The city first called Colorado City, then renamed Arizona City, and now YUMA!
After our first day of touring it was time to set up the gear we bought in Wellton. As many snowbirds know, the sun is quite potent down here. As it descends away from North America it gets lower on the horizon, so trying to read in the afternoon (if the patio side of your RV faces west) is nigh impossible without some form of shade. So these awning extensions are Sonya's first reno project of the year!
This provides excellent shade and keeps the area cool enough to sit outside even though the mercury rises to the mid 90s during the day!
After we got that set up, we were off to the Yuma State Prison. Yuma ended up as the State Prison because of a rigged vote (where have we heard this before?)! After voting on the State Capitol, everyone went to lunch. The Yuma representative changed the proposed location for the prison by scratching out Phoenix and replacing it with Yuma on the voting ballot. When the legislators came back from a late lunch, they were in a hurry to complete the business of the legislature and hurried the passage of the bill - no one noticed it said "Yuma"!
Sonya thought that I would look good in gray and white. You can decide for yourself.
The prison itself was originally considered by the inmates almost unbearable. It was called the hellhole because of the suffocating heat in the summer.
After the second warden, Thomas Gates, came around, he installed electricity, sanitation, and forced ventilation to cool the areas during the summer heat. It even had a library with 2,000 books. Now the prison enjoyed more amenities than folks in town. The locals called the place the "Country Club on the Colorado".
This will give you a sense of what it was like.
The prisoners were transferred to the new state prison in Florence in 1909 and the Yuma prison was closed. It was used as the Yuma High School from 1910 to 1914. After traveling to Phoenix to play football, the Yuma team won the game in the last few seconds of the game. A Phoenix reporter overheard a lady say, "It was criminal the way they stole that game." The next day the headline read "Yuma Criminals Steal Game". The Yumans decided to turn the tables by wearing the unusual name and took on the Criminals as their team name - a name that stands to this day.
Afterwards it was happy hour, so we headed back to Lutes Casino. Our waiter talked us into the Lutes Especiale. I call it a heart attack on a plate! It is a hamburger and hot dog combination with their own mix of condiments. It was tasty, but definitely not vegan or healthy!
We met one of the owners, Billy Lutes. He played a tune for us, accompanied by his trusty Hallowe'en companion:
Our waiter claims that the Especiale is what gives him his strength. You judge from the picture below:
Sonya spotted these items below just outside the door. They beg the question, "Who is the target audience for these anyway?"
Needless to say, we were a bit perplexed as to who exactly would need these. I suppose that in December and January, it can get down to the mid 30s (F) in temperature for a few minutes in the morning, which these folks would find unacceptably cold.
Speaking of being perplexed, they have an interesting road numbering system here:
While we were at lunch at Lutes, Billie asked us to come back on Saturday evening to help celebrate their 75th Anniversary. The establishment has been there since 1901. The Lutes family have been proprietors continuously since 1941. Billie is one of the 3rd generation owners, with his brother.
At the anniversary celebration, they had an array of talent playing piano, strings and other instruments throughout the day. At Billie's suggestion, we went around 5 pm and were entertained by a group of students playing violin, viola and cello. They were impressive for a group of junior high and high school students.
Sonya asked Billie what, in his opinion, was the most important thing he came to appreciate in all his years operating Lutes Casino. He said, "All the people & staff here are individual, they are unique. In all our years in business, we (Nancy, Bobby and me) still don't know what we are doing right, but it is working!"
Clearly he loves people, the secret ingredient in a meaningful life - it radiates from Billie!
After we came back to our trailer, it was time to sit outside in what Sonya calls the Sultan's tent. It's about time she recognized me as Royalty!
On Sunday morning, we came into town to pick up some supplies before our trip to San Diego on Monday. Sonya caught a snap of the many green fields in the Yuma area. The Yuma area supplies 90% of the America's leafy greens from November to March.
It is number one in the state and number three nationally for overall vegetable production.
A vegan's delight!!!!
There is only one way to accomplish this in what is essentially desert. It is mass use of the water provided by the Colorado river diverted through water canals and irrigation systems, some of which look like this one.
As we prepare to depart on Monday for San Diego, we leave you with a shot from our trailer at 7 pm in the evening, when it was 84 F.
Until next time, be well.
Paul & Sonya
