Date Shake and Ancient Visitors

 Weather is still the same in Yuma

The next morning we had a good breakfast at the hotel and then talked about what we wanted to see. We decided that there were a couple of places we wanted to stop on our way back home and we wanted to get back before rush hour got too bad.

This was the carpeting in the hotel hallway. It doesn't really show it in the picture, but when I stood outside my door and looked towards the elevator, it looked like the hallway was going up and down.

We loaded up the car and headed out. Our first stop was at Date Land.  Jim and I used to stop here quite often when we were rving. 

Dateland  began as a road stop in the 1920s. During WWII, Dateland was the site of two of General Patton's desert training camps. In 1942 three airstrips were built for training B25 bombers. This area is still used for training purposes for those who will serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.

We stopped here mainly so Marilyn could try a date shake. Jim and I tried one years ago and I said that was enough for me. Pat tried Marilyn's shake and both agreed it was good but they probably wouldn't order another one.

We drove down the road to check out the date trees. Not very many of them back there.

 It was time for us to move on because we have another stop to make.

I don't know how many times Jim and I drove by the exit for the Painted Rocks Petroglyphs Site and never stopped. Well, this time we were stopping.

The site is only about 10 miles off I-8. There's even a campground there. The whole area has a small fence around it with a path you can walk. So after reading a few of the signs we started around the hill going to the right. 

 

We did not see any petroglyphs even though these basalt boulders were said to contain about 800 images. It's not a long walk to go all the way around so we kept going. And it's a good thing we did.

As we came around the corner everything was covered in images. Here are just a few pictures that I took. 

It was a great stop. And if you don't feel like a little walk around, just go off to your left from the parking lot.

We had lunch in Maricopa and I dropped Pat and then Marilyn off around 4. It was another wonderful adventure for us. We have a few more fun things to do and we're also planning our next overnighter.

Is This A Felony? And The Center of the World

Still in Yuma 

Oh my word. We have a possible felon in our midst. Here's her story.

We decided we wanted to drive over into California but why put it in Google Maps. We could just wander and find our way over to I-8. As per usual, I got lost. Wandering around the fields I had no idea which way to turn. So I pull off to ask Google to help me out.

Before I knew what was happening, Marilyn jumped out of the car and ran over to the field. We had mentioned that we wanted to know what was growing in that field. So she picked a head of lettuce.

She Picked A Head of Lettuce Right Out Of the Field!!! Okay, it's probably not a felony but we had a good laugh. She put the lettuce back and we just hoped that there were no cameras recording our license plate.  

Found our way through the produce check point (sure glad she put that lettuce back) going into California and took the first exit. I'm sure many of you are very familiar with this exit as it leads to great boondocking BLM land. 

But if you turn right instead of left, you go to the official Center of the World in Felicity, California. 

This is a very interesting and unique place to visit. First of all, how did it become the "official" Center of the World?

The founder of this museum, Jacques-Andre Istel, wrote a children's book about a dragon. This fairy tale was presented to the Supervisors of Imperial County as evidence that the Center of the World was in Felicity and, for whatever reason, they agreed.

A 21 foot granite and glass Pyramid houses the bronze plaque marking the spot precisely. You can pay to go into the pyramid to have your picture taken standing on the spot.

 

Stretching out behind the pyramid is the Museum of History in Granite. I'm not sure how to describe it so it's best if you check it out on their website History in Granite. These are just two of the over 700 panels that have been finished.

There is also a Church on the Hill of Prayer. Michelangelo's Arm of God sundial points to the Church. 150,000 tons of earth were moved to create the 25 foot Hill. To reach the church, there are 49 steps to climb and the distance between the Pyramid and the Church is 910 feet.

The blue door and window symbolize wisdom, stability, faith, purity and spirituality.  

 

As I have said before, Marilyn is the walker in our group. She walked all the way to the hill and then climbed the 49 steps to see the chapel. Pat and I waited at the gift shop for her to return.

 

 This is Section 12 of the original stairway of the Eiffel Tower.

This place is definitely interesting. There is a maze and a replica of the Liberty Bell but half the size. If you are ever in the area, take the time to check it out.

 It was starting to get late by the time we left Felicity so we headed to the hotel to check in and then decide what we wanted to do for dinner. 

Just down the street from the hotel was Penny's Diner. We weren't very hungry so we decided to share a basket of onion rings and each have a milkshake (I had a malt). That really hit the spot. 

Back to the hotel and agreed to meet downstairs in the morning for breakfast.

Join us for more adventures tomorrow.

Still in City Hall But Moving On

Yuma, AZ  High 78  Low 46

Still in City Hall.

Down the hall from the Buick Convertible is a wall of honor. All of the employees for the city who have been in the service are honored with a flag hung under the branch of service they were in. I thought that was a really neat thing to do.

 Farther down the hall and around the corner is a grand old fire truck which is the Yuma Fire Department's first fire engine. It is a 1916 American La France Ford Model T. 

It was originally a hand cranked starter which was replaced in 1922 when it was converted to electric starter. 

The wood Carousel in City Hall was carved by the Yuma North End Wood Carvers for Yuma's Centennial celebration in 2014.

Pictures of other interesting things in City Hall. 

 

Our next stop is to find Robert G. Fowler. On September 11, 1911 Bob took off from San Francisco to become the first person to traverse from the West Coast to the East Coast.  

 

He was flying a Wright Model B that he purchased from Orville and Wilbur Wright who taught him to fly.

 Bob left Los Angeles (a stop on his flight across the US) October 19, 1911 and on October 25, 1911 because the first pilot to land in Arizona. His statue is on 4th Avenue next to the Yuma Landing Restaurant.

 

Okay Blogger, let's just start centering everything!

 We still have more to see and do but that will be in the next blog.  

Weather and 47 Days In the Air

 AJ, AZ    High 89  Low 51

Todd sent me these pictures of the snow in Billings. Just makes me so glad I live in Arizona. 

But even with all the snow these next two pictures warm my heart.

Enough about the weather. It is beautiful here in Arizona but  close to 90 this week and back down into the 70s next week. 

Pat, Marilyn and I headed out Wednesday morning with Yuma as our destination for this girls' trip. We had a full tank of gas, snacks, and a list of places we wanted to see.  It was lunch time when we got to Yuma and Cracker Barrel was calling our names.

After eating we thought we'd find the hotel even if it was too early to check in. We walked out of the door of CB and the hotel was right across the street. That chore out of the way we are on to adventures.

First Stop - City Hall

I did not know this story until I read Ray and Cindy's Blog about it. After talking to Pat and Marilyn, Marilyn told me she had seen a show about it on PBS. The plane hangs in the foyer of the City Hall Building. 

 

After WWII ended in 1945, the Army closed its large airfield in Yuma sending the city into a recession. Some business people started brainstorming ideas on how they could convince the U. S. Military that Yuma with all its sunshine, would be the perfect place for a base. 

 

Ray Smucker, owner of Yuma's radio station came up with the idea of flying an airplane to break the record of number of days the airplane could fly without landing. The current record was 30 days. Ray got together with the Jaycees who agreed to sponsor the plane. 

Extra fuel tanks were added to the plane to allow in-flight additions of gas and oil. Three seats were removed to create space for supplies and sleeping. The community donated fuel, oil, food, a Buick convertible and a new pain job for the plane that read "The City with a Future Yuma.

The plane was flown by Woody Jongeward and Bob Woodhouse from August 24 to October 10, 1949 (47 days). Flying a few yards above the 5,000 foot runway at the Yuma airport, they mastered the trick of pulling alongside the 1948 Buck convertible going 80 mph. The pilot who was off duty would hang out of the door and grab the food and fuel that was handed up to him from the car.

When the plane landed on October 10, it had traveled more than 80,000 miles and made 1,500 resupply runs. Two years later, the Army reopened their base at the Yuma Airport. 

I was very impressed with this city hall. There is more for us to see but this post if already long enough. So more next time. 

 

February Is A Special Month

 AJ, AZ   We had a couple of weeks of cold weather the end of January but February has been beautiful temperature wise. Highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s or 50s. The only problem is we have had no rain for months. They are saying we could have rain next Friday so I am really praying for that but we don't get excited about it until it actually happens.

I haven't been doing much except enjoying the weather and visiting with all the snowbirds.  We ended our birthday cake kit and it was a fantastic success. We had an assembly line going in the clubhouse to put the kits together and wrap them in saran wrap. I delivered 44 kits to the food bank and they were overjoyed to get them. 

 

For the month of February, we are doing something a little different. We are donating disinfectant wipes to a grade school in Mesa that put out a plea for help since there is all kinds of crud going around. You know that kids are germ magnets and school budgets are not there for those items. 

February has a couple of very special days for me. On the 3rd Elias turned 2 years old. I sure miss him but Todd sent lots of pictures and videos.  Michaela made a really neat hot wheels cake for him and also found the rocking motorcycle. She did a lot of work to clean it up and get it painted for him. 

 

Then on February 7 I went to the temple and attended two endowment sessions to celebrate my love for Jim. Being able to sit quietly in the celestial room I knew he was there with me and that he was learning and growing in the gospel even as I am so we can spend eternity together. He's been gone for three years. Sometimes it feels like yesterday and at others, it seem like so long ago. The rest of the day was spent quietly remembering my love and all my wonderful memories.

 

 

The "Girls" and I have another trip planned so look forward to a few posts with Pat and Marilyn. Speaking of the Girls - we had a movie night at Tacey's (Pat's granddaughter) house. We watched 80 for Brady. A fun romp that we could relate to. I fixed an apple crisp for a treat and I guess it turned out okay. They all took some home with them.

 The weather person is saying we will have rain this week. Hopefully not where we are going.