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mnazarov
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 Posted - 02/26/2009 : 1:16:35 PM
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We are planning to be snowbirds in the near futute to Arizona. Years back I read an article about a clothes optional mobile home park somehwere in this state cannot remember where. Can anyone help me with this info?
mn
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nude charles
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Posted - 03/06/2009 : 5:17:37 PM
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I don't know whether this answers your question or not. But according to the AANR list for AZ, you may take a look at Jardin del Sol in Marana, AZ or Shangri La Ranch in New River, AZ. A google check may help. And my AANR list is a couple of years old. I hope this helps.
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Dove
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Posted - 03/06/2009 : 6:41:05 PM
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There's a nudist resort just outside Tucson named Mira Vista. Nice place to relax
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Teva
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Posted - 03/07/2009 : 10:40:29 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by nude charles
I don't know whether this answers your question or not. But according to the AANR list for AZ, you may take a look at Jardin del Sol in Marana, AZ or Shangri La Ranch in New River, AZ. A google check may help. And my AANR list is a couple of years old. I hope this helps.
Jardin del Sol hasn't been around for several years. Shangri La is closer to Phoenix, but it's a great place. Mira Vista is in the Tucson area.
Teva.
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NudeAl
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Posted - 03/07/2009 : 1:28:25 PM
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There is also a place known as the magic circle that is on BLM land that is naturist friendly lots of folks head out there. I think you pay a fee like $200 for the season and it is primitive camping, you have to be self contained no ammenitties at all. However if you are on a tight buget and don't mind roughing it, it can be paradise. There was a place like this known as, Oh My God Hotsprings near the Salton Sea in SoCal but that spring was bulldozed about a decade ago there are still nudists who sometimes will hang out there but not like the old days. The desert is full of places to go another nude friendly site is slab city pretty grungy there but it is free camping and was filmed int eh movie, Into The Wild.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. -- Robert Frost
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VLM34
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Posted - 03/07/2009 : 4:01:50 PM
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Jardin del Sol: long gone as a snowbird destination.
Mira Vista, north of Tuscon, just inside the city limits: motel rooms for rent and condos for sale; RV slots are few to none. Facilities are unimpressive. Lots of unnecessary rules. Expensive.
Shangri La Ranch, north of Phoenix, just outside the city limits: motel rooms for rent, park models for rent, lots of full hookup RV slots. Impressive facilities. Minimum of rules. Inexpensive. Very popular. Book well in advance.
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Country: France
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Calbob
Forum Member
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Posted - 03/07/2009 : 6:07:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by VLM34
Jardin del Sol: long gone as a snowbird destination.
Mira Vista, north of Tuscon, just inside the city limits: motel rooms for rent and condos for sale; RV slots are few to none. Facilities are unimpressive. Lots of unnecessary rules. Expensive.
Could you give specifics on Mira Vista? Examples of the rules, and why the facilities are unimpressive? I believe that it is being developed more as a destination resort ala - - - , formerly - - - in Palm Springs. DS doesn't have RV facilities either, but it's a top-notch nudist resort.
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Dove
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Posted - 03/07/2009 : 6:16:01 PM
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Calbob,
I went last August and found it to be quite nice. Nothing big but comfortable. Not many people that time of year so it was nice and peaceful. Their website is just what it is. Good luck!
http://www.miravistaresort.com/
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VLM34
Forum Member
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Posted - 03/10/2009 : 5:43:37 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Calbob
quote:
Originally posted by VLM34
Jardin del Sol: long gone as a snowbird destination.
Mira Vista, north of Tuscon, just inside the city limits: motel rooms for rent and condos for sale; RV slots are few to none. Facilities are unimpressive. Lots of unnecessary rules. Expensive.
Could you give specifics on Mira Vista? Examples of the rules, and why the facilities are unimpressive? I believe that it is being developed more as a destination resort ala - - - , formerly - - - in Palm Springs. DS doesn't have RV facilities either, but it's a top-notch nudist resort.
I guess I was too terse. I agree that the Mira Vista facility is, and has been, intended as a destination resort for a targeted type of guest. The previous owners targeted gays. The current owners target nudists, and also want to attract part-year and full-year nudist residents. I agree that RV facilities aren't necessary at a destination resort, and that resort owners may not consider them desirable.
The OP wants to snowbird in Arizona. I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that he's a fairly typical snowbird who would want to spend several months at a price a typical snowbird would be willing to pay. Those months, of course, usually include December, January, and February which are the coldest months up north and the coldest months in Tucson too. It usually doesn't freeze at night, but it does get down in the 30s.
If the OP plans an extended stay, he'll want lodging with cooking facilities. He'll also want on-site laundry facilities. He'll expect a clubhouse large enough for indoor parties, dances, and other large gatherings. He'd probably expect usable tennis and volleyball courts. He'll also expect at least some of the following: a circuit for daily walks or jogs, hiking trails adjacent to the facility, and space for card games, knitting get-togethers, etc. He'd probably appreciate a well equipped exercise room. And, at a nudist place, he'd expect to be able to do all that nude. Glen Eden, De Anza Springs, and Shangri La Ranch provide all of that. Two of those three have indoor pools.
By contrast, when we were there, Mira Vista's score was zero. (Yes, there was a tennis court, but it wasn't usable: the paving had long ago been victim to a major earthquake, or equivalent. The net was raggedy and sagging.)
When we were there, Mira Vista was just another short-stay motel with one large outdoor pool and one tiny outdoor hot tub which was located a long way from both the pool and the nearest shower. (Yes, I'm aware that the pool/tub facilities have since been expanded.) The furniture in our room was prettier than what one would expect at Motel 6, but there was no more of it and it was less functional. The TV, the wall clock, and two of the lamps didn't work. Electrical outlets were few, resulting in tangles of extension cords along the walls. There was no place to set up a laptop computer. The door to our room wouldn't lock and wouldn't even fully close. The metal patio furniture outside our room needed considerable rust removal and paint. There weren't two chairs per table, which caused much chair snatching among guests.
As for rules, I recall a profusion of "no-no" signs, far more than I'd seen anywhere else, but I can't list them all from memory. I definitely recall signs on the gates around the pool commanding guests to close them gently to prevent clanging. I suggested to the manager that, if clanging was a problem, she fix the gates so they didn't clang. That proposal was not well received. She clearly preferred to keep both the clangs and the signs that prohibit clanging. (Early in the morning of our departure, when no one was around, I wrapped a bit of electrical tape around the part of the latches that caused the clangs, but I don't regard that as a permanent fix.) There were also signs everywhere prohibiting cell phone use, ostensibly to maintain decorous quiet, although conversation of equal volume with other guests was allowed. I think, but am not 100% sure, that the shower cubicles next to the pool had signs commanding guests to turn the off the water when done showering. (Duh!) If that was really a problem, adding flow timers would have been easy and cheap.
Overall, the mentality appeared to be to spend money on signs to prohibit this and that rather than to spend (an equal or lesser amount of) money to fix problems. The overall tone was one of controlling and restricting guests rather than liberating and serving them.
The grounds at Mira Vista were very nice, and very well maintained: lots of gardens among winding sidewalks. Staff was busy watering, pruning, and removing fallen petals and other plant debris from the flower beds and sidewalks. However, we did not observe staff painting, fixing, or improving anything.
When we were there, the restaurant staff was friendly and efficient. The food was quite good, with prices in the same range as the restaurants nearby. We enjoyed our meals there.
Mira Vista has a lot of textile residences nearby. Not all are friendly or tolerant. When we were there, nudity was prohibited in the parking lot: the neighbors, you know. One had to dress to go fetch something from the car. The Saturday night DJ dance was held outside, for lack of adequate space inside. The police arrived about 45 minutes after the dance began. A complaint from a neighbor, you know. The DJ moved all his equipment into the bar area, and the dance resumed (still outside) after a substantial delay. Pretty soon, here come the police again. Another noise complaint. That put an end to the festivities - the party was over before 10 PM.
It's been several years since our one visit to Mira Vista. That's long enough for a lot of improvements, repairs, and changes in mentality and tone. We'll give it another try for a few days sometime in the next year or so, but we can't imagine living in one of those motel rooms for several months - especially not in winter.
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Country: France
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NaturistDoc
Forum Member
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Posted - 03/10/2009 : 8:33:31 PM
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We're going to MIra Vista in a few weeks, and I'll post a report if I have anything pertinent to say.
During previous visits I didn't feel particularly over-regimented. In fact, I was a little unhappy that the rule against poolside cell-phone chatter wasn't enforced. True, the rooms are nothing special. They were built in the 1930's, and are clearly showing their age. They are adequate, though. My guess is that Mira Vista, which is embarking on an ambitious condo-building project, isn't inclined to put a ton of money into renovating the older rooms right now. I wouldn't be surprised if, once the first batch of condos gets built, the old buildings get demolished.
IMHO, Mira Vista is an attractive, if imperfect, resort that deserves some support. In case no one has noticed, there isn't exactly a glut of non-swinger nudist resorts out there, and the owners at MVR are making an effort to improve on what they have, in the face of a crappy economy and irritable neighbors. We should wish them well.
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VLM34
Forum Member
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Posted - 03/10/2009 : 10:16:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by NaturistDoc
<snip> During previous visits I didn't feel particularly over-regimented. In fact, I was a little unhappy that the rule against poolside cell-phone chatter wasn't enforced.
My point, although I didn't make it well, was "lots of obtrusive no-no signs which were roundly and successfully ignored."
<snip some more>
quote:
We should wish them well.
We should, and I do. It expect it will become a good place to live and a good place for locals to go for a day.
However, this thread is about places to snowbird in Arizona. Mira Vista is not now, and is unlikely to become, suitable for that. Well, unless one buys a condo there - which I don't think was what the OP had in mind.
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Calbob
Forum Member
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Posted - 03/12/2009 : 5:51:08 PM
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Thanks to both of you for your comments about Mira Vista. I haven't been there, but know the new owners quite well. There were originally three couples who purchased it for a nudist resort. One of the original couples, Wayne and Suzanne Schell, recently bought out the other partners and took control in January of this year. Wayne and Suzanne have owned Laguna Del Sol in California for about 25 years, and have made it into one the nicest nudist resorts in the country. I'm a member of Laguna Del Sol and have seen the steady improvements they have made over the years, and I'm sure they will continue that at Mira Vista.
We also have a no cell phone rule in the pool areas at Laguna Del Sol. It's not just for peace and quiet, but since most cell phones contain cameras, they don't want anyone sneaking pictures with them. I know that the Schells would never tolerate some of the problems mentioned, so just give them a little time, and you'll be impressed with what they do with the resort.
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webenude
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Posted - 03/14/2009 : 5:46:39 PM
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We are newbies at this site. Glad to see that there is info and opinons here concerning Mira Vista. We live in the midwest and have reservations at MV for early April. We booked it because of attractive airline rates to Arizona and for the most part, very good reports on Travel Advisor. After a winter like we just went thru, if it is warm and clean we will be happy campers!
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webenude
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Posted - 03/14/2009 : 5:49:37 PM
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We would love to read about more experiences concerning Mira Vista. Good or bad.
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Admin
Forum Admin
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Posted - 03/19/2009 : 2:41:12 PM
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Here's a recent article about being clothes optional in Arizona.
From Phoenix Day Trips Examiner - March 15, 2009
Clothing optional getaways in Arizona
March 15, 6:06 PM
 A friend of mine just commented on Mira Vista Resort as a great getaway sans clothing. With the weather warming up, some might appreciate a list of nude and naturist resorts and clubs in Arizona.
For those curious about being nude and joining other naturists, I can recommend a very good list of questions and answers regarding nudism. They are questions and comments you might think about but are reluctant bring up.
Arizona
Arizona Wildflowers is one of the largest travel clubs (aka: non-landed) in AANR, with over 200 adult members. They began in 1980 as a small group of friends, but are now a proprietary club. If you feel that your concepts of social nudism are in agreement with theirs, they welcome you to join the group for a pool party or a campout, a potluck, or a special event. Their contact person has a Phoenix address.
Shangrila Ranch - Clothing optional resort. They are a family friendly facility located north of Phoenix that welcomes everyone interested in naturism. Full memberships with the resort are available. Visitors are allowed to ease into nudism. Shangri La Ranch emphasizes the freedom of choice. You select the activity that suits you from quiet relaxation in the spa , sauna or on the pool deck, to swimming, volleyball, water volleyball, tennis, shuffleboard, basketball, horseshoes or hiking trails. A clubhouse, children's playground and laundry are available. The pool is maintained at a comfortable temperature year round. RV, camping and rental units available.
Canyon State Naturists - A family friendly, clothing optional, non landed club with over 150 members across the USA mostly in Arizona. The organization models itself under the Body Beautiful, Body Acceptance and Nude Recreation theories. They enjoy time with friends and family in a natural setting and the group includes lots of campers and hikers.
Arizona Nudist Resorts and Naturist Clubs - A great listing researched by About Phoenix writer, Judy Hedding.
Mira Vista Resort - Marana, Arizona - Mira Vista Resort in Tucson is a clothing-optional hotel and recreation club located on a 30 acre property with a colorful history dating back to the 1800s. Features include 4 pools and spas, a full-service restaurant and bar, fitness center, tennis and massage services. The grounds are secluded and surrounded by beautiful hills and mountain views, yet just 3 miles from I-10. Day visitors are welcome.
El Dorado Hot Springs - Forty miles west of Phoenix, Arizona or seventy-five miles east of Quartzsite, leave I-10 at Tonopah--Exit 94. El Dorado is a rustic western mineral water spa located over an enormous natural subterranean hot spring.
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Country: USA
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Teva
Forum Member
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Posted - 03/22/2009 : 2:13:57 PM
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I hate to dispute figures but as of 12/31/08, AZ Wildflowers has only 109 members according to the end of year figures. Shangri-La has 486.
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Edited by - Teva on 03/22/2009 2:17:27 PM |
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clothes optional in Arizona
