She isn't interested in RV gadgets so much, as she doesn't boondock in her dreams.... Were more full hookup pavement queens... And not too far from the city either........
Still I managed to convince her that we needed to see the big tent this year since we haven't been in a couple of years due to my health issues...
So at the crack of 9 AM we jumped in the car and drove to Q... Didn't get there until noon.... We are way out here almost in Apache Junction and it takes forever to get thru Phoenix...
We heard that the crowds were down this year in Quartzsite and found that to be true in town... The big RV lots seemed to not have many folks around them as we drove by... But then this was a rainy day and that might have dampened the crowds some.. The RV lots are bulging with used rigs and salesmen were standing around...
The consignment lot had a bunch of rigs too... Even the traffic wasn't nearly as bad, but it was stop and go when we turned West at the Tyson Wells swap meet corner... But I managed to pull in behind the big tent and we meandered around in the West parking lot.
I thought we were going to have to go out in the desert to the West, but about when I was giving up, suddenly a couple came out of the main gate and we followed them as they made their way to their car... Bingo!! Score!!
And in the third row right outside the porta potties too.... It was overcast and raining slightly but barely 60, so Biscuit elected to sleep in the car... If it had been sunny or hot she was going to have to go with us in the tent... She would have gone ga ga with all the people, so we lucked out..
I've seen this entrance when it was shoulder to shoulder, so the rainy day was helping us out....
It never seems like much of a deal from the end of the tent, but once you are inside it seems to go on forever...
I have taken this same picture for several years, but today is the first time that I had a camera that could handle the complexity of all the lighting inside the tent.... I took this with the High Definition Range setting where the camera takes three shots with different exposure values like -1, 0, +1 and then electronically adds the pictures into one correctly exposed shot...
In past years, those lights that they shine up onto the inside of the tent mess up the exposure something nasty... They still overexposed the hot spots, but the camera did much better...
We spent about three hours walking the rows inside the tent and then the outside rows... Loyce was right it is the same old stuff, but at one point we talked to the manager of Mesa Spirit RV Resort and he wanted to know why we left for Valle Del Oro... That conversation went on for quite a while, and he really listened.... I think he is making improvements, but has his work cut out for him as customers that are gone are usually gone forever... JMHO...
Eventually Loyce was tired and sat in a food court outside while I made one more pass on the South Side... I bought her a big ice cream, so I was good for a while... Then I found the Kettle Corn stand that makes the splenda corn....
We drove around some in town, but didn't find anything that was an attraction... So about 3:30 we lit out for home... Got back right in time to drive thru downtown and sky harbor at evening drive time.... Phoenix's traffic jams are dead stop affairs at the major intersections Like the I 10 and US 60 South of the airport...
But at least I got to go to the big tent this year so all is not lost.......
Retired Rod
There's a certain part of me that wouldn't mind a trip through the "Big Tent", but I think I'd lose interest in a hurry if there were too many gawkers. At least there wasn't such a crowd when you were there.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the manager of your previous RV place was willing to hear you out.
Like you say though, "that ship has sailed", so getting unhappy campers (so to speak) to come back will certainly be a challenge.
Glad to see your report. We are in Apache Junction at Weaver's Needle RV Park. First time here and we are enjoying it. Will only be here 2 weeks then head for Desert Hot Springs. We thought we might hit Quartzsite, but we have two dogs who do not enjoy wandering around with people and it would be too long of a day to leave them in the RV.
ReplyDeleteYou are from our part of the country. Graduated high school in KCK, and our son lives in Lenexa, which is now just a part of the big city
And you didn't call us? Well!! I know, not enough time between traffic and getting parked. So did you find anything at all to buy? We sure didn't. Have you driven through Mesa Spirit lately? It was really empty when Paul was there last month. They are putting in these fancy type park models (or maybe their called trailer models)that cost big bucks (at least in my opinion).
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Rod. I think this will be the first year in the last several that we haven't made the whirlwind trip either. At least I can see from your pictures that not much has changed.
ReplyDeleteI've been to Q once, and I found that there was way too much there with the result that I just got confused. Too much choice can be as bad as too little.
ReplyDeleteHowdy Rod,
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad Loyce got that out of HER system!!! Myself I do not like crowds, period and every time I read about Q it's an uneasy feeling of tooooo close!! That's why I don't like RV parks, either... We have lots of room out here on the ranch; the closest neighbor is about 3/4 MILE away; a mile & 1/2 around the road!!! Why doesn't Loyce ride with you on the Honda?? My niece & her husband went to Maine a couple of years ago on their's and he 'walked' it thru Manhattan at quitting time!!! Hope today's a good'un!!!