Au Revoir My Sweet Desert – Quartzsite, AZ
At the core I’m a sentimentalist and a romantic, so I try not to think too often of goodbyes. Most of the time I prefer to use the French term au revoir, which loosely translates to “until we see each other again”. It has much less finality, and encompasses so much more hope. After all no one can completely predict the future, in this life or the next.
And so it was with some sadness that I said au revoir to the desert mere days ago. After we finished the BBSBU we decided on a last dash to one of our favorite boondocking locations, choosing a slightly new spot this time around (review coming) so we could hang in complete solitude. It was partly to test out our new system, and partly so we could relax & re-immerse ourselves in the desert we love so much.
I admit that not everyone understands this madness.
The desert is a foreboding environment where only the most marginal of creatures survive. How could anyone love such a dry, dusty, lonely place? Or find anything interesting in such a barren landscape? Or feel attached to any of those crumbling, hodgepodge desert towns? The people are strange and the landscape is unlivable. It’s a place for ghosts and nasty things with spikes.
And despite all this, or perhaps because of it I feel perfectly at home here.
For me, the desert is like the odd-ball friend you end up falling in love with. Beneath her hard surface lies a raw beauty so deep and complex it’s astonishing when you first notice it. From cool mornings where the first threads of warmth spread over the rocks, to hot afternoons where the sun bakes the ground into tantalizing and ever-moving mirages, to the evenings where the heat leaves suddenly, like a scorned lover and everything turns to gold, red, orange and pink. I’m enthralled and forever glued to my camera wanting to capture the beauty, the next show.
Even the dusty towns have depths and layers you don’t initially expect. People come out here for so many reasons. Some to find their peace, others to escape yet all are seeking freedom from “regular” life and this creates both an amazing variety and instant bond.
I still remember the tech VP who quit her job at HP to camphost at a remote BLM spot, the 80-year old lady who came out here in her ancient truck to rock hound, the guy who came here in his trailer to relax after summers chasing gold up north. All intensely interesting people from all walks of wealth and life. There may be the occasional unscrupulous sort and perhaps even a few crazies, but they are few and far between compared to all the “modern” cities I’ve lived in. The desert, with all her extremes, makes sure of that.
And everyone who comes here, if they allow themselves to be, are captivated over time.
Once you look beyond the spikes and rocky brown ground, once you let your eyes relax to the horizon and take in the whole you see a different world. Perhaps it’s that that first moment of loneliness on a dusty road or that first sunset bathed in neon-rich light, but suddenly your mind shifts and you understand. Desert life is never the same again.
We left Quartzsite two days ago and it was a bittersweet affair. With our planned route East, we may not be back this way again for 2 years. Right now that seems like an interminable time and so very hard to accept. But perhaps, just like a fine desert day, it’ll pass faster than we expect?
Our last evening in Q we mingled with the desert folks at Silly Al’s, walked along our dusty boondocking road and enjoyed one of the most colorful and intense sunsets we’ve ever experienced. We wanted this last stay to be special and the desert delivered, oh yes she did. She was profound, romantic and painfully beautiful, as she always is.
Au revoir, my crazy love, until we meet again.
Au Revoir friends, we’ll see you when we see you…..
I think people either love the desert or hate it….it doesn’t touch everyone but it certainly touches Dave and I. There are many wonderful things about Florida and we look forward to our time at our sweet little lake cottage, but the desert always draws us back.
Safe travels,
Sue and Dave et al
I know I’ll be DYING to come back after our 2-year hiatus. We’ll enjoy the East no doubt, but my heart truly lies out West.
Nina
Beautifully said, Nina! I’ve never been able to explain it.
You left out the part where you don’t get sweaty like they show on TV and in the movies. 😉
Happy trails!
Pat
So true LOL. You don’t even (really) need a towel. Just step out of the shower and within mere milliseconds you’re dry.
Nina
I,too, love the desert. But, as you head out for new adventures, you can be comforted by the fact that the snakes and bugs are coming out of hibernation now and the way-too-hot summer temps are approaching!
Yeah I can’t deny the summer desert doesn’t temp me in nearly the same romantic way as the winter desert. It’s definitely a seasonal love affair 🙂
Nina
Well said. The desert does draw you in.
What a lovely post Nina. Love those pink desert sunsets.
We’ve spent over twenty-five years living in the city version of desert and a few years boondocking in the desert, but I only began to really love it and understand it when I started geocaching. For me, the beauty of the desert is in the details.
Totally agree. I loooove geocaching in the desert. It takes you to places you would never otherwise go, and it definitely helps you to notice details that you’d otherwise just whisk by. I e had some of my BEST desert experiences while geocaching.
Nina
This past January was our first Quartzite “experience”. 10 days boondocking out off Plomosa Rd. on BLM land. We were with the Outside Our Bubble folks, David and Brenda, and 37 other rigs. We had a ball and absolutely loved it. Beyond Quartzite, we kind of toured the Sonoran Desert eastward for another 3 weeks. We like the desert…………….in winter. 🙂
So happy to hear you guys had a good time. We just love Quartzsite, even though I know many people don’t. It’s the very first place we ever boondocked and I guess it just has a special place in our hearts. We try to come here at least once a season, and sometimes twice. It’s a quirky, crazy, fun place.
Nina
Stunning photos!! Seriously!
Just curious as to any encounters or concerns you have or have had with rattlesnakes. I saw in the news the other day that an RVer that goes to Arizona each year for baseball spring training was bitten the other day by a rattlesnake that was under his RV and doctors stated that he was lucky to have survived. Considering you have a dog and two cats just curious as to your concerns.
Typically we avoid the rattlesnakes by coming here in winter while they’re all in hibernation. And by the time the snakes come out, we’ve usually got our wheels rolling north.
Now, this year Spring has come early and it’s been unseasonably hot, so rattlesnakes are coming out waaay earlier than they usually would. We keep a close eye on our pets and don’t let them sniff under rocks, but admittedly it’s still not foolproof. That’s one of the reasons we’re (now) back on the CA coast and wheelingit north. We just try to move with the weather.
Nina
Boy do I know that feeling. We arrived at our sticks and bricks home for a short visit 5 days ago now, and oh how I miss that wonderful desert. Life here in South Dakota is slow, and the weather is still on the cold side. We look so out of place with our deep desert tans, and the phone seems to ring every 5 minutes breaking what ever peace there is what with the neighbors, who now purchased a large German Shepard to go with their monster Pit Bull which they keep in a large cage on our property line, some seven feet from our back door. My feet are itching for those desert sands, and I have already made the appointment to get our rig serviced so I can get her on the road after my visit with my doctor for my checkup before we head west. Every second of every day reminds me of why I left the house to begin with back in November!
Well here’s hoping you get those wheels rolling again very soon!
Nina
I will give some destinations for Michigan since it looks like you will pass within a few miles of my house.
Mackinac Bridge at night when lights come on
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (3 hours boat cruise plus hiking places)
Seney National Wildlife Refuge
Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes
Soo Locks
Traverse City area wineries
You can research Mackinaw Island, but you should be aware that the Beast won’t be allowed on it. If you are into Christmas, then Bronners in Frankenmuth is worth a stop as it is HUGE!!!!
I cried when we left Quartzsite this year, I love it in the desert, and the remoteness calls to me like no other. And Silly Al’s has the BEST pizza in the US, we think anyway.
I’m with you Mary. Pathetically so, but I’m with you 🙂
Nina
Beautiful….really beautiful photos Nina…some of your best to accompany a really wonderful post….interesting you used the words Au Revoir…exactly the words I was looking for when you left here….good bye always seems so final….Save travels my friend ….until we meet again…
Oh, what a chord you struck on the strings of my desert loving heart. Beautiful pictures, all. Lived near Phoenix during my teens, and spent a month in our rig in Arizona last Spring. You will see lots of beauty in the next two years (I moved to the desert from Michigan) but the desert will call you back-and you will run to her. Safe travels!
So true. She’s a terrible and ever-seductive mistress. I know I’ll be aching to come back after our next winter East.
Nina
Always enjoy your writing, you definitely and spin a good truthful yarn! I really look forward to your adventures. Thank you.
We love the desert too. We are heading down to it in April via Moab Utah so my husband can get a little jeeping in first. We live in a dry shrubstepp area but it just isn’t the desert. Love your blog. Have fun!
We spent a long weekend in Quartzsite in February and had the best time ever! We were there for a Casita Rally. At first, I was a little nervous just hearing the word “rally” because I don’t like crowds especially when it comes to camping. But it was amazing at the space we had and the solitude amongst all of the other rally attendees. We were so sad to leave. We were amazed with the beauty in Kofa Wildlife Refuge and had the most amazing Valentine’s Day on our trip to Parker, AZ to the Desert Bar. I hope that the masses will continue to think that there is nothing to see and do in Quartzsite because that means there’s more room for us to gallivant!
You’re right. I gotta stop glowing about this place. It’s terrible. Stay away!!
Nina
I always bid “au revoir” to the places dear to my heart, too — I just can’t say “goodbye.” It’s too final. The desert is but one of the places we deeply love — and so I am once again incredibly grateful for this lifestyle that allows us to have it all — just not all at the same time. 🙂 Safe travels, and wishing you joy in your new adventures!
Well said. So very well said. After a few winters spent in the deserts of the SW, we stayed “home” this year, and yet I found myself feeling homesick… for the desert we’ve grown to love. Thank you for another beautiful tribute to a place that is as remarkable as it is desolate.
So well said, Nina, for those of us that love this wondrous desert. It is very hard to leave, but I do know we will be returning:) It also helps leaving knowing that we are heading to my other love, the red rocks of Utah! It is going east that is the harest for me. We, too, will be heading east at the end of the summer. It isn’t something I look forward to but with family east, we need to get back once a year. Oh, well… Maybe we meet in a different area of the country:) See you again down the road:) Safe travels!
Beautifully stated! You captured my exact sentiments about the desert! Gorgeous photography as well! You are blessed with many talents.
Thank you much 🙂
Nina
Definitely a seasonal love affair. The desert calls me every winter, but then the forest demands most of my summer.
Thought you were headed east, not to the Pacific.
We’re doing both! Going north along the Pacific coast, then into Canada, then East. So, basically East with a loooong detour
And yes, those forests, mountains and coasts call me in Summer too. It’s that darn nomad blood.
Nina
Lovely ode to the desert. I felt the love last year during our stay at Mojave. It’s a divine place underneath all the prickles and stickers. Just please Lord, not in the summer! 😉
Totally with you…and we still haven’t been there. It’s on the list for sure!
Nina
You ought to visit the Mojave National Preserve. Recently, we’ve seen a post from you dated 2012 [1] where you said you hadn’t been there yet… and believe us, it’s a very unique place. We’ve been to most of the California deserts (Death Valley, Joshua Tree, West Mojave) ditto Arizona (including Quartzsite), but there is no place that sings to our soul like the MNP.
[1] http://www.watsonswander.com/2012/desert-dwellers/#comment-1036
The Mojave Preserve has been on my list for YEARS! We keep planning to go and just never quite getting there. We will make it…maybe 2 years from now? But we will make it!
Nina
I have just returned from my maiden voyage with my new 25-foot travel trailer. Can’t imagine myself boondogging yet but this entrancing Aurevoir Arizona Desert blog and captivating photos seared into my soul.
Thank you for inspiring my future so deeply. As you are wheeling it, I will be reveling in this new journey of my life. Open Space on the Open Rate.
Appreciatively,
Suzanne
Oops meant to say Open Space on the Open Road. Life is like a box of bloopers!
Great post Nina. We were at South Mesa/Imperial Dam/Winterhaven for the last 2 months. Leaving shortly for JT, MNP and Death Valley. Then Zion, Arches, Monument Valley, Sturgis S.D. area (we are septuagenarian bikers). We will wind up in the Boston MA/South Shore area, on the ocean for 5 summer/early Fall months. This is our pattern for our 6 years of full time so far. Visit us at harleyhawk43.WordPress.com and check out our 2 books, “Hawk and Red Fox-Modern Day Gypsies”, volumes One and Two.
Nice! That’s a loooong drive, but you’ve got two great seasonal spots there. I’ll check out your story too.
Nina
wow….you have said, in a very elegant way, why, how and what happened to me when I found the desert. We made AZ and NM our home for Jan and Feb and I was at first, repelled and then entranced by the desert and all that it is. Thanks for sharing your au revoir! It was beautiful, like the desert you are leaving, for a bit.
You’ve experienced the “moment”! I still remember when it first happened to me. It’s crazy. You really do see everything differently afterwards.
Nina
Wishing you safe and happy travels. My husband and I live in Mesa, Arizona and are planning to buy a toy hauler 5th wheel in 2-3 years and hit the road full time with our 2 cats. Searching for people doing the same (with cats!) lead me to your website.
We are so excited to start this adventure in a few years when we retire and immensely encouraged after reading your blogs, emails and etc. Thanks for sharing such valuable and heartwarming information.
Have fun and be safe as always!
Sounds like you’ve planned a fabulous adventure. Our cats are “old pros” at this now and travel really well. Definitely recommend leash training if you haven’t looked at it already. It’ll give both you and your cats so much more flexibility. We leashed trained ours at the age of 6-7. I’ve got lots more cat tips in this post: 5 Tips to RVing & Camping With Cats
Wish you all the best in your plans & cheers for following along!
Nina
Pictures don’t do the desert justice (although you capture it quite well) you have to see and experience it yourself. We just spent 4 months in Q and the experience you describe is right on the money! I love the way you write Nina.
Nina, your pictures are stunning, your words are beautiful. This is a perfect Ode to the Desert! I loved reading it.
Thank you for your wonderful verbal and visual depictions of our beautiful desert. It will miss you until you return as well.
Watching for your latest Quartzsite review. Leaving DHS after 5 weeks at Sam’s and starting our way home. Was planning to spend a few days at Dome Rock but maybe your new spot is better 🙂
I’ll be posting details tomorrow. Both spots are nice, so I don’t think you can go wrong. We love Q!
Nina
Love the desert too. And your description of it! Happy trails! Before you know it, you’ll be west bound again!
Another awesome post. The pictures other worldly, the prose more like poetry. I do believe that the desert is one of the most eclectic places on earth and the Sonoran desert my favorite. Time stands still and you just drink in the magic and BE. thanks for sharing your thoughts and pictures. Karen
You bring up a fabulous point which many non-desert folks don’t realize and that is how many different types of desert are out there. The Sonoran is so different from the Mojave which is in turn completely different from the Great Basin. So many different beauties!
Nina
The beauty of the desert landscape eluded me for the first 40, or so, years of my life. Then, a trip to the high desert town of Santa Fe, NM 20 years ago changed everything for me. I think it was the way the adobe homes of that region blended in with the earth. Suddenly, I started to see the beauty in brown, where before I had never enjoyed a landscape that wasn’t green…I AM of Irish descent, so I guess that makes sense (haha).
And when I started appreciating the brown, all of the other colors of the desert revealed themselves to me and now I wonder how the heck I did not see it before. My son, 28, thinks the desert is barren and ugly. I hope he is lucky enough to really SEE it one day…I bet he will.
It’s the oddest thing when that “a-ha” moment happens and I’ve spoken to so many people who’ve gone through exactly the same thing. Wonderful to hear your experience!
Nina
I’ll definitely miss your beautifully worded posts and pictures of the west, but excited to read about your new experiences! Especially Canada and the UP! Those are on our bucket list after retirement! Honey I promise y’all gonna love my Bluegrass State of Ky! Especially in the fall! I know lots of out of the way campgrounds! When y’all get closer I’ll fill you in on sights to visit! Btw.. My students with significant disabilities are still following your blog posts! They love to see your amazing pictures and see the places you go. Who knows, if y’all happen to be close, we might meet up with you.
I’m sooooo happy (and honored) to hear you and your students are still reading the blog! I think about y’all from time to time and I’d love to meet you when we travel through KY.
Nina
So glad that everyone doesn’t love it 🙂 As a desert rat for years I certainly relate to your love of this mysterious and inspiring place. Your photos capture the truth of what the desert is, thank you so much for sharing. Safe travels north, then east.
Nicely said Nina, poetic. I find myself having similar feelings when leaving areas. I haven’t been online much the past month due to helping with the grandkids while staying in the Mesa, Az area. I’m at Lake Pleasant now and leaving the area March 28th for California, then North to Montana the long way. I want to stay at a BLM north of Quartzsite (Plomosa?) for a couple of nights (hopefully not to hot) then in California near Joshua Tree for a couple of nights. Any suggestions? I’ve dry camped, but never “boondocked” and want to be able to have enough room to turn my 5th wheel and not sink in any sand!
Plomosa should be fine. No problem for you there at all. For Joshua Tree I’m not really too familiar with the locations since we haven’t stayed there in the rig (I’ve tent-camped there in the past, but have not been back since we went RVing). I know there is BLM land both to the north and south of Joshua Tree, plus there are several campgrounds within the park itself. Just check ahead on size limits before coming.
Nina
I know just how you feel! I spent the last year in the East and can’t wait to get back to the desert. Just crossed the Mississippi going West yesterday. Not that I didn’t see some wonderful things in the East, but I LOVE the desert!
The Mississippi creates a definite “crossing” for East-West goers. I remember when we crossed in 2011 (our first trip East & Back). Once we got to the West side I felt a subtle change and I knew I was finally heading back West.
Nina
You describe the desert so beautifully Nina. Your photos speak to the diversity and grandeur of such a desolate environment…spectacular!
Beyond the perfect pictures of the desert, your writing couldn’t get any better.
Beautifully said, Nina. I love the desert, too, and often head to Big Bend for a dose of it’s splendor.
Your photos were a gift today. Thanks!
Yeah, we’ve yet to see Big Bend. We were headed there in 2011 before Polly got sick. Then our plans went awry as we waited out to see what happened. So, we didn’t make it that year. One day we’ll make it down!
Nina
I couldn’t agree more! Your photos are so, so beautiful. I had a very short Quartzsite visit this season, and I really missed it. It’s hard to explain to people that don’t “get it” the way some of us do, but it definitely grabbed me. No matter where you are next season, or what you’re doing, I’ll bet there will be a little nudging ache reminding you that you’re not there. But of course, there’s always the up-coming season, right? 🙂
The desert is like a drug that keeps drawing you back. Once you’ve “got it” once you keep wanting it again. Hope you get your desert “fix” next season!
Nina
Beautiful beautiful, love the pictures, the blog just makes me long to go, thanks for sharing and safe travels.
We are at Joshua Tree now, at the southern entrance (between Blythe and Indio. We are just outside the entrance on BLM land, boondocking. harleyhawk43.WordPress.com
It’s only a temporary goodbye for before you even realize it you will back. Fortunately for us we have that ability to come back again and again the places we love to linger longer.
I always love all your photos!
Great photos. My hubby and I travel full-time and spent this winter near the Holtville Hot Springs not too far from you. There certainly is something magical about the desert, though I can’t say I haven’t missed my towering tree-friends. Safe travels!
We are in the beautiful, green Pacific Northwest, which we love. But we spent some great years early in our married life in Carson City, NV, and we still yearn for those open vistas and the smell of sage and pinion. The real reason I’m commenting, is too thank you for this site…it’s obviously a labor of love. We are planning our first RV trip in the southwest and I can’t imagine a better resource–it feels like myCHristmas came a week early. We pick up our rental, a 24 ft class C, in Phoenix January 17–then it’s off to somewhere–likely east to NM and work our way down to Big Bend NP. Well, back to the maps, CG reviews, and blog entries! Wish us luck.