Our saguaro friends say "hi."
Holding the moon close.
Wearing a halo.
An early Cardinal travel trailer.
1940's vintage
Another vintage Cardinal.
Saguaro holding pen.
First glimpse of Bartlett Lake.
These saguars have looked down this hillside for
more than a hundred years.
View of Bartlett Lake.
Pretty roads wind through the park.
From high on a ridge.
Cholla cactus catches the rays.
Lakeside Camping
Yellow Cliffs
Every saguaro has its own
personality.
Campground Full.
Not !!!!
Stray kitty says hello.
She'll be the new station cat for the
hot-shot firefighting crew.
Bartlett Dam.
North end of the lake.
Another great kayak ride.
A blue heron stalks the
shore.
The Bicycle Haus team takes a break in their 85 mile ride.
Dirt roads wander through the desert.
Hallelulia
Swoopy saguaro
Warm (prickly)
embrace.
After old age.
White Tanks & Bartlett Lake, Arizona
Early November, 2009 - We left Havasu Springs Resort ready for an exciting
change of pace: White Tanks Regional Park on the west side of Phoenix. This is a
pretty park and campground set smack in the middle of some of the nicest Sonoran Desert
there is. We couldn't help but smile as the saguaro cactuses greeted us with arms held high.
The overall climate in central Arizona's Sonoran Desert
doesn't feel much different than the Mojave Desert of
Nevada, California and northwestern Arizona, but what a difference in vegetation. It is lush
and vibrant, filled with unusual plant life, singing birds and hopping bunnies.
The central figure in this desert is the saguaro cactus, and they give the area its charm. Each
one is unique, striking a pose with arms raised that suggests an almost reverent spirit. These
precious and protected plants define the landscape, and as we drove into the park we felt like
we were coming home.
We woke up the next morning to find that one
section of the campground had been taken over
by a raft of tiny, ancient trailers. Their owners, all
women, were gathered around a campfire,
and we learned that this was a rally of the
group "Sisters on the Fly."
Priscilla, one of the first members of the
group, invited me into her 1948 Pleasure
Craft trailer (unfortunately I never got a
photo). The woodwork was beautiful,
but it was the antique refrigerator with
its heavy external latch that caught my
eye. "That's what sold me on this
trailer," she said. "That and this stove
here." Both appliances were original,
and Priscilla was too. What a great
gathering of ladies and buggies.
With their sporty air of independence,
laced with a touch of sass, these gals
seemed to have a great weekend
together. I later checked out their
website, www.sistersonthefly.com, and thoroughly enjoyed their "Caravan Trailers"
link. It is a gallery of photos of their members' fantastic vintage trailers, many featuring
wonderful and humorous paint jobs. Started ten years by two sisters, the club has
grown to over 1000 members. What fun.
We left White Tanks to spend a little time at Bartlett Lake. On the
way out we passed the sad sight of what happens to saguaro
cactuses when developers do their thing. In order to build a new
library, something that will enhance the human community
immensely, the lovely Sonoran Desert abutting the park must be
cleared. In the process, the cholla cactus, mesquite, and creosote
bushes get mowed down without a thought. The saguaros,
however, are protected and endangered, so they get moved to a
holding pen for later transplanting. Seeing all these fun little
personalities standing in a jail cell, arms up, awaiting an unknown
fate, always makes my heart ache. It happens all over central
Arizona all the time, but that doesn't make it any easier to witness.
It is unfortunate that the most lush and gorgeous of our American
deserts has also turned out to be such a popular place to live. There are thousands of square miles of barren Mojave desert, but
the beautiful Sonoran desert that is unique to Arizona and northern Mexico has been systematically dismantled in Arizona for the
last century in order to make way for the urban sprawl of Phoenix and Tucson. If only those cities had been founded in a place that
didn't lose its unique beauty when bulldozed.
The road to Bartlett Lake is one of the area's most scenic. The
lake pops into view as you round a bend, and grows larger and
larger as you descend towards it.
Taking many bike rides along the roads that wind through this
part of the Tonto National Forest over the next few days, I kept
holding us both up by stopping to get photos.
This rich desert landscape is
otherworldly, although it is alive with
animal activity. The prickly plants of
all shapes and sizes ring out with the
unique calls and rustlings of the
Gambel's quails, curve-billed
thrashers, cactus wrens and gila
woodpeckers.
Teddy bear chollas look so cuddly I
always find myself stomping into the desert to get a closer
look, only to find myself sitting with a pair of pliers later,
yanking their long thick thorns out of the soles of my shoes.
There is dispersed camping along the lake's shores, and
because the lake was being drained to an unusually low
level during our visit, to allow for dam repairs, the choice of
campsites was immense.
We rode down to the Yellow
Cliffs and circled back to our
campsite. This area is layered in
memories for us, as we used to
ride our bikes out here
frequently to "get in some miles" and get away from the city, Mark
used to bring his kids here to swim, and we spent some happy
nights here in our popup as well.
Shortly after we pulled into our
campsite, we heard an incessant
meowing. A little black and white kitty
suddenly came over to us and started
rubbing herself on our legs. Where did
she come from? The nearest house is in a huge masterplanned
community of mansions 14 miles away. There was no way this
little cat had come that far. Her coat was still clean and she was
perfect coyote snacking size. We guessed she had been
abandoned or had snuck out of someone's car during a visit to
the lake in the last day or two.
We gave her some tuna,
and watched her lustily
chow down and lick the can
clean. She promptly
adopted our top front step
as her own and spent the
afternoon watching the
world through half-closed
eyes from that vantage
point. We couldn't keep her
and kept racking our brains
to come up with a friend in the area who might need
a cat these days. None came to mind.
But at that moment a US Forest Service truck pulled
up and two young fellows jumped out. They were
on the hot-shot forest fire crew for Tonto National
Forest and were busy trimming trees while waiting
for the next forest fire to break out. They took one
look at the little kitten and fell in love too. "Our
station cat was really old and he just died," one of
them said. "We need a new station cat!" How cool
is that. The guys said they still had a stack of cat
food back at the station too. The kitty hung out in
the shade near the fire fighters for the rest of the
day, and they whisked her off to the station once
their shift ended. Truly one of the best stray cat
stories I've ever seen.
We've been to Bartlett Lake
countless times but had never
explored its back roads that wind
behind the dam. After a steep
climb we got a great view of the
lake and then descended to the
river beyond the dam where there
are small campsites.
We even got out on the kayak and had
a chance to get up close and personal,
checking out the exposed shoreline. A blue heron was patiently
fishing nearby.
One Saturday morning we got a glimpse of our old lives as the
Bicycle Haus bike team arrived from Scottsdale, flying down the
final screaming descent towards the lake. We rode with
them back up to the ranger's station, some 14 miles from
the lake, and were glad we didn't have another 30 miles to
go after that to get to the starting point like they did.
Instead, we wandered along the roads at a slow pace, taking
leisurely photos of our dear friends, the saguaros.
In the backs of our minds we were mulling over what to do once
the winter weather started to arrive. We didn't know just yet, but
new and different kinds of adventures were in store for us on the
Caribbean island of Grenada.
Havasu Springs Resort, AZ – Lucky Break!
Lake Havasu.
View from the resort.
Lakeside vacation mobile homes.
Ready to launch.
Secluded cove.
Resting on the resort's beach.
Solitary fisherman.
Green grasses line the shore.
Deserted Island.
Clear green water at a private campsite.
Water pumping station.
Salt Cedar sapling takes root on a bouy.
Nesting site on stilts.
Lighthouse guides boaters in.
Houseboats at the marina.
Havasu Springs Resort, Arizona
Late October, 2009 - We left Laughlin, Nevada with a hankering to get the kayak out onto Lake Havasu, one of the manmade
lakes that have bubbled the Colorado River into a string of elongated beads as it runs south. Problem was, where to stay? We
pulled into a Love's gas station as we exited I-40 to take AZ-95 south, and a man in an old pickup engaged Mark in conversation.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"South."
"Where are you staying?"
"I'm not sure."
"Can I interest you in a free 5-day, 4-night stay at Havasu Springs Resort?"
Mark's ears perked up. Sure! It turned out that one of the oldest RV
park timeshare membership programs, Colorado River Adventures,
was promoting their parks to the snowbirds as they migrated south.
We could choose from four different RV parks for the promo package,
but he told us Havasu Springs was the nicest. "You'll have to take a 90
minute tour, but it won't be any longer than that, I promise. You'll also
get a $100 Walmart gift card."
Score!! Going to timeshare presentations was something of a sport in
the Phoenix area in the late 1990's. The resorts were lovely, the
giveaways were lavish, and the presentations were usually not that long
or grueling. During coffee breaks on our group bike rides in those days
we'd sit around with our friends and compare notes on the different
timeshares we'd toured. Of course, it's a sport fraught with danger, as
almost everyone we knew had given in and purchased a timeshare
somewhere along the line. Nowadays our savvy friends buy them for pennies on the dollar on the internet.
We looked at the brochure the man in the pickup had handed us, saw the
pictures of the pretty beaches along the lake, and jumped at the chance.
Once there, while we were checking in, Mark noticed a poster on the wall
that offered two free dinners at the resort's restaurant if you took a tour of
the condos that were for sale. Within minutes we'd scheduled our condo
tour for later that day and our timeshare membership tour for the next
day. Ironically, we then accidentally took a self-guided half-hour tour of
the whole resort on our own, with our monster rig, as we got lost several
times looking for our campsite.
We were assigned
an appealing end site. Our rig filled the entire site, and we had to juggle our
position to get the slides out without hitting the electrical box or the tree, but
we gleefully plugged into electrical, water and sewer hookups for the first time
in 8 months. We planned to bask in four days of very very long showers and
we set the air conditioning so it would cycle on and off at will (this is not
possible when we run the a/c from the generator: when the a/c cycles on it
overloads the generator, shutting it off, so we simply run the a/c til we are cool
and then turn it off, effectively cycling it manually).
Our condo salesman was at our door
just as we removed the last bungee
cord from the cabinets. What fun to cruise through a fabulously decorated $800k condo
with views of the lake and mountains, envisioning ourselves hosting elegant parties that
spilled from the beautiful great-room out onto the sprawling deck. We found out we could
pick up this piece of paradise for less than $500k because of the stalled economy. What a
deal!
We politely declined, but the free
dinner at Springs that night was
wonderful. We had a pretty table
overlooking the marina, and we
toasted each other and our fine
meal while we were serenaded by a
wonderful female vocalist. The sun
set slowly behind the distant
mountains and we kept laughing
about what crazy good luck it was to
run into the guy in the pickup at the
gas station.
The biggest perk for us at this
resort was the chance to get out on
the lake with the kayak. Early the
next morning we snuck down to the
boat ramp and launched the boat.
It was promising to be a very
blustery day, and the water soon
kicked up as we pedaled and
paddled along.
The funny thing about this tandem
kayak is that the front person gets
drenched by waves slapping the bow. Mark thought it was all quite hilarious as wave after
wave splashed over the boat and all over me while he remained perfectly dry. I got the
last laugh, however, as the water that dripped off of me followed gravity
and made its way along the bottom edges of the boat to soak Mark's seat.
After a while he was sitting in quite a puddle. We cracked up when we
finally returned to the boat ramp and crawled out of the kayak, two wet
rats.
The timeshare presentation was later that afternoon, and we were
radiating grins when we arrived in our salesman's office after our morning
adventure. He took one look at us, heard Mark explain that we live off the
grid, and he said, "I know you're not going to buy, so I'll keep this short."
He gave us a brief synopsis of what the membership program was all
about (summarized under the "High End Membership Programs" on the
Fulltiming page, about 40% down the page). And before 45 minutes was
up, he was shaking our hands and wishing us safe travels. There had
been a mixup about the Walmart gift card, so
he handed Mark a check for $100. "I bet this
was the easiest $100 you ever made."
Absolutely!!
Soon afterwards we saw him in his golf cart
greeting some friends who had just moved into
a site behind us. Not only did he know we
weren't going to buy, but he had better things
to do with his time late on a Friday afternoon.
We hit the resort's bar for $1.50 steak tacos
and rode our bikes all over the place. It is an
expansive property with several hotels and
marinas, and we enjoyed roaming the grounds
so much we forgot to check out the swimming pool and hot tub. However, we met a couple who
had just completed 20 years of sailing in the Caribbean, and we enjoyed a lengthy conversation with
them about that lifestyle. They were now building a home base in Vancouver and had come south
in their RV to escape the cold for the winter.
They were happier cold weather creatures than
we were, however, as their long term plans
were to buy an old fishing trawler and explore
Alaska by boat.
The winds died down and we were gifted with
one glorious day on the water with the kayak.
This time we both remained dry and we
explored much further north along the lake. It is
a huge lake, some 50 miles long, so there was no chance to get to the other
end where the famed London Bridge stands. However, we probably got about
4 or so miles out, and we passed countless boat-in BLM campsites along the
shore. These are charming little spots with private beaches, picnic tables and plenty
of room to spread out. Only one of these pretty campsites was occupied.
We stopped at one that was set in a private cove and wandered along the clear
green water. What a perfect place to take a young family for a weekend. The kids
could run free, and the adults could
unwind.
The Parker Dam, which creates Lake
Havasu, is a huge concrete structure.
This business of controlling the
Colorado River took a lot of
engineering to create, and evidence of
the will humankind has exerted upon
this river appears in the vast
unpopulated hillsides in the form of water pumping stations with huge pipes and
industrial buildings
Heading in the
opposite direction,
towards the Bill
Williams Marsh, we found a wildlife nesting preserve. Large tower
structures make inviting nest sites for birds. We didn't see any of
the occupants, but there was plenty of evidence they had been
there, with nests on every tower.
We followed the lighthouse's beacon to one of the resort's marinas
and meandered between the houseboats. There are all kinds of
ways to enjoy this corner of the world, staying at a resort hotel, in
an RV or a houseboat, or living in a condo or old mobile home
vacation house. It's a small community tucked into a corner of the
lake on a long stretch of deserted shoreline. It's one of those special little secrets that isn't necessarily advertised in bright lights
but we were fortunate enough to be lured in by a man in a pickup clutching a fist full of brochures. We were still shaking our heads
in disbelief at this quirky detour in our travels as we made our way towards friends and family in Phoenix.
Roosevelt Lake, AZ – Desert Oasis
Roosevelt Lake, Arizona
April 5-18, 2009 - We left Chanute, Kansas in a blast of cold headwinds.
Those miserable winds pummeled us all the way across Oklahoma, Texas
and New Mexico. We were totally windblown by the time we arrived in
Arizona, and we were utterly fed up with fighting it every time we set foot
outside the trailer. Our usual mileage of 10 mpg while towing dropped as
low as 7.7 through parts of Oklahoma, and for the entire trip across
country our average was a dismal 8.5.
The truck and
trailer looked
like heck when
we got to
Arizona, and
we did too. So
it was with great excitement that I
opened our door and looked out
at the lake on our second
morning and felt not just warm
sun on my skin but the sweetest
of gentle breezes on my face.
This is one of those areas that is
a little jewel on our planet.
Coming into Windy Hill Recreation
Area there is a fantastic curvy
road, and I spent several happy
hours on two different days
running up and down the road
getting pictures of RVs as they
drove past.
Roosevelt Lake was dammed in 1911, and at the time was the largest
man-made lake in the world. We had lived in Phoenix, next door to this
little piece of heaven, for years, yet we had never been there. I couldn't
believe how beautiful it was. If we had known about it, we would have
camped there every spring and fall weekend in our popup tent trailer.
The lake is open to boaters of all kinds, and a marina sits next to the
visitors center. There are lots of houseboats at the marina. What a fun
place to roost for a while.
We had ridden our bikes on just about every road in the area with
various organized bike rides over the years, but the one spectacular
road that runs alongside the lake was a whole new discovery for us.
Everything
seemed to be
in bloom when
we arrived, and
the high winds
had blown
every bit of dust
and pollution to
kingdom come,
so the air was
crisp and clear.
The lake was
full to
overflowing,
and the views
in every
direction were
filled with the
promise of
spring.
We were blessed with a full moon
during our stay, and a group of birds
swooped back and forth in front of
the moon as it rose one evening.
The entire lake is smack in the
middle of Tonto National Forest, so
there is virtually no development
anywhere other than the slightly
developed campgrounds and an
Indian cliff dwelling site nearby. I
was amazed by how many
campgrounds there are, and how
many campsites within each
campground. The USFS has closed
several campgrounds and closed
many loops within the open
campgrounds, probably because
they just don't get enough
business to make it worthwhile to
maintain it all.
The campgrounds are set along little peninsulas, and many campsites
have a waterfront view. Whoever designed the campgrounds along this
lake did an outstanding job. There is boondocking too, but the
campgrounds are so spacious and pretty that we opted for a waterfront
site at the end of a peninsula instead.
Throughout our visit the cameras just kept clicking. In every direction
we turned there seemed to be another lovely shot. Friends of ours
were camped nearby, and each evening the discussion always seemed
to wander back to the various photos all of us had taken during the day.
One evening I
came back from a
bike ride to hear
an excited
discussion around
the campfire
about a clump of
clover and a bee.
This little bee had
unknowingly
become a
supermodel for the afternoon, and we
had fun comparing all the different
photos of him.
The Sonoran Desert is one of my
favorite places. It extends from
Arizona into Sonora, Mexico, and is
extremely lush, filled with a wide
variety of flowers, birds and cactus. It
is the only place in the world where
the wise old saguaro cactus chooses
to live, and they rule the landscape
with a myriad of personalities, all
seeming to wave a greeting to their fellow cactus.
The saguaros that have a cluster of arms are often 150 years old or
more. Those cactus grew up in a very different world -- one with a
small river instead of a lake, for starters.
The main road hugs the lake for many miles, and on a few
days we ventured out to Tonto Basin, a small community at
the far north end of the lake. On those morning drives the
hillsides were alive with bright yellow flowers and towering
cactus, looking down at the lake. In the distance we could see
Four Peaks, an aptly named mountain range that makes a distinct
landmark on the horizon when looking east from Phoenix. Here we got
to see its back
side.
A bridge spans
the river just
before the
dam, and every
time you drive
by it begs you
to take a
picture.
On several days we went out in the
kayak and pedaled and paddled
around. The wind resumed its howling
every few days, so we had some
sloppy times on the water with the
spray flying. But there were some
really calm days too. Those were
times of heavenly relaxation and
serenity.
The lake is an interesting habitat because it is in the
middle of the richest Sonoran Desert land, but
because the body of water is so large, ducks, grebes and even seagulls set up
housekeeping here too. Whenever we would go out in the kayak we were always
amazed to see hundreds of grebes swimming around. They would alert each other to
our presence with frantic calls, and as we approached, one by one they would dive
underwater. At the same time we could also hear the calls of the Gambel quail from
their perches in the desert scrub along the shore.
The fishermen complained
that the fishing wasn't too
good. That surprised us,
because we saw all kinds of huge fish leaping out of the water as we
paddled. Maybe their noisy powerboats were scaring off their catch.
The cycling in this area is spectacular as well.
There are a lot of organized rides sponsored by
the Arizona bike clubs that travel many of the
roads in this part of the state, however I know of
none that go along the lakeside road (route
188). It would be the perfect location for an
organized ride: stunning scenery, challenging
climbs, screaming descents, and lots of picnic
areas for rest stops.
Roosevelt Lake is a gorgeous place, and we
felt blessed to be able to spend a good bit of
time there.
A little cardinal sang his heart out on one of our last mornings.
He seemed so happy to be alive. Roosevelt Lake makes you feel
that way. Sadly, we eventually had to pack up and go. We drove
the beautiful lakeside road one last time and then turned west
once again to journey on to California.
Fiery Sunsets and Interesting Folks in the Arizona Desert
Groups mark their territories and gather in the desert
in Quartzsite.
Whiling away the morning making music in the desert.
"Rowdy" of Cutler's Bull & Donkey Show
Quartzsite welcomes
characters of all kinds....
....no dress code required.
People come from all over, any way they can.
I heard a noise and looked out the window to see this
plane land a few feet from our trailer!
The desert pilots fly all manner of craft, but they have
nothing on the natural airborne essence of the
hummingbirds.
Sunrise
Sunset
Classic Sonoran Desert scenery at the White Tanks
mountains west of Phoenix.
The small cholla cactus applaud the silent, serene
performance of the Saguaros.
Water !!
And here it is, about 200 yards from the rock sign that the
ancients carved.
Arizona Deserts
December, 2008 and January 2009 - After Yuma, we stopped in Quartzsite en route to Phoenix for the holidays. This became the
first of a delightful string of reunions with friends and family that filled our winter months, and we returned again in January. As we
first settled into the strange desert living that characterizes boondocking in the Quartzsite BLM land, winter arrived with a
vengeance. The land is ideal for RVs - flat, level, and hard-packed, as if it were paved. But it is very exposed, with only some low
desert scrub brush and the rare saguaro cactus and hummingbird as company. When the wind decides to blow the trailer rocks!
We camped next to our friends Bob & Donna Lea whose 20 years of
experience with winter camping in Arizona's deserts was invaluable as we
tackled the project of installing a new heater. Their warm company made
the chilly, grey days pass very quickly, and we had a chance to compare
our solar setups (see notes at bottom of that page).
Each January, when it plays host to a series of gem shows and the
annual RV show, Quartzsite swells from a truck stop with a few homes
and small
stores to a 120
square mile
parking lot
filled with
retired RVers
from the north
country. RVers gather in groups of all kinds, marking their territory with
signs. "Loners on Wheels," "The Gadabouts," "Escapees Boondockers,"
and manufacturers' rallies fill the desert for miles in every direction. A
paper plate with a couple's names on it and an arrow is enough to signal
friends to a gathering location. There is no reservation system and no
management of these crazed senior citizens, so if you arrive and your
favorite spot is taken, you find another spot.
This year the Montana Owners' rally was the most impressive, even
though they took our friends' preferred spot by their favorite saguaro. The
group drew an enormous circle in the desert floor, and as each rig arrived
it was carefully parked in a spoke pattern around the circle. Some 50
Montana fifth wheels showed up, and
they formed a perfect circle around their
mammoth campfire.
Quartzsite is filled with unusual
characters. As we walked one morning
we passed a couple making music
outside a rig. He had been a
professional musician in his day, and
she was enjoying his pointers and
accompaniment. Another day we were greeted by a
couple that puts on an animal show with their farm
animals in nearby Bouse. They were doing rig-to-rig
advertising as they drove their animals through the
desert and invited people to their show.
Sightings of "rare birds" is common in Quartzsite, and
people watching is great entertainment for everyone.
We visited Paul's Oassis Books
bookstore again, and he was
dressed in his holiday finest.
Seeing Quartzsite out of
season makes you wonder
what would ever draw anyone
to visit this desolate, dusty,
shabby town. But in January
people arrive
from all over,
and the town
comes alive.
We are accustomed to seeing hummingbirds at our trailer window's
feeder, but where else would you peek out your window to see a small
plane land just a few feet away? We got a wave from the pilot when he
took off again!
Not just
Quartzsite's
culture but its
skies come alive
morning and
evening as well.
We were
blessed with
several stunning
sunrises and
sunsets.
I loved the way
the whole desert
sunset scene
would be
reflected in the
rear window of
our trailer.
Between visits
to Quartzsite,
we stopped in
Phoenix for
Christmas. We
took several
wonderful hikes
in the White
Tank mountains
west of the city.
One hike goes to a waterfall that runs
only after a torrential downpour. We were lucky and got a downpour and the waterfall was still
running when we hiked in. I was fascinated to see a rock covered with petroglyphs showing
squiggly horizontal lines. Clearly, the people who lived there a thousand or more years ago
noted the occasional presence of water by pecking out the universally recognized symbol of
water on the rock face.
After the holidays we
snuck back to San Diego
for the January sailboat
show.
Other blog posts from our RV travels to Quartzsite:
- Quartzsite Lite (2022) 03/26/22
- What’s It Like to RV in Quartzsite AZ? Anything Goes! 02/02/16
- Quartzsite RV Show – RV Stuff and So Much More! 01/30/16
- Quartzsite, Arizona – The RV Gathering Place 01/26/16
- The RV Show in Quartzsite AZ – More Than Just RVs! 02/07/15
- Sunset over RVs in Quartzsite AZ 01/24/15
- Quartzsite Arizona – RV Madness in the Desert! 01/21/15
- Fiery Sunsets and Interesting Folks in the Arizona Desert 01/15/09
- Quartzsite, AZ – Snowbird Roost 12/05/07
Our most recent posts:
- Buckskin Mountain State Park – Fun on the Colorado River! 01/31/26
- How to Install Starlink Gen 3 in an RV? Use the Speedmount! 08/07/25
- Escape to Paradise – Rocky Mountain Magic! 08/01/25
- Is Forest River a Good RV? Well Built? Here’s Our Experience 06/20/25
- Sunset Crater Nat’l Monument – Lava & Camels at Bonito CG! 06/06/25
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Yuma, AZ – Prisons and Balloons
A developer's palm tree lined neighborhood street.
The homes were never built.
A Salton Sea inlet where there once was an RV park.
Long Fall shadows from our legs and a
walking stick. Winter was coming.
The landscape of a mixed green salad
Yuma is the capital of leafy greens.
Lakeside in Yuma
Redondo Lake Boondocking
The dust storms are like blizzard white-outs
The morning greeted us with a spectacular sunrise
Steaming tea
Cheery moment - a sailboat passes through
Yuma en route to San Diego
Fantastic adobe houses with brightly glazed tiles
Old Town Yuma
The "Coolest Bar Downtown"
An old-time restaurant
loaded with antiques
and memorabilia
Owner-Operator-
Chef-Musician
Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival
Heating up the balloon
Keeping the basket grounded
Balloons of all kinds
The Balloon Glow
Yuma Territorial Prison
Prison Guard
Cell block. No one ever escaped from these cells.
Double doors for each
cell
9' x 12' and 6 to a cell
Hike to the Towers
Yuma Lakes RV Park, submerged!
Yuma, Arizona
November 1-30, 2008 - We left San Diego in high spirits, the memories of the fog horns, the salt air, the fresh sailing breezes and
warm air still filling our senses. So it was quite a shock when we climbed the mountains to the east on I-8 and had to brace
ourselves against a nasty wind storm that forced us under way too many blankets at night while the heater ran full blast. We were
in denial about winter coming, and it was a relief when the storm passed and the California deserts at the base of the mountains
warmed us up again. We stopped near Salton City for a few days, and heard the sad tale of the sadly exploited Salton Sea.
Salton Sea - lost treasure
The Sea was once a playground, filled with fish and boats and laughing
kids throwing sticks in the water for their dogs. Sadly, now the beaches
are layered in dead fish on thick beds of bleached non-native barnacle
shells. We rode our bikes through virtual ghost towns along this huge
inland salt lake's shoreline. Palm trees lined would-be neighborhood
streets amid developers' evaporated dreams. Half-built homes had long
ago given up hope for windows and siding, and their yawning open frames
were a stark contrast to the beautiful mountain, beach and waterfront
backdrop.
All are victims
of pesticide
runoff from
adjacent farmlands and
ever-rising salinity
caused by the Sea's
constant evporation.
Former picnic areas, RV
parks, tiki bars and
housing stand vacant,
disintegrating and
forlorn, longing for the
return of ecologically
healthier times that may
never come. The only life is huge flocks of pelicans and ibis that feast on the sole
surviving fish, a tiny non-native species. After talking at length with several long-
time residents about this miserable state of affairs, we moved on, our spirits badly
deflated.
Yuma: desert + water = produce
We went to Yuma, Arizona, hoping for sunlight and some good cycling.
We found both, along with a great place to camp near a small lake along
the edge of vast farmlands. This corner of the world is rich in lettuce,
kale, spinach and other leafy greens.
We hooked up
with Yuma's
Foothills Bike
Club and did
several terrific
rides with
them, getting to
know the back
roads and canal banks around town. Yuma is blistering hot in the
summer but comes to life each winter as residents of the northern states
and provinces arrive in flocks during their annual "snowbird" migration.
Most people we met around town lived in an RV, and there was a festive
air everywhere as old friends arrived and got together again.
One morning we awoke to a spectacular sunrise, but "red sky at morning"
proved true as an amazing wind storm blew into town. The dust swirled until
you couldn't see, making white-out blizzard-like conditions on the roads. The
temperature dropped
and suddenly we were
thrust into winter for
several days. Suddenly
we were drinking
copious cups of hot tea
and taking long turns
over the heat vents to
warm our bones.
We had left San Diego
just a week or so ago, yet all that summertime fun was
quickly fading into a beautiful, distant memory. Sigh.
Winter is not our favorite season. Even in Arizona it is just
too darned cold for too long!
We cheered up immensely one afternoon when we found
ourselves in traffic behind a yacht hauler taking a brand new
boat from Florida to a dealership in San Diego. How ironic that
this very same dealership had taken us on a "test sail" of this
very same boat model just a few weeks ago.
Yuma's Old Town
Yuma has a lot of history, and we spent some
happy afternoons wandering around the Old Town
district. Most of the buildings, dating from 100
years or so ago, are made of adobe brick, so the
walls are enormously thick.
Many are decorated with pretty, brightly
colored, glazed tile, and we learned that
this is "Anglicized Sonoran" architecture.
We wandered down some stairs and
found ourselves in the middle of The
Garden Restaurant, a charming little spot
with tables on many levels, overhanging
branches offering colorful flowers and shade, and birds of
all types singing and squawking in cages along the
perimeter.
In winter especially, this is definitely an outdoor
community, with lots of little boutiques for shopping.
We saw the outside of the "Coolest Bar Downtown" but went
inside the famed Lutes Casino where antiques, memorabilia and
goodies from another era fill the restaurant from floor to ceiling.
A popular hangout for marines from the nearby Air Station, Lutes
has a display with a letter from a homesick marine in Desert
Storm who wrote longingly of how one of their "especial" dinners
(a hot dog and a hamburger) would taste so good right about
now...
As we started to turn back towards the parked truck
we heard the most amazing electric guitar riffs in the
distance. Someone was having fun -- either
listening to something very loud or playing loudly
himself. We followed the sounds to the Mustard Seed Restaurant. The door
was propped open, and a musical firestorm filled our ears as we poked our
heads inside. A young fellow was playing his heart out. He stopped when he
saw us and introduced himself as the Owner-Operator-Chef of the restaurant.
"I'm just checking out the sound system. Come back tonight at 9:00 and I'll be
jamming with some friends."
Balloon Festival
Yuma hosts the Colorado River Crossing Balloon
Festival each year, and we went to the fairgrounds to
see the Balloon Glow one evening. One by one, at
least 25 balloons were laid out on the grass and filled
with hot air.
Balloon teams come to Yuma from all over for this festival, and each team expertly
raised their balloon to vertical and kept its basket tied to the ground so it wouldn't
float off.
There were traditional balloon shapes, a few with advertisers' names displayed, and
even one lady bug balloon.
As the sun set the spectators streamed in and the glow
began. An announcer would get the balloonists to
coordinate their flame blasts so that all the balloons would
light up together. The balloons can't take the hot air for
too long at a time, or they will try to float away,
so the balloons would glow together for just a
few moments and then go dark to cool down.
There were two balloon launches during the weekend as
well, but they required getting up and driving a long ways
before dawn, and both mornings we opted to stay in our
warm bed with the down comforters pulled over our heads.
Yuma Territorial Prison
Back when Arizona was young -- in
1876 when it was just a territory and
not yet a state -- it became home to
the Territorial Prison. Arizona
distributed its various government
responsibilities between the three major
settlements: Phoenix vied for the eventual
state capitol, Tucson nourished the seedling
public university, and Yuma got the prison.
This shaped the future state's personality:
Phoenix is the hub of commerce, Tucson is
the cultural mecca, and Yuma, well, Yuma
gave the prison to Florence in 1909 and
concentrated on agriculture and winter visitors.
This prison was nicknamed "The Hellhole of the West." Out of ~3,000
prisoners only 26 ever escaped from the cell blocks. No wonder: the cells
were steel cages covered with granite, and
each cell had a double door. The first
prisoners had the privilege of building the
prison before moving in, which reminded me
of New Hampshire's modern day inmates
stamping out license plates with the motto
"Live Free or Die."
Each cell had six bunks, but as the years
went by they sometimes had to house more
than six men. The single, shared chamber
pot was emptied once a day. Bedbugs
lived in the wooden bunks and ate the
prisoners raw until the wooden bunks
were finally burned and replaced with
steel. There was a "dark cell" that offered solitary confinement for disruptive prisoners. We crept
into this pitch black hole that had housed a 5'x5' steel cage where prisoners spent anywhere from
one to over 100 nights. The only light came from a tiny shaft above. No chamber pot here: the
floor of the cage was cleaned every few months. Yikes. Several women were rewarded for their
bad behavior with a stint in the dark cell too.
Hikes and Walks
There are pretty hikes in the hills around Yuma, and we ventured up a
very steep hill one morning to get a commanding view of the farmlands
and city.
Winter pressed on as November drew to a close, and we were deluged
with two days of torrential rain. Nearby Yuma
Lakes RV Park became submerged, and the
reflections of the rigs in the standing water made
some colorful photos on our daily walks.
We stayed in Yuma for all of November, 2008, slowly adjusting to the fact that
winter was here and wasn't going to leave any time soon. We got word from
friends we had met last year in Quartzsite that they were returning, so we
finally packed up and made the short trek north to one of the world's oddest
temporary communities: the BLM land surrounding the truck-stop town of
Quartzsite, Arizona. For the next two months we hovered in and around
Grand Canyon’s North Rim – Its Better Half?
The road to the North Rim winds through meadows.
Monsoon season was just starting.
A little piece of heaven camping in the Kaibab
National Forest.
Western Tanager
Vista Encantada
Angel's Window
Cape Royal
Cliff Rose
Cape Royal
Cape Royal
Walhalla Lookout
The North Rim Lodge has
exceptional views.
Sofa Room at the Lodge
Lodge Dining Room
Sun Porch at the Lodge
Bright Angel Point trail
Bright Angel Point
Bright Angel Point
Hiking in the Kaibab forest
We came across a clearing overflowing with lupines.
The aspens cluster together.
Point imperial Lookout
Imperial Point
Ken Patrick Trail from Point Imperial
Grand Canyon - North Rim
June 24 - July 13, 2008 - We left Flagstaff in search of cooler weather,
and we found that and much more at the North Rim of the Grand
Canyon. The road from Jacob Lake to the North Rim is 44 miles of
graceful beauty.
After descending through dense woods, some of which were badly
burned in a wildfire in 2005, the road shakes out its curves, the tall
pines step back, and you fly along through lush meadows. These
meadows were green when we arrived in June, but by the time we left
in July there were wildflowers of all colors scattered about. The
elevation in this part of the world hovers between 8,500 and 9,000
feet, making the warm summer season very short. When we first arrived the sun was abundant and the air was warm.
By the time we left the summer monsoons were in full swing, bringing
thick, black storm clouds every afternoon. You could almost set your
clock by the 2:00 thunderstorms. We camped in a little forest glade
that was pure heaven. Our only neighbors were a jackrabbit and a
deer, both of which made several appearances, and a gorgeous male
western tanager who appeared near the end of our stay. Our little
clearing was lined with aspen that quivered whenever the wind blew.
Our first evening in our little paradise we watched the sun set while
listening to John Denver sing about nature. The warblers chimed in and
the aspen seemed to laugh and
dance in the orange glow of the
setting sun. It was magic.
Our first trip to the Rim itself took us
on the farthest reaching road,
passing Vista Encantada and taking
us down to Angel's Window and
Cape Royal. Vista Encantada was
bursting with wildflowers. Yellows,
oranges and even the bright pink of a prickly pear cactus flower
enhanced the rust reds of the canyon. The North Rim is not heavily
visited, and we were the only people at this lookout, gazing at the jaw-
dropping vistas while clicking away on the cameras.
Cape Royal, a massive lookout area, lies at the end of this road.
There is a charming paved walking trail through the scrub brush and
woods that leads out to Angel's Window as well as Cape Royal. We
couldn't believe that we were the only ones on the trail. Angel's
Window gives you a glimpse of the Colorado River if you peak
through, but once you climb onto the top of this arch formation you
get an unobstructed view.
As we walked we were overcome with the sweetest fragrance. A
trailside plaque told us that the Cliff Rose was responsible for this
heady aroma. We breathed deeply and walked slowly. We were
here at the perfect time of
year.
Returning towards the
buggy, we stopped at some
of the viewpoints we had
skipped on our way out.
Walhalla Lookout is the
gathering place for a daily
ranger talk about the
ancients who lived in this
region, growing crops on a plateau 5,000 feet below at the Colorado River in the winter and moving up to the Rim in the summer.
There were some Indian ruins from 800 years ago, including a granary where they stored seeds for future planting. From where
we stood we could easily see Mt. Humphreys in the San Francisco Peaks back in Flagstaff. A 200 mile drive by car, the mountain
was just 50 miles away as the condor flies. I watched the clouds gathering over Mt. Humphreys as the afternoon monsoons began
to build, and suddenly I understood why the Indians have always viewed the mountain as sacred. From that hot, dry plateau way
down on the Colorado River, it would be only natural to believe that the mountain held a mystical power to create clouds and rain.
Those clouds and their life-giving moisture drifted over the canyon
and a light rain began to fall.
Another morning we walked the Transept Trail from the campground
to the North Rim Lodge. This dirt path hugs the rim and occasionally
peaks out at a view that grows broader and broader as you approach
the Lodge.
The Lodge was built in 1928 and reflects the
elegance and simplicity of that earlier time. It is a
stone and timber structure with enormous windows
overlooking the stunning view. In the early days
visitors were greeted by singing staff members, and
the first view they got of the canyon was through
the immense windows that drew them across the
wide lobby floor. Those windows are equally
alluring today, and comfy leather sofas fill the
room.
A beautiful dining room also
has towering windows that
look out at Canyon views,
and it is impossible not to
feel a tie to the past when
seated beneath these
chandeliers.
The Lodge also has a
sunporch with open-air
seating in front of the
spectacular view. What a
place to enjoy a latte, soak in
the view, and maybe even
read the paper.
From the Lodge we wandered out on the paved Bright Angel Point
trail. This is a pretty walk that takes you to the very end of the
peninsula that the North Rim Village is built on.
We clambered up onto the towering rocks to check out the many
views. At the end you can see the widest part of the Canyon laid out
before you, stretching 21 miles to the South Rim. We were able to
make out the tower at Desert View but couldn't see the other buildings
on the South Rim. The immensity, colors and shapes were a feast for
the eyes.
We felt very blessed
to be able to stay in
the area for three
weeks. After each
visit to the Rim we
would spend a day or
two back at the trailer
looking at our photos,
absorbing the
experience. There is
a lot to see in the
Kaibab National
Forest as well, and
we did a lot of cycling
and hiking, checking out
the maze of dirt roads in
the area.
As we stayed more and
more flowers began to bloom
and on one hike we found
ourselves in a lush bed of
lupines. There was a variety
of shapes and hues, and we
came back to this area
several times to enjoy the
rich colors. A little further
down this road we found bunches of
yellow flowers that grew in clumps, like
nature's perfect little bouquets.
Mark noticed these little black butterflies
zipping around us periodically, and one
finally stopped long enough for him to
get its picture.
We drove out to Point Imperial
and hiked a portion of the Ken
Patrick trail to the south. From
that viewpoint you can see the
Little Colorado River in the
distance. It is a sheer canyon
that looks like a crack in the flat
landscape. It almost looks like a
child took a stick and dragged it
across the sand in jagged motions,
leaving a deep trench in its wake.
Point Imperial is not hard to miss.
As we walked along the trail we saw
it shrinking in the distance behind
us. There were many wonderful old
trees and tiny yellow and red
flowers along the route. We felt so
grateful to be alive to be able
to experience these wonders.
It was hard to leave our little paradise in the
woods at the Grand Canyon, but the monsoons
turned nasty and we found ourselves in
sweatshirts and long pants for several days in a
row. We even got hailed on twice -- pea-sized
hail that piled up on the ground for an hour
before melting. We hadn't seen everything at the
North Rim, but we always leave a few discoveries
for future visits. We wanted to head a little
further north towards Kanab and Bryce Canyon
in Utah.
Sunset Crater, AZ – Looks Like it Exploded Yesterday!
Getting weighed
Campsite at Bonito in Flagstaff.
Boondocking in the Cinder Hills OHV Area
Solar panel installation
Sunset Crater erupted 800 years ago
Smooth cinder hills alongside the road
Cinder hills and lava flow
San Francisco Peaks
Cinders are black gravel and red gravel
San Francisco Peaks
View from the top of the Lava Flow Trail hike
Vermillion Cliffs near Lees Ferry
Neat spot for a house!
Vermillion Cliffs - many colors in the rocks
Start of the climb out of the desert up to the Kaibab Plateau
Sunset Crater National Monument, Arizona
June 4-24, 2008 - We drove from Chanute, Kansas to Flagstaff, Arizona (1,200
miles) in just 3 days. We stopped long enough to weigh the truck and trailer at a
Flying J truck scale and found we were right at the limit. Even though we had filled
only 1/3 of the cabinet space, our weight (with water and propane) was 13,850 lbs --
and the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is 13,995 lbs. No wonder the truck
noticed the load!! This wasn't the little Lynx any longer! We had met a lot of fifth
wheel owners whose cabinets and closets were stuffed to overflowing. They must
run about 2,000 lbs or more over their GVWR.
As we traveled across
country the air got dryer
and the terrain got craggier. On I-40 in Texas, 10 miles west of the
New Mexico border, there was a very distinct transition from open
plains to a desert landscape. We had left tornado alley in the middle
of tornado season and we were glad to leave the severe storm
warnings and tornado watches behind. However we drove straight
into a vicious headwind all the way across the country, and in New
Mexico and Arizona the winds were staggering. We were paying far
more for gas than we ever had -- and we were getting 8.2 miles per
gallon!!
At an Arizona
visitors center
we heard
another fifth wheel driver discussing routes to Wasington with the host,
trying to find a way to get out of the horrible winds. Not possible! When
we arrived in Flagstaff it felt good to be among the tall pines under clear
blue skies again. The winds eventually subsided, and we relaxed at our
favorite campground northeast of Flagstaff, Bonito Campground. We
retired the truck for a while, sticking to our bikes as much as possible.
Flagstaff has a fantastic store for solar power related items (Northern
Arizona Wind and Sun), and just like the previous year, we used our
time in town to purchase a complete solar setup. We upgraded to
490 watts of power (from 130) and a permanently installed pure sine
wave inverter. We boondocked in the Cinder Hills OHV Area and
Mark took his time installing the new panels on the roof and the
charge controller and inverter in the basement. After three days it
was done, and the system has been phenomenal ever since.
Wherever we are, it is always as if we have full electrical hookups.
The hummingbirds loved our feeder, and we
enjoyed watching them zip around. One
morning a pair of warblers came to the feeder
for a visit. Their beaks weren't shaped quite
right for the feeder, so they didn't stick around,
but I was thrilled to get their picture through
the window.
We took some leisurely bike rides through
Sunset Crater National Monument. This is a beautiful area for cycling, as there is no traffic and the road is smooth and scenic.
Sunset Crater blew its top 800 years ago, filling the skies and covering the ground with cinder ash. The cinder ash (black gravel) is
so thick that little can grow in it. This makes the area seem as though the volcano erupted just a few years back. The cinder hills
seem smooth from a distance, and there are places where the gravel is actually black sand. In other spots the black gives way to
shades of red and brown, again making it seem as though this mountain were engulfed in volcanic flames sometime within my own
lifetime. There is a region where the lava flowed, and today it is an impenetrable strip of sharp black rock. If you look closely you
can almost see the ripples and waves as this thick angry goo washed down from the mountain.
In the distance the San Francisco peaks were still snow capped.
Standing over 12,000 feet high, the tallest of the peaks is easily visible
from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon some one hundred miles
away as the condor flies. The Navajo and other native peoples have
long felt that the San Francisco peaks were sacred. I had never really
understood exactly why until a few weeks later when we were camped
on the North Rim and were looking back at these peaks across the
canyon. Every afternoon, like clockwork, the clouds would begin to
form over Mt. Humphreys. There was no doubt that those mountains
attracted -- or were even the source -- of rain. Looking down at the
barren plateau on the Colorado River at the bottom of the Canyon I
could understand why the ancients revered that distant mountain. It
brought them much needed water for their crops.
We took a hike with friends up the Lava Flow Trail and
found some spectacular views of the San Francisco
peaks and the valleys surrounding the mountains. It
was a steep but short climb up the hill and well worth
the view at the top.
When we first arrived in Flagstaff the overnight
temperatures were in the 30's and daytime highs were
in the high 60's. After a few weeks the highs were
getting into the 90's. Even boondocked in total shade
(we found it was a miracle that the solar panels still
fully charged the batteries everyday despite being in
full shade!), we were too hot. It was time to move on
to somewhere cooler.
We headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It
is a significant drive to get there. Even though
condors and intrepid hikers
can cross the chasm in just 21
miles, it is a 200 mile trip by
car, because you have to go
way to the east, then a bunch
north, way to the west, and
then drop south to get there.
The drive takes you through
some beautiful desert
areas. The Vemillion
Cliffs are stunning, jutting
up out of the desert floor
in vibrant shades of
orange, red, and even
turquoise. There is little
in the way of towns on
this drive, just occasional
hamlets with perhaps a
store and cluster of
trailers. We drove with
our eyes glued to the
beautiful scenery.
After taking the big left turn near Lees Ferry to head west, the red desert
suddenly gives way to greenery and you begin a steep and winding climb
up onto the Kaibab Plateau. The desert floor is at about 4,000 feet
elevation and the top of the Kaibab Plateau is at about 9,000 feet. North
Rim here we come!!
Quartzsite, AZ – Snowbird Roost
The RV show has tents filled with vendors of every
description.
Quartzsite, Arizona
November 27-December 8, 2007 and January 10-24,
2008 - We took our time traveling from Death Valley
through Pahrump, Nevada and Lake Havasu, Arizona
and finally settled down for a while in Quartzsite,
Arizona. This is a small dusty desert town of 2,000
year-round residents that swells to 1,000,000 people in
January during the annual RV show and RV snowbird
migration from the northern states and Canada.
We arrived before the madness really took hold, but we still
found the desert boondocking areas surrounding the town
absolutely teeming with RV's. The Escapees Boondockers had a
rendez-vous a few miles outside of town and we parked near
them.
The Escapees are folks that like to have fun, and everyday there was a
schedule posted on the communal white board. Many of these folks have
been full-time RVing for ten years or more, and for the first time we found
ourselves surrounded by people who had a lot of experience with this
crazy lifestyle.
We had felt pretty smug about our 130 watt solar panel, because it
had given us all the power we needed over the summer. But as we
sat through a week of overcast, cold days with nights that started
around 5:00 pm, we realized we needed to know more about our
electrical system.
We were using oil lamps to supplement our power needs
while our neighbors watched their 32" TVs in comfort.
There were Escapees who traveled with wind generators
-- when the sun doesn't shine in the desert you can count
on howling winds -- and one fellow had 1,000 watts of
solar power. We quizzed everyone around us about their
setup and we learned more in those few weeks than we had since we had started in May.
One morning we woke up to find a 27' sailboat parked in the desert near us.
The couple onboard was traveling from Flathead Lake in Montana to San
Carlos, Mexico to launch their boat in the Sea of Cortez for the winter. They
were living in the boat on its trailer. Now that was an interesting camping setup!
One of the great joys in
Arizona is the
spectacular sunsets.
As our quiet desert days
passed, we were treated to
one amazing evening
display after another.
A popular activity for
these wintertime
desert dwellers is
flying ultralights. We
were parked next to a group
that took off in their flying
machines every morning. It
was a colorful sight, and we
enjoyed sipping our morning
coffee watching these guys
take off into the sky.
There are many places to
boondock both north and
south of town. It is very
congested along the major
roads and there are little
handmade signs everywhere
pointing to gatherings of like-
minded people. The Solos were clever
and parked their rigs next to the Loners on
Wheels. We saw signs for the "Roamin'
Rods" (fisherman), Mineral Lovers and
Elks. Many brands of RVs had rallies.
Monaco, Nuwa, Alfa, Allegro and others
clustered together.
If you take your time, you can find a
quiet spot away from the crowds. You
set yourself up to get the best view and
the best sun angle for your solar
panels.
We found a nice spot that even had a fire ring from some earlier visitor.
After we got settled
we discovered we
had parked right
behind the Alpine
Coach rally. As
the days passed
their numbers
grew to over 100
coaches, many
worth $400,000+.
We hadn't
realized we'd settled into the high rent district!!
Their rally was lots of fun and included
several catered meals and a double-
feature drive-in movie one night -- all in
the open desert.
Alpine sent some salespeople into the desert with demo coaches for sale, so we had an
impromptu RV dealership set up right next to us. We had a blast touring these amazing rolling
homes.
The fun thing about boondocking in the
desert in the winter is that you never know
who your neighbors will be. People living on
a microscopic budget out of the back of their
pickup truck end up next to multi-
millionaires. Social barriers and manned
gates that alienate these people in other
communities disappear out here. The guy in the 1970's van and the
guy in the brand new gazillion dollar mobile mansion can be good
buddies for a few days while they are camped side by side in the
desert.
Quartzite is a classic funky Arizona desert town. Ages
ago an arab came to the area with camels, thinking these
hearty desert beasts of burden would thrive in Arizona.
He was wrong about the camels, but his legend outlived
him.
Quartzsite keeps up its tradition of quirkiness with its
modern-day characters. Paul, the bookseller at the far
east end of town, is a staple in the community,
responsible for a lot of community spirit, including hand-
drawing the town map that is sold to visitors. He finds the
climate in Quartzsite to be just right for minimal attire, and he prefers to dress as lightly as possible.
All through our January stay in Quartzsite we had been watching the weather map on the back page of USA Today. Everyday it
seemed that the people in Florida were without doubt warmer than the people in Arizona. Mark's son was stationed in Jacksonville,
Florida, and we had lots of northern relatives who would be heading that way to thaw out during the winter. It only made sense for
us to scamper over to the east coast too. So we packed everything up, laid out our shorts in hopes of warmer weather, and drove
across country to northern Florida.
Other blog posts from our RV travels to Quartzsite:
- Quartzsite Lite (2022) 03/26/22
- What’s It Like to RV in Quartzsite AZ? Anything Goes! 02/02/16
- Quartzsite RV Show – RV Stuff and So Much More! 01/30/16
- Quartzsite, Arizona – The RV Gathering Place 01/26/16
- The RV Show in Quartzsite AZ – More Than Just RVs! 02/07/15
- Sunset over RVs in Quartzsite AZ 01/24/15
- Quartzsite Arizona – RV Madness in the Desert! 01/21/15
- Fiery Sunsets and Interesting Folks in the Arizona Desert 01/15/09
- Quartzsite, AZ – Snowbird Roost 12/05/07
Our most recent posts:
- Buckskin Mountain State Park – Fun on the Colorado River! 01/31/26
- How to Install Starlink Gen 3 in an RV? Use the Speedmount! 08/07/25
- Escape to Paradise – Rocky Mountain Magic! 08/01/25
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