they have been such wonderful hosts and we will miss them, but it's time to meet up with our group in Quartzsite.Wednesday we also discovered that Phyllis & Bob (from Washington) were staying just around the block from us. So we decided to drop by and see them before we left Yuma. What a lovely couple they are!
They showed us their "patio" which is enclosed with a six foot stone fence in the rear and a wonderful "campfire" area! She had been telling us about the campfire "stoves" they create using old Maytag washing machine tubs. Wow! What a neat idea to create a warm and spark free fire! They had built a "deluxe" model using two tubs and had even installed a hinged door to insert the wood. We are definitely going home and collect all those Maytag tubs that usually get thrown out! We love campfires and this is a great idea!
It was great to visit with Phyllis and Bob and see their winter "campsite"!
We ran some other errands, had a wonderful Italian dinner with Jo & Jim and got ready to travel, then hit the road for Quartzsite!
We followed State Route 95 north from Yuma straight (and I do mean straight)
to Quartzsite.
There is nothing between the two except for one small pull off called Stone Cabin and the US Army Yuma Proving Grounds. It is a beautiful desert drive surrounded by rock peaks in the distance.
We took many photos on the way as the landscape was interesting. We were hoping to spot a tank maneuvering on the Proving grounds, but we only saw some jeeps and fuel tankers (of course).
It was exciting to arrive at Quartzsite...
where we will "boondock" (camp without hookups-electric or water) for the next two weeks with our group. We will be on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land with about 100,000 other campers. We have long heard about camping in Quartzsite and the big Flea Markets, RV shows and Gem and Mineral shows so now we get to see what it's all about.
Quartzsite started out in the early 1850's as a stage stop in the middle of nowhere for weary travelers enroute to the California Gold Rush. Over the years, prospectors and other pioneers made their homes here and discovered they could get together and sell their merchandise, so in 1967 they organized their first "Pow Wow" and thus started what has become the "World's Largest Swap Meet" and has continued for 43 years. In the many years in between, it has evolved into a mecca for winter "snowbirds" who converge upon it in the winter months to enjoy the warmer climate, camp in the desert and peruse the many tents and booths for treasures.
We can't wait to see what Quartzsite holds!
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