Part of the fun knowing people where I travel is attending activities where they live and play and that makes me feel more like a local. Though of course I don’t live permanently in Ajo, Arizona, and with a cold front bringing nightly lows hovering around freezing it was time to move on.
I enjoyed several more days hanging out in the Sonoran desert near Darby Well Road, public land managed by BLM. Pretty quiet most of the time. Enjoyed short walks, sitting in the sun reading, absorbing sunsets, or watching the world go by out the window while on the computer with a pretty decent signal. The world moves real slow out here.
Once in a while military jets fly over leaving a giant boom behind that can be felt to my toes. I don’t care for that too much. Always catches me off guard and even startles Sierra out of a deep catnap.
Finally got a decent angle on the multi-armed Saguaro I’ve been stalking since I got here. It was across the big wash so more of a maze between the often dense vegetation.
Just over a week since last filling the dastardly propane tank and it was getting near empty so I went into Ajo to Belly Acres RV Park trying to hope my way into a site. No such luck. But I dumped tanks, and they filled the propane tank correctly (awesome folks that manage this park BTW), plus luxuriated in a 15 minute shower for only .75. Made a quick stop at the IGA, good deli Ruben sandwich, and then back to my same space along Darby Well Road.
And lucked out with interesting clouds for sunset.
Then I took a day off, staying home and mostly inside. Yet I still had an awesome desert view through the window.
Sunset turned out pretty nice too.
Some of the Saguaro cactus are just crazy looking. My first thought seeing this one was, “off with their head!”. But the more I saw of it my imagination soon saw a pony-tailed gal who just lost her hat. Maybe after dancing to the fiddle music that brought me back to Ajo for fiddling in the park from 2-3 in the afternoon to kick off the festival.
I arrived in town early for the music so I could find parking for my over-sized unit. Plus then I had a chance to wander around the Plaza.
Looking up into the dome
When serious copper mining started up in Ajo during the early 1900s, “modern Ajo was designed to keep miners happy and productive with carefully planned public spaces.”
The old train depot now houses the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center providing information about what to do in the area and selling some books and trinkets. I added a new hat pin to my collection.
Other businesses around the Plaza’s central park included art galleries, Mexican restaurant, coffee shop, and thrift store.
On the back sides of many of these businesses are murals that sometimes change and evolve. They deserve a separate post so if I forget remind me.
Ajo is not a huge town with a population of 3-4000 that more than triples during the bearable temperatures in winter.
The hour of foot-stomping fiddling included my friend Gayle. I’d guess at least 100 people on the lawn, most smarter than I brought chairs.
I perused the Red Art Show, where friend Cynthia submitted some of her textile art. Plus we had a chance to visit for a bit. The show’s opening reception from 5-7pm would have put me back to camp after dark.
As it was, my spot was taken. Boondocking with my set up means I don’t leave anything behind to hold my spot. So I drove down the road about a mile and turned at the first available area as the sun sank. Sadly, no signal.
The RV that was within sight pulled out in the morning so I moved even before the coffee was made. Found a very pretty camp but the signal sucked. Oh well, it was the weekend.
Somebody camped here before me had way too much time on their hands raking around the plants then circling with rocks plus an elaborate fire pit.
The deserquies returned, and signal went away. Is there a correlation?
I even saw Organ Pipe Cactus scattered among the Saguaro, Palo Verde, Cholla, and more.
The afternoon temperature reached almost 80°. I took a delightful walk enjoying the apricity while I could because change was coming.
Monday night temperatures were predicted into the low 30s. I don’t like to do below 40° overnight. And these temps were hanging around for at least three nights. Time to find electricity for heat.
Sadly, moving on means further than Ajo because all of their RV parks, and Why also, are full. And I mean more full than just snowbirds. The building of the ‘wall’ has brought an increase to the population from both border patrol and contractors.
The KOA in Gila Bend wants $43/night, no way, and I didn’t think Buckeye could offer any better. So I called Shady Lane RV Park in Quartzsite and took four nights for $22.50 each and headed north.
On the way I heard from an international Facebook friend who was on his way to Palm Canyon on the Kofa NWR, not far south of Quartzsite. We ended up going to dinner in Quartzsite.
Really glad I got parked and hunkered in because that damn winter wind kicked in. Surprisingly, with the RV park’s vicinity to Central Avenue it is a pretty quiet place. Took care of the laundry today and tomorrow I’m attending activities with Finius the Skinniest and others on a day outing to a mine site. More on that later.
Where next?
Well, I have options…
Looks like Kelso Dunes at Mojave Preserve in California could be good for the morning of full moon set shortly after sunrise on Feb 9th. That would be on the way to Death Valley, but so far away.
Southeast could take me into new territory, Buenos Aires NWR, Patagonia Lake, Sierra Vista, Tombstone, Bisbee…
Or, I could just hang out near Quartzsite as I know some folks who will be in the area next week.
Deserquies (n) – silence only found in the desert. [I made up this word from the root of desert and quiet.]
Apricity (n) – the warmth of the sun in winter.