Quartzsite AZ

January 13^th through 26^th

Other than simple wanderlust we were driven to west by our desire to hit the annual Quartzsite RV Show which bills itself as the largest rv show in North America. With a 67,000 s.f. tent and acres of vendors outside as well this is truly impressive (for rv’ers).

We arrived on the 13^th and set up camp in the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands a little south of town.

Never having seen BLM camping before we didn’t quite know what to expect as we rounded the last corner to Quartzsite.

The show started on the 19^th and Norene decided we should move to the BLM land adjacent to the show so we could walk rather than look for a spot to leave Smiley when we went to the show. Turned out there was an added benefit – Norene could go again on her own and I could stay back and guard my chair and book. Took this shot from the top of a small mine hill near our site. That white blob in the mid left is the tent. Most of the other white specks are rvs.

That’s us in the middle left in the La Posa West campground – and yes it is just as haphazard as it looks. Find a spot you like and put down the jacks and you’re home.

HB is facing to the right and Smiley is looking a HB's front.

Starting to look a bit relaxed

Note our new portable solar panels – bought at the big tent of course. Unless it rains we’ll have plenty of watts.

It started to rain.

It rained for 2 days.

The plants loved it. In addition we could now smell the creosote bushes all around us. Weirdly enough it’s not bad at all – kind of grows on you. These bushes aren’t up to a heavy rainfall – here’s the one outside our door falling on its face.

Not without good reason though, you can see how heavy the water is on this creosote bush.

Goodbye preconception – hello green desert. With many rows of washes this area  supports an unexpected variety of plant life and even some trees.

Yes Virginia - this is the desert

Time for some hiking. We saw this hill in the distance and headed out.

After we climbed its little brother (top of an old mine) …

we tackled the Q (the Quartzsite Q is on the side facing town):

A few days later we set out to this hill we saw from the Q.

This looks easy...

Close up the hill seemed a little less friendly.

Here’s a view of Q from the new hill. As you get higher it becomes easier to see the erosion patterns.

And here’s a view of new hill’s top (marred slightly by the climber’s cairn).

Yes I could have turned the camera around but the would you believe I got up here? Didn't think so...

We came to really enjoy the freedom of boondocking in Quartzsite. After you learn to manage the dust (camp upwind of roads and heavily used atv trails), get alternate energy under control (solar panels) and learn to conserve water usage (camp showers become the norm) you discover how independent you can become when unplugged.