Hello again. We are really having a good time and I'll attempt not to complain but we have noticed a fairly typical pattern here in Quartzsite. It may be because they only have traffic for a few weeks each year and they need to milk the tourists or it may be that we are used to Texas hospitality which is lacking here in the desert. (or at least in Quartzsite).
The complaint is that they are very, very expensive for some items. Food and Restaurants come to mind 1st. Taco Mio at 130 East Main Street is today's lunch issue. We value good service and good value for our dollar. When we walked in, we thought it was a walk-up, order, and then sit down because no signs indicating otherwise were present and no hostess greeted us. While standing at the front counter looking at the menu board, a lady asked us if we wanted take-out or eat-in,. We said eat-in and she told us to be seated anywhere and she would wait on us. Success at sitting down.
The prices were typical for what we've found here for lunch - an average of $8.75 to $10.25 per person. Not bad but higher than what we typically encounter. The odd thing was she asked us if we wanted chips and salsa. That should have been the 1st clue. Chips & Salsa are almost always part of the Mexican dining experience. Chips & Salsa in Quartzsite were $1.99 and the refill was another $1.99. My iced tea was $1.85 and Tommy's coke was .99 - however, each refill was another increment of the same cost. When we got ready to pay and leave, Tommy had half of his food left and asked for a to-go box. The foam container was another $3.00 added to the the bill. Our lunch of $8.75 and $9.25 came out to $25.50 with the extras. It was tasty though.
We spent part of the day going through the exhibits in Tyson Wells across I-10 from Quartzsite where things seem to be starting to happen. I got a new watch battery and we bought some small trinkets. We looked at a lot of tools/hardware and kitchen goods as well as the usual flags, pennants, spinners, caps, and t-shirts. Rocks were everywhere and priced as if they were scarce. There are many nice things here but don't expect "rock bottom" prices. A set of nice Geode book-ends will set you back a thousand dollars.
Did we mention necklaces and beads? They are everywhere. If you want little drilled rocks on a fishing line, this is the place!
Only 5% of the shops, stalls, and tents are set up. The big event starts in the 2nd week of January so we only have the "first comers" to tour at this early date.
Traffic will be a nightmare when another 150,000 people arrive. The main street often has jams now and getting into the Pilot Truck stop or Love's or Shell is a wait for 15 minutes for a spot near a pump. I can't imagine when gridlock occurs how tempers stay under control. We were cut off at the Pilot by a lady who pushed in between Tommy in the Explorer and a truck being filled because he had about 3 feet of open space. She nosed in and never looked up.
However, the people at the tents are nice, parking is okay at the event tents. We are enjoying the area and the fun of being here. I just had to post some of the reality pieces so any of you that visit won't be caught off-guard.
Dexter is enjoying the desert and our evening walks. We have seen no snakes, scorpions or coyotes - yet. We have a nightly campfire and the RV systems are working great. It cools off at night but warms up in the sun early the next morning. It averages about 62 to 65 during the day and touches 40 at night.
Tuesday evening, we'll go back to town and stay at 88 Shades RV Park so we can do laundry, empty tanks, re-fill water, and take SHOWERS. The next morning, we'll head east through Phoenix to Las Cruces and a visit with Steve & Raymond.
More tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment