Desert Names

While at Arizona Sands in Yuma, we met lots of nice folks including Landon and Marcella. They are repeat Yuma winter visitors from Ohio with a really laid back beagle named BJ. 
Landon and Marcella enjoy off-roading in their Jeep and invited us to follow along with them for a day trip to a place just across the California state line called "Names".  It's near the Chocolate Mountain range just across the Colorado river -- a short ride. We took lunches.

Ready to go off-roading in Blackie.  Just let some air out of the tires...

A view from I-8 in Yuma.  Here you can see desert, farmland and mountain ranges.
It's a magical place.

Crossing the Colorado River going from Arizona into California on I-8.

An old church along the way.  I forgot the name of it.

Not a campground most southerners would find appealing.
 It's the desert after all.

The agriculture here is impressive.
Lots of produce -- and we've seen cotton too.

Farm workers harvesting leaf lettuce.

 

This is a canal from where the crops get water.

 Our first destination was to climb a hill. It was exhilirating!

Landon and Marcella's Jeep will take on the hill.

Did it!

No... we didn't take Blackie up that hill.
Landon took us up in the Jeep.

I decided the desert would be a good place to let Lexie down without her leash.  While she won't easily come to us, she always stays near us.  BJ would be a good influence as she follows him and he is very well trained.




Lexie and BJ running free!
I'm sure we can get her to come to us.



Turned out to be a dumb idea -- it took us 30 minutes to capture that little cotton ball.

From the hillclimbing spot, we drove on into another part of the desert to see the "names" and have lunch.

"Names" refers to the stone placement by people spelling out names, dates, etc.




 

Yours truly x 3.

The tall, slender, spikey cactus is Ocotillo. It's woody and has dangerous sharps!

Marcella, me and Lexie.

Wayne, me, Lexie, Landon and BJ
Yes, I'm talking...again.

The succulents are VERY large.

Great folks! 
Marcella, Landon and BJ in the Jeep

Leaving the desert, we stopped to reinflate the car tires.
A lettuce field was nearby.   I stole lettuce.