Quartzsite for the RV Tourist

We can "sleep in" here and still get up in time to get photos of the sunrise. Here are a couple of pictures of this morning's dawn.

The light early in the day or late in the afternoon is so appealing, and yet it changes every day so it has that element of surprise too.

Over in the northwest, the morning had this misty look.

We drove into town to see some of the huge flea market that is unrolled for the benefit of RV tourists.

Row after row, street after street of vendors.

Merchandise and fast food of every conceivable variety. Quartzsite is an area rich in semi-precious gemstones and has been a rockhound's paradise for many years. The tourist events in January and February began as a gem show whose attendees often brought RV's since the little town of 2000 really didn't have accommodations for visitors.

To say that the gem show grew would be the understatement of all time. It literally exploded, attracting vendors of all sorts who saw an opportunity to soak up a little winter sunshine while turning a tidy profit hawking to the folks who attended the show. And for RVers who didn't mind boondocking on the abundant BLM land surrounding the little town, Quartzsite became a winter destination, many staying here for several months. Many, like me, are not particularly interested in the gem show. This week, probably Quartzsite's biggest week with both a big RV show and the big gem show, there are an estimated 250,000 RVers camped in and around the town. And over the season, that number will total about a million. Quartzsite itself has grown too, from 2000 people to, now, over 3000. :-)

Chorro and I browsed. One never knows when or where that one thing that life will not be complete without will appear. But it didn't happen today.

He met lots of interesting dogs. We are especially happy that dogs are welcome almost everywhere here.

Some really had the transportation issue handled!

We returned to our campsite in time to see the most remarkable Arizona sky at sunset.

What a beautiful ending. Today was a good day.