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.
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Ready to go off-roading in Blackie. Just let some air out of the tires... |
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A view from I-8 in Yuma. Here you can see desert, farmland and mountain ranges.
It's a magical place. |
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Crossing the Colorado River going from Arizona into California on I-8. |
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An old church along the way. I forgot the name of it. |
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Not a campground most southerners would find appealing.
It's the desert after all. |
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The agriculture here is impressive.
Lots of produce -- and we've seen cotton too. |
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Farm workers harvesting leaf lettuce. |
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This is a canal from where the crops get water. |
Our first destination was to climb a hill. It was exhilirating!
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Landon and Marcella's Jeep will take on the hill. |
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Did it! |
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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.
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Lexie and BJ running free!
I'm sure we can get her to come to us. |
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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.
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"Names" refers to the stone placement by people spelling out names, dates, etc.
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Yours truly x 3. |
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The tall, slender, spikey cactus is Ocotillo. It's woody and has dangerous sharps! |
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-X7iYC4Q5GE0/TXGWPoqlsII/AAAAAAAAFLw/pPOm4bGr5YE/s640/IMG_3071.JPG) |
Marcella, me and Lexie. |
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Wayne, me, Lexie, Landon and BJ
Yes, I'm talking...again. |
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The succulents are VERY large. |
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Great folks!
Marcella, Landon and BJ in the Jeep |
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-prqHa5CPImk/TXGWUhzvs1I/AAAAAAAAFMM/1SbMVpgLoOE/s640/IMG_3109.JPG) |
Leaving the desert, we stopped to reinflate the car tires.
A lettuce field was nearby. I stole lettuce. |
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