Historic Yuma

The sun took a long time to rise above the mountains. A few egrets gathered in the reeds below for an unlucky fish or reptile, but other than this silent gathering, there was little of any loud morning feeding. We left our little site shortly after 7am to drive toward the Imperial Dam and then back into Yuma.

Kevin had an appetite for an IHOP breakfast. I went along with his plan. The place was crowded, it took us over 30 minutes to get our food, but we enjoyed our conversation. The coffee was quite good.

I wanted to walk around Historic Yuma before our five-hour drive across the Sonoran desert. He didn't mind. We had missed the historic part of Yuma that first day because we were rushed to see the old depot and prison. Trying to find the historic riverfront was hard enough!

There are only about eight blocks worth seeing in Yuma, and those are the blocks east of the depot and prison. Most of the old buildings had been destroyed in a 1916 flood, and what few are still standing are renovated. Only the Lee Hotel is the one true relic, but that building is crumbling and smells of mold.

It was just past 10am as we walked along the shops. Most were still closed, but life was coming to some of the smaller food shops. I chatted briefly with the owner of a hot dog stand inside a narrow shop court. the exterior of his shop was colorfully designed, to resemble a Mexican court yard. He is a semi-professional (self-taught) photographer, Karate black belt and gourmet cook who's waiting for his big break. We talked about cameras, lenses and techniques. His wife and business partner also does some photography.

Kevin had walked on down Main Street so I followed him. He had wandered down two blocks but I could recognize him by his profile. He was walking toward the historic Lee Hotel, the one original building still standing in Yuma. It wasn't much of a building: cracks permeated the foundation and there were water stains in the ceiling. The lobby smelled of mold and stale cigarettes. The hotel guests looked like they were subsidized to stay there, but that didn't stop either of us from getting into a conversation with one of the guests who was sitting outside under the front canopy and smoking a Marlboro cigarette.

"This place is haunted" said the older, blonde woman. "I see all kinds of ghosts here" she went on. I was curious to find out who she was "seeing."

"Oh, there's Clark Gable at the front desk. He's dressed in tails and very tipsy, as if he went to a wedding" Others whom she has seen in the hotel are Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne.

The night before a strange couple were in her bed having sex. "I went outside until they were done." Now that is weird. But despite her psychic claims she seemed rather normal.

"Are you sensitive?" she asked me. She wanted to "read" my energy, and told me about the various energies the body parts radiate. I was already lost there, but let her read me. I was curious what she would say about me, a women she didn't know.

"You are very spiritual yet doubtful of a god, overly analytical, and headstrong in your opinions. You remain headstrong even if proven wrong." Oh uh. I thought she got me there.

She wasn't quite so accurate with Kevin. "You are easy to read" she said, but didn't give any details.

We both joined her inside the Lee Hotel. It wasn't as well kept as I expected an historic place to be. Framed yellowed newspaper articles from the Chicago Herald Tribune were hanging from the walls, articles depicting D-Day, the Lindbergh crossing and Armistice Day. Kevin seemed interested in her stories, but I left the hotel to photograph more outdoor scenes. Kevin quickly followed me. The woman was interesting but she was starting to resemble a fast-speed sales pitch. I'm surprised she didn't ask for money for reading our vibes (which I gladly would have given her) but I started to sense that she was working in cahoots with the hotel owner. There were other sites to see besides this dingy hotel.

Stores were starting to open as we walked back to the van. The hot dog shop was full of customers and other window shoppers were strolling down the sidewalk. What once was rather lifeless and quiet was now buzzing with energy.

There isn't much to Yuma. Most of the town is agricultural/industrial with a heavy Mexican accent. The streets are littered, its people grubby and distrusting. We only saw a tinge of this once important river town. If there's anything of note to our visit, it's the drastic change that has taken place to the trickling river and the riparian habitat once dependent on its water. What we didn't see was the violence along the border once the sun goes down.