Tomorrow kicks off the Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show which runs from Jan 3rd – 12th, 2014. and also the Annual International Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show in Desert Gardens. Whether your family says you have rocks in your head or you want prettier rocks in your garden or on your body, you’ll find plenty of choices at these shows and some may be at rock bottom prices. These shows really rock and sometimes they even roll! (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

More vendors and snowbirds have returned just in time for some fun in Quartzsite this weekend. The Quartzsite Christmas Light Parade is on Saturday at 7 PM. Head on down to the main street early to stake out your spot for what is sure to be a great kickoff to the Christmas season. Get out there and let Santa know you believe. Don’t forget to bring a chair, thermos full of hot cocoa, and perhaps a blanket.

Also on Saturday and Sunday is the Tour de Quartzsite ATV Rally at Desert Gardens. Ready, set, GO!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Take it easy today and relax to get ready for some fun this weekend. Santa’s Workshop Arts & Crafts Festival will be going on this weekend over at Tyson Wells. Go see what these amazing artisans have created and perhaps find a unique gift or two for family and friends. Maybe you’ll find a new ornament for your Christmas tree.

Enjoy!

The schedule of events in and around Quartzsite for the 2013-2014 season has been updated. Time to start planning your trip or winter snowbird season!

There is still plenty of activity over in Quartzsite this week. The desert is still covered with boondockers enjoying the southern winter warmth. Tyson Wells has plenty of traffic and the accompanying parking problems with lots of vendors still onsite. Rice Ranch has thinned out quite a bit. Our friends, Len and Chris Bunts, are over at the front of Rice Ranch along the road and business seems to be going okay for them. If you happen to be around that way, check them out for the best LED light bulbs (I bought several from them), Tire Traker systems, water and waste pumps, and other consignment items.

Gambler’s RV store and K&B Tools are both still open if you need any replacement parts. Don’t forget to check the back building of Gambler’s for used parts at great prices. I got a new control panel for my refrigerator there very cheap and it is working great!

Solar Bill’s and Discount Solar are open and making sales and installations. Solar panels are still inexpensive alternative energy for boondocking and the cost can easily be recouped with the savings from free camping out on BLM land instead of staying in RV parks.

The big RV show is over and many RVers are headed home but the fun isn’t over yet. Winter snowbirds are still here for another 1-2 months. The desert is still dotted with them everywhere. While some vendors have left, most are still here and new ones are setting up for the next shows. Currently, the Craft and Gem Show is going on in the Big Tent and after that the Car Show  will take over. Check the events schedule for more. There is still plenty of shopping to be done.

The other day I checked out the venues I had missed previously and bought some tools I needed. For lunch, I headed over to Sweet Darlene’s which appears on the Quartzsite DVD. Pies were flying off the shelves and the Philly cheesesteak sandwich was delicious! I also highly recommend the cinnamon rolls which are very big and much cheaper than the ones sold in Tyson Wells. The service is pretty bad unfortunately but if you have time to wait, the food is good and reasonable.

Make some time to drive around town and along the outskirts. Celia’s Garden is a nice place to stroll and ponder. The RC model plane airport is an interesting place to watch big boys fly their toys. There are very old abandoned cars out in the desert washes to remind us of the good ol’ days. There are also some interesting sub-communities out on the edges. I stumbled into one modern community with paved streets and lovely low brick walls that define and separate plots of mobile homes, park models, motorhomes, 5th wheels, and travel trailers under metal pole canopies. It is an interesting mix side by side.

Yep, it’s a wrap on the the annual RV Show in Quartzsite this year. This year’s show was not as good as those in the past. There were and still are plenty of vendors to be sure but not as many as in previous years. They got some new vendors but not enough to fill up all the available vendor spaces. Many of the usual vendors were there but many of my favorites were gone. I didn’t see the usual dinged groceries vendor at the end of the front row in Rice Ranch. One of the stores along main street that I always count on has changed hands it seemed with much less inventory. The big building at the back right of the Main Event has changed hands so all that good stuff is gone and replaced with metal sculptures and decorations. Good Sam only had an insurance booth this time and not the other big booth they always have with the treasure chest and RV books for sale. No scooter rentals this year and signs are now posted to allow pedestrian traffic only in Tyson Wells.

I did find something new I liked at a booth in Rice Ranch. The gentleman there was selling satellite dish poles that replace your current tripod pole and make it very easy to level the dish without having to move the stand around.

While I was a bit disappointed in general at the variety and prices (some were higher than in stores!), I have faith that as the economy comes back, so will the annual show. Bear in mind also that Quartzsite is much more than just an RV show. There are many shows there this time of year including entertainment and it is a warm spot in the winter that many come to year after year just to thumb their noses at snow and commune with old friends and nature. It is a gathering place of pot lucks, ice cream socials, games, campfires, and tall tales. New visitors are welcomed each year. Start making your plans for next year or come now to enjoy 2 more months of sunny warmth.