Yet another rant about state parks
Another hot day today in the high 90s, but tomorrow is supposed to be better, with highs in the high 80s. New Mexico is starting to sound better and better temperature-wise.
I just got a shock! When I'm heading east on I-10, which I'll be doing pretty soon, I like to spend a night or two at Picacho Peak State Park. I've been stopping there for many years. But looking at their website, I just found out they have raised their prices to camp at a water and electric site to $50 a night. That means they make $120,000 a month when they're full, which they frequently are.
That's public land! The state of Arizona doesn't pay a mortgage, they don't pay taxes, and the people I've talked to that work there are volunteers! I wonder if those prices have something to do with ReserveAmerica; it wouldn't surprise me. Well, they won't get another dime out of me. I'll find some other place to camp besides Arizona State Parks. It looks like at the moment, because of the cost, I won't be camping at Colorado State Parks, Arizona State Parks, or New Mexico state Parks after November of next year when my New Mexico Park pass expires.
It looks like the last few years has been tough turtles for anyone trying to camp at state parks, especially the three states where I spend most of my time. I have no problem with private RV parks charging anything they want, no matter how badly it hurts their customers, because they own the campground and they can do whatever they want with it because they're paying the bills. The owners must pay the property tax, income tax on the gross income, and any outstanding mortgages.
However, a State Park is different; the taxpayers own that campground, and I see no reason why they should charge as much or more than private campgrounds, which have many bills that public land doesn't have. But it's our fault; we vote for politicians who put their personal power over the public good.
PS.... I just looked it up on the Internet, and yes, Arizona state parks are contracted to ReserveAmerica for their reservations.
theboondork
Another peaceful sunrise boondocking at the old rodeo grounds.
No reservation is necessary. I'm staying at what used to be the Rodeo RV Park. It was a boondocking park with no water or electricity at the sites, but it did have a nearby water faucet and a dump station. I don't know who owned it, but I think it was either the city of Ajo or the county.
After the rodeo arena and the RV Park were abandoned, winter visitors started boondocking here, and nobody seemed to mind. There's hardly anyone here right now, but in the past, I've seen dozens of people boondocking here.
The only signs left of what used to be an RV Park are a few broken concrete signs that used to be the site numbers.
Even though I prefer sunrises and sunsets that look like the sky is on fire, I usually have to be happy with a less "exuberant" sunset, and this is one of those. I enjoyed seeing the faint, soft, pastel colors of the sky contrasting with the harsh, almost colorless desert landscape.