Quartzsite Boondocking

After a month in Las Vegas, I decided to spend a couple of days boondocking north of Quartzsite on my way to Gold Canyon, Arizona. Although I enjoy the amenities of full hook-ups, occasionally, it is nice to park out in the desert away from civilization. It is the quiet tranquility and the ability to gaze at the millions of stars in the night sky that make it such a great experience.

At this time of the year the area is not very crowded which makes it very easy to get around and not have to wait in lines. Although the town normally sees two million visitors during the winter months, the locals I have talked to are concerned about how the pandemic will affect business this winter, particularly, with the Canadian border closed.

Boondocking

Camping in the desert is surprisingly peaceful and relaxing. I am staying overnight in the BLM's La Posa area south of Quartzsite. My nearest neighbor is maybe a half mile away and the only sounds, other than my snoring, are the wind and an occasional airplane. If it was not for that restraining order from the American Society for the Prevention of Blindness, I could have run naked through the cactus (there's a mental image that's going to haunt you for a while). Here's the view through the RV's rear window...

Another reason for staying here is the opportunity to see how well my two Honda generators hooked up in parallel run an air conditioner. I bought a Honda EU2000i Companion back in the early 2000s for my trip to Alaska. Even when I had the Fuzion toyhauler which had its own generator, I would use the Honda at night to run the TV and charge the battery because it was so much quieter and sips gas. However, 2000 watts is not enough for a 15,000 BTU AC which I understand needs 3500 watts so I purchased a regular Honda EU2000i. By running both units with Honda's parallel cabling, I now get 4000 watts which I am happy to report runs the AC just fine...

Arizona Sunrise

"Red sails in the morning, sailors take warning"...

Boondocking

Last night I camped on BLM land south of Quartzsite and once again, my nearest neighbor was over a quarter mile away.  As I lay on my lounge chair watching the sun set beyond the mountains, I could not help but think of what a wonderful lifestyle RVing can be.

Desert Camping

Just so I could say "been there, done that", I drove seven miles south of Quartzsite to spend a couple of nights on BLM land out in the desert.  It was a wonderful experience - very quite, very peaceful.  My nearest neighbors were over a quarter mile away.  The best part was sitting out under the night sky and gazing at the millions of stars that I remembered seeing as a boy growing up in rural North Carolina.

Wide open spaces



Sunset

Quartzsite, AZ

Not in Kansas anymore

Is the "Rock Capital of the World" and a winter haven for RVers.  I am told that in January and February over a million snowbirders descend upon this small town in the desert for the two month show and swap meet.  In addition to warm, sunny weather, there is a lot of BLM land where you can dry camp free for two weeks.

The vendors are just beginning to arrive but it is obvious that this area will become one gigantic flea market by the end of the year.  If you like rockhounding, boondocking, off-highway riding, and shopping, then this is the place for you.