2003 – 04 . . . Second Leg - into 2004

Here it is well into the New Year and our travel journal entries have been minimal. This year's travels are very different from past years. We've visited many of the same places but our attitudes seem to be different and we perceive things somewhat differently. We seem to be seeking a "comfort zone" rather than adventures.

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Las Vegas spelled our last stay in an RV Park. Yes, RV Parks are nice and usually have all the amenities . . . BUT . . . and I'm not entirely sure what the . . . BUT . . . might be, except that being in an RV Park was not the "comfort zone" we were looking for. We stopped at Laughlin for a couple of nights but that wasn't it either so we moved down to AVI (south of Laughlin) where we had been last year and the year before.

Actually, this was starting to feel a little more congenial - there is a spirit we had missed in the other places we stayed. The daily morning coffee parade (I call it) where folks take their coffee, walk around, meet up with whoever else have joined the parade. They stand (or sit) around talking, comparing RV's, various systems, talk about places they have been, what they had done, what there was to do and on and on. Often the players change, but the daily ritual is repeated and repeated.

Sometimes you get to know people you may never see again, other times the relationships may last a few days or even into weeks and still other relationships extend over years. Because of the encouragement to use the free RV parking area and the location, AVI tends to be a stop off and meeting place for RV travellers going south, north, east or west. We managed to re-connect with people we have met over the past few years, find out where and how others are as well as meet new travelling friends.

We travelled down to Quartzsite with a couple who were on their way to Mexico, spent a wonderful evening with them at the Hi Jolly short term BLM (free for the allowable two weeks), just north of Quartzsite, AZ.

The next day they were off but we have stayed in contact with them. It wouldn't surprise me if we meet up with them again - this year - or maybe next year.

As we bid them farewell and good travelling, who should show up but a fellow who had been at AVI and then another. The first fellow is a Harley guy, a big hulk of a man, travelling on his own in a mid sized motorhome with his Harley in a utility trailer he towed behind. He and Fred worked on his latest acquired toy - a little gas scooter. (Please note Fred's new look)

The other fellow travelled in a small Toyota motorhome and had decided that everything was a conspiracy and everyone was out to get him. Every window in his motorhome was covered over and he actually had a security system for protection - we never did find out protection from what, although judging from his conversation, it was probably everything.

It takes a unique type of person to choose to park and spend time in the desert. The only common variable seems to be a spirit of independence and individuality and an aversion to imposed structure and timelines.

Their living spaces vary from monstrous motorhomes towing all different types of vehicles to 5th wheels, travel trailers and even tent trailers (it's interesting to see just how many different types of RVs travel the roads)

Each unit seems to carve out its own space in the desert and make it a home. Many surround their space with rocks and stones gleaned from a nearby wash (small gully created by water when - and if - it rains), others actually decorate their spaces, some with signs, others with ornaments and small fences

A number of years ago, someone laid the figure of Kokopelli in rocks behind our space at La Posa North. We didn't even know it was there until one of our neighbours pointed it out to us. I had no idea what it was so it became my research project.* I like him! He's kind of a neat fellow!

* Ko-ko-pel-li (ko ko pel' le)  Hopi "kokopilau" (koko = wood, pilau = hump) the humpbacked Flute Player, mythical Hopi symbol of fertility, replenishment, music, dance, and mischief. Found painted and carved on rock walls and boulders throughout this region, Kokopelli is one of the most intriguing and widespread images to have survived from ancient Anasazi Indian mythology. The figure represents a mischievous trickster or the Minstrel, spirit of music. Kokopelli is distinguished by his dancing pose, a hunchback and flute. His whimsical nature, charitable deeds, and vital spirit give him a prominent position in Native American mysticism. Kokopelli is considered a symbol of fertility who brought well-being to the people, assuring success in hunting, planting and growing crops, and human conception. His "hump" was often considered a bag of gifts, a sack carrying the seeds of plants and flowers he would scatter every spring. Warming the earth by playing his flute and singing songs, Kokopelli would melt the winter snow and create rain, ensuring a good harvest. Kokopelli often displayed a long phallus, symbolizing the fertile seeds of human reproduction.

Before we left, I enlarged Kokopelli's hump - after all, that is where he carries all his gifts!

The level of interaction depends on what you want. Some people spend a good part of their time visiting, others get involved taking courses or volunteering in the local community and still others choose total isolation . . . individual preferences are appreciated and respected.

We spend some of our time with a couple we met at Tombstone Territories last year including a food-filled, quiet Christmas with them at their RV park. We thought about moving into the RV park and then remembered why we didn't want to be in an RV park in the first place.

A couple from Alberta we met last year (around Why, AZ, after we left Mexico) found us, suggested we join them at another BLM area (La Posa North). They were very comfortable there and thought we might be as well. We moved from Hi Jolly to La Posa North BLM (just from one side of Quartzsite to the other), just in time to share a wonderful New Year's eve gathering with our new neighbours.

The BML offers no hook-ups and few amenities (but then the cost is minimal - $140 for 7 months or $30 for two weeks) and we are with a small group (mostly Canadian). some of these folks have been coming and parking here for years. The challenge is to make sure that you have enough water and power and used water storage space (holding tanks) to enjoy living a rather uncomplicated life with few rules or demands and yet enough of the amenities to be comfortable.

Our space is on the other side of the wash from State Highway 95. We have folks from Ontario on either side of us, Albertans further down the way and people from the Yukon across the wash. The Ontario crowd generally light a bonfire every evening and often people gather to compare notes, get information or just gabble about the days events or happenings coming up. We are close enough to walk to get groceries, visit the Big Tent or wander through some of the flea-market sites.

While we've had the solar system since we bought the 5th wheel and we got more efficient batteries last year, as well as the generator, we still had no way to empty the holding tanks and get fresh water other than actually moving the trailer to a place to dump and fill. The consequence of that was we moved fairly often and we didn't put up the add a room when we were dry camping (boon-docking). We really wanted to get the room on so, at first the RVs around us helped out by using their hauling systems to help us dump and fill without moving the 5th wheel. While this was great of them, it would be nice not to depend on others.

Now, we know Fred is a problem-solving type of a guy, but I didn't realize that ALL the fellows around here thrive on solving everyone else's' problems, as well as their own. Long story short, we now have a dumping system (a container strapped onto a dolly that is welded to a frame that fits into the hitch they built) and Fred picked up a very inexpensive plastic water barrel and we can fill and dump whenever we want.

There are a couple of travel companies here is Quartzsite that offer great tours, very reasonable (trip up on the bus, overnight accommodations and buffets for $5-$10.00 each) so we have toured up to Laughlin a few times. Doing that affords us a nice break and the opportunity to charge up both ourselves and all our electrical paraphalia that needs charging. It also gives us the chance to up load the web page and surf the internet for a while. We found out a lot about wireless interaction connections that we may be able to access, but that's a next year thing.

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The Phenomenon of Quartzsite

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The phenomenon of Quartzsite is not only the size and expanse of the Swap Meet, it's how fast it happens!!

For example . . . the following pictures were taken from our space on January 5th, January the 15th and January 17th just when the first show opened (the RV show).

Many associations, organizations and just people use Quartzsite at this time to have rallies, get togethers or just meet. It's hard to find your way around the desert and easy to get lost, so at almost every possible intersection on the BLM, you see markers and directional signs. And the traffic is unbelievable for the entire two week from the opening of the first show.

The BLM (Bureau of Land Management - that manages all the dry camping public lands) estimate there will be 1.5 million visitors staying on the 8 public camping areas in and around Quartzsite PLUS there must be over a dozen private RV parks in and around Quartzsite PLUS the regular mobile home parks that also have overnight and short-term accommodations. Word has it that there will be about 2.5 visitors over the two months.

Quartzsite is a small town (maybe 1000 - 2000 people) at the junction of Interstate 10 and Arizona 95 that, somehow, has become known for huge-monstrous Swap Meets (shows and flea markets) that go on throughout January and February every year.

From March to December, it's a quiet, nondescript collection of

buildings and mobile home parks (it resembles a ghost town that never quit made it) sitting semi-deserted in the desert. Come November, the Snow-birds slowly start to arrive and the town begins to take on a whole new life of its own. RV parks start to open up, associations start planning their activities and a few venders' tents pop up here and there. December brings another influx of people and venders' tents but after the New Year, the place literally grows like weeds in an untended garden.

There are about five different market areas covering over 15 acres to accommodate the venders that come into Quartzsite during January and February. The original shows were rock and gems - you see hundreds of 45 gal. drums full of various types of rocks as well as other rocks and gems in various stages - some raw, some just cut, some cut and polished, some made into ornaments and jewellery. Some of the venders stay throughout the entire winter, while others come and go. There are literally hundreds of venders selling almost anything you could possibly think of.

The biggest show is the BIG TENT that covers over an acre and the show, itself, changes throughout the two months. They say it would cover the area of three football fields. I tried to capture the contrast between the empty field (January 5th), when they were setting it up and, finally, when it was all set up!

Yes, you do need to be a unique type of person to spend this much time boon docking in the desert. And Quartzsite phenomenon is something to be experienced ONCE!

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