Quartzsite, Arizona

After reaching another phase of decision fatigue and consulting friends familiar with the area we decided to try out the LTVA BLM. It’s where all the snowbirds flock for the winter with every type of camper ranging from million dollar second home on wheels to homeless encampment. The long term BLM option was to pay $40 for two weeks or $180 for the season which runs from September to April. We chose the two weeks obviously, but the low price for the really long term made it clear why there was such a diverse and interesting population all around us.

Q is a geologically interesting place too, we gathered a couple of bags of quartz and other pretty rocks to start a new collection wherever we may end up. Even if there was less variety of things to do here the rocks and things people did with them (like making driveways and delineated lines around their own little carved out spot) kept us interested and entertained.

A few days into our stay here we were sitting outside watching the goings on when some friends we made in Nevada rolled up to the nearby dump station. Their big gray and green skoolie was pretty easy and unique enough to spot from a hundred yards away. Camden ran over and flagged them down and a day after that they returned to camp near us! Having two other kids to hang out with has been a heaven send foe both of our families. It was really fun to hang out with the Jolley family a second time, sharing stories around the campfire and comparing travel notes. They also enlightened us on a few more things to check out in Q from hikes to the best big outdoor flea market.