Hanging Out in Quartzsite, AZ Area

For the past month we've been staying in the area around Quartzsite, Arizona. It's been an enjoyable experience for the most part. A couple of peeves:

Quartzsite, although it is filled with RVers and is known for it's rock and mineral shows, is getting extremely expensive. We naively thought that I would be able to set up a table quite easily to sell the jewelry I make. It's not quite as easy as you would have thought for a place that is supposed to cater to vendors of stone products. First of all, you must have a place to park that is recognized by the city, such as one of the many show grounds, or have a permanent COMMERCIAL address. Either of these options are extremely expensive, there's just not a lot of places for the little guys any longer. Next, you need a vending permit from the city. When we checked into it, they wanted $50 for this season, which is basically over with at the end of February. The city also collects the fees for the state of Arizona and requires you have an Arizona EIN (another fee depending on where you plan to sell). We decided this was a little much for someone who probably would be pushing it if they had $200 worth of stock.

The other pet peeve is in a little town on Hwy 72 called Bouse. We stopped in on a day when they were holding their townwide swap meet/yard sale. As the laundry was kind of piling up, we decided to get it done, and while washing it, we'd just pop into the little cafe next door and have some breakfast. The sign out front neglected to warn travelers that it wasn't extremely friendly to non-locals. We sat for approximately half an hour at a table, no menus, no water, no silverware, and no acknowledgement from a waitress. There were two of them working. One had her hands full clearing tables, taking money from patrons trying to leave, and sitting at a table by the front door taking her break(s). The other waitress was busily running at full speed, accomplishing such masterful things as carrying a single catsup bottle while standing beside a table debating if it should be cleaned off. She also managed to carry a single plate of toast, a cup of coffee, and one plate of food (not at the same time, mind you) to patrons in the back of the restaurant. Her "look at me, I'm so busy I can't think straight" act didn't really wash with me. Call me demanding, but I really feel that half an hour is plenty of time to at least tell someone you'll be right with them. We finally left in complete disgust at the lack of service, and weren't the only ones to do so.

Now for the more pleasant part of our stay: We did find a nice little place called the Vicksburg Swap Meet along Hwy 72 and Vicksburg Road. For a very reasonable fee, we could park for the month with electric, water, and sewer, and set up a table to sell our wares and a few yard sale type items we needed to clean off the bus. The other residents were very friendly, celebrating an 80 something birthday with a cake, and another by letting the birthday gal pick any item she wished ffom the other tables. The owner, Jan, and her husband are very sweet people, allowing everyone to use their address to receive mail, and basically stopping in periodically to just chat. I haven't sold any jewelry as yet, but gleaned some great tidbits on which wholesalers are best to buy supplies, where the better shows are to set up and sell, and made some new and dear friends.

Along highway 95, between Lake Havasu City and Quarztsite, is a pleasant little town called Parker. The Colorado River Indian Tribes maintain a casino with decent odds at their slots, and a fantastic buffet for a very reasonable price. They have a small RV park, but don't seem to mind if their parking lot is half full of campers and motorhomes enjoying a day to a few day respite from the road. They have free internet available in their lobby with several very comfy chairs and sofas to relax in. We've been here on two separate trips to Parker, and will probably visit it again once or twice more before we leave Arizona. The view of the Colorado River is beautiful, worthy of a photograph or two. Don't miss the indoor swimming pool with it's Aztec architecture waterfalls. Even if you're not staying in the hotel, it's a site worth seeing. The Wal-Mart is also camper-friendly, and a great place to meet other full-timers, stock up on a few necessities, and just take a break from the road. Don't be surprised if you even get a welcome from the management when you stop in the store.

This week, we've got plans to attend the inaugural Lighthouse Ministries Street Fair as a vendor. Set up is free with the opportunity to make a donation if you so desire. All proceeds will go towards their homeless program. For us, it will be a time for some exposure of my jewelry, paintings, and staffs in the Parker area. I'll have to let you know how it goes in my next blog. Until then, enjoy the open road...