People get old couches at the Salvation Army at the beginning of the season and make pretty cozy set-up outsides. There is even a hot tub under that screen tent!

Quartzsite is one of the largest boondocking site in America. Boondocking, in nomad lingo, means a place where you can camp for free (usually without services). This place is huge and people can camp there from December to May in the BLM longer stay areas with dump station and water for $170 for the season (or for free without access). Needless to say, the place has a pretty interesting vibe! It kinds of feel like a huge Burning Man Festival.. but given the average age of the campers, it's more like Burning old man...

Many owners of Bluebird Wanderlodge motorhomes (like our bus) were gathering this week in the Nest, so we joined the crowd. It reminded me of our old VW bus meets pre-kids. People setting up in circles with bonfires in the middle, potlucks outside, incredibly dark starry skies... and the gentle hum of generators in the background.

On Saturday, we decided to go to the Big Tent to explore the Gem Show, which turned out to be part flea market and part RV show too. The place was packed and dusty. We made our way between ethnic statuary and knick-knacks, fake fossils, Tigger shirts embedded with fake diamonds, RV brushes made from recycled tires, foot long hot dogs, teeth whitening and pain relief mud foot bath (I'm not making that up), pet rats and a bunch of other things that were just plain weird before finding the well hidden gem show. As the locals say, If you can't find it in Quartzite, it hasn't been thought of yet.