QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA

Near the California border, in the desert with a few mountains nearby and tons of cactus and creosote bushes and not much else is a phenomena that happens every winter - the springing up of aluminum glinting in the sun. The summer population of Quartzsite is about 1800 but in January and February, close to 150,000 RVs come and camp for free in the desert. There is an RV show and a Gem and Mineral show and that's why we are here. You come, choose your cactus and park for free. Many come as groups and make a circle of RVs and have their campfires together. There are food vendors and all kinds of RV paraphalia for sale. Lots of people who winter here are "one of a kind". People who prospect in the hills - we have seen nuggets of gold that they have found, older men with grey pony tails and the local used book seller who is a nudist with an all over tan whose codpiece in the only concession to modesty in his bookstore. In the gem seller area, there are lots of polished stones - large and small, including even bits of meteorites for sale (Jack got a piece for free!) as well as all the things you need to make jewelry. Many amatuers and professional jewelry makers come here to buy supplies for their art - packages of beads, stones, string and boxes by the gross for their business.