Leaving Quartzsite Winter 2017

Well the 2017 Fiberglass Rally at Dome Rock BLM area had around 150 units this year, not as many as last year, but they still filled the area well. John created & sold some decals of the Rally, & hopes to create & sell more next year for other rallies in the area.

     

     

I suspect John felt a bit overwhelmed by all us little white trailers tho because he returned to the LTVA area before the Rally was over & I moved over next to Wendy & Diane, up on a hill with a fantastic view of the whole area. We needed a break from each other & he felt sort of bad about me spending less time with Wendy than with him. So after the Rally ended & most of the “eggs” had moved on down the road, I met up with Wendy near Yuma at the Pilot Knob LTVA area as she finished up her dental appointments in Los Algadones, Mexico. It was a convenient parking spot but pretty bland, so we decided to take a little road trip into California. This was our last opportunity to travel together before she headed back to Florida.

I always wanted to see Slab City, southeast of the Salton Sea, but wasn’t comfortable going alone nor staying overnight. So Wendy & I drove through it on our way to Borrego Springs, CA to look at the metal sculptures of pre-historic animals around the area. Some people really like Slab City & feel safe there – neither Wendy nor I felt that, plus it was cloudy & gloomy as a storm was coming across southern CA, so we were fine leaving the area quickly.

I had been thru Borrego Springs years ago but didn’t know for sure where to boondock camp. We ended up next to the horse sculptures for a rainy night, & drove around the next morning looking at more sculptures. Again, it was cold & gloomy, trying not to rain, & just made the whole experience uncomfortable. As we headed northeast toward Joshua Tree Nat’l Park, it rained pretty hard on us occasionally. Bad time for a trip to southern California.

     

We took a short cut from Mecca CA at the northwest corner of the Salton Sea thru Box Canyon Road to cross I-10 directly south of Joshua Tree National Park where we intended to camp for the night. Unfortunately, Wendy & I were both tired, cold, a little damp around the edges, & didn’t like the total absence of cell phone service in the Park – so we just continued east on I-10 for a couple hours & returned to Quartzsite. Even tho we had to set up in the rain, it still felt like home!

Wendy & I hung out until Tuesday when she left to start her annual migration back to Florida. John joined us for a “last meal” before she left, & he helped grease her trailer axles for her long trip. I learned how to do that last Fall, but it’s just so much easier for a guy to mess with that mechanical stuff.

Thursday, John & I went to Los Algadones, Mexico to shop, eat, & for him to get his first pair of glasses. They help him but are taking time to adjust to. We hung out with a couple from Canada also waiting for the line thru Customs to shorten – but that didn’t happen so it still took us two hours to get back into the US. Didn’t get home until after dark.

Then Friday, we made a (sunny but cool) day trip to Joshua Tree National Park & I got to see a whole lot more of it than before. We’d like to return for a longer stay to see more of the Park so plan to visit either on our way north from Quartzsite soon or next winter before returning to Quartzsite.

           

         

We rode with another couple (Carol & Peter from Canada) for a visit to the Desert Bar, north of Parker. We’d all been there before but not with each other. One of the priceless joys of RVing is running into previous friends in unexpected locations. The Canadian couple John & I visited with in Algadones while waiting to get thru Customs was also at the Desert Bar that day with another couple, so the eight of us sat around visiting for hours. It was a really great day.

Life has slowed WAY down around Quartzsite now as people are leaving to return to their homes or find cooler locations. Ironically, the nights in late February were colder than the rest of the winter. John & I are getting both our rigs ready to travel & are going to caravan together this summer. Since he has a long list of places he wants to visit, I just plain don’t want to sightsee alone, & we both need to return to South Dakota for driver’s licenses this summer, it seems like a win-win solution to travel together. Besides, we sort of enjoy each other’s company!

The last few days in Quartzsite really heated up, so we left on a Sunday instead of waiting for Monday (a better travel day). We had our last Friday night fish at Darlene’s & our last pizza & beer Saturday at Silly Al’s. Part of me just hates leaving Quartzsite because it has always felt so much like home to me. It’s hard to describe to people but it’s eclectic, quirky vibe is addictive. Nevertheless, Kira & me in the Tundra pulling my egg with two cats & John & Beethoven in his Class A pulling a cargo trailer headed NORTH on our summer adventure.