COME ON HOME SNOWBIRDS!
By Jane Cassie
(For Travel Writers' Tales )

"All studios and group activities will be shutting down tomorrow, so if you've got anything to pick up, do it right away!"


Band plays at the pickleball dance

The frantic announcement comes in the middle of our pickleball dance, a social gala that wraps up our season and celebrates the club. Normally, this event is well-attended and very festive. But this year, the mood is sullen, topped off with a lot of uncertainty.

Recently, there have been rumblings that the Corona virus has made its way to North America. Panic and fear are spreading like a bad wildfire and all of the Sun communities, including Palm Creek Golf and RV Resort, are battening down the hatches.


Our home on wheels

For the past five years, this man-made oasis in the city of Casa Grande, Arizona, has been our safe play haven. From January to March our fifth wheel nestles in the shade of a billowy palm. As well as uniting with over two thousand other RVers, there's an assortment of cottage homes and park models where snowbirds flock to every winter. And steps away are over a hundred and sixty-five activities a week that appease our inner child.


Enjoying the pottery studio

Lapidary, painting, pottery and quilting, are just a few that have catered to my crafty side. Cardio classes, line dancing and four shimmering pools have helped burn off those happy hour calories.


The 18-hole Championship Par 3

An 18-hole Championship Par 3 that weaves around ponds and challenging creeks has tested my swing. And when it comes to ball sports, there's been a gamut to choose from. Softball, tennis, lawn bowling–not to mention our go-to sport, pickleball. Palm Creek is a magnet for those of us who are drawn to this popular North American sport.


Go-to sport pickleball

Its thirty-two dedicated courts that sprawl along the park's eastern border have been host to a number of tournaments. This is the park perk that first lured us to Palm Creek and it's because of this club that we're at this dance.

"It may be our final group event," my husband says as we get up to leave. "Things must be pretty serious if they are cancelling all social functions." Brent's right. The resort has always won kudos for their awesome offerings and they wouldn't take drastic measures like this unless it was called for.


One of the many street parties


Hot air balloon at cancer awareness week

I think about all of the large gatherings we've enjoyed with so many friends this year: pot lucks, street parties, games nights, concerts and all the special events at Palm Creek Park; the Cancer Awareness week that hosted a silent auction and hot air balloon rides, RV and car shows, movie nights where we all gather to watch favourite flicks on the large outdoor screen.


Palm Creek chorus

And last week our Palm Creek Chorus put on two sold-out shows in celebration of its twenty year anniversary. Ironically one of the songs we had sung was a parody of YMCA with lyrics about the Millennium bug, Y2K. We thought nothing of the humorous play-on-words that made reference to fear of this event: our Western world collapsing, losing all of our cash and businesses going under. How could those performances have been just a few days ago? Since then, the ripple effect of this news has been like a tidal wave and the fear of those words coming to fruition are much more of a reality today than they were twenty years ago.

The news hour soon becomes a global magnet and in short order people are abiding to the rules. As well as no gatherings, we are keeping our distance and washing our hands. Some are wearing masks and others are totally isolating. And any hugging is a definite no no!

Before the week is out, we get the word. "Come on home, snowbirds! The borders will be closing and you need to get back." The feeling of urgency escalates throughout the park. All parties and get-togethers are cancelled and any future plans come to a sudden halt.

We unite with other Canadians and do as we're told. Although it's a month earlier than expected, we pack up the RV and immediately prepare for departure. Rigs head out by the drove and though people wave as they pass by, the social distancing rule has been firmly established. We are already in Covid mode.


The welcome greeting beckons our return

The last thing we see as we drive out of the gate is the Welcome Home! sign. The inviting greeting that spans the sandstone archway clearly beckons our return. Will we be coming back next year to our winter haven? Will we ever party in large groups, hug our friends without fear and enjoy those fabulous Arizona sunsets?


Another Palm Creek sunset

Fingers crossed that we will have normalcy again. Only time will tell.

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Travel Writers' Tales is an independent travel article syndicate that offers professionally written travel articles to newspaper editors and publishers. To check out more, visit www.travelwriterstales.com

IF YOU GO:

Palm Creek Golf and RV Resort

http://palmcreekgolf.com/

PHOTOS by Brent Cassie: