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Burning Van, Storytelling Cactus and Quartzsite Rendezvous


January 8 – 14, 2019 — Three miles in the car. Yep, that’s all the further we drove in an entire week as we were boondocking at Scaddan Wash near Quartzsite, Arizona. We thought we would end up with a zero mile week but during the last day the rains were relentless and we used the car to drive back and forth while visiting friends.

While boondocking at Scaddan Wash we enjoyed numerous walks around the “neighborhood” taking in the sites and sounds of the many winter travelers that converge to this desert area. Gatherings like this are a great opportunity to expand one’s social circle and share thoughts and ideas with others about living the nomadic lifestyle. 

All nights this week were free stays on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property near Quartzsite, Arizona. 

Mile Driven – RV

Miles Driven – Car

Blue skies in Quartzsite, Arizona. What a beautiful day in the desert!

The blue skies during the day turned into a beautiful sunset. What a great end to a wonderful day!

While in Quartzsite we boondocked just outside the RTR – Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, a large fest put on by Bob Wells at cheapRVliving.com. We parked close enough to attend a few select offerings of the festivities and far enough away that we avoided the crowds  and chaos from thousands of people. 

Here Bob Wells is speaking at the RTR orientation on day one of the two week event. 

“Burning Van 2019”, a spoof on the annual Burning Man event held in Black Rock City, Nevada. This wooden van was slated to be part of the closing day bonfire at the RTR on January 20. 

Think of the stories this 100+ year old saguaro cactus could tell about all the boondockers that converge on its homeland in the desert during the winter months in Quartzsite, Arizona. A bestseller in the making for sure. 

Life in the desert. Good food, fresh air, friends new and old. Tough not to love it. 

Living in the desert is dirty business for a tow car. With a few hours of scrubbing and wiping we had hoped to find a shiny Kia Soul under all that dust. The cleanliness was short-lived as the dirt returned in a few days and we had to start all over again. 

Look at all the shades of green in the Quartzsite, Arizona desert. It’s a far cry from the drab brown many people associate with arid desert lands. 

The desert is a great place to fly a drone and there was certainly no lack of them at Scaddan Wash during our stay. 

While parked in the desert for a week we took time to reflect back on our travels for 2018. What an epic year it was! Be sure to check out the posts Where’d We Go 2018 and Where’d We Stay 2018 for reviews of this amazing year. 

What a fun, relaxing week spent in the desert. Going places and exploring is great but there’s nothing like a week of boondocking with the saguaros to rejuvenate one’s soul. We love it so much that we’re spending another week of the same but in a different location. Stay tuned for next week to see where we’re at and what fun things we found to do. See you then!