The main event of the weekend was held on Sunday at the West Wetlands Park in Yuma. Southwest Arizona Geocachers (SWAG) have hosted this event for 18 years and as I said in the first post from our Yuma adventures, we have been attending since 2013. This may be the last year for this large gathering of geocachers who are hoping others will step up and continue the planning and carrying through of 4 days of hosting geocachers.
Here are some photos from the Mega event (a geocaching event of 500+ people) at the Wetlands Park.
the registration board
I have always said attending the events is more about the people we meet than the event itself. The geocacher with the long hair over her shoulder recently moved to Geocaching Headquarters in Seattle. Hubby and I have done many of her geocache hides in Fargo-Moorhead ND and had met her at the MINGO event in May. Meeting a Lackey from GH is a BIG deal.*
The three of us were on our way to find a tribute geocache to our AZ friend and reviewer who passed away last year when we met two younger geocachers. JeanSandwich calls Tucson his home and is in his early 20s and the young man on the right is 16 and gets his driver's license this month. Mindless Engine is from Phoenix and has attended some of my events in AJ. (One of his parents brought him!)*
We enjoyed a walk along the Colorado River Sunday morning to collect more geocaches.
checking out the bamboo?
or checking something else?
Mission completed! A lovely walk on the Charles Flynn Trail learning about the flora and a little history.
enjoying lunch at iconic Lute's Casino
javelina mount in the women's bathroom
also an advertisement for their wedding chapel
prices and times included
this might be the wall decor for the wedding chapel???
temp as we drove to California after lunch
site of Camp Pilot Knob
Camp Pilot Knob was a sub camp of the US Army Desert Training Center in Imperial County CA established by General George Patton to prepare American troops for battle during WWII. It was the largest military training ground ever to exist. At its peak of activity June-December 1943 the 85th Infantry division, and the 36th and 44th Reconnaissance Squadrons of the 11th (Mechanized) Cavalry trained for roles in the liberation of Europe, 1944-45. ~ Monument inscription
monument
It was the smallest of the DTC divisional camps. Construction began January 1943 and completed in April. The entire camp consisted of 4000 acres, but the living area was restricted to 700 acres. The only structures were pyramid wood framed tents, latrines and showers. The camp closed in June 1944. ~ Wikipedia
This was the location of another event on Sunday. After lunch at Lutes we geocached along I-8 on what may have been the former highway and then returned to the Dunes for the sunset event.
Formed by windblown sands of ancient Lake Cahulla, the dune system or erg extends for 40 miles in a band averaging 5 miles wide. Dunes often reach the heights of 300 feet above the desert floor providing excellent opportunities for recreation. It is also home to rare plants and animals. ~ Bureau of Land Management
a wedding party photo shoot
2 of the 3 bridesmaids
we did not see the bride and groom
the sunset from Imperial Dunes CA
Remember you can click on any photo to see it in a larger format.
One more day to our trip to Yuma.
Another FUN day and a bit more relaxed. I agree, the event was more about socializing than gathering smileys. I loved talking to friends old and new. I sure hope it continues to happen. Oh, also I used that bathroom at Lutes and didn't notice that boars/javelina head!
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