January 14
We leave Anza Borrego Desert SP and travel the short distance to Joshua Tree National Park. It’s a pretty drive through Box Canyon, most of which seems to be BLM land. A few RV’s are camped there.
We arrive at JTNP near the Cottonwood Visitors Center, where I go in and flash my senior pass for free entrance to the park. Otherwise it’s $15. I tell the Ranger I’d like to camp at Cottonwood Campground and he tells me there are lots of open spaces there now. There are water spigots, flush toilets, and it’s $15 to camp, but $7.50 with senior pass. This senior pass turns out to be a very valuable little piece of plastic. If you are 62 or better, you can get them for $10, and they last as long as you do.
I drive 3/4 mile to the campground, pick a nice spot and we walk back to the kiosk to pay. We chill the rest of the day, taking walks around the campground and nearby roads. I meet Larry. He and his wife are looking do downsize and have been thinking of a Casita but have never seen inside one. I let him look. He gives me coffee as a thank you. 🙂
January 15
We take a drive through the park. Between the strange looking Joshua Trees and odd rock formations, I feel like we’ve landed on another planet. Some of the mountains look as if huge bulldozers have made gigantic piles of rocks.
Joshua tree
Mountains look like piles of rocks
We exit the park at 29 Palms, and suddenly I have internet and phone service. I go to the grocery store, then back into the park. We go a different way and see more weird rocks and trees. I think about how adaptable plant and animal life is to be able to survive in this harsh environment.
We return to camp and pay for one more night. Tomorrow we move on…
January 16
We are headed for Quartszite! We are less than 100 miles from there, so the ride down I10 is easy. We arrive to mass craziness! This tiny town is one big traffic jam of RV’s and huge trucks. Thankfully I’m meeting friends Shirlee and Doug (we met at Owl Canyon and again at Sawtooth Canyon). We agree to meet at the Chevron station…I end up at the Pilot Truck Stop instead, but they find me anyway. I follow them out of the major traffic, back to where they are already camped. At this point I couldn’t tell you the location, except it’s BLM land where you register, can stay for 2 weeks, and there is no charge.
Joy and Shiloh are so excited to see their friends again! Joys OCGD…Obsessive Compulsive Greeting Disorder…goes into full swing and every time Shirlee or Doug walk away and come back again, she greets them like she has been missing them for years.
I set up camp, have some late lunch, and finally we all pull up our lawn chairs together, get the maps out, and share about the places we have been since we were together at Sawtooth.
The big tent in Q opens on the 17th. We will see how we feel about taking it in on opening day…:-)
This is where I’m camped now
Good night Quartszite!
Wandering Spirit 
I’ve heard about Quartsite for years but have never attended. Glad you have friends you can do stuff with…seem to enjoy it more when you do. Hugs to the furbabies.
Cat Lady
Yes and they have been here before and know their way around. It really helps when your in a group of a million or so! 🙂 but mostly I just really enjoy being with them.
We got spoiled by the solitude at Sawtooth Canyon so left after 5 days. Were going to stay at JTNP but decided to just come on down to Q. We have a really nice private campsite with no clingers & plan to stay for awhile. Glad the dogs met back up with their pals–love the OCGD! We decided to go to the show on Monday. Did laundry yesterday & had breakfast there–it was good & the laundromat is very clean. Have fun!
That doesn’t make sense. We left Sawtooth because it was c-c-cold! Sawtooth is what pushed us to look for an isolated site here at Tyson Wash & we succeeded! There–confusion hopefully lifted.
I was wondering about laundromats and restaurants around here. Aren’t they just extremely busy, with all the people here? I mean, the town is normally so small…
That’s great you have an isolated place here! I’m getting a bit overwhelmed by the dust already.
You may want to stay a week and then leave and come back for the fiberglass RV (and others) gathering at Quartzite February 6/7/8 unless the herd of folks at Pine Knot was too many at one time. I think Arizona Eileen said there were 90 trailers there last year, mostly Casitas. It’s a pet friendly gathering. My understanding its that you can only stay 14 days out of every 28 so you wouldn’t be able to stick around from now till after the gathering. I thinking of trying to convince Paul to make the gathering next year but we’re home now till after our Shiloh arrives.
Hi Reine. I think once I leave I won’t be back for awhile. 🙂 it’s fun but I’ll have had enough by then. We went to the big tent today, and as it turns out the big tent is only a fraction of all the vendors. All I bought was a dog treat for Joy and Shiloh. When I go back when the dogs are being babysat, I’ll feel like I have more time and may find something I can’t live without. I’m trying again to cell my extra solar. I really need the space it takes up in the back of my truck. I’m down to $200 for a folding 90 watts in a great carrying case with an extension cord and a lock. Anyone reading this here at Q interested? 🙂
Sounds like things are going well and you are enjoying your freedom and adventures!!! I bet Quartzite is quite a change from the quiet you have been experiencing. When you were in Twenty Nine Palms visiting the grocery store, you were just 20+ miles from us where your adventure actually began!!! We are loving all the pictures and notes on your adventure!!
Doug sends his best too…
Peggy >
Hi Peggy and Doug,
When I came out of Barstow and towards the Salton Sea The day after Christmas, I came right through Yucca Valley! I was thinking very hard about you two and that cold day in October 2013 when we met and a few hours later I drove off with WS.
YES Q is very different! That’s an understatement. :-). But I’m having fun! So glad the two of you are traveling along with us.
The MOST BEAUTIFUL SKY YET!
Each sunset and sunrise is unique and so beautiful! The other morning I thought the sunrise was finished. I came out the door a few minutes later and gasped at the sky…gosh, it wasn’t finished, it was just getting started. Just amazing.