Saturday, January 26, 2013

Quartzsite, Arizona

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 Quartzsite is more an experience than a place. Most of the year this little desert town has a population of less than 4,000 people but every winter over a million visitors arrive. Many come for cheap or even free camping on government land. Others come for the RV and mineral shows or to browse through the acres of vendors at the swap meets.
Every winter thousands of Rvers head to south western Arizona.009
 One of the reasons that we came this year was to attend the Third Annual Winter Rubber Tramp Rendezvous. We arrived on the last day and missed all of the morning seminars but we did get to meet a lot of great people including the organizer, Bob Wells  Check out his website for excellent information on buying and living cheaply in a van or RV. 

A big part of the RTR involves sharing information and expertise with new rubber tramps. In the photo below a flexible solar panel is being installed on the van’s roof.
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  Getting around in Quartzsite is just about impossible in a wheelchair. There are few paved areas or sidewalks. Most of the ground in the vendor areas is covered with loose gravel. The parking areas are gravel or loose sand. Even the big tent where the RV, gem and car shows take place has gravel under the carpeting. Camping on the BLM land isn’t too bad because the ground is pretty hard packed but I wouldn’t recommend visiting Quartzsite in a wheelchair unless a very energetic helper is available. Quartzsite
33.66235, -114.21764
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3 comments:

  1. It was sooooooooo great to meet you guys! Hope to see you out there, again, soon!!!

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  2. Enjoyed meeting you 2 though we didn't visit very long! I left the day after you arrived. You are right - it's an experience. And a great one. Can't wait to return next year! Hope to see you then.

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  3. It was really nice meeting both of you too! We're going to be hanging around Quartzsite for awhile longer so hopefully we meet more rubber tramps. :-)

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