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.

Oct 04

destination: theodore, alabama

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.

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

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.

Jul 19

travel tuesday: keystone wine and jazz

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The Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival is quickly becoming one of our favorite new traditions. There are the Colorado Rocky Mountains, cooler temps, beautiful flowers, hiking trails and lots of yummy food. Oh, and wine and jazz. We took the kids in 2019, it was cancelled in 2020, Scott and I went last year, and this year we brought our daughter and son-in-law along to celebrate their upcoming birthdays. Fun was had by all.

*Family fun at the 2022 Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival. You can tell I’m ready with my food pass lanyard, wine glass necklace, wine shirt and a bottle of water in my pocket!*

May 31

travel tuesday: sippin’ wine in palisade

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If you’re starting to think we like Palisade, you are correct. This was our second mini-staycation there this year. We attended the Sip into Spring Wine Fest for the first time, and it was fabulous. The location, the wine, the weather, the food, the hotel…all fabulous!

May 24

travel tuesday: 5 months, 6 states, 7 getaways

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map of 2022 tales from the empty nest travels

We are crushing my goal of at least one getaway each month in 2022! So far, we have visited six states on seven getaways. Here’s a quick recap.

RELATED: Vacation planning for 2022

January: We kicked the year off with a mini-staycation in Palisade and Grand Junction that included visits to a brewery and winery and some incredible food. Soon after, a Colorado road trip took us to Denver for the RV Show and on to Colorado Springs for a relaxing weekend with our best friends.

May 05

desert vibes for march camping

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Spring fever and camping fever arrive at the same time at our house each year. This year was no exception. In fact, it might have been heightened by the fact that I redecorated our camper with a beach theme after our trip to Anna Maria Island in March!

We always spend one night in the camper in our back yard before heading anywhere, just to make sure everything is working properly. Always good advice. More good advice: Unplug the camper if you’ve had it plugged in all winter. We learned that the hard way this year.