Campground Spotlight
Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park, C12471
Crystal River, Florida
Near the beautiful Gulf Coast of Florida is Rock Crusher Canyon RV Resort, which is just down the road from Rock Crusher Canyon Pavilion and Amphitheater. The combination means that if you stay at this RV park, Elvis Presley might be only a sock hop away.
Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park is located near natural wildlife areas.
That would not be the real Elvis, of course, but an Elvis impersonator. And speaking of imitators, also taking the stage are bands that serve up salutes to icons such as Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. Country singers (the actual ones) such as Faith Hill and Montgomery Gentry also pack in the crowds. Choose your favorite!
The amphitheater once was owned and operated by the same people who run the RV park. “We are currently only good neighbors,” said Kristine Murray, the assistant manager of Rock Crusher Canyon RV Resort. You can tell how well they still like each other by looking at the RV park’s Facebook page, which often lists acts coming to town. And, why not? It’s a good selling point. “Guests can lounge by the pool until just before showtime, and then walk or drive over for the show,” Ms. Murray said.
Even if you never go for the live music, you’ll be able to choose from planned activities at the RV park: nature hikes, water aerobics, bingo, horseshoes, sewing crafts, Texas hold’em card games, and plenty more.
Like many RV parks in America’s snowbird region, this one rents long-term during the desirable months of January, February, March, and April. The minimum stay is a month during this time frame, but Ms. Murry said nearly all of the park’s high-season reservations last three months or longer now, with the span getting longer each year. The RV park even offers an annual agreement that spares RVers from having to pay for RV storage, lets them upgrade the site, and assures they will have a site there each winter.
Ms. Murray also noted that from April through November, groups such as FMCA chapters can reserve sites and plan activities using the clubhouse, kitchen, pavilion, and pool areas. And, of course, families needing only one site can stay on a more short-term basis.
Amenities include free cable TV, free Wi-Fi, a heated pool and spa, and two dog-run areas —one for large dogs and the other for small canines. The park is near an abundance of natural wildlife areas, too, such as the Crystal River and Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.
Details
Rock Crusher Canyon RV Resort, C12471
237 S. Rock Crusher Road
Crystal River, FL 34429
(888) 726-7805
(352) 564-9350
www.sunrvresorts.com/resorts/south/florida/rock-crusher-canyon
The RV resort offers an FMCA member discount of 10 percent.
Wildlife
Bears And More In Arizona
Libre the jaguar arrived at Bearizona in 2018.
Heading to Arizona for FMCA’s 101st International Convention and RV Expo this month and looking for things to do either before or after the event? Animal lovers may want to plan a visit to Bearizona, a popular wildlife park located in Williams, Arizona, amid Kaibab National Forest. Bearizona lies one hour south of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim and is dedicated to providing homes for wild animals in need.
Set on 160 acres, Bearizona offers options for wildlife encounters. Owners of RVs and other enclosed vehicles can travel along three miles of well-maintained gravel roads through ponderosa pine forest and see animals in large, naturalistic enclosures. In addition to spotting black bears, those traversing the drive-through area may encounter Rocky Mountain goats and elk, American burros, wolves, bighorn sheep, and other critters. Guests are welcome to drive through multiple times in hopes of seeing more animals.
Visitors also can hop on the Wild Ride bus tour, a 50-passenger open-air bus with a Bearizona staff member on board to share fun facts about the animals and their habitats. The tour is included in the price of admission, but rides are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
The park lives up to its namesake by saving bears and other animals.
Fort Bearizona, a 20-acre area with a zoo-type atmosphere, invites guests to take a self-guided walking tour. Winding walkways give visitors close-up views of animals such as beavers, porcupines, North American river otters, and bobcats. Animal keepers are on hand to chat with visitors during the day. Attractions include a petting zoo, an exhibit with nocturnal animals, and an area that houses young bears not ready for the adult enclosure. A cave leads visitors to a large glass viewing area for the adult bears’ den.
The High Country Raptors, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting raptor conservation through education, makes its home at Bearizona and hosts daily shows there March through December, allowing guests to view and learn more about hawks, owls, falcons, and other birds of prey.
For hours of operation, admission prices, show times, and other information, visit www.bearizona.com or call (928) 635-2289.
App File
First Aid
An app can provide some first-aid basics, but you’ll be far better prepared to handle a medical emergency if you take a first-aid certification course that includes CPR training.
First Aid – American Red Cross: Step-by-step advice is provided for many specific situations, some life-threatening (stroke, diabetic emergency, heart attack, etc.) and others not life-threatening (stings/bites, strains/sprains etc.). Users can view videos and animations, take interactive quizzes, and review safety tips to prepare for severe winter weather, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and more. Content is preloaded, so access to information is available even without an internet connection. Users can call 9-1-1 from the app at any time. The nearest hospital can be located by entering a ZIP code or allowing the app to use your current location. The app can toggle between English and Spanish. Free for iOS and Android.
Workamping
A Summer Job In A Perfect Place
It’s March, and you may be thinking of getting a summer job at a campground near one of your “bucket list” locations. It would give you plenty of time to explore! But Jody Duquette, executive director of Workamper News, a publication that unites employers with traveling workers, said jobs that involve a commitment lasting from May through October, for example, usually are filled three to six months before summer starts.
Henk and Georgia Parson volunteer at parks around the United States.
So, does this mean you’re too late? Not necessarily. “There are always opportunities,” she added. “Longer-term employees have things that come up and must leave for any number of reasons, and that creates openings.”
If you work while RVing, you’re a “workamper,” which refers to people who take jobs as they travel the country. The term was trademarked back in 1987 by Workamper News. Based in Heber Springs, Arkansas, the bimonthly publication is available via postal mail or can be read online.
Some employers avoid the confines of a printing/publishing schedule by having their notices sent via the Workamper hotline email service. Often, job providers never have to post an ad at all, because they contact RVers whose resumes are in the Workamper Awesome Applicants Resume Database.
Jim and Margie Crofoot worked their way up to manage a commercial RV resort.
Regarding job searches, Jody said another option for RVers now seeking positions is to find volunteer work, especially if your commitment can stretch only one to three months. Volunteer duties, which should be taken just as seriously as a paid job, may come with perks such as a free or lower-cost campsite.
Visit the Workamper website to learn more. Without paying a dime, you can read the job listings in a previous issue of Workamper News online and explore courses, videos, and informational pages. If you decide to subscribe, three paid subscription levels are available, ranging from $19.95 to $67 per year.
Get started now, and you will wake up each day ready to take on duties in the location of your dreams.
Details
Workamper News
(800) 446-5627
www.workamper.com
TRAVEL
Kartchner Caverns: Drop On In!
Some days, you do find what you’re looking for. In 1974, a couple of college buddies, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, were searching for a cave in the Whetstone Mountains near Tucson, Arizona. They noticed a cool, damp breeze wafting up through a small hole in the ground, and down they went to investigate.
Kartchner Caverns took a long time to open to the public, but precautions help assure it will stay beautiful for years to come.
From then on, their hardest struggle wasn’t in exploring, but in keeping the cave’s existence a secret. Caverns have been destroyed by vandals and by well-meaning nature lovers. The two were determined to make sure that didn’t happen, as were the landowners, the Kartchner family. Eventually, the Kartchners sold the land to Arizona State Parks.
The upper cave finally opened to the public in 1999 — 25 years after the caverns’ discovery. The lower cave was revealed to visitors four years later, in 2003.
But as far as cave time goes, all that is just a few drops down a stalactite. This is a limestone cavern whose formations are made by dripping water — not what you’d expect to find in the desert. Inside, the temperature averages 70 degrees, and the air has a humidity reading of 99 percent. The cave has formations with names such as soda straws, bacon, and turnips, and all those points and bumps include shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow. Some features are several feet high.
Kartchner Caverns is 2.5 miles long and boasts a couple of rooms that are nearly as big as football fields. Visitors can choose from two tours, each focusing on one of those giant rooms, the Throne Room and the Big Room. The latter can be seen only in fall, winter, and early spring, because mama bats raise their babies there each summer.
Kartchner Caverns State Park also has a visitors center, a museum, a gift shop, a café, picnic areas, and hiking trails. Plus, a campground at the park can accommodate RVs. Consider it a must-see when traveling to or from FMCA’s 101st International Convention & RV Expo in Tucson, March 26-29, 2020. It’s only about 50 miles southeast of Tucson.
Details
Kartchner Caverns State Park
2980 S. State Route 90
Benson, AZ 85602
(520) 586-4100
www.azstateparks.com/kartchner/
Camping Reservations: (877) 697-2757
www.azstateparks.com/reserve/kartchner/camping/