This morning, we were almost ready to go because we prepped for departure yesterday. We were on our way out of Wishing Well RV Park by about 0930 which is early for us. We started the drive with about a 10 mile drive on city streets but we found an alternate route from the way we came into town and our results were much better. We were actually moving most of the time.
After a bit we arrived at I-10 west although through Tucson the interstate runs north – south. We went north, urr… west until we turned west on I-8 near Casa Grande. I-8 passes over a series of ridges and through some wide valleys that, until recently have been known for their bleak, lifeless landscape. However, during today’s passage, we got to see the benefits of some recent rains on this landscape.
The desert was alive. There are an abundance of flowers. The palo verde trees are yellow with flowers. The prickly pear are erupting with crimson fruit sprouting bright pastel flowers surrounded by discouraging spines. The Ocotillos are covered with brand new tiny dark green leaves and bright red flower clusters. The desert appeared to be a green carpet all the way to the distant mountains.
About 10 miles from Yuma and 250 windy miles from Tucson we dropped out of the undulating mountain and valley terrain and descended into a wide agricultural valley with the Colorado River creeping through the middle. There not much of the Colorado left by the time it gets to Yuma. We pulled into an RV park called Yuma Lakes where we have stayed before, thanks to our Resort Parks International membership which lets us stay there for $10 a night. It is a flat, bleak parking lot-type facility with full hookups, a courteous staff and crummy wifi. There is a nearby stocked pond but we were unable to identify any lakes.