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.