Tyson Wells ... Let The buying Begin

Good morning Quartzsite.  It's getting colder in the mornings!!  Obviously Mother Nature isn't cooperating.  Since Patsy wasn't feeling so great and Bill had gone flying, I decided to hit up Tyson Wells.  I left at 10:00, hoping most people weren't up yet.

Turns out I was wrong, though I think most all of those vehicles belonged to vendors, or people in the Bg Tent.  The front, side and back parking lot were completely full.  I kind of got in a pickle in the back corner, trying to stay out of the wash.  I four-wheeled it up a steep bank and drove to the very far end.  WOW ... TWO whole empty parking spots.  At least I won't float down the river!

Last year I don't think there were six rows of vendors.  This year they are full from A all the way to Z.  How cool is that?  The place is buzzing.  Too bad my phone camera decided to change the picture size.  No clue how that happened.

By 10:30 the crowds had arrived and it was shoulder to shoulder.  I did a quick walk through of several aisles, finding a lot of new vendors with nothing I would be interested in.  The content has surely changed over the years.

Here's one though ... yes, they are selling cactus in the desert.  This is the big "stuff" store next to the kitchen store. which I just happened to find first.

Need sandals?  They have hundreds, but not my style or color.  I did find a small $5.00 collapsible plastic strainer at the kitchen store, since I had to drain my pasta without one last time.  Remember those $2.00 tiny flashlights we used to buy by the half dozen?  They are now $4.50 each.

Oh yeah ... prices are up at the flea market.  Need a skeleton or two?  Here you go!  

The Walla Walla burgers and onion rings are here every year, the smell of which makes me hungry as a bear.  Okay, for the first time in ten years, I'm going to try one.  I'm not sure why I thought it would be cooked fresh.  I got a cold bun, a pre-cooked burger, not-melted cheese and cooked onions, with a brush or two of barbecue sauce.  

That and a bottle of water cost me $13.50.  Definitely NOT worth it.  The good news is the number of food vendors is on the rise.  At least you get a choice of where to lose half the money in your wallet.  After that, I had to cross back over to the big tent and hit up an ATM machine for cash.  

I would have gone to the complaint department, but as you can see, it is a far walk.

I might have had one of those luscious and delicious cinnamon rolls, but every year they are $10.00 each.  The one I wanted was $12.00 ... for ONE cinnamon roll.  I passed ... it was hard, but I passed.

Here's an interesting one.  You know all those rocks painted with dots that are all the rage?  Now you can buy PLATES covered in dots.  Don't ask me what you would do with them, because I don't know.

Need sunglasses?  $20.00 a pair ... probably the only thing here at the old price.

I headed off for some ice cream.  I mean really, why come here and not partake?  This guy advertises his homemade ice cream made by an old one-lunger.  Don't be fooled.  This is NOT the ice cream you get when you order.  

Here's another interesting thing.  Everywhere I looked for food, I never saw ANY prices.  If I had, I'm sure I would not have gotten that burger.  The small bowl of ice cream, about 3/4 pint .... wait for it .... was $15.50.  No kidding, that was the price.

If pizza was on your mind, they had it this year.  Two wood fired ovens in the back cooked some tasty pies (according to the internet), but I didn't see much in the way of toppings.  They sure smelled good though.  No, I didn't see a price on these either.

I did came home with one of those things you have to lay your sewer hose on.  It's required in Arizona now and mine died a terrible death.  That was another shocker!  $45.00 was the price.  I looked around, but could not find anything cheaper.  Not much is a "good deal" in Quartzsite any more.

I lounged around in the afternoon, but as soon as I got home, the sun went away and it got a little cooler.  I contemplated cooking something fabulous, but Cooper kept me glued to my chair.  What's for dinner?  Why PIZZA of course.  Heating it in a frying pan gives it that oh-so-tasty brown crust.  I shared one teeny tiny piece with Cooper.  Later, I couldn't figure out what I stepped on.  I guess Coop doesn't like pizza.

So bring your secret stash of money if you're heading to Quartzsite for the Big Tent and Tyson Wells.  Everything is pretty pricey this year!!!   And YAY ... I fixed my phone camera!!