Wanta Get Away? Try Joshua

Been shuffling along with the Quartzsite crowds? A long about this time of year, some RVers who like a bit of solitude have just had about enough of the big flocks.

Here's a hint: A little over an hour west of Quartzsite is a mysterious place that begs to be visited--and this time of year, it's pretty well crowd free. Make a day trip or take the rig with you, either way you'll be glad you visited Joshua Tree National Park. Visit our sister blog, RV Boondocking for more information.

By the way, if you see this guy on your visit, give our regards.

Parking: Cause and Effect

Every year Quartzsite town revenue is increased, not just by the endearing quality of a high local sales tax rate, but by the 'Highway 95 Cause and Effect" principle. To sum it up, we'll quote from the official town website:

"This problem crops up every year and everyone who receives a parking ticket is extremely upset. You need to remember there is no parking in the right-of-ways along Main Street (B-10) and Central Blvd. (Hwy 95). The state closed these right-of-ways to parking to eliminate the congestion and chance of an injury along these roads. Because these areas are in the limits of the Town, the Police Department is responsible for enforcement. These "No Parking" areas and other "No Parking" areas in the Town are enforced so that people will comply with the law and it will make it safer for all."

"Extremely upset" is an official understatement. But hey, let's be fair. Our story photo says it all. If you can't read a "no parking" sign, then best you shouldn't park at all. The statement, "But everybody else was parking there," doesn't hold any weight with the local court magistrate, and your ticket stickets.

Support you local town government! Park on the shoulder of Highway 95!

Buzzed by a Copter? Now You Know Why

If you were camped out on BLM land near Quartzsite on Saturday the 19th, you may have noticed a low flying helicopter circling the area. In fact, you may have been with your buddies around the campfire and had an opportunity to wave at the chopper. Maybe you wondered what was up.

Turns out a French photographer wanted to get some special shots of Quartzsite at the high season. Over a month ago he contacted an Arizona helicopter pilot to negotiate the flight--and finally, last Saturday, out of the blue, he made final contact, asking to go up.

Planning a helicopter flight over Quartzsite isn't the easiest thing to do, especially if you come in from some distance away. Maria Langer, the pilot who took the Phrench Photog up for his odyssey reflects on the matter in her blog, An Eclectic Mind. It makes for an interesting read.

How Do You Move the Wheels of Government? Embarrassment!

Quartzsite town government is a lot like government elsewhere (well, depends on who you ask), it's a s-l-o-w process. Glacier watchers, this may be just the place to set a spell.

A local business owner operates on the corner of Plymouth and Main Street ("The B-10"), and not far from his place are the homes of the local magistrate court and the county district court. Invariably, his business days are broken up--not with sales--but with folks looking to pay a call on one of the courts.

Asking town fathers to put up a sign pointing the way to the courts just seemed to fall on ears in need of Belltones. Finally, inspiration hit: If you can't get them to do it nicely, must embarrass the daylights out of them. A cardboard sign soon appeared on the businessman's property:




One of your intrepid reporters stopped in the other week, asking to purchase a map to the courthouse. He was met with an incredulous look, a bit of a 'hem and a haw,' and finally informed that if he simply continued north on Plymouth Street three blocks he could save himself a buck. 'After all,' he was told, 'we were simply trying to make a point with the town.'

Making a point finally worked. The other day the advert for courthouse maps came down, just after local government put up a new sign on the B-10, pointing lost souls in the proper direction.

RVer Alert: Border Crossings Tougher By Month's End

Despite Congressional action last month, it appears tightened restrictions on US land border crossings will go into effect by month's end. Don't get caught without the proper documentation, see the full story on our sister blog, RVing Canada.

Police Blunder Frightens Snowbirds

A large explosion north of Quartzsite last Friday reportedly sent some war veterans scrambling for cover, visions of "Incoming!" dancing in their heads. But according to the Palo Verde Times the explosion was not a Kamikaze throwback, but rather an apparent blunder on the part of local law enforcement.

Your local reporters joined the ranks of many on Friday by scrambling out his RV to determine just who'd blown up a propane tank. The noise of the explosion was indeed a major surprise. But one can only imagine the surprise of the responsible party. A local sheriff's deputy had found a bit of dynamite in the desert north of town. Rather than call in demolitions experts, in a Barney Fife move, the deputy decided it would be somehow safer to detonate himself. A little bit of TNT makes a big noise, Deputy.

Crowds Make Mad Rush For QZ

It appears the RV pundits have been proved wrong, again.

The rumor had it that Quartzsite wouldn't see the big crowds this year. And for a while it looked as though they might be right--even after Christmas the numbers of folks rolling through town just wasn't up to the usual standard. But look out! When the first of the shows in the big tent opened, they were here.

Traffic in beautiful downtown Quartzsite is back to its usual "slow and go" status. Want to cross over I-10 via the Highway 95 bridge? If you're going south, add about 15 minutes to your normal drive time. Got a mailing to send out of the post office? Be sure to take a copy of War and Peace ti keep you company. Gonna meet somebody for lunch at Burger King? Take the freeway rather than the B-10.

Vendors are hoping you'll bring your money. And they hope you'll stay awhile. Yep, it's high season in Quartzsite.

Quartzsite RVers Gas Up at Chili Cookoff

Mark your calendars for a free fill up: February 23 marks the date of the big Arizona State Chili Championship. This year Quartzsite has the honor of hosting, and as is typical of earlier chili-meets, this one will be held at Tyson Wells Showgrounds.

This year the competition will be--well, hot--between the menfolk and the womenfolk, as the competition will pit men v men and women v women. And to stir things up a bit, there will be "official" competition where the chili is meat and sauce, while "The Peoples' Choice" awards will include chili with rice and other fillers.

Howz yer chili, mister? If you think you're a hot shot in a chili contest, you too, can enter this year's contest. Contact the official promoter and sponsor, the Quartzsite Business Chamber of Commerce at (928) 927-9321.

photo: dkpto on flickr

New Christy Minstrels to Play QZ

Let's face it, ain't none of us gettin' any younger. If you remember the New Christy Minstrels, well, you're remembering back to the early 60's. The folk group was probably made famous by its Green Green, and its top 40 rendition of This Land is Your Land.

There's an interesting connection to the Christies and Quartzsite. Back a long time ago, the Christies sang about what some consider the essence of Quartzsite: Hi Jolly, the camel driver. You can be sure that they'll be singing about him again come January 16 when the group (OK, the present group) blows into town to do a concert at the QIA.

Tickets are on sale now at the town hall, cost $10 a pop, and who knows how fast they'll go. Just to keep you interested, here are the lyrics of that tune we mentioned.

HI JOLLY, THE CAMEL DRIVER
(Randy Sparks)

The New Christy Minstrels - 1962

Hi Jolly was a camel driver, long time ago
He followed Mr. Beale way out west
Didn't mind the burning sand in that God-forsaken land
But he didn't mind the pretty gals the best

Hi Jolly, hey Jolly, twenty miles a day, by golly
Twenty more before the morning light
Hi Jolly, hey, I gotta get on my way
I told my gal I'd be home Sunday night

There's pretty girls in Albuquerque, 'least that's what I've heard
There's pretty gals in Tumcumcari too
Now honey, I ain't blind, but I don't pay them any mind
'Cause I'm savin' all my lovin' just for you

Hi Jolly, hey Jolly, twenty miles a day, by golly
Twenty more before the morning light
Hi Jolly, hey, I gotta get on my way
I told my gal I'd be home Sunday night

Old timers down in Arizona tell you that it's true
That you can see Hi Jolly's ghost a-ridin' still
When the desert moon is bright, he comes ridin' into sight
Drivin' four and twenty camels over the hill

Hi Jolly, hey Jolly, twenty miles a day, by golly
Twenty more before the mornin' light
Hi Jolly, hey, I gotta get on my way
I told my gal I'd be home Sunday night

Lyrics: lyricsplayground.com
Photo: TheNewChristyMinstrels.com

Wanna Buy an RV Park?

The infamous "Rocking H" RV Park, a long-time Quartzsite problem child, is up for sale. A good sized park on Highway 95 on Quartzsite's north end has figured predominately in town affairs for some time. The situation here has centered for a long time on sewage disposal--there was at one time (and may still be) an on-site disposal system, but quarrels between the park's owner and local government eventually resulted in park dwellers having their waste pumped out by truck. Town father's attempted to shut the park down on numerous occasions, but never quite succeeded.

Where the town failed, money finally prevailed. The Rocking H has gone into bankruptcy the banko court has asked for outside help in attempting to liquidate the park as an asset. RV Park Consulting responded to the job, and wrote this interesting squib on the park's condition:

"The Rocking H is permitted for 150 RV sites on city sewer and city utilities. Some sites are narrow. Most of all, the park has been let go. First impression is to bring in a bulldozer. The pool is drained (it leaked) paint peeling, 2400 square foot clubhouse needs re-roofing. It has been used for “storage”. There are piles of junk on site. There is a single wide mobile home with two doors which is used as two rental units. The other rental cabins on site need to be renovated or replaced. There are older mobile homes on site also. The existing park doesn’t entice modern RVers to stay. "

We know from first-hand experience some of the "conditions" at the "H." Some years back we had a group that rented the "clubhouse" on a weekly basis for meetings. The lighting was almost non-existent, heat was non-existent, and we'd tell everybody to be sure to visit their own bathroom before they came, because the toilets were closed and padlocked.

Why would anyone want to buy the Rocking H? RV Park Consulting thinks the "H" would be an ideal "project" to pick up for a song, invest a few more dollars in, then turn around and sold as "condo units." How much of a song are they singing? The firm figures an investment of a little over two and a quarter million to buy out the old park, another couple million for improvements, and then sell out 94 "condos" at anywhere between $70,000 and $125,000 each.

We propose a much better idea: How about a new Escapees park? With volunteer labor that $2 million in improvement costs could certainly be reduced substantially. And with as popular an area for RVing as Quartzsite is, this fulltiming RV group could hardly do better for a new location. The big fight over sewage disposal is over--according to the consultants, the park is now hooked up to city sewer. With that major hurdle out of the way, this could be an ideal opportunity for SKPs to make more moves into Arizona. We'll get a few photos and post a followup shortly.