why Yuma?

We’ve had several people ask us this question. Here’s why we decided to winter in Yuma, Arizona, after we retired.

It’s easy to get to from Colorado in the winter. You can get there crossing over just one pass in Utah, and it’s been warm enough to de-winterize the motorhome when we stop for the night.

It’s warm and sunny. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, it’s the sunniest city in the world averaging 4,000 hours of sunshine a year. Colorado is very sunny, but it doesn’t routinely hit 80° in January.

La Bodega in Yuma — Bacon-wrapped shrimp taco at Bodega 23

The restaurants! Our kids gave us gift certificates for several local eateries. We’ve tried a couple, Bodega 23 and The Broken Yolk, and still have some to go.

There’s a lot to do, and not just at our 55+ RV resort. My Yuma bucket list is long. Even though we’ve checked off several activities and destinations, I won’t run out of ideas this winter. On the top of my bucket list are the Yuma Territorial Prison and High Tanks Brewing, a family brewery in the middle of a date palm farm. Glad we still have lots of time to keep exploring.

It’s affordable compared to so many other snowbird destinations, which means we can stay longer and play more.

We took a day trip to Los Algodones, Mexico, this week. It’s just a 20-minute drive to the parking lot in Winterhaven, California. Then you walk across the border. They didn’t check my passport on the way in, but they did when we returned to the U.S. The markets are so fun, and we had a nice lunch before heading back. Just so you know, you can each bring one liter of alcohol back, duty free, every 30 days. It’s not super cheap, but cheaper than at home.

There is so much desert to explore. We’ve gone Jeeping with new friends several times. Some highlights include Picacho and American Girl mines, Valley of Names, Mittry Lake Wildlife Area, a couple of wild burros and watching an Osprey practice taking off and landing in the desert. So cool! We are near the Marine Air Station, so we see all kinds of aircraft going over.

The history of Valley of the Names, located in Winterhaven, California, is really interesting. According to Atlas Obscura, “During World War II, soldiers training in the desert north of Yuma, Arizona, began decorating a site they called “Graffiti Mesa,” using rocks to write out their names in the clay. The tradition continued on after the war, and the graffitied area grew and grew. Today over 1,200 acres of land are decorated with signatures, messages, dates, initials, and designs.”

One of my must-do experience is going to The Lemon Grove, a family-operated farm, orchard and market. It’s just a few minutes from our resort, so we go once a week or so. You can get a bag of fresh lemons, oranges or grapefruit for $5! You can also buy fresh produce and eggs, choose from a great sandwich selection and…holy moly, Dole Whips. My new favorite treat. There’s a second location now, Grove 95, which is, not surprisingly, on highway 95.

The beautiful grounds at The Lemon Grove.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more Tales From the Empty Nest.

Jan 17

let the games begin!

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The retirement games, that is. I officially retired at the end of 2025. I’d like to say that it took me a while to get used to it, but that would be a lie. Although we sold our retail business in 2024, I was still doing some public relations work for a few hours a week. That dwindled down as the year went on since I was down to just one client.

Read “Mostly Retired Mandy“

Here’s how it’s going.

Day 1: We left our home in Colorado at 7:25 a.m. It was 20°, so our motorhome Vanessa had no running water or plumbing because it was too cold. Mile 1, the stereo/navigation display stopped working. No music. No water. No toilet. Things are looking grim. I feel like a settler heading west in a covered wagon. Where’s my bonnet?

Day 2: We made it to Mesquite, Nevada, for the night and were able to dewinterize Vanessa. Still no music or nav but it’s warming up, and we have indoor plumbing. I might just survive the journey. Still looking for my bonnet.

Day 3: Woke up happily unemployed in Yuma, Arizona, our home for the next couple of months. We are staying in a 55+ RV resort that I’ve dubbed a land cruise because there’s so much to do and so many amenities. Pools, hot tubs, a grill, pickle ball, bocce ball, putt-putt golf. Rooms for exercise equipment, cards, crafts and billiards. An AMF-certified four-lane bowling alley! So many things to do throughout the day as well. We started looking at the model homes the first week, but that’s a few years off.

The people here are so welcoming. It’s a happy place, and we’ve already made some friends. Our next-door neighbors have introduced us to some of their friends and let us know some things about the area. They also gave us some freshly baked bread!

They invited us to play water volleyball this week. Let me tell you, it is hard core. Just like dodge ball. Except we use beach balls. And there’s no limit to the number of people on each team or how many times it takes to get the ball over the net. The same player can hit it as many times in a row as needed. And the ball is only out-of-bounds if it bounces more than once. This is my kind of sport.

Another couple has taken us out Jeeping in the desert. They’ve come here for several years and know a lot of trails, which is very lucky for us. We have plans to go again next week.

We’ve played bingo, been to a car show, tried a pizza place my father-in-law recommended—Da Boyz—that we love, taken Walden to Yuma’s Bark Park and on lots of walks to the dog park here in the resort, ridden our e-bikes. I’ve gone to water aerobics and have been swimming laps on my own. And we read by the pool every day. It’s pretty good gig.

The most exciting news, though, is that we are going to become grandparents! Our daughter and son-in-law are expecting a baby boy in late April. My chosen grandmother name is Mae Mae, but who knows what the little sweetie will end up calling me. I’ll answer to whatever he chooses, but there will be some coaching from me.

It’s 80° and sunny here today. I’ve stopped looking for my bonnet.

Stay tuned for more Tales From the Emply Nest!

Oct 04

destination: theodore, alabama

mostly retired mandy

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Well, if you’ve been keeping track, it’s been 18 months since I posted a blog. Life got a little crazy for a while, so I have some catching up to do.

Mar 22

march: burgers, beer and backyard camping

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March roared in like a lion in terms of workload, so our getaway for the month was a date day followed by an overnight campout…in the backyard. It’s easy to plan a staycation here with so many things to do, see, eat and drink.

We started the day touring a nearby camping spot, Elk Creek Campground, that our good friends purchased and have been renovating. This is a beautiful spot in New Castle, Colorado, that’s about 20 minutes from home and, now that we’ve seen it, is bound to be on our list for the year. It’s located in a beautiful, wooded valley right on Elk Creek. The new owners have cleaned things up and invested in lots of infrastructure upgrades—including full hookups at every site. There are sites in all sizes, including a couple for big rigs, and multiple cabin options. A new laundry area and rec room are in the works now and should be finished by the May 1 opening day.

Feb 07

travel tuesday: romantic glenwood springs staycation

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There’s nothing like an opportunity to dress to the nines to spark a romantic staycation! The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association‘s Annual Gala was last weekend, and my client Hotel Colorado won Business of the Year. Plenty of reasons to celebrate, so I booked a room for an early Valentine’s Day night out with my Valentine.

Jan 10

travel tuesday: wine + winter = winner

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Barrel Cave at Colterris Winery in Palisade, Colorado

The first getaway of 2023 is a wrap! Just like in 2022, it was to Palisade, Colorado. This up-and-coming wine region is less than an hour from our house and it’s quickly becoming a favorite destination. It’s a straight shot on I70, no passes to worry about. I’m ready to go back now!

Our original plan included multiple stops to sample the local food and drink, but we had to whittle that down when they moved the KC Chiefs game to Saturday. It ended up being very relaxing, which was nice after the busy holiday season at our store.

Jan 06

here’s looking at you, 2023

10 months, 10 states, 14 getaways

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Ten months and a few days into 2022, and we’re blowing past all of my travel goals for the year. My heart was set on at least one getaway each month and to go someplace new. In the first five months, we made seven trips to six different states.

Oct 09

fall in love with bryce canyon

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Fall is a wonderful time to visit Bryce Canyon. This was my first visit, so I can’t judge the other seasons too harshly, but it was perfect autumn weather when we were there in late September. Highs in the low 70s, lows in the 40s. My kind of weather!

We planned this trip way back in July 2021, so we’d been anticipating it for months. We joined our camping friends from Las Vegas, who we try to camp with every year. They had been there before, so we took advantage of their knowledge and love of the place.