December 8 – 15, 2009 – Algodones and Yuma

Can’t believe it has been over a week since I updated – so unlike me – :-(((..     So here is what we have been doing…

Andy’s dental work is coming along.  All his top caps are done and tomorrow should be the final work done on the bottom.  He is looking really good although he is quite sore. 

I was also able to get a new pair of glasses from Algodones Optical.  My current glasses were very scratched so it is nice to be able to see clearly again.

Last Wednesday, we got together with Sandy and Raul and went to a matinee (2012 – WOW! Great special effects) and then to lunch.   It is always good to spend time with them but they are now in Washington until after the holidays so hopefully we will see them again later in the season when they return.

Andy and I also went to another movie, Invictus, in Historic Downtown Yuma – Great movie and neat place.

We also did some sightseeing.

The Yuma Quartermaster Depot was one stop and a pretty nice historic state park.  This area was used by the US Army to store and distribute supplies for all the military posts in Arizona, and some in Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas. They maintained a six month’s supply of ammunition, clothing, and good at all times.

This the original Office of the Depot Quartermaster:

 

The Officer’s Quarters and Kitchen:

 

The Water Reservoir:

Some interesting information about the water reservoir:

What remains of the Colorado River:

  The supplies were brought from California by ocean-going vessels traveling around the tip of the Baja Peninsula and then north as far as the mouth of the Colorado River.  At this point supplies were transferred to river steamboats and brought up river to the Depot which was established in 1864.

They had some great exhibits about the history of this area and it’s different uses.   One of the buildings had a lot of information on the Colorado River, the Irrigation Canals, the Dams, and Water Allocation/Uses along the river – which I found really interesting. 

Another day we went to the Yuma Territorial Prison.  This is one of the Guard Towers on top of the water tower:

  

The main cell block area:

This cell housed 12 people – can you imagine??  I kept thinking of how hot this would be in the summer – oh my!

The Main Entrance:

The New Yard:

If you look real close at the sign above the door – Low Clearance.   The original doorway was higher but after the prison was shut down, there were a lot of movies made here.  The actors were smaller so the doorway was lowered to make them look taller – :-))

The prison was shut down around 1909.  During the depression, many people headed to California to look for jobs.  At some point, those that did not have jobs waiting for them were denied access and ended up living at the prison.  How sad.

The Colorado River runs past the prison – California is across the river.

And in between we have been reading, beading, relaxing, and shopping (Mexico and the Yuma Marketplace).  On the blog, I have added a link to a map that shows where we are – our number is 10932.

We will be here until Sunday, 20th, and then we are headed to Casa Grande. 

So stay tuned.