Vegas to Quartzsite

January 21 - 26, 2024

Chris, Harold's friend from high school days, had told us about Vettix, an organization that provides tickets to events for service members and retirees. We used the service to obtain tickets to a comedy/magic show at the Flamingo on the strip in Las Vegas. We had a nice evening and enjoyed the show. Just how do they do that?

Flamingos at the Flamingo

Piff the Magic Dragon

We left Las Vegas the next morning to camp near Quartzsite, AZ. Our goal was to attend the Quartzsite RV Show. We had heard much about this snowbird winter mecca and wanted to check it out. We chose to stay at the KOA in Salome, AZ, about 35 minutes away. We toyed with the idea of boondocking on BLM land, which is the proper thing to do in the area. However, after being in Vegas and attending a crowded show, we thought we'd prefer less traffic, full hookups and amenities such as a hot tub. 

The Quartzsite show was different in a couple of notable ways from the Tampa Supershow or the Hershey RV Show. First, there was only one RV dealer and the rigs were a good mix of new and used. Second, we noted a vendor doing chassis and tire work in tent bays they had set up onsite. Third, we noted a fair number of vendors were employers searching for workampers. 

The beet harvest is one that has Harold intrigued. The Unbeetable Experience has a location near friends in MN. If we both work the 10 - 15 day season, we could about pay for a set of tires. Before you dismiss that idea, remember we're talking a thousand to fifteen hunded per tire plus the installation. The guy told Harold that some grandparents come work the harvest so that they can treat their family to Disney vacations. Anyway, we'll see what the future holds. 

Rainy day in the desert

Quartzsite RV Show in the big tent

Where Are We Going Next?

Valley of Fire Hikes

January 19, 2024

Valley of Fire State Park is north of Las Vegas. It took us around an hour to get there, not because of distance, but because lower speed limits. It is considered the state's first state park. We spent an enjoyable day driving the scenic roads and taking three hikes for a total of 3.5 to 4.0 miles of hiking. 

Our first hike was the Mouse's Tank. The tank, meaning a natural spot in the rock that serves as a water tank, was indeed on the small side. For us the coolest thing on that short hike, about .75 miles out and back, was Enterprise Rock. Harold needed a Star Trek costume for that. As a side note for Trekkies, scenes from Star Trek Generations were filmed in the park.

The next hike was the Fire Wave hike. This hike, along with several others, is closed in the summer due to extreme heat. Fire Wave is a loop trail just shy of 2 miles. We had hoped to combine it with the White Domes Trail. However what Alltrails was showing as the connector trail was not a true trail. The park service had posted signs saying such. 

Our final hike of the day was the White Domes Trail. It was a 1.1 mile loop trail. It was probably our favorite because of the short slot canyon. However, the trail probably had the most rock scrambling of the day.

All of the trails involved a lot of fine-grained loose sand. If you're thinking beach sand, you're probably about right. It's more tiring than you think. We were glad for hiking poles to help with balance and weight distribution. Bring another pair of shoes and socks. You'll be glad you did!

Enterprise Rock

Looks like dried spilled milk

Mouse Tank

Stuck...stuck... (not really)

Cool formations

Waves of color

In a wash area

Slot area

White domes hike

Colors

Where Are We Going Next?