Water Hole in the Desert: Nellie E. Saloon

Petula Clark said the place to go was, "Downtown." With due regard to Ms. C, there ain’t much of a "Downtown," in Quartzsite. If you’re looking for potent potable with an atmosphere you can’t find anywhere else, there’s no place like the Desert Bar, a.k.a., the Nellie E. Saloon.

Open only on weekends from Labor Day weekend through Memorial Day weekend, from noon to sunset. The hours alone should tell you this isn’t your ordinary watering hole. But the current runs deeper: To get to the Nellie E. you’ve got to drive through five miles of ‘god-forsaken desert wilderness,’ far from the power lines of modern civilization. Why all this desert running? Well, in another life, the Nellie E. wasn’t a saloon, but an old mining claim. In it’s current "incarnation," Nellie E. is a funky, more-out-of-doors-than-in emporium with live music October through March.

The saloon is a model of "off the grid" technology: The roof is covered with solar panels which provide all the power for the establishment. Low-tech cooling towers shoot a draft of cool air through, keeping customers comfortable, while Nell, the saloon cat, occupies the top of the piano. While this is not the kind of place you come to for the food, if you hunger an outdoor eatery provides hamboogies and hotdogs. The bar has a limited selection of hard liquor and wine, but there’s plenty of beer, and for those of us who limited our consumption of alcohol, plenty of soft drinks. By the way, kids are welcome with parents.

A few miles north of Parker, then five miles across the desert, it’s a nice run when you want to take a little drive away from Quartzsite and just relax. From Highway 95, turn east at Cienega Springs Road. Set your "trip meter" to measure miles from the highway: At 1.3 miles, take the left fork of the road. At 2.4 miles stay to the right, and similarly at the 3.1 miles keep to the right and follow the road up to the Nellie E. Saloon. Don’t be confused, you’ll see the church before you get there, but you’re still on the right track. Visit www.thedesertbar.com for more information