NOVEMBER 15, 2013
If you like to watch lettuce grow, Yuma is the spot to do it. In fact, I was told by the locals that 90% of all lettuce consumed in the entire world is grown here. That’s probably a slight exaggeration, but not by much. Everywhere one looks are fields of lettuce: iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, red lettuce, curly leaf lettuce and every other type known to man.
We had a nice shady spot at Yuma Lakes. We met some interesting folks there, including a guy our age who is a retired Los Angeles Police Department Detective. I think I’m a pretty good story-teller, but Bob had me beat, night after night.
Yuma Lakes RV Park was comfortable. It’s not beautiful here, but folks come here for the warm weather during the winter, not the scenery. The sites are nestled under a large grove of trees and there’s enough space between rigs that we didn’t feel crowded. The folks there were really friendly and were just the kinds of people I fully expect to meet on the road. Most are retired, not in any hurry to get from one spot to the next and are anxious to share their travel experiences with anyone who will listen. We met a guy named Bob, a retired Los Angeles Police Department Detective, who was especially friendly and loved to swap war stories with me. He had some good ones. He lives in Las Vegas and invited us to visit when we’re there. We’ll take him up on his offer for sure.
We drove to Martinez Lake and Fisher’s Landing. These spots are located about 20 miles from Yuma, on the Colorado River by the Proving Grounds. When Brad was in Indian Guides, one of the Dads had the brilliant idea that the tribe should rent canoes and we should all paddle down the River for about 20 miles, with our final destination being Fisher’s Landing. This trip took us about 3 days, and by the time Brad and I reached the little store at the Landing we were so parched and thirsty that Brad consumed an entire 1/2 gallon bottle of Gatorade. That’s a lot of liquid for an Indian Guide!
Fisher’s Landing at Lake Martinez on the Colorado River. It’s located near the Proving Grounds, not far from Yuma. We launched our jet skis there many times when the kids were little. The River there is part of a natural preserve and it’s very beautiful. A great jet ski destination it was.
In later years, we also spent lots of time there on the River with the kids and all our jet skis. The River is particularly nice and there are sand bars were you can pull over, park your ski, and claim the spot as your own little beach.
Cell blocks at the Prison. It’s hot in Yuma during the summer…really hot! It would have been hell to be imprisoned here.
Yuma Territorial Prison. We also visited the Arizona Territorial State Prison Park. No, it’s not occupied now. Rather, it’s a hands-on museum. It was occupied by prisoners between 1876 and 1909. We learned lots about the early American West during our visit. We walked through the actual iron cells and the solitary chamber. This prison has an infamous reputation, but actually the prisoners were treated humanely. The only punishments were the dark cells for inmates who broke prison regulations and the ball and chain for those who tried to escape. The Yuma Unified High School occupied he prison buildings between 1910 and 1914. Empty cells provided free lodging for hobos riding the freight trains in the 1920’s and sheltered many homeless families during the Great Depression. During our visit, we were provided a glimpse of convict life in the Old West a century ago.
LETTUCE IS BIG BUSINESS IN YUMA!
