I came here to research an article about Quartzsite for future publication in Airstream Life magazine, and it is starting to come together.   I’ve been looking beyond the flea markets (five major ones), and RV parks (70 of them) that dominate this town, to try to discover the “real” Quartzsite.   It’s hard, because the little historic and natural gems of Quartzsite are scattered through the dusty hills like the elusive gold flakes so many people are seeking.

Last night I drove north of town about five miles to the Plomosa Road area, where a lot of people are camping for free (this is BLM land but outside the LTVAs which charge a fee).   Mike & Tracy were there in their Airstream 345 Classic motorhome, along with Jim D in his very nice “Squarestream”.   These are all folks I’ve met before.   After dinner, Mike agreed to show me some of the lesser-known sites today, based on his prior experience with the area, and Jim decided to come along for the ride.

So off we went this morning.   I quickly discovered that seeing the sights here requires lots of long drives down dusty back roads, and four-wheel drive is nice to have.   Around Quartzsite there are several gold mines, and many more small groups or individuals working pits. We saw plenty of them in remote places.   You can still stake a claim, just like in the old west days, and dig a pit for gold, although most people use excavators rather than shovels these days. One such pit we saw was in the middle of a wash.   The digging is done and the pit is abandoned. Rather than fill it it, the Corps of Engineers dictated that it be left to fill naturally in the next wet season.   So in the meantime it’s an obstacle for the four-wheelers that use the wash as a highway.

We did find one petroglyph site today and I got photos for the magazine.   We also encountered an Airstreamer with a 1965 trailer (a Tradewind perhaps?) and tons of solar panels.   He generates more power than he can use, which made me envious since I’m carefully rationing my power this time of year.   His tips led us to some metates (ancient Native America grinding and pounding holes) as well.

He also told me of a spot where some of General Patton’s tanks can be found abandoned. Patton used this area as a training ground for tanks that he thought might be joining the battle in WW II. I’m going to try to find that spot before I leave.

Things are still slow for the vendors.   Above, Jake the dog takes a nap at Jim Breitinger’s booth.   Nobody is sure why Quartzsite is so “off” this year but many people are claiming that there are only half the participants of prior years.   Traffic has been almost nonexistent, whereas in past years there have been backups.   You can browse any vendor’s booth for 5 minutes and get their undivided attention.   Personally I like the lack of crowds but I feel badly for the vendors who trucked semis full of merchandise and will likely be trucking it forward, virtually unsold, to Tucson for the gem show there.

The past few days have been absolutely calm, but this is unusual for the desert in winter.   Today, the normal weather started up: brilliantly clear skies and strong breezes which cause dust devils.   My neighbor has a wind generator on his trailer that is spinning madly, and my trailer is rocking in the gusts.

Solar report:   As of 8 a.m., batteries were at -68 amps.   At 5 p.m., batteries were at -33 amps, for a net gain of 35 amps today.   Not bad.   This was under completely clear skies.   My batteries are still at 80% of their useful capacity after three nights.

I saw a vendor selling a very slick electric panel tilting setup which would be perfect for improving our solar gain, but it was $700, which is a bit expensive for our needs.   I’ll wait for the catalytic heater to be installed, and maybe replace a few lights with fluorescents.   Cutting power use is much less expensive than trying to increase power generation.