A Stop @ Beer Belly's in Quartzsite, Arizona

Eric & I get drinks at
Beer Belly's Adult
Day Care in Quartzsite.

Beer Belly's is the place to

wet one's whistle in

Tyson Wells vendor
area.

It's the only place to get a drink in Tyson Wells.

Eric signed us in...

Ricky & Princess

There's plenty of "monkeying

around" at Beer Belly's.

The walls are filled
with memorabilia.

Brian's got a monkey

on his back....

With that errand out of the way, it's time to return to the motorhome and do some chores.

Eric Follows a Trail Off of Plomosa Road to...

Another day, another
off road drive.







Eric starts on a trail near our campsite, off Plomosa Road.

Ocotillo are leafing out.

We cross Plomosa Road &
continue south, toward
Quartzsite.

There's no remnants of

buildings or a mine nearby.

I think these stone walls were

 built by campers.

We stop on top of a hill

to admire the view....

      These mountains stand between us & Quartzsite.

I admire the rock strewn

terrain.

Another hill top...
Another stretch
of the legs...

      The road ahead leads across the valley floor.

This dome rises out of the

jagged mountains.

Today's drive is taking us further and further east of Quartzsite.

I spotted Bighorn Sheep
on the ridge line.







Eric often spots wild animals before I do... but not today.

Another ridge line, another

Bighorn Sheep.

Finally, a trail marker

Though nearly illegible, 

the marker is an Arizona

State Parks trail.

As we travel east, we enter flatter terrain.

A fellow RVer enjoys

the desert in western

Arizona.

A family of Saguaro
Cacti grow near their
"nurse tree."

A power pole & a building...

evidence that we are driving

toward civilization.

We leave the off road trail
at Brenda, about 13 miles
east of Quartzsite.






Eric and I agree that today's drive was beautiful and full of driving challenges.

We could stop in Quartzsite on our way back to the motorhome.  Do we need anything?

A One-of-a-Kind Camping Trailer in Quartzsite, Arizona

This wooden trailer caught
my eye...

This hand crafted trailer

has custom trim around

the door with colored

glass & the window.

The cooler is mounted, above a storage compartment ,on the front of the trailer with a power cord.





I admire the back up lights,
mounted on wooden plaques.

The rear of the trailer opens
up too.





There's an olive green metal ammunition box mounted on the side of the trailer, behind the wheel, providing extra storage space.

Inside, a cozy sleeping

area.

The owners are used to being stopped by curious people and are happy to give tours.

What Walking Sticks Are Really For...

 It's 3:00 pm.

Eric brings his walking stick
with him for today's walk.












You don't need a walking stick to walk in this relatively flat area.  Is it just for appearances?  No... Eric is using his walking stick to poke around bushes and into holes looking for Rattlesnakes.

He has heard stories in town of a Rattlesnake that was found in the folds of a tarp that was left on the ground.  Another one that was found in a store.  Eric wants to find one too.

I am not excited about his quest and stay well back from Eric as he explores.

This piece of felled Ironwood

looks like a giant Lizard.

No Rattlesnakes yet....

A Barrel Cactus

Eric tells me that Rattlesnakes hunt at night, not in the heat of the day.  I stay away from the brush that grows in the hedgerows.

This Saguaro Cactus is growing

close to a Palo Verde Tree.

Saguaro Cacti always grow

near a "nurse tree."

Eric finds a ring of stones
around the Saguaro.







Still, no snakes....

Small Daisies.... Spring has

come to the Sonoran Desert.

After about an hour of looking for slithering critters, we turn toward our motorhome.

It's time for Happy Hour.

Breakfast @ Bad Boys Cafe in Quartzsite, Arizona

Eric and I are in the mood for breakfast out. 

Today, we are sampling the

fare at Bad Boys Cafe.

The name Bad Boys, conjures images of a biker gang's favorite ramshackle greasy spoon, crowded with gang members, their women and pledges. The name of the cafe doesn't match the cheery signs and giant daisy on the front of the building.

I wasn't expecting flowers 

& coordinated furniture.

Eric gives his breakfast

order to the lady at

the counter.

We will be sampling Bad Boys' specialty.... The Sweet Potato Pancake.

Everything is so nice here.








I think that Bad Boys Cafe was named to catch people's attention, and not to describe
the restaurant.

We shared a Potato Pancake...

YUM!!!!

Eric LOVED his Stuffed Biscuits

& Gravy with Eggs Over Easy.

My Eggs, Bacon, Hash Browns

& Sourdough Toast were

cooked perfectly.

I'm a fan of Bad Boys Cafe.  The food is well prepared and the prices are very reasonable.  Including the tip, breakfast was $18.00.

Taking Care of Business at Palm Plaza Laundromat in Quartzsite, Arizona

Palm Plaza Laundromat

is on North Central Avenue

in Quartzsite.

It is the closest laundromat to where Eric and I are camping, north of Quartzsite. 

There's outdoor seating for

customers.

Palm Plaza Laundromat 

has free, open WiFi.

This could be my favorite laundromat in Quartzsite, even though it's a lot smaller than Main Street Laundromat.  Customers have the same options here, with a mix of different sized washers and dryers to meet differing laundry needs.  There is seating indoors with tables strategically placed for laundry sorting and folding.

I'm going to use the biggest

washing machine here...

I brought LOTS of laundry.

Darryl greets everyone who enters this small laundromat.  He matches customers with washers that are ending their final spin cycles and advises on the amount of detergent to be used in front loading machines.  I appreciate his helpfulness.

Darryl asked me if I had brought my laptop or tablet to use the WiFi.  Sadly, I had not. Next time I will update a few programs while waiting for my laundry.

Snack & soda machines...

A machine that dispenses
laundry bags...

Customers can buy soap,
bleach, softeners & the
change machines.




I like this clean, well maintained laundromat.  I can buy anything I forgot to bring with me, and the WiFi is free.

One of the two walls of dryers.

Customers can also buy water

& vacuum their cars &

trucks here.

Darryl has a smooth running operation here.  The over-sized washer was a time saver.  Within an hour my car was repacked with clean clothes and I was on my way back to our motorhome for Happy Hour.  

Eric & The Winch

The Warn Winch installation
booklet is on the hood of
the Jeep.






Since we started off roading in 2011, Eric and I have talked about getting a winch for use in tougher terrain.  As we've driven trails in the southwest, a winch has risen from our "wish list" to a must have item.

Last summer, Eric and his brother, Mark, mounted the winch on the front bumper of the Jeep.  Today, Eric is completing its installation.

Eric installed the winch's

 electronic control & the

synthetic cable...

... & most importantly,
the hook at the end of
the cable.

Now, we are ready to tackle

more difficult off road

trails.

I Drive Off Road.... On the West Side of Quartzsite, Arizona

Today's drive, on the west end of Quartzsite starts out just like any other drive.  Eric is driving.  After climbing two hills, Eric stops the Jeep and gets out.  It's my turn to drive
and Eric's turn to take pictures.






I start out driving in a
flat area.







For a smoother drive, I am to let up on the gas before dips in the trail.  Look for larger rocks. Straddle them, drive to the right or left, or if necessary, drive over the rock... slowly.

Eric gives me tips for

climbing the hill.

I miss a dip, or two and the ride is b-u-m-p-y.  As the passenger, I'm usually scanning ahead, looking for a potential picture.  Looking right in front of the Jeep and judging the next few feet ahead is as important as scanning ahead for a change in terrain.

We pass an abandoned

stone building.

I find myself gripping the steering wheel, hard.  Off roading is a constant planning and execution. This is work.

This section of the trail

is narrow...

I make needed

adjustments.

The trail is taking us back
into Quartzsite.

I think off roading is like video gaming, which I have done very little of over the years. There's strategy, using the tools available in the game and constant changes to advance the player.  Instead of a game, this is real life.