I met Dana and Kim while spending 14-days at Fort Stanton, a BLM campground in New Mexico. During that time, we became fast friends. Dana talked about their plans to attend the upcoming January 2019 RTR event which is held every year in Quartzsite AZ.

When they suggest I join them and their community of friends, I wasn’t sure if I would at that time. Basically, because I really don’t like crowds and to hear Dana talk about this event. I concluded, there certainly would be a crowd since she said, “The crowd gets larger every year.” These are affairs most introverts tend to stay away from.

However, trying to escape the frigid temperature of minu-11 degrees in my home State of Sioux Falls, SD. Once two maintenance men worked so hard to free my mobile home from a

frozen-to-the-ground-sewage hose, I was rolling out of Sioux Falls towards Quartzsite Arizona in less than an hour.

Let me tell you this, I like Sioux Falls just fine from April to September. As a resident of the State, I am only required to return every 5-years to take a new picture for my driver’s license.

Anyway, once Dana and Kim arrived in Quartzsite and got their campsite ready for themselves and friends arriving later.  She and Kim retrieved me from my mobile home, and I spent time with them at the RTR, taking pictures and learning about Cactus in the desert.

For instance, I never heard of the jumping Cholla, also known as the hanging chain cholla cactus which is native to Sonora and the Southwestern United States. It throws cactus balls the size of golf balls at you, if you get too close.

Nor did I know, the Saguaro Cactus is a slow growing plant and is found in the Sonoran Desert which includes California, Arizona and Sonora Mexico.  It takes 10-years for a Saguaro Cactus to reach 1 inch in height. By 70-years of age, a Saguaro Cactus can reach 6 and ½ feet tall and will begin to produce its first flowers. By 95-100 years of age, a Saguaro Cactus can reach a height of 15-16 feet and start to produce its first arm.

Although, I have not heard how many people attend 2019 RTR yet; I assure you, it was more than I expected to see. Further, while reading reviews and comments about the 2018 RTR event. I came across a BLM estimate which claims, “The 2018 RTR crowd was well over 3,000 attendees. I don’t think Woodstock had that many attendees. Pay close attention to parking areas.