Thursday, February 22, 2007

Dateline: Dateland (AZ)


What more could we ask for? An out-of-the-way RV park, perfect for finishing up loose ends a couple of weeks into full-timing. Think small - verrrrry small. Exit 67 off of Interstate 8 - that's Dateland. Home of the world famous date shake, which I tried yesterday. For a person who's not crazy about dates, it was actually quite tasty.

The town was purchased by a Canadian couple several years ago. "Town" consists of a gas station, diner, gift shop, RV park, and (of course) a date farm. Everything you ever wanted to know about date farming and Dateland, you can find on their website: www.dateland.com. On the RV map of the park, they also say that 4 miles to the north there is a post office, market, Tru-Value hardware store, and bar. We drove up there to mail a few items - let's just say that where we are staying is more exciting. The post office is in the market, which is not marked - it is, but in Spanish. The bar looked scary, and the hardware store was nowhere to be found.

Spaces here rent for $150/month. Cheap, but there is a reason why this park is not full in high season. There are maybe 15 RV's here with 100 spaces available. The reasons? 1) Trains...oh the trains. Two sets of tracks. A train every 20 minutes, day and night. I think they stop between 4:00am and 5:00am, but that's it. Some going east, some going west. But always, chugging down the tracks. 2) the nearest town with anything is 36 miles west of here. That would be Wellton, our next stop. We're leaving here Sunday morning - we'd leave earlier, but our mail is being delivered to the RV park, so we're stuck.


One thing about staying at an uncrowded place: we've had a chance to size up our neighbors. The guy a few spots away from us is a welder who works on combines for farmers. When we met him, Donna promptly did an "exit-stage-left". Maybe it was the overalls and orange t-shirt. He enjoys the sun, but it's left his skin a little parched. Hence, we've nicknamed him "Split-lip", if you get my drift. On the other side of us, there is an older couple from Alberta, Canada. They have a 7 month old cocker, who is very excitable. So excitable, that after jumping up on you, he quickly pees (he got both of us within 10 seconds). The Canadians are now extremely embarrased, and apologize every time we see them. As we were entering the park, and looking for a site, a lady came out of her rig, hair in rollers, baggy t-shirt and pants, with her dog running next to her. She was talking up a storm, and we weren't even out of the truck yet. Oh, boy, the stereo-type of "trailer-trash". She wanted us to park next to them...thank goodness, the office had told us to park in a different section of the park! We have a name for her, but it will remain our little secret.

Today we decided to take the drive into Wellton to check out our next park. We're so glad we did; that reservation is now cancelled! Very old park, small, with mostly ancient rigs living there. We did locate 2 new RV parks, and will be going to one of them on Sunday.

5 comments:

  1. Wow, this park sounds like a book. Guess you are learning a lot about places to stay. And a lot about dates!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like you are having the adventure of a lifetime

    ReplyDelete
  3. Did you watch that movie "RV" that we gave you yet? You are coming pretty close to living it. Repeat to yourself - "I am not Robin Williams. I am not Robin Williams." For some reason the theme to Green Acres just popped into my head... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. We have watched RV, the movie. It may sound like it, but I don't think we're close to being that family! Each day is unique, that is for sure. Unfortunately, the regular day-to-day stuff remains (like bill paying, house cleaning, etc.)!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Rod, as a long time resident of Dateland, Az. I feel compelled to respond to your comments. The hardware store was right next to the store, any idiot could find it, why do you need a sign to tell you where the post office is when you can't miss all the p.o. boxes, that in itself should be a big enough clue, in that "scary" bar are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, the guy is an idiot that owns Dateland is why there is noone there, I certainly do not remember trains going by every 20 mins., its more like 2 a day,I thought God was the only who could pass judgement on people, it must be wonderful to so superior than everybody else, can you walk on water too? You are just trailer trash on wheels, Good-bye & adios, glad to see you leave Dateland.

    ReplyDelete

Tell us what you think!