Smoky
Well-known member
Well yesterday the Admiral and I had time on our hands so we decided to make a scouting run to QZ.?
We were never able to find the framily rendezvous point, but we did indeed become acquainted for the first time with many of the marvels of QZ.? As we came over the hill and descended I10 from Golden Nugget Road we could see RVs stretched out across the landscape.? I am sure the view will be even more dramatic in January when the peak season hits.? However, even in early December, we are happy to report that QZ is alive and well with tons of busy RVers all over the place.
We stopped first at Sweet Darlene's and had to get inside in a hurry to get away from the bratwurst smell coming down out of the south forcing against the wind from Yuma.? Sweet Darlene's was equal to all we had heard about and we enjoyed great burgers topped off with a scrumptious coconut creme pie.
Then we cruised around town looking for the Chamber of Commerce.? The Admiral's first comment after Darlene's was. "I think we already saw the only decent place in town.? The rest of this looks like a bad slum area."
She continued her negative comments as we pulled up at the C of C office on main street.? She decided not to go inside and said she was going to walk around and just see how bad this place really was.? She also warned me she was not very inclined to spend two weeks here, and we should stay just long enough to meet the framily.
I was only inside the C of C about 5 minutes, and grabbed a handful of brochures and local newspapers.? I came out and the Admiral was nowhere to be found.? I waited about an hour, afraid to move the car in case she returned just when I left.? The C of C lady came out and locked the door for lunch.? I sheepishly told her I was waiting for my wife to return.? A half hour lady the C of C lady came back and reopened the office.? It was embarrassing standing there still stranded by my wife.
Finally around the corner she came, a big bright smile on her face.? All this time she had been directly behind the C of C office at a Mexican crafts place.? She told me she wanted to show me something, and I did not even have a chance to complain about my long wait as she grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into a store behind the C of C.? ?I forgot about complaining as I found myself in a wondrous craft shop.? We spent another hour just inside that one shop and ended up buying one of those metal suns people hang on sheds, and also a few other trinkets to send back east for Christmas.? On our way out we met a Mexican lady who shared ownership of the store with her American husband and there went another 30 minutes of excited chatting as she explained all the ins and outs of bringing products across the border from Mexico to QZ.
Then we met her husband, who as it turns out, also owns the C of C building and had just sold the Mexican restaurant across the parking lot.? I got involved in another 30 minute discussion with him all about the QZ economy.? He made a strong case for QZ becoming the next Yuma as people keep moving outward from the Phoenix/Tucson area.? We are actively pursuing real estate investment in the west and this conversation was very educational.
Then we explored a few more craft shops, but only from the car window, as we wanted to return to Phoenix in daylight, taking the more scenic route 60 back home.? We stopped at the ranger station to see if we could get our QZ passes for January ahead of time to beat the lines.? Much to our disappointment, we found we could not preorder the passes.? We had the option of buying the season pass, but the Admiral nixed that as a waste of money.? They are $140 this year.? Instead we will buy two $30 passes to give us one month of QZ boondocking, but have to wait until we arrive in early January.? I hope by then we figure out how to get to the framily QTH.?
Is anyone from the framily going to get to the QZ rendezvous early?
At any rate, the Admiral thoroughly fell in love with QZ, and I forgot until this morning how mad I was about being stood up outside the C of C for one hour.? We barely scratched the surface of the place, and we understand it will be far more intriguing as it moves into its peak season.
We were never able to find the framily rendezvous point, but we did indeed become acquainted for the first time with many of the marvels of QZ.? As we came over the hill and descended I10 from Golden Nugget Road we could see RVs stretched out across the landscape.? I am sure the view will be even more dramatic in January when the peak season hits.? However, even in early December, we are happy to report that QZ is alive and well with tons of busy RVers all over the place.
We stopped first at Sweet Darlene's and had to get inside in a hurry to get away from the bratwurst smell coming down out of the south forcing against the wind from Yuma.? Sweet Darlene's was equal to all we had heard about and we enjoyed great burgers topped off with a scrumptious coconut creme pie.
Then we cruised around town looking for the Chamber of Commerce.? The Admiral's first comment after Darlene's was. "I think we already saw the only decent place in town.? The rest of this looks like a bad slum area."
She continued her negative comments as we pulled up at the C of C office on main street.? She decided not to go inside and said she was going to walk around and just see how bad this place really was.? She also warned me she was not very inclined to spend two weeks here, and we should stay just long enough to meet the framily.
I was only inside the C of C about 5 minutes, and grabbed a handful of brochures and local newspapers.? I came out and the Admiral was nowhere to be found.? I waited about an hour, afraid to move the car in case she returned just when I left.? The C of C lady came out and locked the door for lunch.? I sheepishly told her I was waiting for my wife to return.? A half hour lady the C of C lady came back and reopened the office.? It was embarrassing standing there still stranded by my wife.
Finally around the corner she came, a big bright smile on her face.? All this time she had been directly behind the C of C office at a Mexican crafts place.? She told me she wanted to show me something, and I did not even have a chance to complain about my long wait as she grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into a store behind the C of C.? ?I forgot about complaining as I found myself in a wondrous craft shop.? We spent another hour just inside that one shop and ended up buying one of those metal suns people hang on sheds, and also a few other trinkets to send back east for Christmas.? On our way out we met a Mexican lady who shared ownership of the store with her American husband and there went another 30 minutes of excited chatting as she explained all the ins and outs of bringing products across the border from Mexico to QZ.
Then we met her husband, who as it turns out, also owns the C of C building and had just sold the Mexican restaurant across the parking lot.? I got involved in another 30 minute discussion with him all about the QZ economy.? He made a strong case for QZ becoming the next Yuma as people keep moving outward from the Phoenix/Tucson area.? We are actively pursuing real estate investment in the west and this conversation was very educational.
Then we explored a few more craft shops, but only from the car window, as we wanted to return to Phoenix in daylight, taking the more scenic route 60 back home.? We stopped at the ranger station to see if we could get our QZ passes for January ahead of time to beat the lines.? Much to our disappointment, we found we could not preorder the passes.? We had the option of buying the season pass, but the Admiral nixed that as a waste of money.? They are $140 this year.? Instead we will buy two $30 passes to give us one month of QZ boondocking, but have to wait until we arrive in early January.? I hope by then we figure out how to get to the framily QTH.?
Is anyone from the framily going to get to the QZ rendezvous early?
At any rate, the Admiral thoroughly fell in love with QZ, and I forgot until this morning how mad I was about being stood up outside the C of C for one hour.? We barely scratched the surface of the place, and we understand it will be far more intriguing as it moves into its peak season.
Sometimes the backups in town to the intersections can take an hour or more also. These too are quality times, you can survey the vendors and local scene a lot easier than when you fly by at the speed limit. You have to learn to turn it back a notch or three in the desert. What's your hurry ??? ???
