Verde Canyon Railroad

Verde Canyon Railroad carries passengers on a 20 mile trip through the Verde Canyon. The 4 hour journey takes you from historic Clarkdale, AZ (near Jerome) to the Perkinsville ghost ranch and back again.  From the vintage restored train cars and/or open air viewing cars one can observe the natural beauty of the canyon, two national forests, and protected wilderness areas.

 The historic rail line runs through an area where high desert meets riparian wetlands along the Verde River.  Towering rock formations, clear water streams, ancient ruins, bridges and trestles are all part of the trip.  Most interesting is the 680 foot man-made curved tunnel which was chiseled  through solid rock over a century ago...for a short while you are surrounded by complete darkness, until the cars emerge from the tunnel again.

Yuma Territorial Prison

High on a bluff where the Colorado and Gila Rivers meet in Yuma, AZ is the site of Yuma Territorial Prison.  Now a historic state park, the prison once had the reputation of being the most feared prison in the west.  Before the prison was built a military fort was located nearby.  In 1850's the Gold Rush led many individuals to the west and the town of Yuma flourished. By 1875 the need for a territorial prison was recognized.  Built by the prisoners themselves, the first were jailed in 1876.  

One of the more famous prisoners was lady stage coach robber Pearl Hart...rumor is that after she robbed the stage, she gave each passenger $1 back so they could get something to eat or drink at the next stage stop! 

For the next 33 years it served as a prison. After that prisoners were moved to a new facility in Florence, AZ.  Once the prisoners left, the facility had other uses.  From 1910-1914 it served as a temporary High School for Yuma (the athletic teams name..."The Criminals").  From 1914 to 1923 it was a hospital.  In the 1920's and 30's Depression era homeless families and hobo's occupied the cells as temporary homes. It was neglected for some years, then in the 1960's the park service began restoring it as a historical site.  Now one can tour the prison

cells, guard tower, and the dreaded "Black Hole"...a cell without windows where those who failed to follow rules were shackled.

Imperial Sand Dunes National Recreation Area

While in Yuma, AZ for a few days, we drove west on I-8 into California to observe the massive sand dunes of the Imperial Sand Dunes NRA.  More than 127,000 acres of wind swept sand is piled into dunes, some up to 300 feet high...it has created a massive sandbox for off-road vehicle enthusiasts to play in.

History lurks here too with the preservation of remnants of the Plank Road. The Plank Road was originated in 1915 to provide a route from Yuma, AZ to San Diego, CA which did not involve driving all the way to Los Angeles first.  San Diego merchants helped raise money to bring the planks and construct the 6 1/2 mile Plank Road across the shifting desert sands.  The road consisted of two parallel tracks, each 25" wide spiked to wooden cross pieces underneath.  In April, 1915 work was completed and the first automobiles traveled the new route....they declared it a success!  However, with time and wind against them, the planks would shift and move and create a difficult mess.  Drivers often had to stop and put the planks back in place to continue their travels...it became known as the "Do-It-Yourself Highway".
In 1916 the California Highway Commission developed improvements that kept the Plank Road in place and provided more stability.  However, the road was still not wide enough for two cars to pass and occasional disputes resulted.  Pull-out and passing areas were added. The road was used until 1926 when a two-lane asphalt road was built to replace it.

Preserved sections of the Plank Road can be seen in place at a site near Gray's Well Road.