Yesterday was a work day for Donna. She stayed in the coach and worked on a Kindle book she’s publishing. After breakfast, I went back to the big tent to sign up for Dish Network. I didn’t expect the tent to be as crowded as it was over the weekend. I was wrong. It was more crowded than ever. It took me about 15 minutes to make my way to the RV Connection booth located about 3/4 of the way down the tent. If I had known how crowded it was, I would have walked around the tent and entered from the rear.
The woman I spoke to the day before, Chris, set me up with a Dish Network account. Someone will come to our motorhome out here in the desert this afternoon and hook up the satellite receiver.
I stopped at another vendor outside of the tent. We looked at camp chairs on Saturday and decided to buy large, heavy duty director’s chairs that have a small folding table on the side. I spent some time looking at them and thinking of how to get them home on the scooter. I went for it. I bought two chairs and carried them out to the scooter. A little ingenuity with bungee cords had them securely fastened on the back.
Folding chairs strapped to the scooter
This free, dispersed camping around Quartzsite is getting expensive. I have to stop going to the big tent!
Later, I rode to town to buy drinking water. The traffic was crazy. Crossing the overpass to get into town was a bumper-to-bumper affair. Once I made it to the main drag in Quartzsite, I rode north to the grocery store. The southbound traffic was backed up for more than half a mile. I don’t know the reason for this, other than there are more vehicles in town than the intersections can support. After I picked up a case of drinking water, I took an alternate route back. It didn’t help, every way out of town was backed up.
Donna took a break from her work and went for a hike in the hills. She found a cave in the hill south of us. She climbed up a trail and had a great view of the desert. Too bad I can’t get the pictures she took on her cell phone to download to my laptop. There’s some setting that blocks me from accessing the photos. And she can’t send them to me because she only has Edge service rather than her normal 4G.
I explored a little on the scooter. I think when we leave, we’ll go west on Dome Rock Road a couple of miles to the I-10 on-ramp, then head east on I-10. That way we’ll avoid the madness in Quartzsite.
Today I’ll explore a little more while Donna works. I don’t know how much longer we’ll stay here. I’m starting to get the hitch itch.
I enjoy reading your stories – they are a lot of fun. I am jealous. Someday, maybe.
But one thought keeps crossing my mind – have you had any close-encounters with the scooter and all that RV traffic? Based on your comments about Quartzsite, I have the image of a chaotic busy intersection in India or Vietnam with vehicles going every possible direction.
Thanks John. No close encounters on the scooter other than a couple of car drivers getting impatient or not understanding how a four-way stop intersection works.
Many years ago, I used to live in near Albany, NY and had a motorcycle. I survived by keeping my eyes wide-open and driving very defensively, but it certainly made me question the intelligence level of some of the automobile drivers. The thought of a scooter when RV’ing sounds very interesting, instead of driving a 3/4 ton diesel dually truck around town just to pick up the groceries.
Yeah, it works for us. Some people prefer a 5th wheel with a diesel pick-up to get around in. BTW, Donna is from the Albany, NY area – born in Troy.
That is sort of where I am leaning – a 5th wheel with a big diesel truck to pull it. Haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but hope to later this year. Just have to figure out if I can secure a scooter somehow.
Back in 1975, we lived 12 miles from Troy on the other side of Albany. Town called Delmar.
Ask Donna if she remembers Troy’s other nickname, besides the birthplace of Uncle Sam.
Small world – my wife’s name is Donna also!
Donna says it’s “collar city”. She also wants to know how you found our blog?
How did I find your blog? Not 100% sure, but I think I found it while listening to John and Kathy Huggins podcast “Living the RV Dream”. Just after Christmas, I bought their flash drive special which has all their books and 242 of their hour-long podcasts. I’m up to #22. I also listen to the RV Navigator podcast as well.
Here is a way to haul a scooter with a 5th wheel. Because it is secured to the 5th wheel frame, I don’ t think it is considered a triple tow.
http://www.cruiserlift.com/swivelwheel46.html
Interesting concept. I wonder how much weight is carried on the castering wheel.
Yes, that concerned me as well.
Especially when driving over a bump or a pothole.