Quartzsite..the bad, the good, and the dusty

We had been looking forward to attending the "big RV Show" in Quartzsite AZ for the last year, hearing that thousands of people from all over the country came to see hundred of vendors sell you all sorts of cool stuff you didn't even know you needed!  We had visions of tools, gadgets, mats, chairs, shades, stuff for inside the rigs and stuff for outside.  Things to make it go faster, smoother, give it better gas mileage, etc.  Patio furnishings from lights to fireplaces to screened in decks with flags.  BBQ grills of all kinds and sizes, with every kind of gadget to go along with them.  Outdoor TVs, music speakers, and any other kind of entertainment we hadn't seen or heard of.

We were ready to be thrilled.  We (all three couples) expected to see and hear about new things that would "wow' us beyond our expectations.  With money in hand, once parked and settled, we all hit the show!  Dust was flying as we took off in our cars to find parking along with the hundred of other hopeful shoppers.  Well...

It didn't take us to long before we all looked at one another and said, "so, where is all the RV stuff?"  Lots of T shirts, cheap jewelry, gadgets, "stuff" you see at every swap meet or fair everywhere, but nothing "new".  Eventually we found some things, and we all managed to spend money, but the "wow" was never found.  We traversed the various parts of the show each day, finding areas we hadn't been to, finding a little thing here or there to buy.  Our biggest success was purchasing LED lights and exchanging all of our old lights out for them at a really good price (I love the new white light inside now!).  Our friends got new Direct TV antennas installed.  The rest were small purchases.

Our friends that came for a couple of days to see if they could find an RV to purchase - did.  They found a 2008, 42' Fleetwood that they liked and put a down payment on.  They are having a couple of second thoughts about it, but I think it will all work out ok for them.

The time together with our friends was the best.  Bringing other couples together that have never met before, for a week, was a gamble, but it worked out great!  Everyone got along super and we all spent a lot of time together laughing and telling great stories.  Each night's meal was incredible and I'm sure I've already gained 5 lbs!  It will be lonely when we all go our separate ways again.  I'm glad I will get one more week with one of the couples before they head back to their home in Utah...that will help ease the break a bit.

The weather treated us nicely with sunshine in the 70's, but oh my was it dry and dusty!  Our campground was just a pile of dirt with some loose rocks on top to (kind of) hold some of the dirt down.  Of course the whole town is that, so every car throws it up and it's constantly in the air.  My nose is so sore from sneezing and blowing it, I look like a clown.  I will be glad to get to Parker to wash all this off and be around grass again, I must say!

All in all, it was an experience, and I'm glad we did it.  Not sure I want to again...but now I can say "Quartzsite?  We've been there!"

...on the road in Arizona,  Marie

If you wish to view the rest of the photos from this trip, you can at my Flickr account at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/74905158@N04/