Re-United With My Beloved Desert – Congress & Quartzsite, AZ
As I walked into the sunset the world was stretching. Shadows elongated towards the horizon, crevices deepened to a bottomless black and edges sharpened to paper-thin intensity. I was alone, just me and the desert and life seemed to stop in this very moment. I experienced a quiet so deep I wondered if it was real, a moment so arrested I wondered if I’d left the earthly realm.
And yet, alone as I was I felt many kindred spirits too. Those that walked thousands of years before me, those recently departed and the myriad of desert animals and people that inhabit this stark environment today. THIS was was life was all about. This very moment where the sun sets, where deep golden colors permeate your soul, when the silence of the world fills your mind.
There is something about the desert that does this kind of stuff to you. Something you don’t get anywhere else. The sea moves you and carries you on its waves, the mountains call and envelop you in their grandness, but the desert…the desert absorbs you completely and totally. You either love it or you hate it and if you’re the former it’s a love that never abates. You crave it and long for it, and only when you’re finally there do you feel complete, right, normal.
It’s been months since we were here, but I came back to the desert like a lover finds her long-lost other. It took only moments to get reunited, only seconds to feel like we never left each other.
In case you haven’t figure it out already I looooove the desert in winter.
This year we won’t be spending quite as much time in the desert as we typically do, mostly due to family commitments (flying home and such), plus we won’t be doing neeeearly as much boondocking as I’d like, but we wanted to squeeze in some meaningful desert moments before we headed to the bigger cities and this was where we decided to do it. Here’s how we spent our time….
A Quick Stop At Congress, AZ
Our first stop in this stark wilderness was a place we’ve visited before, but in a spot we haven’t specifically parked.
We were yearning for warmth after out chilly sojurn in Prescott and we had buddies just down the way, so we drove a mere hour down the mountain and popped into the SKP (Escapees) North Ranch park in Congress, AZ (review coming) for a few days. This cute little area of Arizona has a ghostly history and solid western roots. Its mild winters and miles of ATV, dog & people-friendly desert has made it a southern home base for many snowbirders. It’s a quiet place, with lots of alluring desert nature, bounded by pretty mountains and endless skies. The perfect little stop to just chill out and socialize.
Out first visit was with Janna & Mike (Tin Teepee) who bought a house at North Ranch just last year. We first met these folks thro’ mutual blogs many years ago, and have re-connected several times since. They’re both creative & handy folk, the Cowboy and his stylish Southern wife and in typical Janna & Mike fashion they’re already tearing things apart and putting them together, creating a house beauty out of a beast. Janna made us a superb dinner, entirely out of the RV (‘coz the kitchen in the house is gone, naturally) while the both of them entertained us with good ‘ol Montana Cowboy-style hospitality. It was great to be reunited with these folks and just reminds us that we have to go visit them up North one day.
Then, next morning we went for a doggie-date with Pheebes and Al & Kelly of The Bayfield Bunch. Those of you who follow the blog already know this lovely couple and their ridiculously cute dog. Al got me hooked on his blog many years ago thanks to his love of dogs, boondocking and photography, all things I felt an immediate connection to. These days they have a winter house down south, but I still look forward to his daily photo gems & down-to-earth musings. We had a lovely doggie-walk in the desert, followed by a good ‘ol chinwag on their relaxing porch. Another great set of folks to be reunited with, and yet another example of one of some of the long-term connections we’ve made thro’ the blog.
A Short Visit To Quartzsite, AZ
I’ve had a soft spot for Quartzsite ever since we first visited this place in 2010. It was our very first boondocking experience and I remember driving into the desert completely beside myself with anticipation and angst. Could we reaaaaly just park for free out here??? Do people DO this kind of thing? In a big rig? Would we damage the rig? How would we know where to go? Or what to do? We stumbled our way thro’ that first experience, complete with forehead-slapping, newbie-stupid incident (leaving the car hooked-up overnight, draining the battery (completely) and then realizing we didn’t have any jumper cables (who needs those?), but fellow boondockers helped us out and I….was….HOOKED.
We ended up driving to the East Coast that year and it took us over 2 years to get back, but we’ve never missed a year here since.
Interestingly enough many folks poo-poo Quartszite. It’s a small town, stark and barren (the desert is particularly “rocky” here), full of rummage stores and weird desert dwellers, and it becomes CRAZY during the 2 weeks of the “big RV show” every January. Who would want to be in this bleak landscape with hundreds of thousands of other people?
But me…well, I loooove Quartzsite.
It’s got all kinds of hidden coolness once you dig beneath those hard rocks. Communities of people (all kinds of people) that gather together here in total harmony, art sculptures that decorate the desert, ancient ground drawings that hide in the mountains, funky solar bars that greet you at the end of long dirt roads, hidden wilderness areas that lie just down the way, ghost towns, folks with stories that fill your mind, and (lest we forget) every single RV part known to man. Plus it’s the easiest, most inviting place for first-time boondockers, the perfect spot to try your hand at living off the grid. I love the craziness of the big show and I love how quiet the place becomes both before and after. I could spend weeks just bumming around here and we typically do, at least once a year.
This time around our goal was to introduce Paul’s dad and Ana to their very first boondocking experience. We rolled into Dome Rock, picked a few dozen acres of land for ourselves (very few people here this time of year) and parked with a view of the gorgeous KOFA mountains in the windshield. Ahhhhh, I was home….
We ended up spending several days here enveloped by the desert beauty, drinking margaritas and having magical sunset experiences (I wrote the first paragraph right here). We also (finally) managed a visit to Silly Al’s Pizza which not only offers most excellent Pizza (including gluten-free), but also a rather decent selection of craft beer (who knew?!). And lastly, as is often the case in the desert, we met friends. Bloggers boondockorbust happened to be parked ~1/2 mile down the road, and saw our “beastly” rigs coming in. We connected, meshed and will probably meet up again later in November.
Sadly this is the end of our boondocking, likely for the year. We need to figure out what we’re going to do with our batteries and we’ve got a few other upgrades & visits planned, both of which require us to be closer to civilization for a while. We are now parked in yet another old-time favorite spot from whence Paul will fly home and I will (no doubt) get up to my usual solo shenanigans. There will be more blogger friends and plenty more desert too, so don’t be surprised if I go off the deep philosophical end again sometime soon.
My beloved desert and I have been re-united and I’m not done with her yet….
Related Blog Posts (Quartzsite):
- Boondocking Site Review – Dome Rock Quartzsite, AZ
- 8 Tips For Shopping & Boondocking At Quartzsite, AZ
- The Biggest RV Gathering On Earth! Quartzsite, AZ
- Social, Crazy, Diverse – Quartzsite, AZ
- Day-Tripping To Parker & Lake Havasu, AZ
- Ancient Desert Figures – The Blythe Intaglios, CA
- The Living Ghost Town – Castle Dome City Museum, KOFA AZ
Related Blog Posts (Boondocking):
- Boondocking For Newbies Part I -> Finding Where To Go
- Boondocking For Newbies Part II -> Prepping Your RV
- Boondocking For Newbies Part III -> Geting Your Rig Into The Site
- Boondocking For Newbies Part IV – Enjoying Your Time In The Boonies
Right on, as usual…..you either LOVE the desert or you don’t. We’re definitely in the “love it” category, have been as long as we can remember. Its so wonderful to be able to spend as much time as we want in it nowadays.
Silly Sam’s – another love it place!
Ahahahaha! I meant Silly Al’s – we’re here at silly Sam’s!
Sue
Are you going to get lithium ion batteries?
Don’t know yet….still thinking about it. It all depends on how long we keep this particular rig, what our near-future plans are (family-related) etc. We’re going to think about it for the next few months. We’ve got hookups from here thro’ mid-Feb so there’s no rush.
Nina
Hi Guys! We will be heading over to Yuma shortly, and then up to Quartzite. Not sure where to from there. I think you guys are already over in Palm Desert, but I would be really interested on your take regarding what’s going on at Anza Borrego. Is it still going to be possible to boondock there, what with parking no further than one rig length from any road and no campfires? We were going to be heading there. Not sure now.
Honestly don’t know the full situation at Anza Borrego. What I DO know is that the State Park has acquired the land around Rockhouse Canyon Road/Peg Leg and there are new rules in place. The new rules include a 30-day stay limit (not a big deal, IMHO), new doggie rules (dogs on leash, on park roads only…a bummer, but do-able), new campfire rules (no ground fires) and parking is only allowed 1-vehicle length from the main road. This last rule is the biggest potential “gotcha” and unknown. I don’t know which of the roads in Clark Dry Lake area are considered “main roads” and thus how much of the previous boondocking area is now off limits. Could be a lot…could be not much…
At this point I’m waiting to hear back from someone who has physically gone there to fully understand how impacted (or not) the old boondocking area is. 30-day stay limit is really not a huge restriction, but the parking rules could (potentially) be. If you go PLEASE do report back.
Nina
That one-vehicle-length thing is for the birds. I tried it for two weeks in the Kaibab National Forest—never again!
Yeah, both Prescott & Kaibab NF implemented that same 1-vehicle length rule a few years back (if I remember correctly). It closed off a BUNCH of previously-used campsites & really limited where folks could go. I’m worried about how much of the Rockhouse Road area will be similarly affected. In previous years folks have been able to use the entire area there, parking wherever they wanted (without disturbing the brush). Now, I really don’t know….
Nina
Wondering if you made it to Barnstar Brewing . . .
In the end…NO. We had the best of intentions to go our last day in Prescott, but just never made it. Next time!
Nina
We’ll look forward to that!
You are reminding me of my mother, who also loved the desert. We lived in SW Louisiana, but my dad’s sister lived in Yuma. Every summer the four of us kids would be loaded up in the station wagon and my dad and mom would drive straight through from La. to Yuma. How is that for a relaxing vacation! No I-10 at that time, either. My mother would be up at dark-thirty to photograph sunrise, and out again for sunsets. After they divorced, she and my step-dad remained close to my aunt and would take a vacation out here (I live in NM now) and visit us here in Rio Rancho, and often visit my aunt also. Mom had a thirst in her soul for the desert. Sounds dramatic, but that is just how it seemed to me. As I commented in a previous post, they also loved the Grand Canyon and planned several vacations around canyon trips. I think there is something about the color changes, and the temperature changes from day to night, that are like nowhere else. I don’t know if you have been to Big Bend park in Texas, but that was another favorite of theirs, and ours, and has very dramatic scenery also. Have to say, that it is not a park you just take in on the way to somewhere else! It is quite a trip south, but worth it if you enjoy that kind of atmosphere.
What a beautiful story and some wonderful desert history in your life!
We haven’t (yet) been to Big Bend. We actually had plans to go there in 2011 when we traveled thro’ Texas, but our doggie got sick and we ended up sitting still for several weeks while she healed. By that time it was getting too late to go. I DO want to experience it at some point.
Nina
I’ll have to put Silly Al’s on my list of GF pizzas to try. I’m on a mission to find a great crust! Thanks for the tip, Nina!
Silly Al’s was very good. Nicely thin, crispy and substantial enough to hold a ton of toppings. I was impressed.
Nina
Nina & Paul ~
We really enjoyed meeting you!! We will be seeing you soon in Desert Hot Springs and would love to buy you an adult beverage or two!
Shelly & Mark
Boondock or Bust
Great to meet you too. Hope to share some hair-raising margaritas with you in DSH.
Nina
You’re killing me! I am sooooo missing my desert, my spot at quartzsite, my beautiful golden skies. And, Silly Al’s pizza. We love that place! We are scheming a way to escape this horrible Pacific northwest and bask in sunshine, and dryness.
Oh I bet. I mean I loooove the PNW, but those wet, chilly winters are hard especially when you’re used to basking in the warm sunshine down south. I hope you manage to get away, even if just for a short while.
Nina
Wow–thanks Nina for all the kind words–we are totally flattered!! It was so good to see you guys and hopefully you will make it north to Montana again. Safe travels to you both!
Very happy we got to see you. That avocado key lime mousse you made is still on my mind!
Nina
We are currently boondocking at Kofa. Believe it or not it is pouring up here. Hopefully not for long. On Kofa you must park no further than 100 feet from the center of the road. We hear talk of extending the 100 foot rule to the BLM areas adjacent to the NWR; similar, it sounds, to what they are doing in Anza Borrego.
Bummer. The vehicle length really limits the number of campsites you can access. I understand the reason they’re doing it, but it’s a bummer that sites which have been used for years are suddenly off limits.
Nina
Sounds lovely as we are getting soaked here in the Pacific Northwest, we are “testing” the bad weather window here. Looking forward to the desert this winter though. What did your father in law and his wife think about boon docking – curious.
That’s a REALLY good question. In all of this I hadn’t actually asked them what they thought about boondocking! So I finally did that tonight. Pauls dad thought it was fine, but Ana said she thought it felt too lonely out there. Interesting responses and not at all what I expected. They were happy we did it together, but I don’t think it’s something they want to do longer-term.
Nina
You spoke right to my heart with your beautifully written ode to the desert. So many people I’ve talked to just don’t get it, and photos, as gorgeous as I think they are, don’t seem to help. My husband and I have spent three winters in the California and Arizona deserts, mostly boondocking, and we absolutely love it. This winter we’re staying home to take care of other commitments, but we’ll be back next year and can hardly wait to roll into Quartzsite!
You sound like a true desert rat
you’re absolutely right too. It’s one of those things that can’t really be described by words or pics. You have to come here to experience it and then you find out…you either love it or hate it. Sorry you can’t make it this year, but it’ll make next year that much sweeter.
Nina
I have been following you blog for quite a while, and am delighted to read more about QZ. Thanks also for the links to previous QZ posts. I will read those, and at the risk of asking a question that is already covered… Can you tell me if there is any over-the-air TV reception in the QZ area? We stayed a week last year at Roadrunner, and had occasional TV reception. I did some internet searching, so far, not finding much info. -thx
I find you writing and photos, your blog in total, to be pretty much the best I read.
There’s very little OTA unfortunately. We put an amplifier + extender on our antenna last year and we went from zero to a few usable channels, but nothing spectacular. It’s a bit of a dead zone unfortunately.
Nina
I know this is an old blog post, but I thought I would post a follow up here. For those who find this page via a search…
We are in Quartzsite, La Posa Tysons Wash area. In this area, we are receiving 18 channels OTA. Most are coming in strong on our Jack antenna without using the booster. We are getting all the major networks, PBS channels, and a few others. These tv feeds originate from Phoenix, and are found on high numbered digital channel numbers (but are tuned on the TV on 3-*, 5-*, 12-*, 15-*, etc). I suspect these signals are repeated here in the Q valley. Hope this helps others in the future.
Great update! Thanks so much.
Nina
I really love that i found the desert. I am a cactus junky and someday hope to have a yard like Al’s full of every type cactus known, especially a saguaro! I love the wide open spaces and the surrounding hills and mountains everywhere you look.
And rocks…I know how much you love your rocks. You’re another East-Coast desert convert. Happy we share that, amongst other things
Nina
Love, love, love the desert — the expansiveness, the golden hour, the sunsets, the cacti — you capture it well in your words and photos. For some reason Quartzsite has never captivated us — perhaps we need to give it another chance and actually stay there instead of just passing through. I’d like to see that cool rock map of the U.S.!
And there are MANY more cool sculptures around here. I think we found 4-5 new ones just this visit alone including a huge ying-yang circle that we stumbled on just ~1/2 mile from our campsite. Plus last year we discovered the (nearby) ancient Blythe Intaglios, something I didn’t know existed in this size outside of Peru. There’s a lot of hidden gems in Q. I hope you get to spend more time here.
Nina
Just a few more days and off to the desert we go … First Rincon, then hopefully Anza and Joshua and Desert hot Springs. I have a dear friend whose affinity with the desert is like yours … she often tells me, you’ll know it when it becomes a part of you. So this year … our giving of Thanks will be in the desert and I have a feeling she will weave her magic on me. Much gratitude to you for the pallete you paint with your photos and words. Should really make a book someday!
Oh I Soooo hope you feel that magic. Once you do the desert will change for you and you’ll become forever enamored. It’s a superbly spiritual experience.
Nina
It’s not Quartzsite but that southern desert that I fell in love with my first visit in 1998. Stark and yet so full of life. Big, and open spaces. Palpable quiet. A love affair I certainly share.
Yup, that’s the feeling. I think I’m partial to Q mostly because it was my first big boondocking experience, a kind of first love if you will. The Southern Desert has so much of that open, gorgeous land and so many places to fall in love that way.
Nina
Nina, you have expressed my feelings about the desert and you have done it so eloquently!
I am in the middle of the “crave it, long for it” now that the days are shorter and there’s a chill in the air. Missing that special feeling of being alone and being absorbed into rocks and sky.
Quartzsite was our first boondock, also in the Dome Rock area. We’re counting down until we return in January.
Thanks for mentioning the “newbie stupid incident”…..feeling better about some of our recent insanity…still too embarrassed to write about them!
Oh believe me…we ALL have those stupid moments so you’re in very good company. I always say that it’s not a question IF you’ve done something silly in your rig, it’s just a question of WHEN LOL.
If you want to read about a “mega” one try this:
Houston, We Have a Problem
Plus a few of the other “fun” incidents we’ve had over the past 5 years, thro our own stupidity or otherwise:
Does It Ever Get Bad? Our Top 6 Road “Incidents” & How We Survived With Our Sanity In-Tact
Hopefully those two posts will make you feel even better 🙂
Nina
Thank you so much for your love of our beautiful desert here in Arizona. Snow on the ground this morning in Prescott!
Hi Nina, I love your writing and as someone who has never experienced the desert in any way, shape or form other than through blogger friends, you have painted an amazing picture in my imagination. The first time questions you posed and shared are first and forefront in our minds too and we aren’t even on the road yet. Full-timing begins next year after retirement for both of us. Quartszite is pulling us, I feel it already! Thank you!
Well I wish you all the best in your plans and hope that the desert “captures” you as it has us. Even if it doesn’t there is soooo much amazing nature in this country that I know you’ll find something you love.
Nina
It’s really nice to read how you’re able to get back to your primary love in the RV Fulltimer lifestyle, and enjoying it as much as always. Great pics to see too.
Now you stay outa mischief when Paul is off to the family. 😉
Hey Nina, we have camped at Peg Leg/Anza Borrego for many years. Big changes this year: there is now a 30-day per year limit to camping which includes Rockhouse Road. Lots of new signs up limiting where vehicles are allowed (and prohibited). In the past we have boondocked well over 2 months at Peg Leg, but no more…. I haven’t checked out Rockhouse Rd completely but more areas there are also signed off limits. Not sure how the state park folks will enforce these new rules as they have not added staff to register or patrol either Peg Leg or Rockhouse Rd. The ATV area across the road from Peg Leg is private property that is now up for sale, but still open to unlimited boondocking and crazy-making noisy ATV groups every weekend. I confirmed this info with a state park employee at the Visitor Center in Borrego Springs. Hope this helps.
Thanks Suzanne. This confirms what I’ve heard from others. Obviously the 30-day (per year) limit is a shame, but by far the biggest bummer is that large areas which have been used for years are now off limits.
Nina
Nina and all posters.
You have all wet (or wetted ?? ) my appetite for the desert. We will be making our first trip to Quartzite this January. I will try and soak up all the juiceynous of the desert. First time boondocking, snowbirding etc. I am an open book or sponge and ready to absorb our new adventures…And I will remember to unplug the truck from the 5ver LOL !!
Thanks again for the info abound in these pages.
Dale and Kathy
Excellent! Hope you find yourself a nice spot out here and have fun!
Nina
So looking forward to our winter back in the desert. Bill and I are both desert rats, grew up there, graduated high school there. Although Dad retired to Q, this January will be our first time there in the RV and we can’t wait! Love the pics of the rigs with all that beauty surrounding you.
True desert rats indeed…your dad too! I’m already missing Q and wish I could go back and hang for a few more weeks. Enjoy your time here!
Nina
Love, love, love your posts! Keep up the good work.
I am enjoying your Blog. Thank you for the info on the Quartzsite area as I am slowly working my way down there, ha ha. Cheers!
Jeff