This town is in the southwest corner of the state, 20 miles from the border with California. It has mild to warm winters from November to March and hot to extreme temps for the remainder of the year. In the middle of summer, Quartzsite is one of the hottest places in the US and has recorded temperatures as high as 122 °F.
During January and February homes on wheels outnumber permanent homes by about 500 to 1. The town receives a yearly migration of an estimated one million + humans along with their canines. There are 60+ RV parks with the usual hookups of electric, water and sewer. Thousands of more adventurous people park their RVs in the surrounding Bureau of Land Management areas where the cost is minimal and there are no hookups. Each year the nation's largest RV show is held during the last 2 weeks of January under a big top tent. Many visitors attend the RV show but also live in Quartzsite in their RVs for most of the winter months.
We stayed in Quartzsite February 5 to 12 in a small cozy RV and mobile home community. It was right in the town and close to everything. We rode our bikes around town and out into the BLM lands. We ran around the town twice, shopped at a small grocery store and found 2 small restaurants. I walked to the huge outside arts and crafts show south of town and across Route 10. I visited the show 4 times while Ken was in the RV on his laptop being productive. We did not leave the area for the entire week.
Some sights around the town and our site in the Kofa Mountain Community
The Arts and Crafts Show. Also a continuation of the January Rock, Gem & Mineral Show. Most of the show consists of rows of vendors in the large outside fair area. There is a section of shops that are permanent businesses that operate during "The season". A small business that I dismissed at first because of its outside appearance ended up being the most interesting of the trip. It's called Para Vida and is a rock and gem store, owned by a very knowledgeable and kind young couple. They also had an adorable and friendly dog named Vida.
One bike ride in the north of town BLM area on some OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) trails. We rode by the Quartzsite 18 hole golf course which is one big sand trap.
My purchases from Para Vida, the start of our rock collection.
