“Adventure Lab” Adventure

I’ve been wanting to do one of the Yuma Adventure Labs in the Geocaching Adventure Lab app. Today was finally the day! I chose the “Yuma Historic Buildings” adventure. I parked up by the first location. And I began walking from one historic building/feature to the next. There were 10 locations to “collect” and record something specific for each one to validate you are at each one. The Gandolfo Theater verification information was the hardest to get entered “correctly” into the app. However, perseverance paid off.

The Dressing Apartments below are actually separate, freestanding small homes versus a typical apartment building.

As I walked towards Main Street downtown, I took pictures of cool wall murals along the way.

Then I remembered…
There was an Adventure Lab for Yuma based on murals. Why not work on two different labs at the same time while walking throughout the downtown historic district!?! “Trash Art” was it. The Trash Art Adventure Lab consisted of 10 different mural walls that hide unsightly trash dumpsters in various downtown parking lots. I loved finding these! Some of the dumpster art consisted of a separate, distinct mural on each of the block walls, but they were unified by a theme. Others were done where the scene “continued” onto the adjacent 90 degree walls. A couple were unique on each wall or only had one wall with a scene.

This one the dumpster was missing, but the artist even painted a bit on the interior walls!

While I thoroughly enjoyed finding all the trash art, I was very frustrated with the last one. I tried and tried to enter the data required for the one below. I entered every number possible from all the light poles within the entire parking lot, but none worked for the verification of my last art mural for this dumpster! Frustrating that this Adventure Lab will not say “completed” because of that.

My adventure begins to heat up literally, and become memorable.
The last part of the Historic Buildings of Yuma Adventure Lab had me walking to the Ocean to Ocean Bridge! Since I was by myself I was hesitant to walk up the busy road to the bridge. I thought there might be a path up to the bridge from the park below, so that’s where I went. Unfortunately, there was no such path. I saw two guys climbing the hill towards the bridges. I looked at the hillside, and decided I could do it, too. So I did. When I got to the top I realized I had no where to go! The guys were on the RR bridge and taking some pictures. I had no interest in that. There was no getting to the Ocean to Ocean Bridge. Unfortunately, there was no getting anywhere! There was a tall concrete wall along the edge of the the hill as it ran parallel to the bridges. I certainly could not get over it, but the block wall also went 90 degrees to my left which was parallel to the hill I just climbed up. Luckily, after about 100 feet, it changed to an iron railing that was significantly shorter. THAT was doable–if I could get to it without slipping down the hillside. The only other choice was to go back down the dirt and rock hillside where I came up. Not happening. It was a lot of loose dirt/sand and rocks. The chance of me slipping and getting hurt was too great. I saw a couple near the railing. I figured this was an outlook/overlook to the park area below and the Colorado River.

I made it to the railing and climbed over it. I looked around to assess my surroundings to determine my way to that Ocean to Ocean Bridge. What the heck!?!? I was now INSIDE the Yuma Territorial Prison!!! Are you kidding me?? WHO breaks INTO prison? I asked the couple witnessing my “break-in”, “How do I get out of here?” They pointed to the building to the left that was the gift shop. They told me to go through that door and I’d get out.

I wasted no time. Through the gift shop I went and on through to the outside of the prison. (You pay to come in and tour this Territorial Prison, which we will do in a few days.) I walked to the area of the prison cemetery where there was a path down to the wetlands park and back to where I originally climbed up the hillside. I made my way back to the busy road to the bridge. There was actually a sidewalk along that road. It went all the way up to a traffic light that allowed me to crossover to the opposite side where the historical markers were. I found the needed tidbit of info. And by the way-an internet search would not have worked. I tried that. LOL But I have to admit my experience to get here had added an unexpected twist that will keep this Adventure Lab journey a unique one to share with friends and family.

One last location to reach. The Railroad Depot. I knew there was an old steam engine close by, so I headed there. I assumed this must be where the old RR depot is located. (Never assume.)

Along the way, but near the park and Ocean to Ocean Bridge, I saw this – The beginning of water filtration for drinking water! This Blaisdell Slow Sand Filter Washing Machine was built in 1902, and patented June 2, 1903.

HOW it worked:

More about the inventor and entrepreneur, Hiram Blaisdell:
Speaking of the muddy Colorado, “Too thick to drink and too wet to plow.”

Got to the historic steam engine.
Southern Pacific Number 2521 (1907-1957)

This steam engine is 79 feet long and weighs more that 194 tons! It could haul 35 loaded box cars at 40 mph. S.P. #2521 logged an estimated 2.5 million miles hauling passengers and freight through the Southern US. It was the main-line hauler in the Yuma area for more than 40 years.

BUT NO depot. Only a current Hilton Garden Inn. This Southern Pacific engine is displayed here since it is near the location of the Southern Pacific Hotel that existed from 1881-1926. They offered FREE meals everyday the sun didn’t shine! Later it was used as the Cochan Sanitarium till it was demolished inn 1933.

Well, the depot must be the building I see further down this road. After all the railroad tracks are nearby. No, it wasn’t. I finally decided to call it a day. I got back to my car and headed home. I will find the depot another day, but I will get the address and drive to it!

It’s been a great adventurous day. I achieved something like 17,000+ steps–before playing pickleball that evening! The Adventure Labs were fun. I saw unique things within Yuma that I would not have known about otherwise. I look forward to doing more and even finding adventure labs as we travel.

A couple days LATER in the Jeep, Barry helped me find the Old Train Depot. I took a couple of pictures, but I must have accidentally deleted them. At least this Adventure Lab is now recorded as COMPLETED!