Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Overniter to Yuma Territorial Prison





This was a trip to the Yuma Arizona to visit the Yuma Territorial Prison and ended up with a couple of side trips, and an interesting twist on the town of Yuma.
The town of Yuma as I remember it some 40 years years ago when I was growing up and would visit there, was just a hot dusty town, but no
w a few years later and my interest changing, Yuma like so many other towns and city's, they are trying to capitalize on their history and restore their downtown as their "Historic Old Town". We found a couple of wine tasting shops and what looked to be and smell like a good Italian Restaurant, and above that was a rooftop Jazz Club, we didn't go to the Jazz Club but it looked like a great roof to hang out on, on a warm summer night , along with a host of the typical nic-nac shops.

Now for the original intent of the trip..."The Yuma Territorial Prison" it operated from 1876 to 1909 and was considered by the people of Yuma as the "Country Club" because it was the most modern complex around it had indoor plumbing, running water and flush toilets and electricity, something the people of Yuma did not have, however if you where unlucky enough to be invited to stay at the prison for a while it was considered by the inmates as "The HELL HOLE". Imagine, temperatures during the summer reached 110 degs. if you where unlucky enough to be on the sundown side of the cell block...well to say the least it was HOT! there was NO AIR CONDITIONING, however they did have a way to circulate the air. And I'm sure the winter months where the same in the opposite direction. To go and see how they had to exist back in the day and the reasons you could be sent there, ie. misleading a woman, adultery, really makes Joe Arpaio's jails in Phoenix look pretty good, I thought it was well worth the trip.
Arizona State Parks: Yuma Territorial Prison: Home

Side Trips:

Felicity
A small Town? called Felicity about 8 miles west of Yuma just off I-8 it even has it's own exit. It's a town someone started as a tribute to all man kind and has had it declared as the "Center of the World "?? It's just some place you have to see I can't
quite explain. You'll know your there when you see the church on the hill in the middle of the desert.
http://www.felicity.us/home.html

Camachos Place
This is a Mexican Restaurant out in the fields of El Centro (abou
t 10 miles south of town) that has been around for some 60 years. It was started for the field workers to eat and relax after a hard days work, but it wasn't long before the surrounding towns found out how great the food was, real home cooking, and it became quite the spot for a beer and taco. I truly think it's known world wide and worth looking up, be sure to try the "Special Quesadilla" That and a cold beer is the perfect prelude to a carne asada dinner.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/camachos-place-el-centro

The Trip to Yuma, You couldn't ask for nicer weather somewhere on S2
Stopped for Lunch in Ocotillo, "wont make that mistake again" only found 2 spots to stop,both where bars and this one looked best

Where prisoners entered prison and received all their supplies. The prison operated from1876 to 1909

The sun down side

I'm not sure inmates today appreciate what they have


Guard Tower


Not a lot of room with 6 people in a cell


Pretty good wine for the only winery in the desert to make wine, a friendly, cool place to enjoy a glass of wineHeadin' back to the hotel from old town


chasin' trains


relaxin' after a hard day


Felicity:
inside this building is said to be the "Center" of the the earth?


This Plaque is the center of the Earth?Looking down from the Church on the Hill

until the next trip