2025 US Van Tour: Palm Springs & Tucson

Not all days on the road are spent in the pursuit of leisure and adventure.  Some days must be organized and routine, just like at home.  .  Even though we had not been on the road long, we found we needed to allocated some "catch-up" time.  This required two nights and a full day at the Marriott Desert Springs Villas in Pam Desert.    This was a comfortable spot to take long showers, sleep in a real bed, grocery shop, acquire parts to fix things that have broken, prepare meals in a real kitchen and catch up on the detritus of life.  You know, things like filing your taxes, paying bills, email and route planning for the next several spots.

 

Marriott Palm Springs Desert Villas

We selected the Marriott as we are in their timeshare system.  So, you know the drill.  Attend a 90-minute update and get two free nights lodging.  Amazingly, our update concluded in 88 minutes, and we now have two more  free nights deposited in our lodging account.  These nights are handy when you are ready for a bit more luxury than a 21’ van provides. 

As it turns out, the timing was good as spring winds were kicking up dust and sand in the California desert.  The wind subsided nicely and the dust settled by the time we resumed our trek eastward.

Blowing sand and dust on Interstate 10

Our next stop was Tucson where, prior to settling in for the night, we stopped at Planet Fitness for a workout.  It was needed after sitting and driving in the van all day.  If you subscribe at the "Black Card" level of membership  you can visit any of their nationwide locations, get a workout and use their showers.  The facilities we have visited have been clean and the equipment new and in good condition.  Best of all, the monthly cost is covered by by the Wellness portion of my Medicare Supplement.  Yeah!   

Planet Fitness was almost empty at the time we visited

Following our workout, we headed to our Harvest Host for the evening.  This is a program in which businesses and people offer RVers a free spot to spend the night.  This results in a large variety of places in which you can overnight.  In Tucson we found ourselves staying at  Little Anthony’s Diner.  I’m sure it is well known in Tucson as it was a packed re-imagination of a 50’s diner.  It celebrated the music, ambiance and cars of that era in a playful way.  Check out the pictures below to get an idea.  One other couple, from near Phoenix, were also using the Harvest Host program to spend the night in their RV. The program helps make RVing more affordable.  Christina, the manager of Little Anthony's Diner,  greeted us and showed us where to park.  Our spot as was well lit and looked secure.

Beth found her next RV

Little Anthony's menu was full of 50’s comfort food.  Beth said I could order anything I wanted, so we split an order of Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and green beans.  We walked into the Diner, but waddled out.  To compensate for the filling dinner, we walked a bit and enjoyed the warm evening air.  Upon our return to the van, we got cleaned up and crawled into bed to enjoy a movie.  I wish I could say we saw the whole thing, but after 20 minutes it was clear sleep was next on our agenda and we terminated the movie in favor of a visit from Mr. Sandman.  

Good Night All!