Yes, There are still good people on this Earth.

A review of Southern Aire RV Resort and the people who run it.

Article and Photos by Greg Rickman, Tiffin Ambassador

If you watch any TV or read the news these days, its easy to think there are no nice people left in this world.   Hopefully this article will help change that belief.  This is a story about Southern Aire RV Resort and the wonderful people who work there.

Most folks plan their vacations and trips well in advance, especially when it comes to RV camping trips.  In some locations such as Florida, Arizona or Texas, one had better plan well in advance, especially in the winter months.

Unfortunately, I can’t do that.  Like a lot of other people my age, I have an elderly parent that I care for, which results in me making plans at the last minute when I can get another family member to replace me.  This is really challenging when it comes to finding a campsite anywhere near Tampa, Florida in January.  Cause anyone who RV’s knows what happens there in January.  Yes, that’s right, the Tampa RV Supershow.  That show is so large and attended by so many, there is no sites available within an hour’s drive of the fairgrounds during that week.

My wife and I have certain commitments and appointments that must be kept during the month of January every year and unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), we have to go  to the Tampa/Orlando area to fulfill them.  And wouldn’t you know that this year, they fell during the same week as the RV show.  So picture me at our home in December combing the internet, looking at sites nearby and calling every campground checking for an opening or a cancellation.  And not finding anything.  Zilch, nada, NOTHING.

I like the parks in the Thonotosassa area of Tampa.  They are close to the interstate, most of them are larger although older parks, with nice amenities.  The area is remote enough to feel like country but still has tons of restaurants and stuff to do nearby.  I figured that if I could find a place near there, we could keep our appointments and maybe even take in the RV show since it was pretty close to that area.  So I kept trying.

I called all of the parks in that area repeatedly over a three week period and still got nothing.  But I seemed to have made a friend at one of them.  That park was Southern Aire RV Resort in the heart of Thonotosassa.  That new friend was Cindy Faught who worked the office on the weekends.

After speaking with her several times, Cindy kind of made this her mission to find us a spot.  She got with the manager Linda Stith and together they reworked the site map, which is no easy task considering the park has 450 sites.  Just when I was about to give up, I got a call from Linda that they had a spot.  Hooray, just in time!

So we made the reservation and then had to alter it due to an impending snowstorm.  No problem, Linda said, and promptly changed it to accommodate us.  After driving all night to outrun the snowstorm, the entrance to Southern Aire was certainly a welcome sight!  And that’s when the kindness and generosity of RV people really shined.  Because as soon as we arrived and checked in, I unhooked the Jeep and for the first time ever, it would not start.  Lesson learned here, do not leave the dash cam plugged in while you drive all night!

But the park staff was on it right away.  Yvette, who is responsible for leading you to your site and helping you get parked, immediately went to two other guests/residents who had jump boxes and could assist.  Before we knew it there were four other people who came over to see if they could help.  We got it started and were directed and parked in our site by Yvette.  I will say that I have been parked at numerous parks and she by far was the best one yet!  The site was tight but she adeptly put me into the spot on the first try!

That afternoon, we got to check out the park and met with Linda and Cindy who had made all of this possible.  They were two of the nicest people I have ever met.  They told me to let them know if they could assist me in any way and that they appreciated my business.  Wow, haven’t heard that in a long time!

Looking around the park, I could see where some of the favorable reviews came from.  The park is quite large but has a homey, country feel to it.  Big oak trees everywhere.  It was opened in 1983 and does have its share of permanent residents but everyone that I met was very kind and some even invited us to their homes for social hour or to watch a football game.  The pool and spa were spotless and quite large.  The whole park was clean and tidy.  There were activities most days at the large clubhouse and we attended a pancake breakfast one morning which was delicious.  They even had a Saturday night dance with the proceeds going to St. Jude’s, and all of the other winter activities one would expect from a 55 & up park during the season.  Everyone treated us like we had been there for years!

And I think that starts with the management and the employees.  Everyone seems to be happy there.  They go out of their way to help you.  It was like you really mattered.

When we started this trip, the thought never occurred to me to write a Tiffin Ambassador article on this park.  But after this whole experience, how could I not?   It certainly made me realize there truly are nice people still left on this earth, people who care about their job and willing to help in any way they can.  And this was one of those places.  We were actually sad to leave, but not to worry, we will be back!

About the Author:

Greg’s dream was to own a motorhome after his retirement from a long career in law enforcement.  He and his wife Tina live in Baneberry, TN part of the year and travel this great country in their Tiffin Phaeton 40IH, enjoying the excitement of exploring new places and meeting new people.  Their motto is “If you can’t wear shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt, we ain’t going!”