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 now 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 (about 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

Ride to a GREAT Burger Place

I hadn't planed for this to be a restaurant review blog, and still don't, more of a ride blog . But I guess you need a destination and if there is not a lot in between except nice road and good weather and the food was Great I guess it's worth talking about.

The trip there was a good ride in the back country of North San Diego county. We left Nessy Burger @ I-15 and Hwy 76. Buy the way Nessy Burger is another good burger joint located in a Park & Ride. Headed up Old Hwy-395 and turned west on Old Castle Road which put us into some nice two lane twisties and followed it into Valley Center and then into Escondido where we hopped on Hwy 78 and headed into Ramona where we turned right on Hwy 67 and then right on Scripps Poway Pkwy now to this point the roads are a nice combination of twisties and sweeping turns.
Now about 4 1/2 miles after turning onto Scripps Poway Pkwy at the north west corner of Community St. and Scripps Poway Pkwy in a Nursery that has a hugh garden Railroad that is well worth the stop.

After this point it was pretty much a straight shot down the freeway to "The Water Front Bar & Grill" which dates back to 1933 just after the end of prohibition when 2 friends opened a small bar a couple of blocks from the water. There's not a lot of room inside but a lot of personality and atmosphere and a patio out front for people watching. Their beer selection is good but standard but their hamburgers are out of this world they're not your standard frozen patties. When you order a 1/2 lb burger they don't go to the freezer and pull out a patty and slap it on the grill, instead they take a 1/2 lb of fresh ground beef and plop it on the grill and smash it with the spatula and through the buns beside it and steam them. It's a great change from the standard burger you get today at most restaurants. This place will warrant a return trip for sure.