Quartzsite and Tucson

Odometer 44090

Trip Meter 230 miles

Las Vegas to Quartzsite, AZ

Friday  Jan 9th, 2015

Las Vegas in our rear view mirror this morning, and the open road in front of us.  

As we head south out of Vegas on State Route 93 we are staring out at what looks like a lake in the middle distance.  

A quick search on the iPad informs us that Nevada Solar One has a 64 megawatt solar generating facility out here.  It is one of only two solar thermal plants built in the US in the last 16 years and the largest STE plant built in the world since 1991.

Joan and I were looking forward to a few days of dry-camping in the desert outside of Quartzsite, so we signed into the Plomosa Road BLM site.  The only tough part of this was the fact that we still do not have our new propane tank, so to keep the refrigerator cold we have to keep our work-a-round system going with 1 pound screw-on propane bottles.  This also means no heat at night unless we want to start the generator and use the heat pump- which we don't.  Luckily tonight is only going to get down to the low 40s.  The BLM area is free for 14 days and you are free to park anywhere you want to drive your RV off road.  We found this very nice level site that we could get our 26,000 lb  monster in to.

The phenomenon of Quartzsite started around a rock and mineral show in this sleepy little desert town, and has morphed into quite the bazzar.  A person can find just about anything they could dream of here.  There are booths selling tools, kitchen supplies, clothing, hats, RV supplies, scooters, rocks, and jewelry, groceries, food, and more..

 Including an old Army half-track or a zany transporter with a Lear Jet perched on top- anybody need a Beechcraft fuselage?  This guy seems to have a couple of extras sitting in his lot.

Quartzsite to Tucson

Trip 243 miles

Sunday Jan 11th

All too soon we had to leave Quartzsite, and continue on to Tucson to keep our appointment with LaMesa to get our new propane tank installed.

Yeaa!  Propane for the first time since Thanksgiving we have a full compliment of 25 some odd gallons of propane.  LaMesa did what looks to be a fine job of installing our replacement tank, and they even gave us a full tank of propane!  Total cost to us was $0.

In Tucson we missed connecting with out friends Bob and Beverly, mostly because of heavy rains where they were, plus they said they'd be seeing us soon in Ajo.  That didn't keep me from trading texted barbs with Bob over the Duck/Buckeyes football game.  They were watching from somewhere near Huachuca City and we were watching from the comfort of our living room.  It was a sad day for Duck fans everywhere.

Tucson to Ajo

Trip 136 miles

Tuesday Jan 13th

We have stocked up on food items that are unavailable in the outback, and are now anxious to return to our favorite RV park, Shadow Ridge RV Resort in Ajo, AZ.  Since going vegan last spring, Joan and I are always on the lookout for things like Vegenaise, a mayonaise alternative and So-Delicious ice cream made with coconut milk and cheese alternatives, like mozzarella, or jalepeno jack,  made with almond milk and rice flour.  

On our way back across Arizona 86 from Tucson to Ajo, we always are captivated by this  cafe in Three Points which is about half way from Tucson to Kitt Peak.  Cindy Lou's Cafe has a race car, a motorcycle an ATV and a helicopter on the roof of her cafe.  Yelp gives her 4.5 out of 5 Stars- so I'm guessing the food is good too!

Wherever you go in southern Arizona, you will pass through numerous Border Patrol check points.  The agents are almost always friendly and love to chat with RVers as their dog sniffs around the perimeter of your coach.  Some sites have impressive arrays of antennae and cameras, they probably see all the way through the vehicles, down to counting the change in your pockets.  I think I'd rather not know...

Your Traveling Friends

Jeff and Joan