3:10 to Yuma!

Wildflowers at Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site

It was quite a busy ordeal getting the Love Your Parks Tour out on the road, but we made it and we are officially on tour! Yay! From putting a few of their prized treasures in storage to giving their furniture, books and plants to friends and donation centers, Nancy and Lisa put in a lot of work closing up the Big Blend home base in Tucson. Packing the car was a reminder of how simple life on the road has to be. Along with carrying me and my entourage, camera and computer gear, plus a few on-the-road kitchen essentials, they're each only traveling with a suitcase and small carry bag.

The trip to Yuma, Arizona was a spectacular showcase of desert wildflowers! Orange mallow, purple lupine, pink verbena, big white poppies, yellow desert marigolds, dandelions and brittlebush - it was just incredible! The music was jammin' with all of our classic favorites, which is one of the best parts of being on the road. I say turn up the tunes and sing out loud!

A Toast to the start of the Love Your Parks Tour! 

We stopped at one of our favorite spots, the Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site just outside Gila Bend. The crossroads for the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition as well as Mormon Battalion and Butterfield Overland Mail Route, it was a fitting location for a celebratory champagne toast. Plus, it’s always neat to visit the giant clump of volcanic rocks and look at the ancient petroglyphs.

We made it to Yuma before sundown and got all settled in our tour headquarters the Historic Coronado Motor Hotel, which has been in operation for over 80 years. Not only is it the first motel in the state, it's home to the Yuma Historical Society Museum of Aviation Tourism, and the Yuma Landing Bar & Grill which is located on the site where the very first airplane landed in Arizona! I love how the bougainvillea is in bloom all over the property, and I’m having a lot of fun swinging in the palm trees where the birds hang out.

Bougainvillea in Bloom at the Historic Coronado Motor Hotel

Over the weekend we rested up and recharged our batteries. We got to spend some quality time with our dear friends John and Yvonne Peach (owners of the hotel), and catch up on all the exciting new things happening in Yuma. In fact, Yvonne joined us on our Big Blend Radio Champagne Sundays show to give everyone and overview of what there is to see and do in Yuma, like floating down the Colorado River, visiting the historic Territorial Prison, and bird watching in the East and West Wetlands. You can hear the radio podcast below, which also includes Steve Schneickert’s Yuma Hollywood History segment.  

Yummy Cookies from Holly!

Big thank you smiles to John and Yvonne for having us back home here at the Coronado Motor Hotel, and to Holly T. Hansen (Big Blend family history expert) for sending us the yummy cookies, and to Dorothy for taking care of our plants and sending us off with a bottle of bubbly! What a sweet way to start the tour!

From the Palm Trees,
Miss P.