Last Day in Yuma

It has been a great visit.  We can understand why so many Canadians (and military) choose to buy places and stay here from Nov-Mar.  It is very inexpensive to live and if you can socialize with friends and family that you enjoy then that becomes the most important attraction.  However, the heat is coming on strong today so we decided to go and visit the Yuma Proving Grounds US Army Base and the foothills recreation area behind it.

The base has a RV resort which looked very nice, so we did inquire but sadly it is restricted to duty pers and retired Army on a limited basis only.  Easy to understand.  Us retirees would fill it up and the reg folks would never be able to get in!  The base houses a 6000 sq ft museum that was highly recommended.  We wanted to go but the temperature had risen too much and we could not leave Kyle in the truck.  So that will have to wait for another visit earlier in the year.  Put it on your 'Bucket List' folks, it is even written up in the CAA books.  Free.  You can stay at the Holiday Inn on the base for $72 a night with continental breakfast.

We headed up past Apache Creek, Desert Gulch, Dead Man's Flats (hell I am just making these names up) there were so many names that sounded like every Western movie I have ever watched that we can't remember them.  But I bet we are close!

We found a lovely lake which the pictures don't do justice too because it stretches for many, many hundreds of acres.  It is a result of the Imperial Dam on the Colorado River, so really it is just a backed up section of the Colorado which sprawls.  The dam diverts the water into many irrigation canals that flow South, SE and SW towards Yuma and the other valley's.   It is the result of these canals that the valley can grow and supply vegetable crops to the USA through the winter months.

After a long swim Kyle was happy and we headed back to our concrete jungle.  We swam back at the resort and  then prepped for dinner.  I made spicy pepper veggies as it was 'steak night' for a smaller crowd of 12 or so.  Many people have left each day since we arrived.  Plan is to hit the road early and get settled in Mesa before the stupid afternoon heat.