Quartzsite Vending Wonders: Keep Your Ion the Salt Lamp

Without a doubt the axiom: 'If an RVer wants it, he'll find it in Quartzsite' is certainly true. You'll also find a lot of things you didn't know you wanted, but in the end, maybe you will.

Case in point: How about a "natural air purifying salt crystal lamp." A what? Plenty of RV folks have found the air inside their rigs is better served by having some kind of air purifier. There are plenty of those on the market--and they're usually pretty expensive, require plenty of maintenance, and ain't much to look at. Where else but in Quartzsite can you walk down the street and buy a low cost, nearly maintenance free, and actually somewhat artistic air purifier?

Dave and Shirley Shook of Earthwise Enterprises have a tent down at Rice Ranch. In the quiet, and darkened back corner there live (OK, maybe they don't live, but they'll out last you and me) strange lumps of salt crystals, over 250-million years ago. With varying shapes, sizes, and colors (our favorites are deep peachy-orange) these little (and not so little) chunks of hardened salt have been formed into lamps. Turn the lamp on, a soft gentle glow emanates visible to the human eye. But what emanates that's invisible to the human eye, a flow of negative ions that cling to particulates in the air, make 'em heavy, and knock 'em down to the ground so those naughty little particulates (like dust, soot, pollen, et al) can't float up your nose.

We've got one of these lamps, and sure as shootin' they do seem to work. The light is a nice touch, and it adds just enough heat to the crystal to make convection currents carry the negative ions off and away into the surrounding air. Other than wiping the dust off the lamp, and changing out a bulb now and then, these air purifiers are maintenance free. And costs? They start out at around $12.

Earthwise Enterprises, on the south row along Kuhen Street, east of The Gambler.

Quartzsite: Recalled to Life

While the town council tries to make Quartzsite a "year around town," RVing is what brings life to this big little town each winter. And like the old gold rush days, there are plenty of vendors to supply the every need of those who come to this little town in the West. If the Old Prospector were to poke his head out the window and look down into LaPaz Valley, he'd see that things are coming back to life.

While there aren't "scads" of RVers yet, the support groups are getting plenty ready for them. Restaurants who hang out the "closed for the season sign" are cleaning the silverware: The Quail Cafe up on Moon Mountain is already dishing up food, as is the Palo Verde and La Casa Mi Rancho on Highway 95. Year-around outfits like Taco Mio and Janet's Kitchen are now serving their Friday fish specials. Noticeably absent from the line up? Sweet Darlene's is still closed up tight, but the rumor mill has it they're planning a new facade for their store.

Down at the other end of town, the future of the Stagecoach is questionable--at least in our opinion. "No Trespassing" and "Not for Lease" signs blanket the windows. What's the deal? One local source tells us that the outfit that owns the place isn't willing to offer up anything more to potential restaurateurs other than a month-to-month rental on the feed lot. With that kind of an offer, who really wants to invest the time and energy into opening the place up with the potential of getting skidded out the door on your fryer grease? Since the location is the weekly meeting place of the Escapees RV club, who knows what the future holds for coffee and gab for SKPs.

Other popular RV haunts are reviving: K&B Tools has the tent up and running. The Gambler appears to be dusting off his stock. The produce palace across the street from the post office began moving in last week, and the local "dent tents" for low priced groceries are geared up. Of course, the RV Pit Stop has been open all year, and Charlie is looking forward to seeing to it his customers have plenty of LP, fresh R.O. water, and ice at a buck a bag.

Come on down!