Tim Munson
My wife and I picked PebbleCreek as our new home just over a year ago, and we joined the PebbleCreek Rovin’ Pebbles RV club. Our first trip was to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque with a great group from the RV club. They made us feel at home, we knew we had picked the right spot to live!
Oct. 6, my wife and I, along with another couple, were wagon masters to lead a group of 20 RVs, 34 folks, to the Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, for a six-night stay. Only 115 miles from PebbleCreek.
The first day is the travel day to the campsite. After setting up we meet for happy hour and a potluck dinner, followed by a camp fire where all got a chance to converse with each other and make new friends. This is a nightly event.
Our first outing was to Jerome, a very historic mining town that at one time had over 15,000 residents, that diminished to about 300. It now thrives as a tourist town. While in Jerome there are many sites to see, such as the Grand Hotel, the Douglas Mansion, and highly recommended The Haunted Hamburger. You can walk off the hamburger by walking the streets of Jerome. There are many shops to check out.
From Jerome there is a beautiful road over to the Prescott Valley. Not a road for RVs!
On our second day we carpooled to Tuzigoot National Park in the morning where we walked on the paved trails and got a history lesson of the area. We then headed to old town Cottonwood and spent time walking through old town checking out the wide variety of shops after a great outdoor lunch at Bing’s diner. They have good food and a big variety on their menu. Plus, there are many other restaurants to try out.
Our third day we carpooled over the Clarksdale to board the Camp Verde train for a four-hour ride. We missed the fall colors, but it was perfect weather and the train ride was great, just sitting back watching the sites go by. In Clarksdale there is the Copper Museum, well worth the time.
Our fourth day was a YOYO day, “you’re on your own”. The group chose what they wanted to do during the day before we went to the Blazing M Ranch for a dinner show. Good food, good entertainment, lots of laughs, truly a hoot for the group!
YOYO suggestions near-by for the group were: Montezuma’s Castle, Montezuma’s Well, Sedona, Prescott Valley, and there are multiple wineries in the area. There is so much to see and do in and around Cottonwood, if you travel by RV or car, give yourself multiple days/nights, or plan on return trips.
It was a great time, with a great group. We can’t wait for our next RV club trip to Cave Creek County Park.