Trailer Parks

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dwig222

Guest
It is so sad to see so many trailer parks shut down. I remember a few years ago the area of the Mirador was so full of snowbirds at this time. You would barely be able to drive along there because so many people would be out for their morning walk or walking their dogs.

We went to the Reef and you could count on one hand the number of trailers there. Playa Bonita had about half their beachfront spots full, but most of them were Arizona license plates. Playa de Oro had the most, but no where near what they did in the past.

The worst part is that it was so unnecessary to shut down Miramar and Playa Elegante when nothing has been done with that land all these years. The condo development at Playa Elegante is for sale.

I feel so safe down here, while the media has helped turn RP into a place to avoid. What a shame!
 
J

JimMcG

Guest
dwig222 said:
It is so sad to see so many trailer parks shut down. I remember a few years ago the area of the Mirador was so full of snowbirds at this time. You would barely be able to drive along there because so many people would be out for their morning walk or walking their dogs.

We went to the Reef and you could count on one hand the number of trailers there. Playa Bonita had about half their beachfront spots full, but most of them were Arizona license plates. Playa de Oro had the most, but no where near what they did in the past.

The worst part is that it was so unnecessary to shut down Miramar and Playa Elegante when nothing has been done with that land all these years. The condo development at Playa Elegante is for sale.

I feel so safe down here, while the media has helped turn RP into a place to avoid. What a shame!
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I agree, and sadly feel that it will take some time to ever return to any resemblance of past normality.:sad::?:
 
Seadweller

Seadweller

chum
dwig222 said:
It is so sad to see so many trailer parks shut down. I remember a few years ago the area of the Mirador was so full of snowbirds at this time. You would barely be able to drive along there because so many people would be out for their morning walk or walking their dogs.

We went to the Reef and you could count on one hand the number of trailers there. Playa Bonita had about half their beachfront spots full, but most of them were Arizona license plates. Playa de Oro had the most, but no where near what they did in the past.

The worst part is that it was so unnecessary to shut down Miramar and Playa Elegante when nothing has been done with that land all these years. The condo development at Playa Elegante is for sale.

I feel so safe down here, while the media has helped turn RP into a place to avoid. What a shame!
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Our close friend Hiedi's father was the original owner of Playa Elegante and it just makes her sick everytime she comes down and sees what has become of her fathers hard work and dreams.

I agree it is a shame that all these old RV Parks are now becoming a collection spot for nothing more than garbage... the people that own them now are just neglecting them and letting them become local dumps...

I think the owners should at least keep the litter picked up to keep them from being even bigger eye sores than they are right now...
 
X

X-Coastie

Guest
Larry Large ran out the good people of Playa Elegante and in doing so killed a lot of business. It will take years for them to come back, if ever. The town make it clear that they were not welcome when they pandered to the condo people. What do people in the RVs/trailers do in town? They went out to eat, drink and have fun. Locals worked waxing and repairing the trailers. Condo folks stay in and prepare their own meals and relaxe at the condos. Many of the trailer people were on fixed incomes. Bars raised their prices for the condo folks. Now the bars are either empty or close. This in indisputable. Yes, it it sad. There is enough beach and sea for both the trailer folks and condo folks.
 
rockyptjoe

rockyptjoe

Guest
The Playa Bonita "family" built their 2 hotels little by little....they had a steady cash flow coming in from the RV park, with minimal overhead....they had a great business at the hotel restaurant/bar from the rv'ers. If you look at the Mirador...there are only a couple of viable bars open(not counting the "gentlemen's club")....and I'm sure it has something to do with there only being 2 rv parks left on the strip.....even Manny's has been suffering, and the Pink Cadillac is pretty well deserted nowadays. And the Pithaya????.....what's that?:twisted:

I have nothing against the pigeon coop types (as one of the previous members of this forum referred to them as).....but the town just developed too fast...and in one direction....catering to that type of clientele. I know many of us rv'ers spent a lot of time in Penasco, even before we had rv's and camped in tents....I used to spend at least 3 weeks during the summer (one each month), and several weekends throughout the year. I wonder if that can be said for the condo owners??? How many purchased as get rich thoughts, with little intent to actually spend time in Penasco???

Hey...maybe I'm wrong...but it's food for thought!
 
Roberto

Roberto

Guest
X-Cpastoe sez: "Larry Large ran out the good people of Playa Elegante and in doing so killed a lot of business. It will take years for them to come back, if ever".Actually I think the larger culprit was, is, Mr. Clifton.
 
Kenny

Kenny

Guest
Roberto said:
X-Cpastoe sez: "Larry Large ran out the good people of Playa Elegante and in doing so killed a lot of business. It will take years for them to come back, if ever".Actually I think the larger culprit was, is, Mr. Clifton.
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I assume that would be Clifton Meridian LLC... Mr Patrick Clifton.
 
Seadweller

Seadweller

chum
Wahoo said:
I doubt your close friends is shedding any tears over the Fat check they received. Many long time owners including Government sold out Puerto Penasco for the "Rocky Point condo high" and Heidi's father was no exception.
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Heidis father sold out long ago due to health reasons, he was not the one who sold it to someone to build condos.
 
Ladyjeeper

Ladyjeeper

Sonoran Goddess
Staff member
I can't tell you how much "Dancing on the Sundeck" went on at Smuggler's Cove. If I wrote a book on my years at Miramar it would be a foot thick! Dancing, Dominoes, Poker, Sleeping, Dreaming, Dolphin and Pelican antics and the banana boats. Rum and Cokes and Banana Daquiries. Beach campfires and morning coffee and Kahlua watching the day wake up. Visits from Lupe, the burrito lady and Delano, the seashell man, looking for a Pacifico at 8 A.M. Visits from Victor and his paintings for sale. Watching the kids grow up and little kid beach treasures in buckets. Fish fries and Shrimp Scampi. Sandy scuba diving equipment everywhere. Watching the Brisa creep in on little cat feet and watching the transformers blow up. The pink sea at night. A thousand sunsets on the Sea of Cortez. Sigh........

Sorry, I couldn't resist whining...... I treasure every memory and I will never forget............
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
You guys need to head South to Santo Tomas.Buy fish and shrimp on the beach,produce from the farmers.It is still like the old days in some ways.
 
rockyptjoe

rockyptjoe

Guest
Wahoo said:
I doubt your close friends is shedding any tears over the Fat check they received. Many long time owners including Government sold out Puerto Penasco for the "Rocky Point condo high" and Heidi's father was no exception.

At the start of the conversion I remember a local (old man walking) throwing dirt balls at the cars going by and cursing the change; gringo go home he yelled at each passing car with foreign plates) It was sad scene as he foresaw the disaster to the local people and their way of life. He knew him and his family would not be part of the future there.

The bartender at the parrot (from Mayan can not remember his name) would laugh with us at the outsiders paying Miami prices AND be on the hook for management fees for these cold structures. Catering and focusing on this small group of outsiders has done irreparable harm to PP.

The color and life seems to be gone and the light continues to dim. Sure miss the dancing on top of the porches build on top of trailers so prevalent at mirador with the sea breeze cooling that dancing sweat. Nothing like the life surrounding the trailer parks until the wee hours of the morning.


Visitors forget that $US500 a month is a great salary in Mexico, minimum wage went up this year but actually dropped in dollar terms to under $US 4.00 a DAY. A Hotel receptionist might earn 300 and an accountant 600 a month. Charging $12 for "take as you walk shrimp cocktail" at El malecon does not help. Gone is our first stop at the malecon for this tasty treat, 3$ small and 5$ GRANDE. Last time in was $12 for lime juice and Clamato with sprinkles of small things called shrimp. Not "el Grande" for me.
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The last time I remember seeing that (dancing on the decks/porches) was about 4 years ago...........before Mirimar and Elegante closed down....was down for the Biker Rally.....


I recall all the great friendships I made at Playa Bonita years ago....

I can still get a "grande" shrimp cocktail at one of the Malecon bars...but it's now $9....though it's enough for a meal!! And the man who is day manager/caretaker of the rv park I'm in makes $80/week.....and depends on any odd jobs us trailer trash can give him!
 
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X

X-Coastie

Guest
I can not disagree with anyone. We all have our own great memories of how it was. Maybe it has passed us by. I hope not. I hope that the town is just temperorarily stalled. This years bike rally was less attended but yet for me, more fun. Going to Capones does not have the same zeal as any of the Margaritavillas. The Sombrero has moved inside and outside Mannys was caged. Nowdays I leave before I intended to and forgo trips that were intended. Changes in attitude, changes in latitude. Nothing remains the same. Jimmy Buffett.
 
D

dwig222

Guest
Ladyjeeper said:
I can't tell you how much "Dancing on the Sundeck" went on at Smuggler's Cove. If I wrote a book on my years at Miramar it would be a foot thick! Dancing, Dominoes, Poker, Sleeping, Dreaming, Dolphin and Pelican antics and the banana boats. Rum and Cokes and Banana Daquiries. Beach campfires and morning coffee and Kahlua watching the day wake up. Visits from Lupe, the burrito lady and Delano, the seashell man, looking for a Pacifico at 8 A.M. Visits from Victor and his paintings for sale. Watching the kids grow up and little kid beach treasures in buckets. Fish fries and Shrimp Scampi. Sandy scuba diving equipment everywhere. Watching the Brisa creep in on little cat feet and watching the transformers blow up. The pink sea at night. A thousand sunsets on the Sea of Cortez. Sigh........

Sorry, I couldn't resist whining...... I treasure every memory and I will never forget............
Click to expand...


Let me continue, pot luck dinners, spanish lessons, exercise classes, line dancing, bingo every Tuesday and Thursday, arts and crafts, horseshoe contests, cooking chicken soup for the poor kids every Saturday morning, big Thanksgiving dinners, ...sigh

We went down in our little trailer once a month before we were married, by the time Elegante closed, we had five children, seven grandchildren and Elegante was our winter home.

One of the worst parts of it closing was that it closed before October and we never had a chance to say goodbye to each other. We knew so many by their first name and where they were from. I often wonder where they are now!
 
joester

joester

2 salty dawgs
not like it used to be

we have virtually no history in PP compared to you folks.
what HAS changed for us over the past 5 years is the Mirador motel next to PDO.
gone are the travel trailers to rent, as well as what I thought were the finest accomodations in all of PP -
units 1-4 on the beach at Mirador.
on a holiday weekend, they were 100/nt. I have not seen ANY accomodations for rent SO close to the beach, and SO relaxed.
a fresh water shower at the top of the steps, a huge palapa with picnic tables and a large BBQ pit - it was heaven. in our short time, we usually had friends in one of the units there while we had our rv next door in PDO.
once the trailers were pulled up, and that horrible motel built - it was changed forever.

Jerry - I agree that Santo Tomas is beautiful, but until there's an rv park with full hookups, it's just not affordable for those of us who only come down once in a while.
rather than lament the changes - let's embrace what we still have left along the Mirador corridor, and enjoy each and every sunrise and sunset.
:coldone:
 
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