C2C Day 4 Yuma

Today was a long 65 mile day to Yuma. It rains 4 days a year here and this was the day for 2 hours in the morning and a deluge after the poorly planned attitude adjustment beverage at 56/65 mile mark. As always the sag was over the top.

We had a stop to tour the Center of The World. The lovely Mary worked very hard to make a delicious lunch. There are no words to describe this place. Granite inscribed plaques giving one man’s take on all things plus a chapel.

After a well deserved cold beverage at the Prison Brewery …. the rain restarted. There was a missed turn and our little posse of fun finally found the overnight. Drowned rats thoroughly enjoyed hot showers and a roof at the armory.

A highlight of the day was Steve Nebraska had a difficult flat 1/2 mile from the mechanic at the sag stop. The wheel was sent ahead, repaired and sent back so Steve would not miss a single inch of his C2C.

A note about Calexico last night. We heard tremendous stories of courage and determination from the families and staff at the mission school and enjoyed a meal served by the kids.

Here was dinner complete with local vegetables.

Tomorrow we continue East. Ann continues to surpass 5 star Michelin ratings, every detail is divine,

Here is your 411 on Yuma -the winter vegetable capital of the world. The vegetables are very tasty.

Yuma

 In 1929, the famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart ran off the end of the runway in Yuma while competing in the first Women’s Air Derby from Santa Monica, Calif., to Cleveland (Earhart had a new propeller flown in, continued the race and finished third).  

By 1949, with Yuma’s postwar economy looking a bit grim, the Yuma Jaycees decided to stage an elaborate publicity stunt to spotlight the area’s year-round perfect flying weather: an attempt to set a record for nonstop flying.  

The plane was an Aeronca Sedan named the “City of Yuma” and emblazoned with the hopeful slogan “The City With A Future.”  The small plane took off on August 24 and did not touch the ground again for nearly 47 days – until October 10, 1949.  

The record-setting 1,124 hours aloft was made possible by a team of volunteers who passed food and fuel to pilots Woody Jongeward and Bob Woodhouse from the back of a Buick convertible as it sped along the runway at 80 miles an hour, with the plane flying just above it and matching speeds.