
Thursday, March 10, 2022 was our Day #100 in the Sonoran Desert in Quartzsite, Arizona & Day #312 of our wonderful journey.
It was also supposed to be our Moving On Day!
After a WIND delay of several days, we were finally getting back on the road again! Yay!!!
I had hoped to leave on Friday, 3/11, but ANOTHER major WINDSTORM swooped in & we were stuck. Long sections of highway I-10 between Quartzsite & our next destination were shut down because of the wind & blowing dust. π³ I’ve been following the weather reports all across the country & wind has been a serious factor almost everywhere this winter.
π₯Ί False alarm… π

ANOTHER serious wind & dust storm arrived & we were stuck in Quartzsite, AGAIN. π€·ββοΈ The storm arrived on Wednesday night, much earlier than forecast, so I couldn’t take the tent down safely until Thursday morning. By the time I was ready to leave, the wind had started to increase again. I’d hoped to drive out of it’s range, so I took a chance & hit the road. I only reached the first exit on the highway, 6 miles away, when I decided that Mother Nature was winning this round.

The radio announcer was reporting high winds & local authorities were recommending that tractor trailers & high profile vehicles stay off the road. Although my car isn’t in that category, I didn’t feel safe driving. I took that first exit & we returned to Quartzsite. π

This was our view for sunset.
We Escaped!!! π
On Friday morning, I grabbed a quick breakfast & we hit the road!

The top photo was mid-afternoon & the bottom was just as the sun was setting.
This is the Salt River in Coon Bluff Recreation Area in Mesa, Arizona.
This area is well-known for the wild horses living here! π Hopefully, I’ll find some!
I’m so excited to be near water, camping in the shade of trees & stepping on green grass again!
There’s also NO WIND & NO DUST! β€ We loved most of our time in Quartzsite, but I’ve been really missing water & GREEN. On the way to Coon Bluff, I saw a lot of flowers in bloom! It feels like a different planet than Quartzsiteβ£
I experienced that wind 2 weeks ago when driving back to Las Vegas! Those “dust storm” warning signs are real, as they closed I-10 just as I got off for fuel. It was a snowstorm of grit. Sheesh.
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The wind was brutal! A snowstorm of grit is a perfect description. π¬ In the campground in Quartzsite, there was no place to hide, except the car. With the storms coming in more often & sometimes lasting 2-3 days, we spent too much time in the car recently. We survived it, but it was becoming less & less fun. π₯Ί
I’m glad you made it out safely!
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Glad you survived the winds!
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Thanks, Valerieβ£Me, too!
We’re now in an INCREDIBLE campground in New Mexico. The Camp Host saw me putting up my tent & very nicely came over to warn me that we’re expecting wind here tonight. π¬ I asked her what they’re predicting. I thanked her & I honestly didn’t mean to laugh when she said gusts up to 15mph… When I explained our recent history, she laughed, too. π 15mph is a gentle breeze in Quartzsite!
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