QUARTZSITE 2012

We pulled away from the house mid morning, and set sail south bound on Hwy 95 toward Quartzsite, AZ. The distance from Lake Havasu City to Quartzsite is only about 80 miles, so after a fuel stop at Smith's ($3.76 for diesel), we arrived in the "Q" around noon.

This is the height of the season for this little town on Interstate 10, and many of the businesses have to make it during this couple of winter months. I've read all kinds of estimates on how many people flock to this small western AZ town during the month of January, but there's really no accurate way to make that guesstimate. The numbers that have been printed, range from tens of thousands to half a million. I know if you try to drive from point A to B, the traffic often borders on gridlock, and if you're trying to get a loaf of bread at one of the small grocery stores, be prepared to wait in line. Having said that, there's a certain amount of electricity and excitement in the air, and with all of the vendors in town, and at the big tent, there's lots to see and do. Just parking out in the desert for a week or so, is probably the favorite part of Quartzsite for me.

After passing through town, we continued about 4 miles south of town on Hwy 95 to mile marker 99, where we turned onto La Paz Valley Rd. and then an immediate right into the desert where we park every year. Once I got a few things set up, I climbed up on the roof and tilted the three solar panels toward the south. During the peak sunlight hours, these 3 panels (320 watts) put 18-20 amps into the battery bank, and they keep the batteries topped off very nicely. In a little over a month, our home solar system will be installed, and just as a comparison, it will have a capactiy of 4700 watts.

The wind was blowing pretty good yesterday, but it's dead calm this morning, and our temperatures for the coming week are supposed to be in the low 70's. Today, we'll brave the crowds at the big tent, and see if there's anything new that we just can't live without. If not, there will be lots of reading material, and I always make a few comments to myself like - "why didn't I think of that". This is only the second day that the tent has been open, so I'm sure it will be wall to wall elbows, and you know what!