Quartzsite Report
We just returned from Quartzsite, our third year in a row, and here is what we observed:
Attendance is way down with many of the vendors threatening to boycott the next show due to the smaller crowds. This is probably their own fault as prices were high and bargains nearly nonexistent. Much junk that has nothing whatsoever to do with RV’s clogging up the (very big), tent and the surrounding swap meet booths.
The good news is that it was very easy to navigate the tent and surrounding RV Show and swap meet booths. Even parking seemed plentiful near the show. The weather and the crowd were both awesome. Temps in the mid 70’s, not much wind and lows in the upper 40’s. Even with the thousands of mostly older folks navigating the crowded streets and the grid lock of Highway 95 and Kuehn Street I never heard a single horn honk or a harsh/unkind word. Everyone seemed to be having a great time especially over at Beer Belly’s Adult Day Care center (a great outdoor bar with live music every afternoon just outside of the big tent).
This year we elected to stay right in town at the Rice Ranch RV Park, located at the southeast corner of 95 and Kuehn Street which has only three things going for it.... Location, location and location!. This puts you a couple of hundred yards east of the tent and RV show across highway 95. Now it is not much of an RV Park, lots of dirt and with gravel pads, one small restroom with flush toilets and a couple of big dumpsters.. Full hook ups went for $35 a night but if you wanted to dry camp it was only $7 a night. We opted for two nights with hook ups which made it easy to just stroll over to the show and or shop without having to drive.
As usual we had a blast and did manage to pick up a couple of trinkets. We will be back next year but unless the folks at the Q start doing a much better job of running the show I fear it will fade into obscurity. :C
Here is a shot of our "Site" at Rice Ranch:
Attendance is way down with many of the vendors threatening to boycott the next show due to the smaller crowds. This is probably their own fault as prices were high and bargains nearly nonexistent. Much junk that has nothing whatsoever to do with RV’s clogging up the (very big), tent and the surrounding swap meet booths.
The good news is that it was very easy to navigate the tent and surrounding RV Show and swap meet booths. Even parking seemed plentiful near the show. The weather and the crowd were both awesome. Temps in the mid 70’s, not much wind and lows in the upper 40’s. Even with the thousands of mostly older folks navigating the crowded streets and the grid lock of Highway 95 and Kuehn Street I never heard a single horn honk or a harsh/unkind word. Everyone seemed to be having a great time especially over at Beer Belly’s Adult Day Care center (a great outdoor bar with live music every afternoon just outside of the big tent).
This year we elected to stay right in town at the Rice Ranch RV Park, located at the southeast corner of 95 and Kuehn Street which has only three things going for it.... Location, location and location!. This puts you a couple of hundred yards east of the tent and RV show across highway 95. Now it is not much of an RV Park, lots of dirt and with gravel pads, one small restroom with flush toilets and a couple of big dumpsters.. Full hook ups went for $35 a night but if you wanted to dry camp it was only $7 a night. We opted for two nights with hook ups which made it easy to just stroll over to the show and or shop without having to drive.
As usual we had a blast and did manage to pick up a couple of trinkets. We will be back next year but unless the folks at the Q start doing a much better job of running the show I fear it will fade into obscurity. :C
Here is a shot of our "Site" at Rice Ranch:
