|
Quartzsite, AZJan 29, 2011
|
|
Boomerville
Boomerville
Crazy all metal sota church at Desert Bar
| Saturday, January 29, 2011 We spent an extra day at the Salton Sea sittin and doin nuttin. It was terrible but we figured it was our day to watch and make sure that sea didn’t try to leave or anything, and since it was sunny and warm we managed to get thru our whole shift of watching. It was another nice evening and the moon looked spectacular again. The next morning we picked up and got back on I – 10 and headed east to Blythe, CA right on the AZ border. We got a CG for a nite on the Colorado River to dump our tanks, fill with fresh water and stock up on grub before heading to the desert and Boomerville. The CG was a pretty dumpy one with a lot of seasonal and permanent RV’s cause it was right on the river. Most of the lots were pretty junky. After we were set up I watched a 38’ Cameo 5th wheel come in. It was big. The couple was having a heck of a time getting backed in. Sometime these things are painful to watch and you never know if you should go over and offer assistance. I finally walked over and it turns out they had just bought it a week ago and it was their 2nd time moving it. They had never owned an RV before. They got it in the site finally. Later we got to talking again and since we have a Cameo (much smaller) we told them many things we had learned in our time on the road. They seemed to appreciate it. Later we had dinner with them and checked out each other’s rigs. It was a fun evening. Next morning we packed up and headed out of California and on into Arizona. Everyone and their brother was trying to get fuel just across the Colorado River since it is much cheaper in AZ than CA. And we were right in line with them. Then we moved down the road about 30 miles to the little burg of Quartzsite. We have been here twice before at this time. This is a spot in the desert where thousands and thousands of RVers gather every winter. And I mean lotsa, lotsa thousands. There is a huge RV show going on and Saturday was the first day of the show. The roads were jammed. It took us about 45 minutes to move a mile just because of all the folks trying to park and just get thru. We finally got thru the jam area and headed for Boomerville. I think I explained earlier that Boomerville is where a group of Escapees hang out that call themselves Boomers. We joined the group officially a few weeks back. We had just assumed this meant that they would be of our age group or at least closer in age than many of the RVers we see in most of the parks. We followed the directions out of town about 6 miles in the desert to the location that they gather every year. There were several dozen or so RVs parked in a several hundred yard area. We stopped in front of a small tent canopy and signed in. We were the 91st rig that had arrived and registered. We were warmly greeted and told to park wherever we liked. We were shown the central fire pit where every day at 4pm Happy Hour occurs. We parked not too far from the central fire pit next to a motor home that has a 1966 Chevy Malibu as their tow car. A darn nice looking car for something that just gets pulled along behind the motor home. Although most of the folks didn’t look as young as we expected boomer generation folks to look they were certainly young at heart. At 4 we could see quite a gathering of folks for the daily Happy Hour. There were at least 100 folks sitting around. Announcements were made and then they asked who was new to the camp that day. They had you give your name, where from etc. and you got a round of applause just for showing up. Afterward several people came up and introduced themselves. There was a couple from near the Cities and another guy who had been a captain on Great Lakes steamers and had stopped many times in Two Harbors. Also met a “younger” couple (our age) who summer at a lake cabin in northern Wisconsin and travel in a motorhome the rest of the year. Hmmm, sound familiar, I think we need to get to know these folks better. The next day, Sunday, a group of folks were heading to a place called the Desert Bar. It was about 40 miles away and it was, surprise, out in the desert. We decided to tag along. The last 5 miles were a very rough and dusty gravel road. It is one of those unique joints built where an old mining camp had once been. There are 2 bars, one in a building and one under an awning. Everything is quite rustic to say the least. There is no power except solar and battery banks. But the beer was cold and the grub not bad. We got there early, about 11:30, and we were surprised to see a lot of other cars in the lot. The joint is only open on the weekends and apparently it has a reputation as one of those must sees since the people never stopped pouring in. One of the highlights is the womens can, there are heavy steel doors on the stalls and when you stand in front of the sinks there are no windows, just a huge view of the desert, so I been told. Soon it was 3 deep at the bars and where you ordered the food. They had burgers, dogs, polocks and chicken or beef sandwiches. We had a tri-tip sandwich and it was darn good I’ll have to say. When we left the cars were still coming in. That evening they had a dessert pot luck back at camp. Oh man, talk about decadent. I mean how many desserts can one guy eat? A lot I’ll tell ya! We just hung around the next couple days talking to folks. In the evenings there were people who would show slide shows on the side of a motorhome about places they traveled. That was unique. There was always the campfire going in the evenings too. Wednesday we finally went into town to the big tent RV show. Folks said it was so crowded you could hardly walk in there but we didn’t find it too bad. Outside the tent there are a number of other vendors set up selling all kinds of junk. Then across the street there are hundreds of other booths where people set up in November and don’t leave until early March. There are a bunch of different shows that happen in the big tent. A rock and gem show and classic car show are the biggest besides the RV show. So that can easily kill a day. That afternoon at happy hour Barb and I got the chance to make fools of ourselves. We, along with 8 others, were in a skit about RVing sort of. It was all good fun and everyone had lots of laughs. Barb was a ballerina and I was a pro golfer. Thursday we packed the buggy up and drove 13 miles to another spot in the desert where we met up with most of the crew we have met here the previous 2 winters. However Barb’s brother Rich and his wife didn’t come this year nor did another couple. Also one regular got very sick just before leaving so that left that motorhome out. So there are 4 rigs parked here, Julie Anne’s parents Marge and Bruce, their friends Duane and Carolyn and Bob and Judy. It is fun to see familiar faces again. We always take turns cooking so have some great meals put out and the campfire sit arounds are always fun. The weather has been superb. Chilly nights, hi 30’s to mid 40’s but the days have all been total sun and in low 70’s and lite breezes. I tell ya folks it just don’t get no better den dis!! |
Advertisement 
|
