California, here we come, Part Five
From San Diego, we took a trip inland on Hwy 8 to El Centro in the Imperial Valley and the Anza Borrego desert. For visitors from mountainous Switzerland, the desert has a special fascination. El Centro is also the place where part of the Polkinhorn family lives, so it was exciting for my Swiss family to meet them for the first time.
But first, we made another surprise visit to a dear member of the “Polkinhorn Clan,” Harry Polkinhorn, in San Diego. He and I used to live in Switzerland and he knew my family there, but hadn’t seen them in over twenty years. So, it was a wonderful surprise when we showed up unannounced.
Our trip east on Hwy 8 brought us through the mountains and into the Anza Borrego desert. I remember well how impressed I was the first time I took this trip many years ago. The mysterious landscape and the purple/orange colors of the rocks never cease to fascinate me.
In El Centro, close to the Mexican border, we met a few other members of the Polkinhorn Clan, my ex-husbands brother and my sister-in-law and their daughter. It was a first get-together for everyone and we truly enjoyed it.
Rae Lynn, my sister-in-law, accompanied us into the desert to Yuma, Arizona. Yuma is a quaint city with a pleasant climate (it does get quite hot in summer), so in winter the town gets inundated with the so-called “Snowbirds.” These are people from states such as Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and others (mainly retirees) who want to escape the brutal cold and spend the winter in sunny and warm Arizona. At this time of the year, not much is going but during winter, this is supposed to be quite an active place. By the way, it is alleged that Billy the Kid spent time in jail here. Yuma also has some excellent restaurants and funky bars.
The next few photos show the inside of the restaurant we had lunch at. You’ll see quite a few celebrities of the entertainment business and the famous civil rights leader!
