Quartzsite AZ experience

January 15 - 28

BLM Land
Quartzsite, AZ

We left Ehrenberg for our trip to Quartzsite,  Ellen leading in the car to scout out our spot in the desert and I in the RV to pick up propane and follow.  We were meeting a group of Escapee club members off Plomosa road north of town.  They would be there for the week. This chapter was from the northwest so we could meet folks from home for campfires, fulltimer advice and food.  Ellen found us a spot with a wonderful mountain view and not too many large rocks in our path.

We actually connected with three other groups while in Quartzsite.  Boondockers (name says it all), Boomers (folks our age), and the Newmar owners group.  All fun folks.  We visited the Newmar group a couple of times for fulltimer roundtable discussions.

While in Quartzsite we browsed the tents (insert flea market atmosphere here) and picked up some small Rv-ish things.  The most important of which was Kettle Corn.

Around the campfire we discussed RV solar with folks.  We had been running our generator morning and evening to keep our batteries charged.  Solar might not be economically the best choice but we were enjoying being off grid and it would bring peace of mind. Not having to hang around to run your generator morning and night is just a byproduct we would have to live with.  You still have to run it on cloudy and rainy days.

Everyone seemed to agree that if you weren't going to AM Solar in Oregon, then you should check out Discount Solar in Quartzsite.  I think we might have driven them crazy with questions over the next week.

Saturday we took the plunge and dropped off the RV at 9am.  We got it back at 4:30 with four shiny new solar panels on the roof and a solar controller under our fridge.  We were fully charged.  The batteries too.  We were still seeing lower than expected battery voltage in the morning, so we started to worry about our batteries.  But that's a story for later.


The BIG TENT opened.  We went at opening to beat the crowds.  We were unsuccessful.  We once again picked up a few things to make life easier in the RV.  Also visited the "Too Crazy Ladies" to have our Escapees name tags made.  Mine was great, Ellen's got messed up so another visit was in order.  Eventually with smiles on our faces and tags in hand we left.



We drove back to Palm Springs one day for Ellen's cast removal day.  Cast gone and a new brace in place for another three weeks.  I'm still seeing dish washing in my future. It's amazing how going back to Palm Springs felt like going home.  It was beautiful though.  Palm trees in the foreground and snow on the mountains in the background.

We also took a trip north to Big River California to see some good friends from home.  They took us on a hike on the Colorado river in the Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge and we took them to the Pirates Den.  Both were great.  But being with friends is the best.

Next…   north to Lake Havasu City.