By 11am it’s 90 degrees out and it’s only the beginning of April. The flies have come back, so you either don’t leave your door wide open or carry a swatter around at all times. I’m lucky to make $40 in tips these days and it seems like there are more screwballs than ever. This is Quartzsite, AZ after the busy winter season…..and I think it’s about time for me to move on.
For the months of September and October I traveled from Montana to the northern panhandle of Idaho and spent a couple of weeks in that beautiful dream of a landscape (making sure to stop at Glacier National Park before leaving MT). Then I hightailed it from north Idaho to eastern Nebraska and my hometown of Omaha, for a visit and bask in the yesteryear (also making a trip by car to Chicago for a week). And finally, as promised unofficially to myself and the fine people of the southwest, I came back to wonderful Quartzsite, Arizona for another insanely lucrative winter season.
Winter in the Arizona desert
Forgive me for the long delay in updates of the past 5 months. I have been working, having a blast traveling around, and all too busy it seems to communicate electronically. Here is an update of my time working in Arizona from November to March. Soon will come my adventures back to Omaha, NE, my month long trip to Los Angeles, my time working near Sacramento, CA for 2 months, and trips back to Slab City and San Francisco. Phew. So here it is:
“Arizona looks like a battle on Mars.”     ~Author Unknown
At some point, the lure of being on the open road every day dwindles a bit. If I had a helper in crime I might not get so burned out. But I don’t, so I do. I am also plowing through my funds. So if I want to stay on the road as planned through the winter, I need to start making money. Enter the Yacht Club Bar and Restaurant in Quartzsite, Arizona. I came back to Quartzsite for a number of reasons. Mainly because it’s cheaper than dirt to live here and it is the Mecca to Craig’s RV needs. Also the weather is absolutely lovely. At this rate I won’t be seeing another snowflake until winter 2014. I will be here for the month of November tending bar and serving fried cod to aging snowbirds. They love me already. I’m like the new metamorphic index mineral in the old granite of Quartzsite (yes, I love geology).
Craig is having some minor issues but we are getting them worked out. All of my free time goes into care for him. If you didn’t already know this, be aware when you buy a motorhome, bus, or trailer that it truly requires constant upkeep. All the jostling and shifting around really loosens stuff and wears things out. The roof leak from hell is back. I’m going to attack it with a caulk gun soon, as it’s well past due for a sealing.
If you are ever in Quartzsite, Arizona and find yourself thinking ‘I would really like to go purchase a book from a nudist’, then go visit Paul Winer’s Reader’s Oasis bookstore on the east side of town. He is a very delightful man. If you are comfortable with a 90% nude male in your presence, you are in for a treat. He plays the piano, sings, knows tons about books and claimed to me to be the very first Chippendale dancer.
There will be another few posts with photos to come soon regarding the time I spent back in October in the rest of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. I just haven’t had time to edit photos or write anything yet. So far since late July I have covered 8,500 miles, ten states, and endless serendipitous events. This lifestyle, though hard at times, is really starting to grow on me. I know one thing is for certain: I cannot do this alone for a great deal longer. Sure, I am learning in an invaluable way how to be more self-sufficient. And yes I get to do what I want, when I want, and how I want with whoever I want at all times. However I’m getting tired. I want to sit in the passenger seat just once and enjoy a 5 hour ride. I want to tackle the roof leak from hell with someone who cares about Craig as much as I do because they rely on his shelter daily. And most of all I want someone to play dominoes with in the evening. I’m most definitely classified as a social butterfly and I’ve been alone for 4 months now. I have a friend from Omaha, NE and one from Moab, UT coming to visit by the end of the month. Hopefully that will satiate the loneliness and I can get them to play bones with me.
Quartzsite sunset. Photo from flickr by Eddy Lair
The Nomadic Jalopy 