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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Desert Bar, Parker, AZ

Howdee all,

We spent a few days Boondocking in the Desert of Quartzite on BLM land.

Our first time camping and staying in the big temporary city in the desert.

RVs camped all over the desert…Flea Markets…RV show..Gem Show..

We took a trip to the Desert Bar …with a group of Rvers…

The bar was an hour drive from Quartzite…outside the town of Parker in the middle of what seemed like no where….

Below is the five mile dirt road we took to get to the Bar…

DESERT BAR_050

The "Nellie E Saloon" (DESERT BAR)
is situated in the Buckskin Mountains,
in Parker, Arizona, on land that was
an old mining camp

DESERT BAR_007

“When Ken acquired the land in 1975, there was nothing left of the old mining camp. With the land and a liquor license from an old business on leased river land, Ken decided to give the "bar in the desert" idea a try. In 1983, Ken opened for business in the temporary three-sided structure which is across from the outdoor restroom's. He
operated there for the next five years, until the current saloon was constructed. The name "Nellie E" originates from the old mining claim. They used to mine copper and then take it to the smelter and get gold.”

DESERT BAR_003

Lots of four wheel drive vehicles in the parking lotDESERT BAR_004Along with ATVS   DESERT BAR_005

Below is a Church….a facade 

The church is made of solid steel and the walls and ceiling are made of the same stamped tin used inside the bar and the roof is made of copper. The names inscribed on the plaques in the church are people who donated money to help build the church. The church is a unique place for weddings and a great photo spot. There are no services held in the church and all religions are welcome.DESERT BAR_001

DESERT BAR_009A video of the Desert Bar…Listen to the Band

 

The very limited menu…but then…most people don't come just for the food…and the beer..which is just Domestic beer…

They come for the ambiance…

DESERT BAR_038 Like Bathrooms overlooking mountains…DESERT BAR_033 And the bar in such a rustic setting…

DESERT BAR_049The owners home…Private..no tours...DESERT BAR_048DESERT BAR_075
DESERT BAR_066
            

 

We left Quartzite a week ago…a short stay because of the weather that was expected ..high winds and heavy rains.

it was a good decision to leave early….We ended up staying a few nights at Picacho Peak …and luckily the winds weren't so bad there…

A friend at Quartzite said his motorhome was rocking in the winds all night…and the washes..filled with rock and water and had to be cleared before RVs could leave the boondocking area..

We are now in Tucson …and will be here thru the end of February…

If you are in the area..give me a shout!

13 comments:

  1. AdeleWednesday, 27 January, 2010

    cool

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hitek HomelessThursday, 28 January, 2010

    Neat pictures of the bar! You definitely did well to get out ahead of the storm. We caught a nasty bit of it over in Blythe and had a few semi's flipped over on the interstate. What a nasty day to be on the road.

    BTW, there are a few boondocking spots outside of Tucson. The view from this one is gorgeous, but traffic can be a little bit heavy. There is another listed at freecampsites.net, but we haven't been to that spot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. FeliciaThursday, 28 January, 2010

    I admire the enterprise of the folks who opened the bar out there--who would have thought something like that would be so cool??

    And I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures in Tucson--there's supposed to be lots of great birding in the area. Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ShelleyThursday, 28 January, 2010

    That bar is neat! I'm laughing at their sign that says "no cheese ever!" I wonder why that's so...unless maybe cheese goes bad fast.

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  5. QThursday, 28 January, 2010

    I am enjoying catching up with you this afternoon.
    It is cold and gray again today at my house. I think I need some blue in my life...I have ocean on the mind.
    Happy birding!
    sherry

    ReplyDelete
  6. RuthieJFriday, 29 January, 2010

    Pretty cool desert bar Dawn! Glad you got to make the trip and shared it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Warren and Lisa StrobelFriday, 29 January, 2010

    We will be there in April --- will you wait for us?

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  8. Appalachian LadyFriday, 29 January, 2010

    Nice bar and the band sounded good. I like the prices on the food too. You will enjoy Tucson--one of my favorites. Looking forward to seeing the photos of the wildlife from there.

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  9. Kathie BrownFriday, 29 January, 2010

    Dawn, got your message. I'm terrible at Facebook but will try to go there soon. I would love to get together with you and for the gathering also. I will let you know soon.

    ReplyDelete
  10. LarryFriday, 29 January, 2010

    My kind of music.-I liked the slide guitar playing in the early part of the video. Reminded me of Duane Allman.WHat a cool name for a town-the town is really called Quartzite?

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousSaturday, 30 January, 2010

    Wow, a church made of steel. Now that's quite the symbol and statement. This is a very unique settlement Dawn. It looks like an interesting place for us to check out in the future. Thank you for sharing your adventures.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Limassol CyprusWednesday, 20 October, 2010

    Although you call it "temporary" it seems rather permanent

    ReplyDelete
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