Imperial Valley

March 24th, 2025

I have spent the last week at the Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area. It is a little nicer than the LTVAs near Quartzsite. Senator Wash, a medium size lake is just down the hill from me. There are a few trails in the area and the city of Yuma is nearby for logistics.

Imperial Valley, irrigated with water from the Colorado River, is an agricultural hub for winter vegetables. Various types of lettuce, broccoli, carrots, spinach, dates, and avocados are grown here. A lot of product is shipped to Mexico, Canada, and Asia. The area is recognized for its rich lithium deposits and geothermal energy production.

Next to the LTVA where I am camped, is the Army Proving Grounds. On weekday mornings, I often wake to vibrations and and booms as they test fire artillery in the distance. Occasionally flights of fighter jets or Osprey vertical take off planes go over.

If you travel down to Yuma, you can get all the Mexican food you desire. This is not the Taco Bell type of food, but more authentic cuisine and quite tasty.

As I pulled into the LTVA last Tuesday, I was met by a very nice lady who asked questions about my trailer. She offered to help me find a campsite near her and then gave me a tour of the area. Later in the week we made a grocery trip together and she treated me to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Several evenings, she made dinner and brought it over to my trailer. She is a very good cook, using lots of seasonings I don’t normally experience. One afternoon she brought over a bowl of Irish Stew that was very good. She told me it was one of her “medicinal” dishes. She was right. About 20 minutes after eating it I was totally relaxed, even thought of taking a nap, something I rarely do.

I made a few repairs to my solar system, and went on my usual hikes into the desert and down by the lake. The weather here has been quite warm. It gets down to 50 at night, with very nice cool mornings. By afternoon the temperature warms into the 90s and then cools again near sundown. A group of 42 Gambels Quail run by in the wash each evening and there a large number of wild burros in the area. This morning my neighbor friend texted me that she had almost stepped on a rattlesnake. Good reason to be heading on tomorrow.