Arrived in Quartzsite, AZ

1 January 2019

Spent some time this morning to enjoy a nice shower and a last load of laundry before heading north for Quartzsite.  On the way out, we drove through the Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area, one of several LTVAs that BLM has offering 6 months of dry camping for $180, or 14 days for $40.  LTVAs are very popular for a lot of RVers who make the Southwest their winter home.  Amenities are limited - dumpster, water fill, dump station.  Usually no showers.  A couple we met last night at the New Years Eve dinner said we had to see the LTVA near the base, so we did.  Alas, with the government shutdown, LTVAs are not allowing anyone to check in, only allowing those already there to stay.  For now.  Based on the dozens of RVs we saw driving south today, no doubt the government shutdown is impacting a lot of plans.

As forecast, it was a gusty, windy day with high temperatures only in the upper 40s - definitely not a golf day.  As soon as we arrived in Quartzsite, we drove by another dry camping area where an RV gathering will be that we may participate in later in the month.

• So after about 51 days and 5,930 miles of driving, Sprinty has completed what Google Maps said was a 2,010 mile trip that would take one day and four hours.  Of course, doing it Google’s way would not have been nearly as interesting.

We then checked into Sprinty’s home for the month of January at Scenic Road RV Park in Quartzsite.  A small RV park compared to others in Quartzsite with only 97 sites.  When we checked in, Jeff, the owner, told us of a ham and bean soup lunch at the clubhouse.  We joined in as a way to meet some of our neighbors.  We sat with Tom and Wendy who are full-timing in a 2015 Phoenix Cruiser (Class B+).  We learned they were also camping at Canyon Lake north of San Antonio, TX around the same time we were there.  And they were also at the Escapees North Ranch park in Congress, AZ when we stopped in on Christmas Eve.  We told them about our friends Matt & Lori buying a Phoenix Cruiser with the twin bed layout.  Tom & Wendy shared they are the third owners of this unit.  The second owner had bought it used from the first owner as they wanted to change from a twin bed arrangement Phoenix Cruiser to a queen bed layout.  Six months in, they decided they did not like the queen bed layout, and traded it in for a twin bed unit, and Tom & Wendy bought it used from Phoenix Cruiser in Elkhart last summer.  That the second owner remained loyal to Phoenix Cruiser (apparently owned three in a row according to Tom & Wendy) says a lot about Phoenix Cruiser.

We also learned upon arrival that this winter is the third coldest on record for Quartzsite, giving us hope of warmer temperatures ahead.

After getting Sprinty all settled, we took a walk down to Main Street, which is about 1/2 mile from the campground, to get some exercise and familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood a bit.