Quartzsite Arizona
January, 2000
Here we are enjoying the Arizona sun. In the past year
of traveling we've found that managing our trailer's energy is real tricky.
If we're not hooked up to "shore power", our batteries only last for a
limited time. To free us from the necessity of electrical hook-ups,
we've added solar panels to our trailer and doubled our batteries.
This was our first chance to try the new system out and it looks like the
investment has paid off. It sure is nice to be back amongst the cactus.
Here is a picture of several of the rigs that met at a pre-determined
spot in the middle of the desert. All of these folks belong to a
group called the Boomers, as in "baby boomers". We are about the
youngest of the bunch, (and Max likes to point out that he is the youngest
Boomer of all). This year there were over one hundred Boomers at
the rally, (or as they like to call them, "Boomerangs").
Quartzsite Arizona is just ten miles east of the California-Arizona
border on Interstate 10, which connects the East to Los Angeles.
It's a town of about 1500 people, but every January and February it swells
to more than 12,000. It becomes the largest rock show, RV show and
swap meet I've ever seen. I think it would take five days to see
all of the booths, tables and displays.
Everyday at 4:00 we gather around the fire pit for happy
hour (socializing, meeting new arrivals and saying good byes to those who
are moving on.) Today the crowd grew especially large since there
was a "Geraldine" contest, (old guys dressed up like gals). When
you've been out in the desert this long anything can happen.
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