By Barry & Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers
Need It Or Not, It's Here © All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved
Our stay in Quartzsite, Arizona, continues until Wednesday. Monday we swooped by the booths in the area near the RV Show big tent to see if there were any more bargains we couldn’t pass up. With money intact, we went exploring a few of the nearby attractions.
In case you are in Quartzsite now or were here for the RV show, you may be wondering about some of the erroneous statements made in our previous three blogs. There’s a reason for mistakes – not a good one, you understand – but it’ll have to do, and I’ll get to that in a moment below.
But, first, I wrote earlier that there are no banks here. There is actually one, Horizon
Hi Jolly -- Quartzsite's #1 Photo Op
Bank, and we passed it everyday without noticing it. In our sojourning Tuesday, we turned west onto Main Street, where we discovered dozens of businesses we hadn’t seen before, including at least four national fast-food outlets and other restaurants, more gas stations and numerous more flea market-type places, selling everything from farm equipment to … well, just about everything.
This place just goes on and on. It’s overwhelming and can’t be done in two or three days – even if you are gluttons for shopping and actually wanted to.
The most interesting “attraction” of the day was recommended to us by a vendor and in comments in previous blogs. We had the memorable experience of visiting the Readers
Visit Readers Oasis Because You Like Books
Oasis bookstore, a labyrinth of old, used and many rare books. It’s definitely an interesting place, even without the main attraction, the owner, Paul, who has, over the years, become a local and probably at national legend. Today he was wearing a sweater … also shoes …. also a sorta mini string bikini. Visit if you’re interested in books.
We started the day walking across desert rocks onto a site that was Gen. Patton’s training ground during-World War II. All that is left is the “rock alignment” that pilots used to identify the base.
Now is a good time to give you the excuse mentioned earlier. We like to focus on our experiences so you can decide if this is something that interests you. Previous Quartzsite articles were based on what we had seen, meaning it didn’t include places we hadn’t seen. Since everyone has his or her own interests, there is no reason to dwell on everything around that you can read about in tourist books.
And while on that subject, had I looked at the Quartzsite Visitor’s Guide, I wouldn’t have tripped over so many obvious omissions. I have now learned there is a medical center in town and lots of other services that escaped my glance as we drove through. On the other hand, you can’t always tell what’s in each building from the street.
Thomas Quinn's mid-19800s Mine
Instead, I suggest you decide whether you find this type of event and environment something you might find worth a trip. I also don’t spend time quoting with statistics. We forget most of those when we leave anyway.
Back to our experiences here Every day on our way into Quartzsite we have stopped at the Pit Stop, where we fill up our 7 and 5 gallon water bottles for a nominal fee. Next time we’re staying in Quartzsite, I’ll try to remember to bring five miles of white hose so we don’t have to weave around the dozens of rigs lined up to dump at the same business.
'You have the right to remain silent ...' But Register With the Camp Host First
The law showed up at our trailer Sunday. I was reprimanded for not registering with the camp host when we arrived. Now honestly, I had planned to register, but a neighbor told me that he’s been coming here for years and never had a problem. I will say that the park ranger was very friendly and didn’t make a big deal of my scoff-law attitude. And just a reminder, this BLM park is free and allows RVs to stay 14 days.
The weather for our entire stay has been sensational. Warm during the day; long sleeves at night. Chilly winds do crop up now and then, but it hasn’t stopped us from enjoying the entire experience. It’s not always like this for the shows, but, well it was what reveled in this year.
And now, a quick mention of upcoming events here. A hobby, gem and craft show runs for four days beginning this Wednesday, with the Tyson Wells Arts & Craft Show from the 4th though the 13th. This coming weekend, there’s the Rock & Roll Big Tent Classic Car Show, and on the 26, “It’s Chili in Quartzsite,” a chili cook-off.
For Monique and me, the past week has been another favorably memorable stop on our travels around North America. Tuesday is laundry day (there are three Laundromats listed in the guidebook, and rumor has it that it that one has free WiFi) and hopefully take in one or two more tourist attractions, that is, after we fill up our water bottles.
As Desert-Lovers, This Scene Definitely Reverberates With Us © All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved
From the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.
© All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved
colon cleanse
This is a good style for me. thanks for the hard work.
natural colon cleanse
Great job. keep it up.
Drew
Dalton,
The honey bucket idea sounds great- I wouldn’t even mind paying a small fee- anyone know if this service is avail. and where?
Liz
When you were describing Paul at the bookstore, I had to look twice that he wasn’t “Leslie” from Austin, TX. I had seen him riding his adult tri-cycle in North Austin wearing a yellow polka dot bikini with the clear high heels. He later made his way to downtown Austin and 6th St. where he twirled a long stem carnation in front of bars and resturants. It had to be really cold for Leslie to put any other clothes over his bikinis.
Love reading your articles. Someday I hope to experience Quartzite. Right now I wish I had solar panels (although it was cloudy today) since we are having a winter storm. Temperature at 10pm was 12-15 (depending on where you were in East Texas and the wind chill was 7.
Dalton
I understood that you could have your tanks emptied and fill up with fresh water from mobile services that would go to your rig for a fee. Is that still the case?
Thomas Becher
Tried going to Quartizite a week ago monday left Yuma and drove until we got 6 miles from Yuma. Then the traffic stopped. I drove at a stop and go pace for a half hour and turned around and went back to Yuma. Went back to Quartziter Friday. No problem then. i would go very early in the am or wait until later in the week. If you’ve never been there it’s a must. Kind of like a Muslim going to Mecca. If you are able then you must go. Truly an experiance that should not be missed.
Chesnut's
We are newbies, 1st winter of RVing and excited to see quarsites-Where can we find agenda of date of events happening there? Also, do we contact BLM for desert site or… have a phone # or e-mail address to help us out.
Great Articles, keep them coming
Gary and Lois Chesnut
Tara Nix
FYI….you can dump for $7.00 and get water for free in Blythe if you’re heading that way. Follow the dump signs off the interstate. The park at the left turn has free water (the dump used to be there too but they moved it.) We dumped there on Sunday. There were 2 or 3 rigs in both lines. Only took about 15-20 minutes.
butterbean carpenter
Howdy Monique & Barry,
We surely do thank y’all for taking us with you thru Quartzite… With y’all & Rex
Vogel as guides we certainly saved $$$$. and besides that itz a long way out there.
The sights were enuff and the pics great and we didn’t miss the soundz at all!!!
Where are we going next???????????
Drew
Thanks you guys for taking the time to enlighten us “Quartzite Virgins”. I’m a little more apprehensive about visiting than I was before- but one day we certainly will! I worry a little about getting into town in the rig and then finding a camp site without being run over, and then the trip to the dump station- with the long lines. I think I’ll be prepared to stay as long as my tanks will last and then haul it out with me. I’ve heard that certain hours are better for dumping and filling than others- but I can’t recall. I don’t relish planning our stay around these obstacles…can someone clue me in?