Palm Springs to Quartzsite

Playing in the Snow on Mt San Jacinto

Shorts and snow what could be better?  Palm springs was interesting.  Even with lots of people with lots of money there there was lots of store fronts with r rent signs.  A good indication of how bad the economy must be.  This week was the Palm Springs International Film Festival.  Earlier in the week lots of Hollywood people in town.  We didn't see any one.  Tonight Michel Douglas was coming into town to be awarded some kind of life time achievement award, but alas we won't be in town to see all the hoopla.   We left Palm Springs this morning and traveled a long 125 miles.  At this rate wemay never make it to Florida.  All I can say is welcome to Arizona, gas has dropped from $3.35 per gal to $2.95 a gal and camping costs from $40.00 per night to $28.00. 

We are now in Quartzsite AZ for the night.  Quatzsite is an interesting place.  All through the desert there are flea markets and gem/rock shows people selling any thing that you may want or need.  If your interested in making jewelry or collecting interesting rocks this is the place for you.  People selling small polished rocks for much more money than I would have thought that they are worth. The rock shows go on for the next few weeks  then a huge RV show comes to town.  We walked around one of the flea markets, people selling rocks, gems, beads, jewelry , RV parts, and general junk that is found in all flea markets.  The flea markets are just beginning, later in the month they get larger.  I really can not imagine that.  The other amazing part of Quartzsite is RVs everywhere you look, RVs camping in the desert for miles and miles and miles.  Its unbelievable to look at.  And its only the start of the season. 

Its all BLM land around here so you can camp anywhere that you want.    There are areas  run by the BLM that for $40.00 per month or $180 for the season you can camp with potable water, dump stations, and pit toilets.  A very cheap way to live in your RV.  If you don't want to pay for the BLM spots you can stay anywhere else for free, but of course there is no water or dump stations or pit toilets.



RVs in the Sand

I don't think that this picture really captures the essence of Quartzsite....