Left Yarnell about 11am and after a grocery stop in Wickenburg pulled in Thursday afternoon and am currently hangin’ out in Quartzsite with friends. Lots of friends. Hundreds to Thousands of people with RVs that I don’t know and five (so far) that I do know and even like. Most of the folks I’m hangin’ with have worked at Grand Canyon at some point, mostly for Grand Canyon Association (nonprofit partner with the park), the concessionaires, and a couple National Park Service folks like myself thrown in. Started out with day time temps a pleasant mid 70s and night only down to high 40s. Sadly, that changed.
Lots of shows happening in town. Starting this weekend the Big Tent full of RVs for sale. I’ve never been to this show as I already own two RVs and don’t need another. Would be fun to look I guess. Friends here want to see their “used” stock of small tow trailers as an upgrade from their 8 foot slide-in truck camper. Seems they frequently have company.
Friday night the wind blew in, probably the southern edge of a big storm moving east. And Saturday’s southern wind made the low 60s barely tolerable so most of us hung out in our respective “homes”. My signal is weak and iffy so I spent windy time inside labeling more photos, of course. Finished with June 2017. 
The sky to the north looked ominous but only a few drops of rain fell Saturday afternoon. I counted them, seven on the window. Enjoyed the show of clouds racing across the sky from west to east.
The organized groups of RVs, ie: Newmar mega motorhomes and some other groups, park in lines and rows so close together they can barely get their slides open, and forget the awning. I don’t get it. It’s a huge desert. Single RVs seem to find an open area as far away from others as possible. Small groups like ours, currently four units, kind of circle up to create some sense of privacy around a large rock fire ring. I’m on the outside of the circle. More will be joining us. Gravel “roads”are grided across the land in an attempt to avoid the sparse vegetation of creosote bush, palo verdes, and a few saguaros. It is easy to get lost. Or at least misplaced for a while.
Gorgeous sunset as we enjoyed dinner around the fire with newly made friends from Canada invited over with their dog Zues because they parked their Pleasure Way van nearby. RVers are usually a friendly bunch.
As usual the wind blows in Quartzsite, and much of the southern desert, during the winter. Temperatures can be in the mid to high 60s and sometimes even low70s but is cool to uncomfortable outside when the wind blows. Still, many of us will bundle up in the afternoons and gather around the fire, the leeward side of a large RV, or even inside the largest RV to chat away until it’s time to eat dinner. We eat often and well with this group. Everyone takes turns to cook one night for the group plus there’s always leftovers available.
I caught a sunrise
By Sunday, night time temperatures dropped to high 20s and that’s really too cold for me. I sleep warm enough but it’s very difficult to get out of bed in the morning at 40 inside the camper. Yet nature calls so I turn on the heat on the way. It’s only two steps apart in this tiny house.
Friends and visitors come and go. It’s a great place to meet with people from far away who are traveling in the Southwest. Berta may come down this week and Tom by the end of the week if he can get out of Santa Barbara. Plus Saturday is the 4th Annual Bogger-Fest. Hard to say who’ll show up for that.
RVs are on the move all the time, coming in, going out. All shapes, sizes, configurations, and value. Plus sadly also lots of generators running at all times of day and night. Really, someone spends around $100,000 on an RV and can’t live off grid for a day or two. Yet I know that many of these mega-motorhomes have household refrigerators that need power. My 5th-wheel is like that and so it doesn’t boondock.
Monday the group size increased by five but two others left. I cooked dinner that night for 10 and only needed to borrow one oven to bake the second pan of sausage, beans, and greens casserole. That evening’s entertainment was a paper lantern sent off, not particularly my thing, but boys will be boys even once they grow up.
During the day people drift in and out of camp, going for walks or going to town. I’ll be honest, I still haven’t walked a whole lot. But I do have a list for going to town. Some miscellaneous RV parts and whatever else catches my eye. That’s where I am this morning. Signal has been the shits out in the desert and I wanted to get this posted. Plus I knew if I wanted a place to park in town I’d have to be in the lot early.
Glad you found a nice group to enjoy the desert. That long line of MHs packed together sure doesn’t look like fun to me. We have a residential frig and only use our generator for two hours in the AM and then two in evening. The refrigerators are well insulted and if you park with it on the shady side there is no problem being without power for all day. But…there are way too many people there for us. Have fun!
I couldn’t park like that either. Guess some folks just can’t live without power. If it weren’t for the friends, I wouldn’t be here.
You’ve really jumped into the people this week!! Sounds like just the right amount of socializing. Those crammed in coaches look insane out in the middle of the desert. We’re going to a boondocking rally in March and hopefully we’ll be more spread out! I love watching the storms moving across the desert – even if they only produce seven drops :-))
It’s been a great week of visiting with friends and now I’m ready for some real quiet time.
We are heading south a bit later this year, and will miss the Bloggerfest. Looking forward to who shows up. Been watching the weather, and yes, cooler in the forecast for the next couple of weeks. Of course. Take care and enjoy your circle. That row of rigs seems very strange to me as well.
I may or may not get to Blogger-Fest. Am feeling the need for quiet time in the desert.
Good to have friends and some privacy there. I like Quartzite in March – going to or from the Cactus League ballgames we sometimes stop and have the place pretty much to ourselves. But of course it lacks that Big Tent and all those RVs to ogle that time of year.
I’d agree that January is really not the time to visit Q unless you want to look at RVs or visit with friends.
Sounds like a lot of fun just once in a while but quite honestly I would prefer my own company. Love the sky shots, you really have become a specialist at them and you do get some great skies to photo. Take care Diane
I’m ready for quiet time in the desert. Arizona is a great place for sunsets, and sunrises too when I’m awake in time.
It really does look like fun to me. I would want to circle up around a fire like what you are talking about rather than park in rows.
As a tent camper I know what you mean about generators. I have seen people huddled up inside watching television on perfectly nice evenings. Stay home!!
It’s been a fun time and now I’m ready for quiet. Don’t own a generator and don’t like to listen to them.
Boy I don’t get the line up of the big class A’s. I have a 35′ and you wouldn’t catch me that close to another rig with an entire desert to be in. Gorgeous shots of the skies and the landscape. Really beautiful. Maybe calendar worthy? I like the stone butterfly as well. I’d sure like to be there just once to have the experience. Guess I’ll have to do it through you for now.
RVers should visit Quartzsite at least once. If it weren’t for friends gathering, I wouldn’t be here. Now it’s time to head to a quieter part of the desert. Then those pretty skies won’t have RVs in them.
Love the sunset shot Gaelyn. Hope you had a great time with friends. Its great to socialize now and again and talk about the journeys and experiences.
It’s been fun but I’m ready to move into a quieter part of the desert.
Quartzite during the season is something every RVer should experience at least once… it’s really not easy to describe, but you do the best job I’ve ever read. Hope the weather has improved by now (I’m late reading as usual)…..
Once is probably enough for Quartzsite these days. But here I am waiting for Berta so we can do a walkabout. Getting up to 80 Monday.