The Peanut Patch
A historical landmark in Yuma consisting today of mainly a packaging facility and a store. The Patch used to grow peanuts for over 40 years and due to a white fly problem they stopped growing them and now purchase them from Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. On site roasting and making of clusters, fudge, and peanut butter is their current focus. They also package some dried fruits and nuts. They offer free tours several days a week during the winter which are quite interesting. A cute little fun place. We even made our own peanut butter…Yummy!!
Yuma Territorial Prison State Park
The old prison in Yuma is open (with an admission fee) for touring. It sits along the Colorado River atop a hill and has a great museum and the old cell blocks you can walk through and full of interesting history. Another Yuma landmark.
Yuma Crossing Bike Trail
We took up bikes and drove up to Riverfront Park on Prison Hill for a bike ride along the Yuma Crossing Bike Trail (also known as the Colorado River Trail and the East and West Wetlands area). Whatever you want to call it, it was a nice paved bike path which follows along both the river and the canal depending on where you are.
We rode west first all the way till the bike trail ended which was about 2 miles.
As we headed back we decided to stop at the Visitor Information Center and the Quartermaster Depot for a short break.
From there we headed on back to Gateway Park.
We continued on to the East Wetlands and followed the canal for another mile and a half before returning to our car at Riverfront Park. We saw Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and even a Bald Eagle. A geat birdwatching area.
Miscellaneous
Yuma has two local border crossings to Mexico, one to the west via Winterhaven, California to Los Algodones (to get some medical/dental work done) and another to the south via San Luis, US to San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico. Between Yuma and San Luis is all agricultural fields and is known as the lettuce capital of the world but has lots of citrus trees too.
Boy, we are just flying on your MH tail! Too bad we are about a week apart on our travels.
I know…..we are drivng as fast we can….wink, wink