December 1st, 2024
November is gone. The Thanksgiving holiday is over. Campers will now start to pour into the Quartzsite, Arizona area. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the visitors and residents in town will grow from the summer low of 2,400 to over a million.
It does not seem there are that many, as their campers disburse over the surrounding Sonoran Desert. When I drive to Blythe, California, about 25 miles away, Interstate 10 takes me over a rise before it drops down to cross the Colorado River. From the rise, looking back, I can see a large part of the La Paz Valley, speckled with whites spots, each being a motor home or camper trailer parked between the washes.
I have settled into a winter routine. On Mondays, I empty the tanks on the trailer and replenish my fresh water storage. Tuesdays are grocery days. I alternate between grocery stores to reduce the boredom of driving the same highway all the time. Sometimes I go to the Albertsons at Blythe. That might be a little more expensive, but it is the closest full size store. I don’t like it as much as Safeway up in Parker, Arizona, because so many aisles have shelving enclosed in locked glass. You have to find a store employee to use their key to get items you wish to purchase. I guess this is due to rampant shop lifting. Perhaps thieves sweat a lot, as it seems deodorant is a hot item, always locked up.
Other Tuesdays I might drive the 40 miles to the Safeway in Parker. Highway 95 is straight and mostly flat. It has a few roller coaster like dips where it crosses the washes, tummy ticklers. If I need something on a spur of the moment, I will go into Quartzsite itself to the Roadrunner Market, Coyote Fresh or Dollar General, which are all small stores with a very limited selection of items. Sometimes they will be out of products, especially true of eggs.
Occasionally, I might drive the 90 miles down to Yuma for other purchases. I usually save up shopping and other errands for there in order to make the trip worth while. There is a Walmart there, as well as Target, hardware stores, sporting goods, and the Post Office where I can forward my mail. There is also a wide variety of food establishments.
Recently I traveled north past Parker to Lake Havasu City. It also has many shopping choices. There is a multi-screen cinema, UPS store, and Post Office. I made up a list of all the things I needed to purchase and errands I needed to run. I would catch a movie, shop, walk along the lake path, and have lunch and dinner. But, as with my trip to Yuma, when I get to town, I run the errands required, and then start talking myself out of the other activities. I end up out on the highway, headed back to my campsite in the desert. Cities seem noisy and there are too many people there. The activities I planned for myself just don’t seem worth the time, cost or energy.
Back in the camper, I read, watch a couple of weekly videos, or view a sports event if on Paramount+. To keep my mind sharp, I play Mahjong and Solitaire on a daily basis. And of course, there is my daily 4 mile hike to keep myself healthy. All these help reduce the boredom until I start my spring travels.
Embrace the boredom. Adventure will come in its own time.
Starting All Over 