Now that we’re back on our lot at Cochise Terrace Resort in Benson for most of the winter, we’ve been thinking about more improvements. We considered a hot tub and thought that’s what we really wanted. However, after shopping and careful consideration, we finally rejected that idea. A hot tub would take a lot of space on the patio, and would require maintenance during the warmer months while we’ll be traveling elsewhere.
We decided what we really wanted is a free-standing awning and bigger patios. We took advantage of Don’s son Craig’s youth and energy while he and wife Liz were here for a short visit after Thanksgiving. Craig did the hard work of crawling around on his knees to lay the added pavers to enlarge the patios.
Next came the awning. While it was under construction, we moved to a neighbor’s empty site for a couple of days.
It was a little tricky getting backed into the site while dodging the saguaro cactus on the driver’s side and staying far enough away from the awning on the passenger side to allow our slides to move out, because the awning is too low for them to fit underneath. We enjoyed having a place to park Carrie the car under cover because it snowed a little the next day.
Meanwhile, on our lot the installers dug holes for six awning posts.
It was interesting to see the awning take shape.
I could never do this kind of job. Just the thought of climbing one of those tall ladders gives me the shakes!
It was even trickier than it was on the neighbor’s lot to get backed into our site, because of the slant of the driveway and the brick planter on the driver’s side. But, with Don’s excellent help by walkie-talkie, I managed to put the Phaeton in the right spot.
The awning is tall enough to go over our slides, and it shades the southern side of the coach, especially the refrigerator and the entertainment center. In warmer weather, the DirecTV DVR has shut down several times because of extreme heat in the cabinet, which is directly above the co-pilot seat. Even the motorhome’s awnings don’t shade that cabinet, since it’s between the large awning and door awning.
After putting our patio table and chairs back in place, and arranging the folding chairs, we strung some Christmas lights along the fence. Now we’re ready for the holidays! If you’re in the area, come by to see us!
