Back in the Desert at Quartzsite

We are enjoying the friendship and camaraderie with our friends in the RV Forum 2 miles south of Quartzsite AZ. This is the second year we have spent the third week of January in Quartzsite, the week of the big RV and Gem show that attracts 100,000 plus people to the desert. The attraction for us is not only the RV atmosphere of the area but seeing friends from around the country.
The coaches line up along the dusty road but there are no hookups out here. The balloon was obtained by one of the Forum members to help guide people in from Hwy 95 about a 1/2 mile southeast.
Ken and Marcia Holmes are from upstate New York and we spent time with them in Florida, QZ, and El Centro California last year.

Glen and Connie DeWick are RVing friends from Washington who spend time in QZ each winter. It was great to see them this winter and we will look forward to seeing them again this summer in Seattle.

Lots of time for socialing!
Every afternoon we gather for a social hour and a campfire as the evening goes on. This year a group presented a skit called "The 12 Shopping Days of Quartzsite". This song is a humorous parody on our shopping trips to the big tent on the south side of town.
Jeff's shopping expanded this year when we pulled into the Forum gathering and found a dent on the hood of the CRV left by our departing satellite antenna somewhere between Surprise and QZ! The winds were 40-50 mph and Jeff's normal securing was not enough for the winds. No one seemed to have a used manual dish but somehow a great deal on a used automatic MotoSat system was available. The deal was so good that our friends the Brewers bought a second system and we installed both with lots of help from other Forum members.

While Jeff was on the roof putting up the new sat Sue and the Holmes joined the day's off-roading trip to a couple of nearby mines. The group leaves around 10:00 in the morning, takes lunch to enjoy at the mine, and gets back around 3:00PM in time for the day's cocktails.

Here is a shot of one of our sunsets that help finish the day as we sit around the fire and tell stories into the night. The week here creates a lot of memories for our trip back next winter to make sure the campfire rings are still here!

It's been a great week but its time to head back to Surprise and get ready for our Mexican adventure.