Quartzsite, Yay or Nay?
Amazing Desert Sunsets
In the desert we try to find spots where we can park the Queen facing east with our front door to the south. This allows us to watch sunrises from the bedroom and sunsets from the campfire or living room.
During our research and before making this lifestyle leap there was one place we kept hearing about, Quartzsite, Arizona.
A small-town of about 2000 full-time residents in western Arizona, that sees its population swell to over 200,000 at any given time during the winter and more than a million passing through. It hosts one of the largest RV shows in the country, “the big tent”, one of the world’s largest gem fairs, and is known for its quirky personality.
A big reason for the popularity of the “Q”, as it’s known by locals and regulars, is the relative warmth and dry climate during the winter. You stay here on any budget and find all sorts of communities to involve yourself in while you are there.
We knew we had to experience it at least once and arrived in mid-December. The tent vendors were just getting set up, the town was coming back to life from its summer slumber, and the people would soon be arriving in mass.
For us it was our “home” for the holidays. A place we would create memories with our newest friends and be without our children on Christmas for the first time ever. It is a chapter in our story that will definitely be remembered.
La Posa South LTVA
Amazing views of the desert moons and skies.
As we reflect on our time here, it was the cast of Quartzsite characters, that we will remember most.
From the retired snowbirds, full time traveling families, digital nomads, content creators, runaway from lifers, and those searching for answers. This would be the place for our paths to cross whether temporarily or as new lifelong friends.
Whether your rig was a half million-dollar class A coach, a tent, van lifers, skoolies, or even one of the few Airstreams, everyone had a place in this neighborhood. What you chose to live in was less important than the fact you were choosing to live. The quirkier, more unique, and individualized your rig, the more people wanted to learn about it and you.
Here are some of our favorite places that we will miss and recommend you visit if you are coming through.
Silly Al’s Pizza – In our two and a half months in the area we went out to eat three times and every time it was here! Not for a lack of other options but for the fact it is locally owned, been in the community for a long time, and the pizza was fantastic! When you come here go ahead and treat yourself to the goliath size, so you have plenty of leftovers for the camper. We got a good laugh watching some of the other diners look at the size of the pizza we ordered just for two of us.
Silly Al’s Pizza is a must visit!
It was the perfect place to take this visiting “traveler”
RV Pit Stop – If you are a full-time traveler or travel frequently in your RV, you know the hassle of trying to find a freshwater filling station, sewer dump, and a spot to fill up your propane tanks. In Quartzsite you do not have to worry about any of this. The RV Pit Stop is literally like a NASCAR pit station. The dump and water filling stations already have their hoses attached so you don’t even need to get into your supplies. The propane station is fully staffed with folks waiting to fill your tanks and send you on your way. There were several other similar looking businesses in town, but we enjoyed the ease of getting into and out of RV Pit Stop, the prices, and staff so much we never looked anywhere else.
Beer Belly’s Adult Day Care – This was our favorite spot for afternoon live music and to sip on a Bloody Mary. Located in the tent shopping area, it was a great place to sit and do some people watching. Different bands played each afternoon and since it was outdoors the whole place was closed by sundown so you could have some fun and be back to camp before dark.
The discount grocery tent - I don’t know if it had an official name but it was our go to for a good “shcnack” at great prices! Andrea would want you to know many of their products were expired, but to me I like to think of them as “finely aged”. Starbursts, Sour Patch Kids, protein bars, sunflower seeds, and chocolates were among the many fun items we could find here. Best of all it felt like the 80’s again, where one dollar could actually buy you something and get you change! They did have many dry good items and coffee that were not expired but you would may want to look through the bins at the dates to be sure if that kind of thing worries you. 😊
Quartzsite, Arizona
One of the rock gem capitals of the world!
Here are a few of the drawbacks:
Lots of people in small place. The town infrastructure is not designed for all these people here temporarily. So, if you are getting packages shipped to the post office expect to stand in line. The grocery stores in town will do their best to get you through, but here too you’ll be standing in a line for a bit. The nice thing about lines is you get to meet someone new. Take a deep breath and remember that by choosing to winter in Quartzsite you are probably not in a hurry for much of anything.
Desert nights get cold! During our time here it was windy and cool more often than not. We were hoping for shorts, flip flops, and sun tans but what can you do when Mother Nature has other plans. At least we were not shoveling snow and its was a new experience getting to feel that desert cold. Many people will say “at least it’s a dry cold” to which we reply with cold is cold and it was cold!
Where we stayed:
There are many great camping options in Quartzsite. From the private RV resorts, the four Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVA), and the Bureau of Land Management free 14-day options, just outside of town. In Q there is something that will meet everyone’s camping styles and budget.
We chose to split our time between the following two camping areas while here:
La Posa South LTVA $40 for 2 weeks pass, $180 for 7-month pass –water fill ups, dump stations, trash, and vault toilets within the property. Plenty of space to find your own spot for your stay or to create a circle with your newest friends.
To learn about our other spot, you’ll have to subscribe to our insider newsletter!
It was featured as one of our hidden gems in our winter newsletter and offered us the best of both worlds. Close enough to socialize but far enough away to be in nature.
Conclusion:
We could not believe how long we spent in the Quartzsite area without getting bored.
We were able to work, socialize, and marvel at the true spirit of the traveling community. Nightly jam sessions, drum circles, arts and crafts, yoga, meditation, and campfire conversations are some of the memoires we will take with us from our time in Quartzsite 2023.
For us Quartzsite is a place you should visit at least once during your winter travels.