Castle Dome City

 Skid had electronic monitors on each valve stem on the RV and Trailer.  Just to be sure, he's going around with a digital air gage to check the other system, then adjusting with a small compressor.  He also measures tread depth in several selected places on each tire and records it all.

 Moving to the rear wheels, he have to use jumper cables to power the little compressor

 Tires checked, tanks emptied, bike tied down, a good "walk around" and they are ready to Fly!

It's been really fun having these two good friends visit.  Now it's back to the normal old grind here in Paradise.  Suppose to be in the high 90's by the weekend.

Sandy the Bank Teller in Castle dome City

Skid checking out one of the several Bars in Castle Dome City

As usual, Skid finds someone to talk to.  This is one of the employees here in the bar.

Skid is holding Aces and 8's

Waiting for the 3:10 to Yuma

Another Bar.  This one looks more like a VROC hangout.

This Cantina is a little more High Class

Sandy found the Cookhouse.  Interesting comments on the plates concerning the perple that sat there 

One of the daily menus

A very will used butcher board side table

Gas Station moved up from Stone Cabin.  This was in use in the early 50's down on Hwy 95.  Lots of interesting items inside the store and cafe that were brought up from Stone Cabin.

Take off some of this long hair!  This was the mine Barber shop in the last days of production .

A nice Saguaro Cactus at the City.

Sandy and Adam inside his cabin.

Adam had something in common with my Dad.  They both smoked Prince Albert in the can.

This old player piano with the rolls could very likely have been serviced by Pat's Dad.  He owned a music store in Yuma in the early 1930's, probably the closest place to Castle Dome City that would have been able to work on it.

Inside the gift shop.  The paintings and post cards were done by our friend, Marge Cates.

Castle Dome in the background.  This Ocotillo  is in full bloom

Skid and Sandy's last day in the Sonoran Desert

The Green Lizard, at home in the desert.  Skid says it's Pond Scum Green

Inside the gift shop at Stone Cabin

We stopped to visit with Randy at Stone Cabin.  He's be closing down for the season on 4 more days.

Randy makes a generous hamburger.  Buffalo meat is optional.

Sandy had the smallest hamburger on the menu.  Still pretty good sized.  He even offers a 5 pound burger, with all the trimmings, it will feed 4 people.  Actually it will stuff them!  And costs $15.

I had the Southwest, with Jalapenos, cheese, grilled onions, and  SW sauce.  Went good with the onion rings.  It was drippin' wonderful.
After eating, we went South through the Yuma Proving Grounds, into California and home through the vegetable fields and Date groves.

Skid & Sandy in Yuma

 March 27, 2011.  Very early morning in the Lynda Vista.  Skid and Sandy fit right in.  80% of the people in the park are from the Frozen North. (Canada)

Skid & Sandy had a visitor on their antenna this morning.

 This little "Greasy Spoon" had been voted Yuma's best every year for the last 10 or more years.  We ate here this morning.

 Skid had these rather large biscuits with sausage gravy and the other stuff.  He said it was good.

 We're ready for the show to start!  Yuma has a very large and well attended Air Show at the Marine Corp Air Station every year.

 Bill & Barb came down from Quartzsite for the day.  They are friends from Coos Bay.

 Sandy & Skid snapping away.

 Dozens of interesting airplanes put on a very exciting show!  I don't know what most of them are.

 Water tank for the Air Station.  Slammer was here many years ago....many, many. :-)

 Sandy took a lot of pictures.  I imagine most of them are very good.

 Our friend Barbara sure has nice thick blonde hair!

A Japanese Zero.  It was in a mock air battle..and lost of course!

 Weird tourists at the air show.

 The parking lots around the actual show were all full by the time we arrived an hour early.  So, we found a good place to watch with others parked on 32nd street, which is old Hwy 80.  I think next year we'll bring the little motor home out here early and park to watch the show.

 2 Ice Cream wagons and a couple of pizza trucks kept patrolling the spectators.

 More different kinds of helicopters than I knew existed!

 Bill taking his puppy for a walk in the hay field

I took about a hundred pictures, but most of them just didn't do justice to the planes, so I won't post them.  It was well worth the time we spent, and are already looking forward to being out there next year.

 A quick stop in Holtville, CA.  Katie looks good in "cowgirl" hats!

 This is a HUGE flag.  We had a strong head wind riding to Niland  today.

 Big John's gas and grub.  They have good coffee in here.  Scott (from the park), Pat, Skid, Sandy, Katie and Jim

 We had to wait until this truck lowered the rail wheels and took off down the tracks.

 Leonard Knight, the builder of Salvation Mountain at Slab City.  Katie is interviewing him for a school project.

 Leonard has worked on the mountain for about 30 years.  He's 79 years old now, and still lives alone in his truck out in the desert.

 Hay bales, dirt, adobe, and a lot of other junk and building materials make up the mostly hollow Mountain.

 The rides of the Day.

 This is just under 100 miles from Yuma.  It's near the Salton Sea.

 Leonard is a very interesting man, and has quite a story.
If you've seen the movie, Into the Wild, part of it was filmed here at Slab City

 Leonard has lived in several vehicles, but he's been in this old Fire Truck for the last 19 years

 He used to ride this scooter, but both Leonard and the scooter are sort of worn out.

 We're climbing the Yellow Brick Road.  It's higher than it looks from the bottom

 Pat made it to the top, but had to get on all 4's a few times.

 Pat, Skid, and I made it to the top.  Those bikes down there are a long way off!

Leonard's mail box.

 Skid looking into one of the mountain caverns.  Leonard recently got a letter from a California Senator letting him know that he may be able to get Salvation Mountain in the National Registry of something
.

You have to look into all the little nooks and cranny's to  find everything in the mountain.

 It's surprisingly light inside the mountain.

 More caverns

 This is at maximum zoom.  That cross is a long way up!

 Leonard only lived in this trailer for about a month.  Someone gave it to him.  He liked living in his truck better, so the trailer became a storage space for paint and supplies

 This looks like Salton Sea Coast Guard Cutter, sitting on a snow bank.  Actually, it's more of Leonard's painted desert.

 Katie is busy recording more of Leonard's story. Skid listens, and I think was recording some of it.

 Thanks for the hospitality, Leonard!

 In Slab City now.  There are many interesting vehicles and living quarters here.

 Just another house.

 A monument to a vet that died here at Slab City

 Checking out "The Range"

 This is the seating for the weekend music and movies they have here at the Range.  They have several special activities during the year.  Tomorrow, the 26th of March, they are having a "dress to the Max" Prom dance.  If you don't have proper clothes, there will be piles of them to choose from, that have been donated.

 The State at The Range

 Katie is busy snapping pictures

 Sounds like fun

 A few weapons.  Inside this old bus is all the electronics and a lot of musical instruments.  If you know how, you're welcome to come and play.

 

 We met the owner of this 1929 model truck.  He said he had an empty mobile home, and invited us to come and stay with him and his wife.

 Just behind the Range.  You never know when you might need some of this stuff.  And, there is no garbage service out here.

 The almost Newlyweds.

 Awww, isn't that sweet!

 Of course, Skid found someone to talk to. :-)

 We're getting some good information. This man (I think he said his name is Ben) has lived here for 17 years.  He wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

 I think Jim & Katie like this kind of music.....

 Just another old hippy!

 The diner is only open during special activities

 This was closed, but they sometimes serve simple food.

 Herb garden beside The Oasis.  I wouldn't be surprised if there was some other "gardens" out in the desert nearby.

 We stopped for lunch here in Niland.  A good place to eat, and lots of good pictures of Slab City History.
At one time, there was over 5000 people living out in the slabs that were left when a Marine Base closed. It  
a very popular place in the early 60's, and still attracts a lot of winter visitors, and about 150 full time residents.

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 A Cowboy burger in Niland.

 Skid and Sandy treated us all to dinner tonight. We really enjoyed this place.

 Those legs have to belong to a Canadian!
Where's my sun glasses!!

 This is a "peanut shells on the floor" kind of place.

 Waiting for food.  When it came, I was so excited about eating, I forgot to take a picture.

The End.   March 25, 2011

Wrong Turn & KT enroute the Blue Ridge Parkway

Since Skid & Sandy will be leaving soon, and Pat & I won't be at the Wedding, we thought this was a proper time to celebrate a little!

Look at these smiles!   They both look like young brides!

Skid sharing some good carrot cake with PITA.

Pita shares her house with Jim & Katie

Katie had just made this super good cake.  I'm afraid we put a big dent into it. :-)

This may be an illegal picture.  Sandy & Skid at a US Border Crossing!

Wrong Turn getting some information from a friend.  Maybe a new holster for his target pistol.

A colorful place for some refreshment.

Both Jim's had a real Carne Asada Burrito with all the trimmings.  I had Menudo.   Sandy passed on the chow, she's not a fan of Mexican Food.

This street vendor had some very good smelling beef!

Buying some great strawberries.  A buck a box.  The man in the orange hat is  my parking lot friend.  He keeps a good eye on the bike or car when I'm in Algodones.



A lady inside the Butterfield Stage!

Sandy & Pat are checking out the riding accomodations.

The Grove at Sun Gardens Date Farm

These beans are very, very, old.  It takes  a long time to cook them too!

We need to post this because of our Guard Dog.  She may decide to chase a Kitty at any time!

An Arizona Scorpion~

Nice vase in the Sun Garden Gift Shop.  We all had coupons for Date Shakes.  Buy one, get one free.  They were delicious!  Especially when samples of  whole dates were liberally added into the shake.

Inside the Gift shop.

Visiting, checking out the fun tourist items, and woofing down the good Date Shakes.

For those that were here last year for the Yuma Lettuce Ride, You'll remember this place.

Katie, Jim, Sandy & Skid.  An early morning snack of coffee with Mexican Pastry.  We're getting ready to start a good day of riding and looking.

 

 A tree on the Prison grounds.  It's in Spring leaf, will be a good shade tree soon.

 Sandy contemplating what it would have been like to be in a cell here.

 This door was lowered back in the 40's or 50's so actors that made movies in the old prison would look taller.

 Skid and Sandy in the "Dark" cell.  Used for extra punishment.

 The cells are mostly 9 x 12 feet and held 6 men.  No heat or air, and temps went from the high 20's to over 120!  Pretty tough duty!

 The profile mirror, made to save film.  This is the actual mirror that was used to take pictures of the inmates when they were incarcerated.

 The entry.  The State no longer supports the prison museum, it's ran by the City with private donations.

Skid is taking over the engineer duties on this old train

Live music in Lute's.  A fun place!



A famous outlaw of the Old West.  He was called "Skid The Kid"

Sandy the Canyon Carver!

This is a Yuman Snowbird Feeder.  It's named "The Garden Cafe".

They do have bubbling water here in the Desert.  This is in the garden of the Sanguinetti House.

Castus fruit

A big day for Pat.  The curator of this Historical Society House found, on line, a copy of Pat's Father's Death Certificate.  It's a long story, but she knows very little about him.  Bill, a Yaqui Indian volenteer was in Yuma at the time, and is explaining some things to Pat.  It was a very exciting for her.

Bill was the volunteer of the day at the desk.  Skid spent most of the time visiting with him, while we made the tour.  He was very interesting and had some good stories.  Of course, Skid doesn't really enjoy talking with people like this...(not)

The liveliest place in Yuma for late night partying.  The Nightclup is open air on the top of the 3rd floor.

This is where we ate last night.  Looks different in the day time.

Carne Asada, Onions, etc.  A Mexican food vendor at the Tuesday Farmer's Market.

A strange animal in Lute's.

Going in the Back Door.  If you try getting in this door when it's used for Exit Only, they will chase you down, chain you to a large Saguaro Cactus, and make you eat only Lute's greasy hamburgers for 30 days.

Not exactly Yuma related, but I ran across this picture of Wrong Turn.  He had just arrived in Eureka Sorings, 2009.  He was riding with Cheap B, and Bigdawg.

Gounds of the Apache Hotel.  Redd has spent a lot of time working on this Hotel.

Teri Conrad, Sandy & Skid.  Monday morning, and it's chilly in Yuma!

We stopped by to visit Redd, but he was gone.

The desserts at "Da Boyz"

Yes it does!

Always good information

Jim "Wrong Turn"'s Cannoloni

Pat, Skid, Sandy, Katie and Jim

We had some nice company for dinner

Da Boyz is inside the old Kress Building.  The top of the 3rd floor is a large night club.  Middle floor is a ball room and bar.  We stayed on the lower floor where the food is.