Day 11 - Monday Morning (Last Week)

The weather service was correct. Considerable cloudiness covered Quartzsite this Monday morning. It was overcast and cool when Dexter & I went for his walk. He wasted no time leaving a desert deposit and we went back to fix a Skillet Breakfast of eggs, bacon, peppers, onions, and potatoes. We decided today would be our travel day back into town and are picking up the campsite right now. I'll post some pictures later after we settle in at 88 Shades RV Park again.

The plan is still to depart Wednesday morning for points east and Las Cruces in one day.

Late Day Update -
We went to Parker, AZ, to grab some caches and see the new Wal*Mart. One of the caches was actually in Wyatt, CA, where Wyatt Earp spent some of his final days. Parker was okay but nothing worth the hour drive to get there and back. I think the generally overcast and gloomy day spooled our sunny outlook. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer. It will be our last day here in Quartzsite. The drive to Las Cruces is almost 8 hours and I am not sure if we can make it in one day or not. Dexter likes to stop along the way and it would be a solid 8 hours of driving to get there.

More Tomorrow

Day 8 - Christmas Day 2009 (Friday)

Today was a beautiful day. We had ham & cheese omelets for breakfast and then headed out for some caches. Dexter went with us and the experience reminded us of why we don't take the dog. Tomorrow, he stays home and sleeps.

Tommy got to do some serious 4-wheeling with the Explorer on the back trails near our campsite and Old Yuma Road. We only grabbed 3 caches but that puts us at a new milestone of 2700. Attached is the 2700th cache photo - Dexter is looking away from the the camera.

After lunch/dinner around 3:30pm, I walked halfway up to the nearest hilltop peak. The 2nd photo is the summit I did not reach. The sun had moved past the peak and the shadows were too dark. We agreed that we'd all walk up there Sunday morning and get some decent photos.

The last photo is of our campsite after I walked back down to find Tommy and Dexter under a blanket as the sun was setting. It was a great day for us and we didn't spend any money on anything!

Tomorrow we head to Blythe, CA, to get some California caches and see what is in Quartzsite on a Saturday afternoon. We plan to hit the road Wednesday early and drive to Las Cruces to meet Steve & Raymond at their new mountain home.

Day 5 - Tuesday

It was a busy day. We started by paying for a 2nd night at the 88 Shades RV Park. Laundry was completed overnight and we could have left this morning but decided to take our time getting to the desert. The 1st order of business was a tour of the town in the daylight. We discovered wide streets, plenty of parking spaces, and most places just now setting up for the crush of visitors expected in another 2 weeks.

We took a trip down Arizona 95 to the La Posa LTVA (Long Term Visitors Area) where you get to decide if you want to stay 2 weeks or 7 months. There is a fee for each and we paid for 2 weeks ($40).

We toured the Tyson's Wash area and saw several places where we could, and could not, get the Coach into comfortably. We decided to wait until Thursday and then move out of 88 Shades for the Tyson's Wash area. While we were scouting out the area, a storm quickly developed (lighting and all) right near where we were. Tommy turned us around and we headed back out to the entrance area. The storm caught us and it was ferocious with hail and very heavy rain. The desert became a mess in mere minutes.

We decided right then to not go so far back with the coach and that we would find a level spot about 1.5 miles in and set up there. Attached are some pictures of the place and the storm as it was brewing.

We ended the day by stopping in Town to see what few vendors were set up already. I bought 22 Hematite rocks to put on my desk for others to see. They are magnetic and quite fun to put in different shapes.

Oh yeah, lunch was at Silly Al's Pizza and it was great. Silly Al's is a cross between a honky-tonk and a seedy, city dive (bar) and the food / service was very good. We recommend.