By Perry Mack
From saving money on food and camping, to what to see and where to shop, Cheryl’s digital book is essentially a short beginner’s guide to Yuma.
Like the snippets of sample appetizers, handed out by folks at groceries store, you get a small taste of what’s available but you’re left hungry for more. It is informative and decently written; and although I would have liked it to be twice the size, the information it contains will easily save you the cost of the book 100 times over.
The 11,000-word eBook by Cheryl Probst is available only for the Amazon Kindle at amazon.ca for $3.21 or amazon.com for $2.97 US. Here’s an excerpt from the eBook, a sample from the sample tray.
The Great Outdoors
Yuma is a great place to visit if you’re an active outdoors person. Whether you’re interested in a jet boat ride on the Colorado or an ATV ride through the desert, Yuma has outdoors activities that are sure to please. Water activities, from fishing to tubing and kayaking, revolve around the Lower Colorado River
There are three national wildlife refuges within a short drive of Yuma where you can see everything from birds to bighorn sheep. Kofa is known for bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, fox and mountain lions, and is home to the state’s only native palm trees found – where else – in Palm Canyon. Mule deer and bighorn sheep can be seen drinking from the river at dawn and dusk at the Imperial refuge. Farthest north, the Cibola refuge is a favorite with bird watchers since nearly 300 species of our feathered friends can be found here.
If walking is your bag, you’ll find gentle trails such as at West Wetlands Park. More enthusiastic hikers may enjoy the challenge of climbing to Telegraph Pass, which offers stunning views of the countryside. The visitor information center at the Quartermaster Depot can recommend a hiking route for you.
The Colorado River has outstanding fishing, with anglers hooking crappie, catfish and bass as well as other types of fish. The Yuma area also offers good dove hunting. Before participating in these activities, be sure you have an Arizona state license.
Featured outdoors attraction: Imperial Sand Dunes
Yuma is famous for its hot summer temperatures and its mild winter climate that attracts tens of thousands of snowbirds annually. It also is famous as the home to one of the world’s largest inland sand masses.
Though the sand dunes are located in California, about 20 miles west of Yuma, they’re frequently affiliated with America’s hottest summer city, though officially they’re known as the Imperial Sand Dunes. Motorists on Interstate 8 drive through miles of the dunes on their way to San Diego. There’s a rest area between the east and westbound lanes of the freeway, but there is no dunes access here. The dunes, along the eastern edge of the Imperial Valley, run for more than 40 miles.
The dunes are a national recreation area managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). They’re very popular with off-road enthusiasts. More than 80,000 acres are open to off-road motorized vehicles in the dunes, mainly starting at Highway 78 and running south to the freeway. Motorized vehicles are not allowed in the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness, which is accessible only on foot or horseback. Vehicle camping is allowed in all areas open to vehicles, though some spots are available on a first-come basis.
The Imperial Sand Dunes are popular with moviemakers who shot films here as early as 1913. Films made here include Star Wars, Scorpion King and Jarhead.