in-the-right-lane: Quartzsite, Az

The first night in Quartzsite we stopped on BLM land for the night at Hi Jolly. A storm moved through the area but we were glad Monday was clear. The desert appears flat until you get out and notice the washes and ridges. The desert was just beautiful and greener than usual due to a higher than usual amount of rain in the winter.

The camping areas were not nearly so busy as they had been a few weeks ago when the crowds poured into the area.

Near Quartzsite is the location where Jefferson Davis, then the secretary of war, decided to experiment with using camels in the arid southwest. 33 camels were unloaded in Texas in 1856 and later 41 were added to the group. Their caretaker who came along was Haiji Ali, who was renamed Hi Jolly by the soldiers. The experiment was abandoned in 1861 and the camels were left in the desert to fend for themselves.

In the Quartzsite cemetery is his grave.

Tombstones in this cemetery definitely have a different look and reflect the area.

Some of the graves reflect the name of the town also as does this one covered with quartz!

We did stop for one geocache in Quartzsite. It was well placed under a tree with thorns! I saw them, forgot, and then grabbed the branch to get up. I let go quickly and toppled right over!!

Solar Bill installed some solar panels for us and we were good to go back to the desert. No electricity needed!! What an exciting day! A lot of work happens from this little building in the desert.

We returned to BLM land, this time on Plumosa Rd. Leon tinkered with the tripod and satellite dish.

I explored the wash. This is what I consider wash day!

I really like a good desert wash.

You never know what you might find looking outside the box! I came across this cactus just almost ready to burst into color. They should be blooming in a couple of weeks according to the locals.