Jan 4th - Quartzsite, AZ

The other day I mentioned that we went through a Border Patrol checkpoint on our way back from Tombstone. Below are photos of the numerous Border Patrol vehicles at the checkpoint and some of the equipment at the checkpoint.

It was a good travelling day. This morning we left Tucson and headed for Quartzsite, AZ. Around 11:30 we stopped near mile marker 182, on I10, to stretch our legs and have a picnic lunch. Kathy had driven here from the campground in Tucson so I took a turn driving from here.

View from Bouse Wash rest area at mile marker 52 on I10. You can't tell from the photo but the "dots" on the mountainside are Saguaro cactus. We stopped here to stretch our legs and change drivers. Kathy drove us on into Quartzsite while I navigated us to the campground where we had reservations.

We arrived at the campground in Quartzsite around 3 PM. After checking in and setting up we took a stroll around part of the town.

Quartzsite is a town of 3,400 people. It attracts nearly 1.5 MILLION visitors a year, most of them in January & February. RV'ers flock here because of the many gem and mineral shows and many swap meets that occur during those months. Also, the Feds control much of the land around here. For around $40 for two weeks, or $180 for 6 months, you can get a permit to drive out into the desert and park anywhere you want. It's called boondocking. The only kicker is that you can't stay in one spot for more than 14 days. Every 14 days you have to move a minimum of 25 miles from your previous spot.

There are no services once you are out in the desert. If you run out of water you have to go somewhere and haul water back to your RV. If you fill up your waste tanks you either have to find someone who will come out and with a tanker and empty your tanks or you drive back into town and find a dump station.

We chose to stay in one of the campgrounds in town. $30/night and you get electricity, water & sewer hook-ups and a place to park in a gravel parking lot. (Other than in Jan & Feb the rent is probably around $20/night) No pool, no spa, no WiFi, etc. Actually there are campgrounds with spa's (hot tubs) and WiFi but many of those are filled up. The cost at one of them is around $45/night. I don't think there is a campground within 15 miles that has a pool.

I can't wait to go out and drive around tomorrow to check out the area. Coming into

town, still on the Interstate, we say groups of RV's just parked out in the desert.

By the way, we are about 18 miles from the California border.

Good night to all and may God bless you and yours.