Chip Deyerle
Emerald Desert RV Resort Pool
The first advantage is the inexhaustible beauty and elegance of the area, including LaQuinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage. For miles along the boulevards and avenues are arrays of stately palm trees, flourishing shrubs, gardens and beautiful flowers against a background of Mt. San Jacinto and the Desert Shadow Mountains.
Story & photos by Chip Deyerle
As a “Mecca” for RVers, Southern California is one of the ultimate destinations for snowbird and tourist RVers from across Canada, the US and Europe. On a winter swing through California in early 2011, our Newmar Ventana rolled into Emerald Desert RV Resort in Palm Desert, California, in search of a six-week RV adventure. What we discovered was classic desert living, complete with sunny weather, palm trees, gardens, flowers galore and breath-taking beauty! Suddenly the drive from the East coast was worth every day on the road to get there!
While Southern California offers many affordable RVing opportunities during the winter months, the Emerald Desert RV Resort, located in the Coachella Valley, provides numerous attractions, including easy access to San Diego and Los Angeles.
The first advantage is the inexhaustible beauty and elegance of the area, including LaQuinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage. For miles along the boulevards and avenues are arrays of stately palm trees, flourishing shrubs, gardens and beautiful flowers against a background of Mt. San Jacinto and the Desert Shadow Mountains.
The quality of the RVing experience is the second advantage. As the winter home to thousands of guests, RVers come together in celebration of sunshine and warm desert weather. Here is a place to spend most days outside of the RV in heart-healthy activities including walking, hiking, biking, exercising, playing golf, swimming and visiting the multitude of sites and event venues in the Palm Springs area.
The third advantage is learning about new ways to improve our RV experience. This includes RV seminars and workshops with focus on maintenance, repairs and service. Unless you attend a big RV rally, you may never learn important things about battery care, fluid changing, tires and brakes, except through direct experience.
As discerning RVers, we expect facilities to have “curb appeal”; maintain high standards including clean and well-maintained facilities, as well as dependable WI-FI power/water/sewer/cable access. Emerald Desert RV Resort makes a point to “measure up” to and exceed this standard.
On arrival we received the Emerald Desert RV Resort Activities Calendar with activities for just about every day of every month! We were genuinely impressed with the content of the events – it was just as though we were staying at a 5-Star Resort on the Riviera, or a cruise ship.
Southern California provides a variety of climates; from the warm, lower desert area of the Coachella Valley to the cool, higher elevations on Mount San Jacinto. So should the urge to ski arise, you can head for the slopes of Big Bea to play. When we just want to throw a snowball (for old time’s sake), we rode the Palm Springs tram up Mt. San Jacinto where there is plenty of snow most months. It is surprising however how quickly we got used to short sleeves, shorts, and flip-flops, especially during January, February and March. Which is why local RVers advise layering clothes as the elevation rises.
We discovered dancing at a wealth of holiday events including New Years Eve, Valentine’s Day, Love Boat Cruise Night, Mardi Gras Festival, St. Patrick’s Day, 1950s Sock Hop, Country and Western Night, and an Hawaiian Luau. For other RVers, Emerald Desert offers opportunities to broaden knowledge about the arts, including music, creative writing, arts, photography and crafts, all part of the Activities Schedule and led by experienced RVers.
While many RV parks have pet restrictions, Emerald Desert RV Resort know that RVers love their pets and has numerous places to walk pets as well as two large pet runs for the entertainment of four-legged guests.
A major attraction to the Palm Springs area (and Emerald Desert RV Resort in particular) is the golfing opportunities. From golf putting and chipping competition at the Resort to organized golf outings to any one of 114 courses in the Coachella Valley, the golfing opportunities are abundant. Always a challenge, the Resorts’ two practice greens and three practice fairways and greens get a solid workout daily. What a treat – golf during the winter months! Through arrangements with area golf courses, guests can enjoy golf on area courses.
We especially enjoyed Palm Springs for the Palm Springs Follies, the Thursday Night Downtown Street Festival, the McCallum Theater, the outdoor market at College of the Desert on weekends, or local casinos for dinner, slots and poker. Area casinos offer top music and comic entertainment opportunities year round.
Be sure to bring “toys” including bicycles, tennis rackets, and golf clubs. You may prefer to bring motorcycles for desert off-roading experiences, golf carts for golf clubs, scooters for getting around the Resort, classic and antique cars for collectors, favorite barbeque grills for grill masters, digital cameras, art pallets, oils, brushes and easels for artists (amateur or professional), as well as a-comfortable hammock!
As we departed Emerald Desert RV Resort, we realized we had acquired a renewed interest in swimming, relaxing, sports and socializing. We look forward to continuing those friendships through the years and will return again to Emerald Desert RV Resort next winter.
For more details see the following URL: http://emeralddesert.com or call 877-624-4140. You’ll find Emerald Desert RV Resort at 76000 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, California.