On 03/29/2006 we arrived at Western Horizon Colorado River Oasis in Ehrenberg, AZ. We visited Tyson’s Well Stage Station sites in Quarzsite, AZ on 03/31/2006. The first stop was to Tyson’s Well Stage Station and the second is the Hi Jolly Monument. The original adobe stage station was built in 1866 by Charley Tyson at its present location. It was an important way station on the California-Arizona line because of excellent water and grass for the horses. Miners and freighters, hauling mining equipment and military supplies from the river port at Ehrenberg, to the Territorial Capital at Prescott, also stopped here. Accommodations were primitive at best. The picture is of the Station.
When the US Army was over in the Middle East gathering camels for possible use in the American deserts back in the 19th century, Hi Jolly was picked up to train them. He was called Hi Jolly, because his Syrian name could not be pronounced by the soldiers (his real name was Hadji Ali). Hi Jolly arrived in the American West with the first batch of camels in 1856. The camel experiment foundered during the Civil War, and the camels were set loose near Quartzsite. But such was the fondness and appreciation for Jolly that when he died in 1902, a special marker was created for his tomb. He’s buried under a multicolored petrified wood and quartz stone monument.
On 04/02/2006 we visited the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, AZ. In 1962, London Bridge was falling down. Built in 1831, the bridge couldn’t handle the ever-increasing flow of traffic across the Thames River. The British government decided to put the bridge up for sale, and Robert McCulloch, Founder of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and Chairman of McCulloch Oil Corporation, submitted the winning bid of $2,460,000. The bridge was dismantled, and each stone was numbered. Everything was shipped 10,000 miles to Long Beach, California, and then trucked to Lake Havasu City. Reconstruction began on September 23, 1968, with a ceremony including the Lord Mayor of London, who laid the cornerstone. On October 10, 1971, the bridge was dedicated.
On the way back to camp, we visited Parker Dam in Parker Dam, CA. Parker Dam spans the Colorado River between Arizona and California, 155 miles downstream from Hoover Dam. Built between 1934 and 1938 by the Bureau of Reclamation, Parker Dam is operated with Hoover and Davis Dams to bring water and power benefits to residents of the lower Colorado River Basin. Parker Dam’s primary purpose is to provide reservoir storage for water to be pumped into the Colorado River and Central Arizona Project Aqueducts. Lake Havasu, the reservoir behind Parker Dam, is about 45 miles long and can store nearly 211 billion gallons of water. Parker Dam is the deepest dam in the world; 73 percent of its structural height of 320 feet is below the original riverbed. Two-hundred and thirty-five feet of the Colorado riverbed was excavated before concrete was placed for the dam’s foundation. Only about 85 feet of the dam is visible; the dam’s superstructure rises another 62 feet above the roadway across the top of the dam.
We traveled to Thousand Trails Palm Springs Resort in Palm Desert, CA on 04/05/2006. During our stay we visited on 04/09/2006 Joshua Tree National Park near Twentynine Palms, CA. Viewed from the road, this desert park only hints at its vitality. Closer examination reveals a fascinating variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the attraction of this place. Come see for yourself! The picture is of a Joshua Tree in the park.
