Quartzsite Here We Come!

Before we launch into our desert adventures, I want to do a little housekeeping. Many of you got both my email with a link to our last post AND the automated email with the blog post. Let me just say, that was unexpected. For over a year Google has been telling me the email widget was going away effective July 2021. It disappeared from the template, so I made the (I thought) logical assumption that the service had been discontinued. From the looks of it, those of you who were on the list before the widget went away still got an automated email, but nobody new can sign up. Are you feeling special? Since I’m uncertain how long that will last, I’m going to continue sending out the link. I apologize to those of you getting two emails, but to say I don’t trust Google would be an understatement. If you find it annoying, please feel free to unsubscribe from either. Thanks for your patience. Technology is always evolving, I am not. 😊

Mojavi desert along Route 66.

So back to the good stuff. We took Hwy 58 out of Bakersfield to Hwy 15 and then decided to take a drive down memory lane on Route 66. It was a pretty decent two-lane road with almost no traffic. The RV Garmin however was having conniption fits. It seemed every quarter mile there was a small bridge over a desert wash. Most were signed for weight limits ranging from 9 tons to 39 tons depending on the type of vehicle. We did see semis on the road and we’re well within those limits, so we ignored the Garmin. Then in the middle of nowhere an identical bridge was signed for a maximum of 3 tons. What?? A good-sized pickup truck could exceed that. Rog started to slow down but there really wasn’t anywhere to turn around even if we’d been so inclined, so I said just keep going and don’t stop! We made it over the bridge just fine and the next, also identical, bridge was back to 9-39 tons. There were a couple of 3-tonners scattered along the route. Guess they just like to keep it interesting. 

We had identified a couple of boondocking options in and around the Mojavi National Preserve. The first one we came to was a winner. Amboy Crater is a huge cinder cone caldera near the tiny town of Amboy, CA. The overflow parking area is open to overnight parking. It was level, paved and completely unoccupied with lots of space to play with Riley. We pulled in and quickly got settled. Riley had some ball time and we enjoyed a quiet evening watching another fantastic technicolor sunset. There is a 4.2 mile out/back hike to the top of the crater but we decided it would have to wait for another time.

 

The overflow parking area at Amboy Crater was a great spot to overnight.

Somebody is happy to play after a long day in the coach.

Amboy Crater.

Another spectacular desert sunset.

Monday, 1/17, was our final travel day and we arrived in Quartzsite around 2pm. (Turn back the clock an hour since AZ does not do DST!) There are many very large dispersed camping areas around Quartzsite. Most are free and have a 14-day limit. But there are also Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVA) where you can pay $40 for two weeks or $180 and stay for up to 7 months (September 15 to April 15). The LTVAs have some amenities like vault toilets and garbage dumpsters. The La Posa LTVA is 11,400 acres and also has a dump station and water. Since the RV Show is such a draw there are thousands of RVers looking for their own little slice of heaven to call home.

We made it!

We’d looked online at several of the 14-day camping areas (Hi Jolly, Plomosa Road, Scadden Wash, Dome Rock, and Road Runner). We decided to try Hi Jolly first since it was closer to town than several of the other areas. We drove around until we found a likely spot and set up camp. It was fairly crowded with folks parked every which way. There are no designated “spaces” but the rule of thumb is to find a site with an existing firepit and just use common sense and be courteous.

Hi Jolly is one of the smaller camping areas bordered on both sides by a fairly deep wash. Since our friends Bob and Carol will be joining us this weekend, we also wanted a spot large enough for two rigs. It would be a squeeze, but we were confident we could make it work. Given how crowded it was, I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet it was at night and we had a beautiful full moon rise.

 

Not ideal, but we're happy to be here.

 

Moonrise over Hi Jolly.

On Tuesday we decided to do more scouting. I wanted to see some of the other areas and get the skinny on where to park for the show, etc. We drove through Dome Rock dispersed camping area and past the LTVAs. Grabbed a few groceries in town and saw where there was a gigantic flea market and a rock and gem show that covered acres. I know where I’ll be spending a day or so! 

Rog saw a sign for the Hi Jolly Memorial so we went to check it out. The stone pyramid in the Quartzsite Cemetery commemorates Hadji Ali (known as Hi Jolly), a Syrian born Greek who was hired in 1857 as a camel herder in the US Army’s short lived Camel Corps. The 76 camels were used for freighting and communication. Their mission was to chart a wagon road across New Mexico and Arizona. When the Civil War began in 1861 the project was abandoned and the camels were left to roam. Hi Jolly stayed and was in turns a miner, scout, sold water and delivered mail. He died in 1903 and was buried in Quartzsite. I love these little historical gems. Army camels in Arizona. Who knew?

 

Hi Jolly Memorial.

We drove a couple of miles down Hwy 95 to Plomosa Road and quickly realized there were much better options for camping there. For one thing the area was HUGE. Instead of one small area, there were large dispersed camping areas on either side of the road for about 6 miles! While Hi Jolly seemed to be a more typical dispersed camping area, it looked like Plomosa Rd was all about finding your tribe. There were signs all along the road for different groups meeting up. Since we will have our own small tribe once Bob and Carol arrive we thought a move was appropriate. We found a lovely spot with great views of the mountains right next to a wash for Riley to play in. It only took us 45 minutes to tear down, move, and set up camp on Plomosa. Well worth the time and effort.

 

Lots more space along Plomosa Road...

...and a view that can't be beat.
So happy we found this spot!

One of the reasons we came early was to attend the Escapee’s Happy Hour, dubbed “Party on Plomosa”. The Escapees is a RV Club that was started in 1978 to support the RV lifestyle and foster community and connections. We joined last year and were interested in checking out some of the activities. The club hosts events, has local chapters, and nearly 40 special interest groups called Birds of a Feather (BOF), everything from Christian Fellowship to Clothing Optional (and I won’t be joining either of those!). Escapees members are a mix of full-time, part-time and weekend RVers. There is also a subgroup (Xscapers) for the younger, work-from-the-road crowd. I loved the inclusivity, but what sold me was the CARE Center. We’ve been following the blogs of full-time RVers long enough to see how difficult it can be when full-timers age out or have health issues. Escapees has several co-op campgrounds and the CARES Center, which is a medical residency program where people can get professional help when they can no longer travel due to age or illness. What a wonderful service. It seems like a group worth supporting.

 

Escapees Party on Plomosa!

The Party on Plomosa was fun. They had live music (the very entertaining Status Crowes), free food and lots of opportunities to socialize. We struck up a conversation with the folks sitting next to us. Dee and Ron are very active in the Club and especially the BOF called the Boomers. They have a reputation for being a fun-loving crowd and many are congregated in “Boomerville” on Plomosa Road about a mile from where we’re camped. We were invited to the Boomer’s daily Happy Hour at 4pm, which we attended on Thursday and met more good folks there. I’m excited about a fund-raising auction to support the CARES Center on Thursday, 1/27. You can bet I won’t miss that! Lol.

On Friday, 1/21, Rog and I did the largest of the Quartzsite Flea Markets. It was so worth it! We didn’t buy a bunch, but there were lots of vendors with rocks, crystals, and gemstones, plenty of RV related items, plus all the usual T-shirts, tools, kitchenware, food vendors and craft items. We splurged on some homemade ice cream, and I do mean splurge - two large cones came to $23! No prices were listed, so it was a bit of a shock. It was really good ice cream though.  I did pick up one treasure, a beautiful fossilized nautilus. I haven’t been to the Rock and Gem show which is huge, so I wasn’t sure if I should wait but finally decided if I find something I like better then Rian knows what she’s getting for Christmas. Lol.   

Loved all the rocks and fossils. The nautilus (top right) followed me home. 

Flea Market fun!

Since the desert is really not Riley’s favorite place – too hot, all the best pee spots have spikes, too many sharp rocks, no snow and no water. What’s a boy to do? Well mope about until Mom and Dad drive 20 miles so you can play in the Colorado River, that’s what. 😊 It was hilarious to watch the instant transformation from pouting pupper back to our prancing, playful boy when he saw the water. No spoiling going on here.

 

Happy Riley in the Colorado River.

Riley does have a point. The area we’re camped in has a lot of sharp volcanic rocks that are hard on his feet. Even though we take him down into the sandy wash to play, he still has to traverse a rocky area to get there. It was getting to the point where he was reluctant to leave the patio mat and that is totally contrary to his usual behavior. So we decided to try his Muttluks. It kinda, sorta helped. But he’s not a fan and I think he decided he’d rather brave the rocks than become a fashion icon. Lol. 

 

Better for his paws, but his pride took a hit. Lol. 

Our friends, Bob and Carol are due to arrive tomorrow and we are so excited to assemble our tribe. 😊 I see plenty of fun activities and happy hours in our future! The RV Show opens tomorrow too. We’re eager to check that out and will let you know how it goes.

 

Happy 2022! Here’s to a New Year and New Adventures!

 We’ve escaped the snow and flooding in the Pacific Northwest to embark on our first adventure of the new year! More on that in a moment. We left you all last July with hopes for a fall trip. Instead, we opted to stay home and have family members visit us, not a bad plan. Lol. So, here’s a brief recap of the remainder of our 2021.

Holiday snowfall!

After returning home in July, we had the garage reroofed. Then Rog tackled putting a new roof and gutters on the shed. He also installed new garage cabinets and a workbench. Now we just have to get everything reorganized. It’ll all get done… eventually. I did a major culling in the house and held a huge garage sale. I also joined and fell in love with the local Buy Nothing group. Buy Nothing groups are hyper-local Facebook groups where members offer up or can ask for items. No money changes hands, everything is free. There is an amazing sense of community and it feels great to rehome items and know they’re going to someone who appreciates them. I highly recommend them!

Although Riley is now 4½ years old and over 200 pounds, he still demands multiple daily play sessions. I keep threatening to get a puppy so he has someone besides us to play with! However, I haven’t quite convinced Rog that two mastiffs in a 33’ RV is a good idea. While home, Riley’s had weekly playdates with his Great Dane best buddy, Mina. We found a new place for our playdates where the “kids” can play in the woods. The property owners have several acres and a hobby farm with chickens, goats, rabbits, and two Scottish Highland cows. I am in love with the cows! 

 

Mina and Riley

Meet Johan. How can you not love this face!

In October we were so happy to host a houseful! My brother Tom and his wife, Kim, visited from Pennsylvania. The trip was originally scheduled for March 2020, but you know what happened then. It all worked out though, because Tom was finally put on the lung transplant list in March 2021 and was only on the list for 10 days before he got the call. He is still on the road to recovery, but he is doing great. Our daughters, Randi and Rian, and Randi's boyfriend Jose were able to visit while they were here too.  We had a mini family reunion at Lake Connor Park, where my other brother Tim has his RV. It was great to all be together!  We did a day-trip to Olympic National Park. Kim got to dip her toes in the Pacific Ocean at Kalaloch Beach and we hiked in the Hoh Rainforest. It was a lovely visit and over way too soon.

 

Kalaloch Beach

Tom and Kim at the Tree of Life on Kalaloch Beach.

Hoh Rain Forest.

Love the primeval moss covered trees.

More than the Usual Suspects gathered at Lake Connor Park.  
(Jose, Randi, Tom, Kim, Teddi, Roger, Rian, Floyd, Mike, Alice, Tim)

After Tom’s visit in October, Rog and I decided we needed to stop procrastinating and get back on the calorie-counting bandwagon. We also started seeing a personal trainer once a week. To say she challenges us would be putting it mildly, but we are already seeing results (if sore muscles count as results 😀). The trick will be continuing our workouts on the road. We also look forward to our weekly fireside happy hour with our friends, Bob and Carol. It has been a sanity saver throughout the whole pandemic. Bob and Carol also have e-bikes and we’ve done several rides together, including a 33-mile ride that went through the two-plus mile long Snoqualmie Tunnel. Rog is the only one on a traditional bike and yet somehow he is still always in the lead!

Snoqualmie Tunnel bike ride with Bob & Carol.

A stop at Imbibe Taproom, a perfect way to celebrate a successful ride!

We had a great Christmas, both of our girls made it home for the holidays and we had a houseful on Christmas day. The day after Christmas, five inches of snow fell and then more a few days later. It was beautiful, but certainly complicated holiday travel. Randi and Jose ended up stuck with us far longer than they planned when their flight home to the LA area was cancelled TWICE. I’m afraid it will be a tough sell convincing Jose to come back. Lol. They finally made it back to California, but six days later than planned. Jose was recently offered a promotion that will entail a move to Texas. They don’t have a timeline yet, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on the situation since visiting them (wherever they are!) is on our itinerary for this trip. 

Randi and Jose (not!) enjoying the snow while Riley guards the presents and
the house lights illuminate the snow.

Rian plays with the snow dog.
Later Tim, Riley, and Rian snuggle on the couch.

We took down the Christmas tree and undecorated the house a few weeks early with plans to leave Friday, January 7th. Since our departure date and route were totally weather dependent, we were happy to get out just one day later than planned. The post-Christmas snows had mostly melted, but an atmospheric river dumped inches of rain causing floods and closing I-5. We might have been able to detour around it, but decided it was better to just wait a day and get an early start on Saturday, 1/8.

 

No snow, but the flooding was bad enough to close I-5 for awhile.

So where are we headed now? The primary goal of this trip is to attend the RV Rally in Quartzite, AZ. Every year thousands of RV’ers congregate in and around the tiny town of Quartzite. There’s a huge, big-top tent trade show along with several rock and gem shows. The area offers many opportunities for boondocking on public lands, so we’re playing it by ear and will find a place to land once we get there. We’ve always been intrigued by the gathering, but this is the first time we've ever attended.

 

This is where we're headed! The Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show.
(Photo from the 2022 show website)

Our first stop on this trip was a new campground for us, Armitage Park Campground near Eugene, OR. We really liked the campground and would enjoy coming back for a longer stay. Our second night was spent at the Randolph Collier Rest Stop outside Hornbrook, CA.  From there we made it to Roger’s Mom’s house in Redding, CA on Monday, 1/10.  We’ve mentioned the awesome moochdock setup there with full hookups, however we only stayed two nights. We had a nice dinner out and provided some technical support. Barb upgraded her iPhone 5 and Rog helped her get the new phone set up. We resolved a few other tech issues for them and Rog knocked out a couple things on Mom's “honey-do” list. Riley also enjoyed the world’s largest water bowl, although some people still insist on referring to it as a swimming pool. How silly! Lol.

 

Colorful trucks near Black Butte Summit, CA.

Mt. Shasta 

Snow along the freeway, but the roads were clear. Yay!!

Gorgeous sunset in Redding.

On Wednesday, 1/12, we headed to our younger daughter Rian’s house in Sacramento for two days. Rian will soon celebrate the first anniversary of her home purchase. We spent several weeks there last year and were happy to take advantage of another cushy moochdocking spot. Rog made his yummy Hatch Green Chile stew Thursday evening and Rian surprised us by getting up early on Friday to bake some delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Hazelnut cookies to send along on our trip. Remember what I said about being good, working out, and counting calories....well look away! Lol.  

 

Yummmmmmmm!

We arrived at the Vista Ranch & Cellars in Merced, CA on Friday, 1/14. We stayed at this Harvest Host location in late February on our 2019 trip and the almond orchards were in full bloom. We weren't quite as lucky this time, but it was still fun to walk the orchard and visit the tasting room and gift shop.

Vista Ranch and Cellars.

We’d noticed on the drive a godawful creaking noise that seemed to be coming from the front passenger wheel area. Rog took a quick look and it appeared that the front fittings needed greased. Rog had the grease gun, but no grease so we did a quick run for a few groceries and hit an auto parts store. When we got back he lifted the front of the rig with the jacks and crawled under. Uh Oh. The front passenger side shock had completely come apart. (And keep those comments about the heavy load on that side to yourself! 😊) The threads on the metal shaft were stripped. Rog managed to get it back together and we left Saturday, 1/15, for our next stop in Bakersfield.

Now that is not good. 

Rog checked his temporary repair when we stopped to fuel in Visalia. It had come apart again, so I got on the phone and spent the next hour trying to track down a new set of shocks while we continued toward Bakersfield and cursed every rut and pothole in Hwy 99 (and that's a lot of cussing!).  I finally managed to score just one shock from the Freightliner dealer in Bakersfield. We swung by just before the parts department closed to claim our prize and then proceeded to Orange Grove RV Park where we had a reservation for the night. Rog was confident he could install it, so we fudged a little on their “no repairs in the park” rule. We didn’t want to head into the desert, especially since we’ll be going off-road to boondock, without a functioning shock absorber on the front.  Hey, this is why we call it an adventure!

Orange Grove is another repeat stop for us. It’s a nice RV park with some great amenities. It has a couple of dog runs, a DIY wash rack for RVs and cars, a laundry, a large club house, pool, etc. Most of that we won’t have time to use on this stop. Another perk of the park are the oranges – guests can pick all they want!  And we did, about five dozen or so. Lol. Nothing like fresh squeezed OJ for breakfast.

 

Orange Grove RV Park

Rog got the new shock absorber installed with no problems – a small miracle, since repairs usually involve at least one minor catastrophe and a trip for additional parts or supplies. We also made time to hit the California Fruit Depot just around the corner. We love their huge selection of snacky foods (free samples!), homegrown fruit and dates.

About 30 minutes and all is well again.

 

From Orange Grove we begin our trek into the desert. We have one night of boondocking planned in the Mojavi and then we should arrive in Quartzsite. There are several areas designated for dispersed camping around Quartzsite so our goal is to find a place to park the rig, do some scouting and find a place to call home for next week or two. Looking forward to sharing a new experience with you!