Quartzsite, AZ

 Quartzsite, Arizona, is a mecca for RVers.  In terms of a town, it's not much more than a busy intersection, but it’s a place where motor homes and trailers congregate in January and February.  Thousands of RVs flock to the few RV parks in Quartzsite (meaning graveled parking lots with rows of electricity, water and sewer hook-ups.)  Others dry camp on public desert lands south of town, hundreds of RVs on either side of the highway, parking every which way.

What’s the draw? What’s the attraction?  It’s the annual RV Show and Sale: a Beg Tent, home to vendors selling everything from LED lights to Vitamixers, gel pad seats to age defying lotions.  Surrounding the tent are brand new and used RVs, more makes and models than I’d imagined, doors open, “Take a look inside.  Find one you like,” and tucked between RV dealer displays are carnival food booths selling BBQ ribs and chicken, homemade ice cream, caramel corn and Kettle Corn.  Festive atmosphere, yes, but I had trouble at first justifying the aimless wandering of the retired masses, using up their time by  watching Magic Pan demos or trying out vibrating chairs.  But that’s me. I’m relatively new at this retirement thing and we DID choose to stop there.  Michael had heard about it and wanted to see for himself.

We were saved from this retirement la la land by the Pacific Cruisers and the 49ers, two California GMC clubs that have been camping together the last week of January at Rice Ranch in Quartzsite for the past 12 years.  They welcomed us warmly and invited us to park by their group, share their "happy hours" and eat meals with them.  GMCs were the common thread.  We bonded in the midst of RV giants two times our size.

We spent two nights in Quartzsite, wandering aimlessly and feeling fortunate to have met fellow GMCers in this strange land.