Last Campground Before Quartzsite

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On Tuesday, we wanted to leave the Tombstone area, and head toward Quartzsite. Since it was about a 5--6 hour drive, and we had to hit a Walmart for 10 days food supply, we decided to take two days to drive. The plan was to drive a little over 3 1/2 hours and stop at a campground. We selected the Holt's Shell Campground in Gila Bend, AZ since it was on the way and was a Passport America park.............. which meant we got to stay for 1/2 price ($9.50 for full hookup). The campground stop allowed us to wash all of our dirty clothes, dump our dirty tanks and fill the fresh water tank, and enjoy one last hot shower with unlimited water!! We also stopped at a Walmart Superstore on the way out of Benson, AZ.

We called and found out that the Shell station at the campground also had the lowest price diesel in the area at $2.16/gal....... so we also topped off our fuel tanks. The campground was a pleasant surprise. It was easy to find, very clean and a nice place.

While at the campground, one of those "it's a small world oddities" happened. After getting set up, I was at the back of the Bus locking the car, when my neighbor, a Tiffin Phaeton owner from California walked by and we said 'hello's'. After talking to him for a while, we realized that he had written into the Tiffin RV Owner's forum asking about travel to Texas. I was the first to reply to him.................... and now I meet him at a small park in the middle of Arizona!!

Below is a picture of Chip May and his wife from Victorville, CA talking to Mark Didelot at the side of their Phaeton, plus a picture of (l--r) our Bus, Chip's Phaeton, and the Esparza's Phaeton, and a picture of our Bus after we washed it after 1500 miles of travel............

On Wednesday morning, we left the campground around 11:00am (after sleeping in late), and drove toward Quartzsite. Here are some pictures as we approached Quartzsite, showing the increasing numbers of campers spread out about the desert.

We arrived at Quartzsite a little later than planned, but we did get there about 12:30pm. You can read more about it (more detail, but warped!!) on Bob Klyne's website: http://www.because-we-can.net/Because_We_Can/Journals/journal.html . However, before you connect to the website, I will have to tell you that although I think of ole Bob as a friend, somewhere in his life, he spent a little too much time out in the hot sun, and probably 'fried his brain' somewhat experimenting with cheap drugs. I will also remind you that two years ago, Bob 'toilet-papered' my last motorhome the night after I had paid to have it washed & waxed. A little demented would probably sum it up!!

In the first picture, you can see our three rigs in the beginning of a large circle of RV's. In the second picture, you will see Virgil Hoff's rig along with ours. By the end of the weekend, there will be about 18 rigs to complete the circle. More to come!!

After arriving and setting up in the desert, we toured the area quickly, and then returned to have a nice meal in the Didelot's Phaeton. Sue served some gumbo...... both shrimp and some chicken/sausage types. Patsy made a salad and Connie topped it off with chocolate ice cream. In the picture below, Manuel is clearly ready to be served, and the ladies are getting it done!!

Tomorrow, we will start going around town, shopping and looking at what's here!!

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