We took advantage of recent cooler temperatures to return to
Los Algodones. Mom purchased some wrinkle cream (she can’t have enough of that!)
and a safari hat for Dad like the one he bought there last year. Then we focused on replacing Dad’s broken knockoff
Rolex watch that he bought on the streets of New York City before we hit the
full-timing road. Mom, ever the great
negotiator, got the price down from $85 to $26.
She would have held out for $20, but Dad said that would be too
insulting to the shopkeeper. Our business
completed in Algodones, we headed back to Yuma to do some shopping. We needed some clothes to comply with our
dress code at Grand Canyon, and Mom wanted to stock up on groceries, since we
will be 1.5 hours away from “civilization” during our Grand Canyon work gig. (We don’t like to waste time off from work
running errands—we’d rather be exploring)!
We shopped in Yuma almost 5
hours, but accomplished all our goals.
For being so well behaved, I was rewarded with a hearty meal at Golden
Corral, a feast fit for a king.
We also visited the General Patton Memorial Museum in
Chiriaco Summit, CA. The museum is
located at what was Camp Young within the Desert Training Center (DTC), where General George S. Patton and other leaders trained over a half million soldiers for
battle against the Germans in North Africa.
The Desert Training Center encompassed 18,000 square miles of rugged,
desolate lands within the Mojave and Colorado deserts of California and Arizona. The area of the DTC
was larger than the states of Vermont and New Hampshire combined! There were 12 divisional camps, including Camp
Bouse, which we visited in 2015. My
maternal Grandpa served in the Pacific Theater of World War II, so I found this
whole place very interesting. We also
learned there is boondocking right behind the Museum for a nominal fee (we
think $1/night based on info on the Internet).
Pretty cool to have WW II tanks right in your “backyard”.
The remains of the Catholic chapel at Camp Young |
"Trench Art" - Carvings/Sculptures on Artillery Shells |
We went recently to Quartzsite’s Desert Tortoise Preserve. Well, at least that’s what it is called on
the Map of Quartzsite, (designed by Paul Winer) that we purchased. The Preserve turned out to be a small caged area inside
the Laze-E-Days RV Park. Both the park
and the preserve were in disrepair and obviously have seen some better
days. Long story short, I spotted only
one tortoise, and his position behind a rock made it impossible to take a
photo. Another disappointing wildlife
excursion.
Today we did our annual visit to Celia’s Rainbow Gardens. Celia was the young daughter of Paul and Joanne
Winer. Born prematurely at only 23.5 weeks
and weighing only 1.5 lbs., doctors had little hope for her survival. But survive she did for 8 ½ years, until she
succumbed to a viral infection that attacked her heart. The Rainbow Gardens were borne out of her
love for animals and the environment.
They are a testament to the dedication of her family to keep her memory
alive and the true sense of community that support them in their mission. Each time I visit, I walk away with a feeling
of love and peace, and in my heart I know that’s exactly what Celia would have
wanted.
Look at the size of this lizard who lives at Celia's Garden! |
Well, the fun and games are over. Our final days must be spent on chores. Let the cleaning begin!
Talk to you soon.
Can't wait to see pictures of you in the new hat! We are still cleaning dust after our time in Q! The fact that we go from one dusty place to another certainly doesn't help.
ReplyDeleteAnother awesome winter for you guys in Q! Can't wait to hear about Grand Canyon!
ReplyDeleteStill have to visit the Patton Museum. Glad to know you can boondock there too.
ReplyDelete