Quartzsite’s Camels: An Arizona Sculpture Tour

(2 reviews)

Quartzsite, Arizona audio tour: Quartzsite’s Camels: An Arizona Sculpture Tour

This is a 5mi driving tour

It takes an average of 30 mins to complete.

Quartzsite, Arizona

The United States

$4.99

Access all 25 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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About the Tour

Soak up Quartzsite’s history on a fun and informative driving tour through the downtown area. This 30-minute tour begins at the Hi Jolly Tomb, the resting place of a Syrian camel driver who was hired by the U.S. Army to lead camels across the desert in 1856. The monument was dedicated on 4 January 1903, and placed on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks just over a 100 years later. Today, it’s one of the most-visited National Landmarks in Arizona.

While you’re getting to know this small but unique town, you’ll pass five camel sculptures which were created as part of Arizona’s celebration of 100 years of statehood. You’ll also see a wide variety of these camel sculptures in miniature, on display at local stores around the town. Along the way, I’ll share quirky and interesting facts about how Quartzsite got its start, and you’ll find out whether this small Arizona town really is “the rock capital of the world.”

Tour Producer

Mark Goldberg

1 tour

I am a retired Town Planner and retired marketing executive. I reside in Quartzsite year-around; and, I am involved in many facets of promoting the Town of Quartzsite and La Paz County.

Preview Location

Location 1

Hi Jolly Cemetery

Welcome to Quartzsite, and the Hi Jolly Tomb. I will be your guide today for a fun view of Quartzsite's camel legacy, and Quartzsite's "Downtown."

We'll start our tour here, at the Hi Jolly Cemetery, the final resting place of “Hadji Ali” commonly named, Hi Jolly, probab... Welcome to Quartzsite, and the Hi Jolly Tomb. I will be your guide today for a fun view of Quartzsite's camel legacy, and Quartzsite's "Downtown."

We'll start our tour here, at the Hi Jolly Cemetery, the final resting place of “Hadji Ali” commonly named, Hi Jolly, probably because it's simpler to pronounce than his Syrian name. More on him in a moment.

Here is how VoiceMap works:

Voice Map uses your location to play narratives automatically at the right time and place. This means you can focus on driving at your own pace, and the narratives will play at the appropriate time, based on your location. Just be careful not to speed or you might miss something. Don't worry if there are periods of silence. That just means we're in between locations.

Please remain at the monument to hear the complete description, until directed to continue the tour.

You may pause the tour at any time by pressing the pause symbol and restart it later using the Resume button. Please make sure the "location" setting on your device is "on" for the GPS to work properly. You can always turn it off after the tour.

Now for some more information on Hi Jolly.

Hi Jolly, also known by his given Greek name, Phillip Tedro, was recruited by the U.S Army in 1856 as lead camel driver in the experiment to use camels to augment and possibly replace mule trains for the desert pack train crossings. The U.S. Camel Corps project was abandoned in 1863 when The U.S. Civil War intervened; and, funding was not approved.

While no specific reasons were cited for the project abandonment, the mules, horses and burros, as well as the drivers of the traditional pack trains, had a difficult time acclimating to camels which are large, and can be very cantankerous; and the rocks in the desert hurt the camel's feet.

Hadji Ali passed away in Quartzsite on December 16, 1902, at the age of 64. His tomb was dedicated on January 4, 1903; and is constructed of Quartz and petrified wood. The site was listed on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks on February 28, 2011, and is one of the most visited landmarks in Arizona. The site is also the home of Quartzsite's Hi Jolly/Pioneer Cemetery, where many of the legacy families are interred. There is also a monument to "Buck" Connor, a Quartzsite resident and colorful character in western movies in the 1920s.

All right, Let's get going. With Hi Jolly's tomb on your right, continue down the narrow road to the left, towards Main Street. You will pass a wood fence on your right.

Quartzsite's "Main Street," just ahead, is filled with freeway-serving businesses and local businesses with items reflective of Quartzsite's slogan, "The Rock Capital of the World.” We hope you enjoy your tour of our community and "local" camels, reminiscent of the legacy of Hi Jolly! Read More

View locations and route

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Major Landmarks

Hi Jolly Tomb
Tyson Stage Stop Museum
AZ Centennial Legacy Project Camels
Town Park
Town Hall

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
W Elsie Ln & Hi Jolly Lane, Quartzsite, AZ 85346, USA
Total distance

8km
Final location
452-442 E Main St, Quartzsite, AZ 85346, USA
Distance back to start location

2km

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins at the Hi Jolly Tomb. The starting point is located on Hi Jolly Lane on the north side of Main Street, east of Exit 17 on the Route 10 Freeway.

Go east on Main Street, and turn north onto Kofa Avenue and follow "Hi Jolly Monument" signs to left turn onto Hi Jolly Lane.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Restaurants and fast food establishments are convenient along the tour route. Main Street is dotted with eclectic stores with gems, minerals, Indian Jewelry, souvenirs, and unique “finds.” The Tyson Wells Stage Stop Museum is a “must see” with local history displays and photo ops. Freely take photos of your family and “fun” selfies with the camels on the tour. We encourage you to share your favorite photos on our Facebook site, “Quartzsite Camels.”

Best time of day

The tour is best viewed anytime from dawn to dusk. Come back to the start point near sunset for spectacular photos of the Hi Jolly Tomb. Summer temperatures are warm and an air-conditioned vehicle is recommended. Winter temperature is comfortable.

Precautions

The tour route is on local roads. Please do not stop in travel lanes to view points-of-interest. Find a safe pull-out location, and beware of traffic around you. If you go too fast, you may miss some directions.

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

Google Play Store

Questions and Reviews

3 / 5

2 Ratings

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