Day 48: Quartzsite and south

Palm Canyon - California Fan Palms

Day 48:  November 15th, 2013  KOFA Wildlife Refuge

Palms

We left  our quiet boondocking digs early in the morning to head to Quartzsite.  Not having been there before and having done no research, we didn't know what to expect.  The one thing we did know was that we would end up boondocking in the KOFA wildlife refuge south of Quartzsite by about 18 miles.


Hiking...our class c is dot in the valley

Bird's nest in saguaro

hiking area of Palm Canyon

all things cacti

cacti growth

Quartzsite is home to a large gem and mineral show in January and February each year but we didn't know what to expect in November.   I was hoping that I might find some finished cabochons to bring home and I was successful in finding some colorful turquoise, some displays, and a  strand of beads.
My customers will love the finished products. 



that is one BIG cactus

doesn't look so big does it..see below

We found Quartzsite to be mostly devoid of homes but rich in motorhomes and rv's in all vintages from old and crusty to the most modern.  Because we may never be here in January or February (but we might), we tried to picture it at that time of year.  Would all the rv spots be filled? (There was potenetially a lot of them between full service parks, mom & pop spots, the BLM lands, the Long Term Visitor Areas).


creepy tarantula that I almost stepped on...very creepy

There is also an RV show here in January where apparently as many as 750,000 to 1,000,000 people in rv's converge on this small town with not many services.....
Some day we hope to be able to see what all this is about in person.
We arrived early afternoon at the KOFA Wildlife Refuge in time to do a quick hike to Palm Canyon.
The California Fan Palm naturally grows here in the recesses of the canyon and its the only place in Arizona where it grows.



night shot #1

All things, Saguaro Cactus.  The Sonoran Desert is the backdrop for our overnight tonight and tomorrow nights...wow, couldn't be better! Well we don't see saguaro in NY and they are the quintessential cactus.  So after our hike we tried to find the most interesting and typical cacti specimens to photograph.  I had a good time photographing the cactus.  The cactus complied the clouds complied and, of course, the weather was fine!

night shot #2

Oh, shockingly, there are maybe three rv's here including us and they are well scattered.  Only two
visiting cars came in today.  It is seven miles on a very good dirt/gravel road.

Oh, by the way did I mention that we have 4g Verizon hotspot.  Splendid scenery and quiet...cost = priceless!