Hey, our RV is done in the shop and we can leave. They asked us if we could leave by 8:00 when they opened since we were in their driveway and we were ready to go. But, our route takes us straight through the heart of Phoenix and, if we leave at 8:00, we’ll hit rush hour. So, we checked Google Maps on line, found a strip center mall about a mile down the road with a huge parking lot, drove there, parked and had breakfast and a coffee.
And we were off. It’s a pretty straight forward drive and we had no problems. We stopped outside Phoenix to fill up the gas tank and the propane tank of the RV. While we were there at the gas tanks, a guy pulled in and asked how long our RV was. I told him 35’ and he said:
I guessed it was about 35’ or 36’. I used to have a 35’ Country Coach but the bank repossessed it and I had to buy this 1990 GMC. It’s old but it runs ok. Not as nice as the Country Coach though.
Then he asked where we were going and I told him Palm Springs and San Diego. He then told me:
Carlsbad is right north of San Diego. I have a 1/4 home there - ever since my divorce 3 years ago.
Isn’t is amazing how much you can learn about some people just standing by the gas tanks? Gary and I tend to be circumspect since we don’t want to give away too much information to strangers. But some people just toss it all out there.
In the truck stop I got in line in back of a guy who was leaning over the counter with a butt crack. Eee - yew. Some people tell too much, some show too much.
Let’s get going.
And, here we are in Quartzsite, 2 miles outside of town in a BLM managed area. Camping on the desert here is free for 14 days and then you must move on (often others go to another 14-day area.) 2 years ago we stayed in another area which was $40 for 14 days and $180 for 6 months. Of course, there are no services and you’re just out on the desert. But we enjoy it. And, below you can see our campsite with its own bush. Don’t think we camp on the desert all by ourselves. That might be a bit edgy for us. We are actually in an area with lots of other RV’s around and there is even a couple who are the campground hosts who register you as you enter.
We put on our hiking boots and hiked across the desert into town. Now, Quartzsite is a unique town. During the winter there is a bunch of flea markets covering several acres. Then, during the month of January there are several large shows: the rock show, the gem and mineral show and the mother of all shows: the RV show. 2 years ago we came to this show thinking about buying some things for our RV and - voila - we bought the RV we have now. Big trouble. Today, we left our charge card in the RV.
We just wandered around the flea markets but paid special attention to the rock show which is starting on Friday. Many of the vendors are still setting up but you can still wander through their booths. Not being a rock aficionado myself, I was stunned at the beauty and variety of the minerals they had for sale. Look at some of these.
I wish we had some more time to browse the market but we have a Thursday reservation in Palm Springs. Next year we’ll check out the nude bookseller, a Quartzsite icon.
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