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Geocaching and Human Geocache Travel Bug

If you love geocaching or are interested in learning about it, see my new site RVGeocacher . Today I posted my experience at the Quartzsite, AZ RV Show and Swap Meet as a human geocache travel bug at http://rvgeocacher.com/human-geocache-travel-bug .

This Week In Quartzsite

We went to the opening day of the Big Tent on Saturday despite many admonishments from friends and horror stories about the traffic being so bad that we would not even be able to get off the freeway. Traffic on the freeway was not bad at all at 9am in the morning and we had no problem getting in via the last Quartzsite exit to Main Street to the 95 south. We went to the LTVA area at La Posa West to meet up with my sister and her husband who had arrived only the night before. We found it had filled up considerably but there were still some spots to be had. If you can’t find parking elsewhere, you can park there during the day at no charge according to the ranger we asked. Sis got a spot near the wash which is next to the Big Tent area. We parked at her place and walked over to the tent. The crowd wasn’t too bad at the start but around 11am the crush was on, body to body. By late afternoon it had eased up so we could walk inside again.

There are plenty of vendors inside and out. I saw some new vendors there as well as the old. Lots of DirecTV dealers are there as well as Escapees, Adventureland amusement park looking for workampers, Verizon, lots of solar and LED dealers, clothing, RV gadgets and parts, insurance, BBQs, pots and pans, kitchen gadgets, Good Sam, tourist bureaus, etc. I noticed there was no Good Sam treasure chest this year and there are more general RV gadget stores. I scored new insurance, a shirt with a map of the USA and little jewels to iron on for each state I have visited, and plug covers for the electrical connections from my trailer to my SUV. My sister, a friend, and I went in on a buy two get one free deal on some Eggies. I got Sis and her husband a deal on a new RV patio mat through a sweet friend of mine there. Some vendors will deal though it isn’t always easy with the very high sales tax there hurting them. Prices are a bit higher this year. There are also lots and lots of food booths there with wonderful smells teasing the nostrils of passers by. Ice cream is still the biggest seller this year from what I could see and the cones are huge double dips.

Strangely absent was mat stakes which had been everywhere the year before but are harder to find there this time despite the many mat vendors still there. I didn’t see some of last year’s vendors there either though there are still plenty there.

My friends who are working for a vendor again this year tell me that the crowds are there everyday and they are definitely spending money. Sales are looking very good indeed. The new scooter rental vendor is also renting everything they have out very early and all day.

The weather is not as good as last year. It is cold, somewhat sunny, and windy as can be. Saturday, all the merchandise on shelves outside was clean and new looking until the winds covered them with desert dirt. We had dirt in our teeth and hair making it rather miserable by the end of the day. We couldn’t wait to hit the showers back at camp. The wind also shook some of the small tents so bad that merchandise came off hooks, tarps flew open, pipes creaked, and they considered taking down the Michelin Man balloon. Still, people are coming and having a fine time anyway.

We went back for more on Sunday, crazy as we are. Just walking around and listening to the presentations is fun. Sitting around later with friends and telling Quartzsite tales is another good pastime. Yesterday and today, of course, we are still recovering.

Fire in Blythe Fairgrounds

Saturday as we left our RV park in Blythe, CA we spotted a fire at the Blythe fairgrounds where the annual Bluegrass Festival was going on. An RV in the far corner was fully engulfed and burned down to frame very quickly. The owners were not home at the time but one of their cats escaped while the other perished. Neighbors raced to get the propane tanks off and away from the vehicle before the fire reached them. The huge plume of dark black smoke soon turned to gray then white as the fire trucks arrived and doused the flames. Fire is every RVer’s worst nightmare. Our condolences go out to the owners and their beloved pets.

Yuma Territorial Prison

Overlooking the city of Yuma, AZ up on Prison Hill is the first territorial prison for Arizona. It was built in 1875, received it’s first inmates in July of 1876, and operated as a prison until forced to close due to overcrowding in September, 1909. From 1910-1914 it was the home of Yuma Union High School. During the Depression, it fell into disrepair and some of the down and out found shelter there. The prison is a fascinating look into the old west and a bit of an eye opener as well. The current cost to tour it is $5 for adults and well worth it. The courtyard provides excellent views of the river and city below. Actors in period costumes put on a shootout for visitors there.

Yuma Prison courtyard

Stairs lead up to the platform built on top of the water tank to stop evaporation. At one time, the platform was walled in to provide sleeping quarters for guards and was also one of the gun posts on the massive adobe wall (now gone) that was once 8 feet wide at the base and 5 feet at the top. From here, much of the inside of the prison could be watched as well as the front gate.

Yuma Prison water towerYuma Prison GateYuma Prison Museum

Continue reading Yuma Territorial Prison

Quartzsite Mobility

Don’t forget your bike or mobility scooter if you are coming to Quartzsite this year. There is so much to see there and so much walking to do. You likely won’t get a parking spot close so don’t forget your wheels. My brother and I plan to use a our 2 wheeled electric scooters here to get around and we have already seen several electric bikes here as well as regular bikes and even a bicycle built for two. We saw some 4 wheelers over by Tyson Wells on Saturday.

electric scootersElectric BikeBicycle built for two

If you do forget your bike or decide you should have brought it, take heart because a new vendor in Tyson Wells in Quartzsite this year is providing rentals of electric 3 wheeled scooters as well as sales of them. Buying one will cost you $2600. However you can rent one of these fun and awesome babies with full suspension, 22 mph, 25 miles on a charge, basket, front light, etc. for only $10 an hr., $40 per day, or $180 per week. You can test drive one for free and I have to say it really does have a lot of get up and go not to mention excellent traction from the larger bicycle tire. Rentals are hot right now and even the vendor is surprised by the excellent reception the scooters are getting. We had to wait for one to come back in and be recharged in order to try it out.

LyricMotion Electric ScootersLyric Scooter

Now if you want some cheap transportation fast that you can take home with you today for less than that $180 a week rent, my red electric scooter pictured above in the first pic is up for sale at the Consignment Store over at Rice Ranch in Quartzsite with good batteries, new throttle, and a brand new battery charger included. It is charged up and ready to go! I have another blue scooter I am riding now to zoom around town.

January Quartzsite News

Just before New Year’s, the park finally started filling up here in Blythe and many more vendors showed up in Quartzsite. From what I saw yesterday, we will still have a great swap meet this year despite the slump in pre-sales and expected slump in post-sales. The gem dealer areas and swap meet areas at Tyson Wells and Rice Ranch have filled in very nicely with tents and stalls everywhere and plenty of wares to browse. The swap meet area by the post office in town is looking much better and the grocery store tent there is open. Lots of new and used RVs for sale are now available to consider that next lifestyle upgrade or downsizing. The area is now in full swing. The big tent opens Jan. 21-29, 2012.

Quartzsite 2012 Rice RanchQuartzsite Trailer TrashQuartzsite Consignment Dealer

Quartzsite Consignment DealerQuartzsite Rox-UniqueTools and stuff

Tyson Wells VendorsFlags flyingTyson Wells Traffic

Traffic through Tyson Wells is also now slow and the parking around there as well as up by the post office is now crowded. Many more rigs are out on the BLM areas this week and we can see several groups out there.

For more pics click here.

Pics will continue to be added to as the season goes on.

Quartzsite 2011-2012 Update

Many vendors and snowbirds have arrived in the area but numbers are way down. You can definitely see the effects of the lousy economy here. There are not as many rigs out on the BLM land as last year and vendors are reporting early sales are way down. Several folks we know have opted to stay at cheaper parks farther north in Arizona. It’s not shaping up to be a great season for campgrounds and vendors in and near Quartzsite. Hopefully, the big show in January will still bring in the crowd. It always has. Even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend this year, it is still a great place to come browse for ideas and spend time with family and friends. There are lots of activities planned in Quartzsite, the Blues Festival over in Blythe, hot air balloons and fireworks up in Lake Havasu, historical areas around Yuma, Mexico nearby, and plenty more to enjoy and lift the spirits.

RV Toilet Paper

Yep, this post is about TP. You may think it is silly to talk about it if you have never camped in an RV but for RVers it is a serious and expensive subject with many opinions. Any RVer knows that using the wrong TP can cause huge problems by stopping up their black water tank and breaking the valves. You can’t just use any old toilet paper. I have seen first hand the devastation caused to a system where the wrong TP was used (no, not mine!). RV stores always tell us to go with specially made RV paper they sell. Such RV or marine toilet paper is also available at Wal-Mart in their Auto – RV section. It doesn’t hurt to play it safe and go with that recommendation though such toilet paper is a little more expensive than regular household paper and they don’t seem to have the huge multi-packs and coupons like household paper does for savings. I have always used the special RV paper myself.

I have been reading in many RV blogs and forums that regular household toilet paper can be used if, when tested, the paper dissolves immediately and completely in a glass of water. Scott Tissue seems to get recommended a lot. Until recently, I have felt this advice was either wrong or incomplete. It turns out, it was in fact incomplete. To use household TP, it is safest to use 1 ply rather than 2 ply as well as pass the water test. AHA! That makes quite a difference. So, I went out and bought a multipack on sale of Scott Tissue 1000 rolls which is 1 ply and the package says it is septic tank safe. A quick test in water made it dissolve faster than a pack of RVers after a pot luck. It was fast! After a week of testing, all seems to be well and my bum is happy with it as well. I know my wallet will be happier too and I can find this TP anywhere, no special store required.

Scott1000

Now I hear some say that you can use 2 ply as well if it passes the water test. While this may be true, I think it would depend on the users. If you have someone in your rig who likes to use an awful lot of TP every time they go or a female who is still having periods (thus requiring more TP), I think it is safer to go with the 1 ply. The amount used at one time and how much water each person uses to flush will make a difference.

Don’t forget personal preferences. For some folks, their precious butts must have extra soft, 2 ply, fancy pattern, expensive TP. Convincing them to use anything else simply is not possible. If buying them ridiculously expensive special RV toilet paper makes them happy and keeps them off your butt, then it is worth it.