A Drive Down Main Street in Quartzsite, AZ

This is a view of Quartzsite coming in from the west (California) on the I-10.  Usually there is a halo of dust in the month of January.

In the open land on the outskirts of town, BLM land, there is dry camping.  That means no hookups.  No electric, no water, no sewer.  Some dry campers have their rigs fitted with solar panels or use generators.  Water and sewer dumping trucks come out and service them for a fee.  It's quite a popular thing here.  More information can be found on the BLM website here.

Now we're going to visit Main Street which runs parallel to the I-10 on the northern side.  On the left (not shown) is T-Rocks, an open all year rock shop, and ahead is the Main Event, the first selling venue in Quartzsite.  It's popularity has decreased somewhat in the last years and has shrunk a bit.

As we turn right on Main Street we see Quartzsite's newest restaurant on the right.

This camel is in front of Gem World. Camels have a historical significance here in the desert southwest.  The US Army ran a project to try out camels for carrying supplies. While they proved suitable for the work and the terrain, their dispositions made them difficult to handle and the horses were afraid of them, so the project was abandoned.  The lead camel driver was named Hi Jolly and lived out his days here in this townand is buried here. The camels were bought by a man who took them to British Columbia for use for the gold rush. Some camels escaped and sightings of feral camels existed into the 1930s.

 Continuing down Main Street heading east, we see Hardie's Beads, a lapidary supply store that is open from October through May.

More shops and stores with everything under the sun.

Southwest style gift shops.

The Q-Town Cafe is the second newest restaurant in Quartzsite and it is very good too.

More flea market style venues.

The Big Market, one of the three grocery stores in Quartzsite.

You have to be careful driving Main Street.  You never know what type of driving you are going to encounter, so it's best to drive with caution.

One of the several RV parks along Main Street.  Information of Quartzsite's RV Parks can be found here.

This is Tysons Wash.  It runs north-south through the center of Quartzsite.  When it rains hard, the water has to run somewhere and this dry river bed comes alive with running water.  When it is dry, like now, it is used as an off-road trail.

Yummy things here.

Silly Al's is probably the best pizza place in town.

The road to the QIA where several community events and the Pow Wow are held.

La Mesa RV dealership is one of several RV sales venues on the east side of town on Main Street.

You can find fun little spots like this all around town.

The eclectic charm of Quartzsite.

Not to miss is the bookstore, home of The Naked Bookseller, Paul Winer, just before leaving town. 


Hope you enjoyed our little drive through town.