Let me introduce us & Quartzsite

Welcome to my new blog! This is my first attempt at this sort of thing so please bear with me. I am Susan’s mother, from “A Slice of Life”; so some of you probably know a bit about me. It will take a while for me to get this site set up the way I want it.

My husband, John and I are full-time travelers. We live in a 36 foot long Winnebago Journey. It is a mobile home (RV). It has two slide outs that make the interior space very livable. We have all of the amenities of a house (just about): running water, shower, bathroom (which also contains a washer/dryer combo). We have a queen size number bed; a living space with a full size couch and recliner with two TVs; DVD Player – stereo with surround sound; a full size kitchen, meaning that it has everything in it; a lg side by side fridge/freezer, a convection oven; (which takes the place of a regular oven) full size sink with filtered water (that is important in some locations). ( The kitchen is small, but well laid out.) We have a booth type sitting arrangement for eating in the kitchen area. We have lots of cupboard space all over the rig.

We even carry a large 8 ft ladder that folds into 6-7 inch sq 8 ft long. We carry a huge quantity of water & fuel. We are a self contained unit. We have a large generator. We could stay at least 2 weeks in a remote area with no outside connections to electric, water or sewage system.  Our fuel tank holds approximately 100 gals of diesel fuel. When we fill the tank- usually put 65 – 70 gals in it. (around $213 for a fill up).  We get about 8 miles per gal.

At the moment, we are in the desert of Arizona in a small (tiny) town called Quartzsite. We have come here to sell Walking Poles!

Come January several hundred, possibly thousands of RVs/ trailers etc congregate here. It’s like a very huge swap meet, where venders (in RVs) sell products of all sorts. The place crawls with crowds of people. The old timers here tell us that this year the population coming into town is way down. You can walk down the dirt lanes/paths without touching shoulders with someone else which was not possible in other years.  RV’s are parked ever-which way alone the main roads and into the desert. The land here is owned by the state of AZ and they (you know those people) let you stay for a small fee for however long that you want to stay – as long as you pay up the weekly fee.

Bargains are abundant here.  Anyone can sell anything (within reason) as long as they buy a license; a government agent comes around frequently to see if you have one and if not, he will sign you up and take your money. Taxes are 9.1% here; the state and city get their share for sure! The nearest large grocery store is 20 – 30 miles away!

Most of the time it is pretty quiet here, but all to frequently, we hear the sirens of ambulance and paramedics hurrying to the aid of those poor souls in trouble. It is a place now of the older populace and all too frequently their health becomes a problem. It also is a place where those that are use to taking advantage of others gather. Everyday we hear of something being stolen; so everyone has to keep a very close eye on their possessions. This is Quartzsite in January.  Monday the 5th of Feb. we will be heading to a park near Riverside, CA.