When we stopped to take on fuel at the Flying J Truck Stop in Phoenix we saw someone from our past. Yep, it was "Private RV" boy. You might remember that was two states and four days ago. They were in the RV parking area waiting on dark-- I guess. The car carrier they were towing wasn't present though. I wonder if it fell off somewhere? I'll bet you he was heading to Quartzsite. He would be considered wealthy in Quartzsite. However, at the Flying J, he would be the truck that nobody wants to park beside.
I was dizzy most of today. I think I am suffering from vortex deprivation. After I finish this post, I will crawl under the crystals glued to the dash. Maybe I can realign my chakra.
We made it to Quartzsite, AZ today. This is not a destination for most RVers. Quartzsite is a very small town on the Arizona and California border off Interstate 10. Deb read today that the year round populace is about 5000 people. Her internet source said that it swelled to 1 million during January and February. I might contest that number but you get the picture what happens to this town. The thing about this town is that the RVers stay in the desert dry camping. Dry camping means no water, electric, or sewer connections. Dry docking is another term for it. Nasty is the best term I can use. These folks go to the Bureau of Land Management Office (BLM) and get a permit to boondock in the desert for a few dollars. I heard it is $6 but my sources are suspect. Regardless, the cheapskates come in droves. Not only droves, they come in school buses, trailers, fifth-wheels, motorhomes, and just about anything you imagine. This is not a destination for anybody I know. But what the hey, The Love Boat sails through all waters even off season Burning Man Festival participants. You should google The Burning Man Festival.
We drove from end to end of this town in 5 minutes. It had 2 grocery stores. At home we would call them convenience stores. A full-blown grocery is 25 miles away. Have you visualized the depth of this place? We stopped in the General Store to purchase some stuff. The line was ten people deep at the register. The "gentleman" behind us was likely on parole from one of the fine, privately owned prisons near us. I saw a bumper sticker in NC that somewhat offended me. The bumper sticker read, "Paddle faster, I think I hear banjo music". I now understand that bumpersticker. Prison Boy was the kind of guy that you would look at (very briefly) and say to yourself, "I'll bet your mama is proud of you". Of course you would never want to say it to his face.
We took the puppies and let them run loose in the desert. They had a blast. During our trip, they have learned a new phrase, "Puppies want to play?". Monty is a little quicker than Riley learning new human phrases. Regardless, they both knew that play meant running free. They had a blast and so did we. The desert has its rewards. While the puppies were marking Quartzsite, Deb was running around hunting for a rock for our collection--I won't go into the collection just yet. She would walk over and pick up a big rock, look it over, and then throw it down. I realized after she was finished that I forgot to tell her to turn the rock over with her shoe before picking it up. Big rocks in the desert are sometimes hiding places for scorpions, tarantulas, snakes, and tattooed prison parolees. She will read this and not do that again.
In Palm Springs there is a dog park that the rich and famous use. The puppies played in the facilities there a few years ago. Monty and Riley have waited for months to sniff rich and famous dog butt. I personally have not seen any poo scooping celebrities but a month is a long time.
Palm Springs is full of extremely wealthy (i.e. Bill Gates has a house there), famous people, and snow birds. Each visit I've made to Palm Springs has been entertaining. I'll post about the people that we meet there. After Christmas, Deb and I will start back to Raleigh on a more southerly route in an attempt to avoid snow. Our friend Walter will fly to Austin, TX and replace Deb who will fly home. The last leg of the trip should be entertaining.
Tomorrow is Palm Springs and a close to a 2600 mile journey. A close to the journey but not the blog.
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