Dive Day

Yuma, Arizona: Every place we visited today was a first for us - one of the great benefits of travel. We met my family downtown for lunch at a "Yuma institution", Lutes Casino. This is the kind of place you may walk into and immediately turn around and walk back out. It is a dive. It was packed.

Lute's Casino is famous for a burger served with a sliced hot dog on top! Since the entire menu features burgers - we all ordered burgers or cheeseburgers. Service was remarkably fast considering there wasn't an empty table in the massive restaurant. During our lunch, a man came out of the kitchen, still wearing his apron, sat down at the piano and entertained the crowd.

Lute's Casino is not a casino. It actually never officially was a casino, though illegal gambling often occurred in the basement. Now, as their slogan says, Lute's is where the "elite meet". Well, obviously - look at this elite bunch:

DT, Dad, Mom, and my Aunt & Uncle enjoy lunch at Lute's Casino


Lute's Casino Cheeseburger, $4.25

After lunch, my Aunt and Uncle had an appointment (gee, with a repair on their brand new motorhome, of course!), so we said goodbye to them and drove out to West Wetlands Park & Pond for a walk around this Yuma City Park along the Colorado River. The park features a huge pond and habitats for burrowing owls and hummingbirds.

The Colorado River at West Wetlands Park in Yuma, Arizona


Walking paths in the hummingbird garden


Cactus


Dried seed pod. Seeds are black, irregularly-shaped and black as charcoal.
I could not identify this plant - anyone???


Can't identify this one either, but it certainly is cool

Our next stop was about a thirty-minute drive south of town to the Saihati Camel Farm. I can't say this is a good attraction or a bad attraction. They advertise huge herds of camels, that are bred and raised on-site. Everything we had read about the Camel Farm made it sound interesting. One guy even stated in his review that the Camel Farm had "camels, rare, endangered and extinct animals". Well, dang, we had to make the trip to see extinct animals! Geez.

The animals were all kept in wire pens or cages. They had food and water and looked healthy enough. By the amount of off-spring running around, it would be safe to say the animals are doing well. However, it was a bit depressing to see the critters in little pens. Everything was quite run-down. Visitors (admission $3, $2.50 for seniors) can purchase 16 oz. cups of alfalfa pellets to feed the animals. DT and Dad had quite a lot of fun feeding the well-trained critters.

DT's little goat buddies


Camel
 
Two new baby camels


Goat in a trough


More goats


This unfortunate-looking fellow is half Zebra-half donkey

We needed a nap! Later we met my parent's for dinner at La Fonda Tortilla Factory (1095 S 3rd Ave, Yuma, 928.783.6902). La Fonda is super casual, small and not in the nicest part of town. It is very popular though - another Yuma "institution". We had good - not great - meals. I tried a trio of their tacos: soft, rolled and fried - all chicken. No rice, no beans... this was serious research, people.

Folded, rolled and fried. Folded won, hands-down.


Tortilla Soup


Pollo Asada


DT tried a house special: beef stuffed with garlic and roasted, then shredded.

Burgers, tacos, camels and a walk in the park. What a day. Tomorrow we pack it up and drive to Tucson. Until my next update, I remain, your institutionalized correspondent.

RV Park: The Palms RV Resort