We just spent a week in Quartzsite, Arizona. The reason we were there was to meet like-minded travelers and to find stuff we couldn’t live without at the gigantic flea market and RV Show. We were successful.
Quartzsite is a tiny community, under 4000 residents per the last census, but it hosts over 2 million visitors a year, most of them during the ‘show season’ of January and February.
Quartzsite is called the ‘RV boondocking’ capital of the world. Boondocking means camping without services. In Quartzsite it means camping in the desert without services. No big deal since most RVs are completely self-contained. The Big Rig is completely self-sufficient, but for our first trip to Quartzsite we wimped out and went for a desert campground with full hookups. It worked for us.
We spent several days at the RV Show and the flea market. It’s crowded and has the feeling of a snowbird street fair. Lots and lots of retired couples pushing strollers, dog strollers not kid strollers. About half of the attendees brought their dogs. Us included, only ours doesn’t have a stroller.
Our mutt even got groomed at Quartzsite. Her new ‘do’ made her feel tall and thin. (Maybe I should try that.)
There’s lots of interesting stuff to see at Quartzsite and with all the vendors you can find about anything you need or want. We went for a couple needs and one want. The needs were a flashlight, a step for the Big Rig, and a waterless wash system.
The want was a 22′ flag pole. I’m betting it’s obvious which one of us wanted the monster flagpole. It is cool though.