A Different Kind of RV Park

by Margaret Fleming

Anyone driving into Puerto Peñasco from the north must have noticed an attractive new building on the left. Located just before the new car wash, it has a high dome with windows and a mosaic dolphin on the outside. The building is the office of Quality Star, a new RV park, and also serves as the salesroom for a line of rustic furniture that the owners are promoting.

We went over to visit the park and were shown around by Iram Rodriguez, the manager. Sr. Heraclio Villanueva, the owner, was not there, but we had the pleasure of meeting his wife, who drove in unexpectedly while we were looking around. He is a Mexican, from Chihuahua, and she is an American but is fluently bilingual. Both Iram and Sra. Villanueva were very cordial and answered all our questions readily.

The main difference between this RV park and most others is that all 34 of the spaces for RVs are covered. In the hot Sonoran Desert summer, that could be a real winner. In addition, there are two masonry buildings housing men's and women's bathrooms with 4 toilets and 5 showers each, a laundry room with 6 washers and 6 dryers, and space for two small shops, all beautifully tiled. Workers were finishing the bathrooms while we were there; they were also putting in a swimming pool.

From the inside, the main building is truly impressive. A magnificent high beamed ceiling leads the eye up to the dome, where light streams in, illuminating the room below. The furniture is made in a factory in Puerto Peñasco and is a style called original rustico--rough finishes, metal hardware--very attractive.

This new RV park will be a self-contained facility. Tourists can park their RVs in the shade, take their showers, wash their clothes, relax in the pool, and pick up small items at the shops. They won't need to leave except to go the beach or a restaurant. And, as a bonus, they can buy themselves some new furniture to take home.

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