free or near free for the residents and visitors. This includes card games almost every night along with Mexican train, scrabble, and other board games. The activities office is really nice and they have special events like Christmas lunch, dances, and a variety of classes. Truly you rarely have to leave if you don’t want to. My favorites so far are playing Euchre on Friday night and the monthly market which has both inside and outside sellers.

On negative for me at least is most of the craft related activities happen in the daytime during the week. Since I am still working every day I can’t participate in most of those (including ceramics) which was a real bummer. I will also say that those craft rooms are tightly controlled by one or two people. There are rules and fees and if you want to play with the toys you need to adhere to them.

The same is true of the community in general. Folks were welcoming but you have to play by their rules including how every card game is played. Didn’t really bother me much once I learned what the rules were but that sort of thing drives Lee crazy. I was really thinking some place like this might work for me because I really like how the community looks after each other, but the thick book of rules that residents have to follow made me see quickly that this kind of structure would make Lee miserable. Here are some of my favorite examples:

1. RV awning must be attached with a “J” hanger…ICBO-approved aluminum pans …at least .018 gauge..
2. Only one bird feeder and one hummingbird feeder are allowed per space (this is a deal breaker)
3. Children can only visit for 14 days per year
4. Flags…only prior written approval of any proposed flagpole and the flag itself
5. Residents shall submit a detailed written request and gain approval for ANY landscape installation …

And look I get it. There are reasons for all these rules and I am sure at some point someone was an idiot which caused the rule to be added. That being said Lee simply does not want to live in a place long term with these restrictions. If it was just me I would probably be fine. I tend to be a rule follower by nature but that’s not Lee’s temperament. All that being said I am glad we are staying here while we look at land in the area and also I wouldn’t mind coming back next year for a bit if we haven’t found anything. Like I said I really like how people look out for each other here and there is definitely a strong sense of community which I appreciate.

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