SKP - The (Original) Ranch

We have stopped for a week to stay at The Ranch, an SKP (Escapee) Co-op park, at Lakewood, NM (I think the Co-op park is about the only thing *in* Lakewood, NM) - between Artesia and Carlsbad, NM.

As a review from past posts ... Escapees (SKP) is an RVing group started by a couple, Kay and Joe Peterson, I think back in the 1970s when they were fulltiming in a camper. They saw a need for folks who, like them, were living in a camper, specifically for Service, Knowledge, and Parking (SKP). We became members back in 2014 when we got our first RV and we use their Mail Forwarding Service to get our mail. They have some commercial parks (Rainbow Parks) - there is one in Livingston, TX, and another in Deming, NM. Then there are Co-ops, where all the lots are held by Leaseholders (Escapee members) and Escapee members who are passing through can stay at the park on the lot of a Leaseholder who is not currently there. By putting their lot into the rental pool, a leaseholder can recoup some of their yearly dues. Each Co-op park is different, has different bylaws and rules for how you can become a leaseholder - we have stayed at the one in Yuma (Kofa) and in Benson, AZ (Saguaro). We are on the "Hot List" for Benson, thinking that we might eventually want to become a leaseholder there. Here at The Ranch, there is no waiting list to become a leaseholder... so we're considering whether we might be interested in becoming a leaseholder here. They have a "special" for first time guests that we are taking advantage of: $50/week + electricity. The electricity might end up costing us a bit as it is warmer here than we were thinking it would be, so we're having to run the air conditioners!

The implications of becoming a leaseholder are that we would pay a "buy-in" for the lot (which presumably we would get back when we wanted to sell it - the buy-in covers the cost of the lot plus any improvements - according to the website, it appears that the buy-ins are from $7500-13500 depending on the improvements on the lot) and then we would be responsible for some maintenance & operations costs - I think I have heard about $1100/year for M&O - but that may be if the lot is available in the rental pool for some number of days (120 days/year). The advantage would be that we could have a casita where we could accumulate store "stuff", and we'd have a specific spot available to use. It is something to consider... Unfortunately, it seems that this is a spring/fall location - it gets pretty cold in the winter, so it is not likely we would want to winter here, and it is already uncomfortably hot (90s-100), so I don't think we'd summer here (though I guess some people do).

Some pictures from around "The Ranch":

Sunset from last evening...

Sweet alyssum on someone's lot

Blooming cactus on another person's lot

Entrance (it appears that the "Welcome" on the welcome sign has disappeared!)

An ocotillo just outside the gate

The entrance from driving up the road

Closer view of the entrance - there is a cattle guard and electric fence around the park....

...because there is open rangeland just outside.

The Ranch House - there is a large kitchen, meeting room, library, computer room inside. There are also other buildings that house a woodworking shop and a metal shop (welding). Unfortunately, the shops are only available to leaseholders (for liability reasons).

A view of some of the park...

There are a number of quail around the campground - I think they are called "Scaled Quail"...

They seem to always be in pairs...

And they have a top-knot on their heads... I didn't get a good picture with my phone, I'm hoping Dwayne will get some good pictures with his camera while we're here.

This is the lot that our friends Michael and Lorraine own.

 One of the different rules for this Co-op (as I understand it), as compared to Saguaro, is that leaseholders can allow friends to stay on their lots if they are not there. So, one positive, if we became leaseholders, is that we could allow friends to stay on our lot instead of the friends paying to stay through the Co-op. That would reduce the number of days that the lot would be available for rental, but probably not by much.

An ocotillo within the park

The site we are on for this week.

I was reading the by-laws, and the rental pool will not put a rig over 24' on a site that has a concrete pad - thus we are on gravel (which is fine with us). Note that we do not have access to the casita while we're staying here, though, if the casita had a porch or outside table and chairs, we would be welcome to use those.

I also saw in the by-laws that an Escapee member can stay overnight for free here when they are passing through this area of New Mexico.

And... this is called "The Original Ranch", I think, because there is another "Ranch" in the SKP system - "North Ranch", in Congress, AZ.