Lightfocus: Light Stories: Places To Go
In the summer, Quartzsite is a tiny town of about 2000 people on the western edge of Arizona, just off I-10.
During the winter, Quartzsite and the surrounding desert host up to a million visitors.
It was one of the "I gotta see this" places on our ever-growing list.
Thousands of RVs camp, boondocking style, on BLM land.
Boondocking refers to living in a self-contained RV without outside "hookups" such as water or electricity. A self-contained RV provides power from the house batteries or generator or solar panels, and water from the holding tanks.
Boondocking is a luxury we aren't able to manage, long term, yet. Running a business, online, out of our RV means our current energy need is beyond the means of a solar panel outfit. One of our goals is to change that situation.
We had an opportunity to make a short visit to Quartzsite, AZ and we loved it.
We took advantage of the opportunity to "boondock" while we were there. This is the life. Everyone gets a "room with a a view" and ample wide horizons.
The desert is a big place. This is not your paved and tidy resort.
Dirt tracks wind around in a rather haphazard fashion and it is easy to lose site of where you parked your rig. Long term campers mark the location of their campsite at strategic spots in the desert.
One afternoon, we were poking around the countryside. North of the town of Quartzsite we discovered The Shoe Tree.
Near the Shoe Tree is the companion Hat Tree.
And near the Hat Tree is the necessary Undergarment Tree.
Never let it be said that travelers to the area aren't offered all amenities.
Near the end of our stay, we were treated to a gentle rain complete with rainbow.
It was a beautiful farewell to a fascinating area. We'll be back someday and stay longer. We might even join the throng that stays through the winter. What an adventure!
Will and Mari Bontrager, official Weather Wimps, have been traveling in their RV searching for clear, blue and 72 since 2002. They continue to work full-time at their Programming and Web Development business.