The Show Must Go On…and On…and On…

So let’s talk a little about the Quartzsite RV Show, since that’s really what brought us here. The show is BIG, drawing crowds of up to 750,000. That fluctuates year to year and, of course, the pandemic has affected attendance too. Even with the specter of Omicron, show sponsors were expecting a large turnout this year since many folks turned to RVs and camping when the pandemic restricted travel abroad. With food, live entertainment, and over 200 vendors it should be hopping!

I can't come close to capturing the scale, 
so stealing this pic from the show website again.

How did it all start? In the 1970’s, Kenny King, the founder of the show was selling awnings and RV parts. On his way home from another RV show in 1983, Kenny asked a simple question: “What if I put a big tent in Quartzsite and made my own RV Show?” Starting small, over the years the Quartzsite Show has grown to be the largest consumer attended RV show in the USA. Why the sleepy little town of Quartzsite? The area was already a favorite with snowbirds and with so many free dispersed camping areas in the vicinity, it was a natural fit. Today there are rock, gem and mineral shows, plus numerous flea markets that run concurrently with the RV Show. This phenomenon that started nearly 40 years ago is now billed as “The Largest Gathering Of RVers in the World”.

 

Flea Market and Big Tent RV Show.

The camping area closest to the show was packed!

I mentioned that our friends Bob and Carol (and Buddy too!) were due to arrive on Saturday, 1/22. We hung around camp and Rog cooked a tri-tip roast to share for dinner. They loved the spot on Plomosa and we were thrilled to see them. Bob and Carol have an RV made by the same manufacturer as ours. In fact that's how we met, Bob stopped by to ask Rog a question about our RV. They got to chatting, Rog shared the blog with him. Turns out they live just down the road from us and we have lots in common. Fast forward a few years and we've become great friends. This is our first RV trip together and we have been looking forward to it for months!

 

Our tribe has assembled. So happy to be here!

Just one of several amazing sunsets at our campsite.

Just one more... Can't have too many gorgeous sunsets, can you?

On Sunday the four of us piled into the Acadia and headed 40 miles out into the desert for a fun adventure. The "Nellie E. Saloon" aka Desert Bar is located in the Buckskin mountains north of Parker, Arizona on land that was once an old mining camp. When the owner acquired the land in 1975, there was nothing left of the mining camp but he had a liquor license from another business and decided to give the "bar in the desert" idea a try. In 1983 he opened for business in a temporary three-sided structure with 6 bar stools. No electricity, no utilities at all, he hauled in water in a 50-gallon tank in the back of his truck. To say it was a success would be a vast understatement. We drove the five miles down a very rutted dirt road not knowing quite what to expect. Nellie E’s was better than I could have imagined! The bar is still totally off the grid and only open on weekends from October through April. When we arrived, I was surprised to find multiple structures including a restaurant, saloon, small chapel constructed totally of metal, a large stage with an excellent band (Mudfish) and another full bar with shaded seating on multiple levels. And hundreds of patrons having a great time. Just Wow! It’s only open noon to 6pm and it's cash only, so plan accordingly – but definitely plan to go!

 

Completely off the grid, what an amazing venue!
(Pic from Desert Bar website)

Fun times at the Nellie E.

Mudfish covered everything from Garth Brooks to Pink Floyd.
And did it well!

We opted to wait until Monday, 1/24, to attend the RV show. We’d heard the opening weekend would be packed and that proved true. On Monday the tent was still busy, but the crowds were manageable. We walked the big tent and were surprised that along with lots of items for sale, there were also many booths recruiting RVers for jobs ranging from Amazon distribution centers to beet harvesting. If you’ve seen or read Nomadland (which I highly recommend!), you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

The Big Tent show had the feel of an RV-themed state fair. We saw many of the same types of food and vendors, just more products and offers geared toward the camping crowd. It was definitely worth going and we managed to come away with a couple of items, LED lighting for the closet and underbed storage area and a replacement for our porch light with a motion-detector. Bob and Carol got sunshades for their windshield and patio, which will make desert camping way more enjoyable.

An RV-themed State Fair. What's not to like? 😀

On Tuesday, Carol and I hit the flea market while the guys took a pass. We had a blast and Bob and Rog were happy to be “off the hook”. That scenario was repeated on Thursday, when Carol and I attended the fundraising auction for the CARE Center put on by the Escapee’s BOF group, the Boomers. We got there a little before 11am when it started and didn’t get back to the RV until well after 3pm. Again, we had such a great time. Lots of fun people watching, both a live and silent auction, wine (or bottled water) for $1 a glass – and all for a good cause. I managed to contribute a fair amount to the cause too. Lol.

 

Buddy styling in his new hat that Carol got at the Flea Market. 
None in Riley's size. No fair!

The Boomer's fundraising auction was a hoot!

Enjoying one of our auction finds. 
A bottle of Black Current Honey Mead - Yum!

On Wednesday we tried a different type of adventure and took the bikes on the trail that began right next to our campsite. Looking at Google satellite images, we were pretty sure we could make a big loop. The first part of the ride was challenging, going up and down across rocky, sandy washes. I quickly learned that big, fat tires and the throttle on my e-bike were my friends. For a while we navigated across the unmarked rocky desert asphalt until we finally reached the Sunkist Trail, which is part of the Arizona Peace Trail. That section was better defined, double track and we stayed on it until it intersected with Plomosa Rd which we rode back to camp. All told, we did a little over 12 miles. To reward our efforts, we hit Silly Al’s in Quartzsite for pizza and beer. Silly Al’s is a local institution. If you haven’t been to Silly Al’s, you haven’t been to Quartzsite. Or so I’m told. What I can say is the pizza was fantastic and although they ran out of our favorite beer, we somehow managed. Some days you just have to rough it. Lol.

And we're off!

Desert solitude along the trail.

Navigating the washes was tricky, but so worth it.  

This section was part of the Arizona Peace Trail.

Carol at Silly Al's.
(Still out of our favorite - Big Blue Van, dang!)

Friday, 1/28, I finally made it to the Desert Rock and Gem Show. I’ve been excited about this for months. Carol and I shopped the whole show and it was very interesting. (The guys opted out again. Rog was so happy Carol was my willing shopping partner. Lol) While there were several rock/gem vendors at the flea market, the actual show had a lot more vendors that sold wholesale and catered to the DIY crowd. You could buy (literally) tons of rough rock, slabs, everything imaginable for jewelry making, and all the supplies and equipment to set up your own lapidary business. The show lasts for a couple months and it was obvious that many of the vendors lived right at the show in small trailers or RVs. It was interesting talking to them, some move around to different shows while others just sell at Quartzsite opening up for scheduled shows or around the holidays when folks are shopping.

 

Desert Gardens Rock, Gem and Mineral Show - yay!

Rian wanted a "statement piece". 
How about this giant Amethyst geode? Wow.

So many vendors... so many stones!

May I have one of each, please?

The selection of beads and jewelry making supplies was overwhelming.

Loved chatting with the artists too. Beautiful work. 

Signs and crystals and saws, oh my.

On Saturday, the four of us took a day trip to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. I’m going to document that in my next post since one of our goals was to scope out our next boondocking site. (Success!) We had wanted to stay at Kofa on our 2019 trip, but a persnickety refrigerator made us detour to Yuma for repairs. I was so tickled to get another chance to check it out.

 

A sneak peek at Kofa. More to come!

Sunday, 1/30, was our last day on Plomosa Road. We split up so Rog and Bob could take Riley down to the river again and do some grocery shopping in Blythe, while Carol and I hit the laundromat and made one last swing through the Flea Market and Rock Show. So worth it. A few more items followed me home. 😊

 

A few of my treasures!

As you’ve probably guessed, our next stop will be Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. We have some interesting activities planned, including another bike ride and a mine tour. More fun to come! A quick note for you RV geeks, we hit a new personal best – dry camping for 15 consecutive days! We supplemented our fresh water by filling up a 5-gal water jug several times, but we’re still very pleased that we were able to live off our tanks that long.