Camping at The American Girl Mine

With the approaching cold front and a very favorable weather forecast for Yuma, we made a beeline to do some camping at the American Girl Mine dispersed camping area just over the California border. Well, almost a beeline. We were going to spend one night in the Sonoran Desert National Monument, where we spent some time last year. But the weather was nice and it was mostly unoccupied so we stayed two nights. Just over the Arizona-New Mexico border, we passed through Texas Canyon. This probably the easiest attraction in Arizona to get to, being right off I-10. The rock formations here are exceptional with huge boulders that appear to be delicately balanced against each other. Cochise made his last stronghold near here in the Dragoon Mountains during the mid-1870s.

American Girl Mine

We chose to camp at the American Girl Mine because it put us back near Yuma. The American Girl Mine, in the Cargo Muchachos Mountains, was discovered in 1890 and has produced over 205,000 tons of ore, mostly gold, worth over $1,285,000 over its lifetime. Mining operations are still going on today. Although now, instead of digging mine shafts, they use heavy machinery to dig giant holes in the ground to get the ore out.

There are quite a few RVs here but there is plenty of room and the scenery is quite nice. To the north and east are the Cargo Muchachos Mountains. To the south you can see the Imperial Sand Dunes in the distance. I can see why this place is so popular and gets high marks among thee boondocking community. We picked out a spot overlooking the mountains.

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Unfortunately, there is a small number of people that use the BLM lands to dispose of their garbage. More and more places are being shut down to RVers because of the lack of respect for the land. If this type of stuff continues, we’ll have no place to go and might have to stay home for the winter. That’s unacceptable so, to those responsible, STOP IT!









Setting up so close to the mountains allows us to take some hikes without having to drive somewhere. There are a number of OHV roads back between the ridges to follow. Or you can blaze your own trail. Either way, pay attention to your route as there are no trails or markings to follow. You could end up like Moses and end up wandering around in the desert.

On one of our treks, we saw what looked to be a hole in the mountain. We decided to check it out. Turns out, it’s an abandoned mine shaft from however long ago. On the way up, we passed a sign that read ‘Keep out. Stay Alive.’ Apparently, these old mine shafts can be filled with poisonous gases that have built up over the years. You don’t have to tell me twice.

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Below the abandoned mine shaft, we came across a mining operation of a different sort. A couple guys set up some prospecting equipment in a dried up creek bed. They said they find some gold nuggets occasionally. Perhaps rain water washes any residual ore from the mine down into the creek bed. Obviously they don’t find enough to make them rich based on the vehicles they were driving. It looked like they were having fun anyway.

Here are some other pics from our wanderings while camping at the American Girl Mine:

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And, of course, the desert sunsets, sunrises and moon rises were amazing:

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An Added Bonus

The Xscapers is a full-time RV group that has get-togethers at various places from time to time. It just so happened that a small group was getting together do some camping at the American Girl Mine and had the acoustic duo The Border Hookups come in and do a concert. The husband and wife team play a variety of cover tunes and mix in their own compositions as well. They even have a YouTube channel named The Border Hookups Go RVing. It was a nice show in the desert environment and an unexpected gift. She’s from Canada and he’s from Minnesota so the band name might have something to do with that.

Imperial Date Gardens

Five years ago we spent the winter in Yuma. There were a number of things we thoroughly enjoyed. One of those items is The Imperial Date Gardens. On our previous trip to Yuma, a neighbor turned us on to date shakes. We thought at the time they sounded disgusting. But we’ll give almost anything a try. Are we glad we did! We learned then that the Imperial Date Gardens makes the best date shakes around. We have no proof to the contrary. Now, anytime we’re even close to Yuma, we go out of our way to stop by and get a couple. If you dig through our post from 5 years ago, you can learn all you want and more about dates and date farming.

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Imperial Sand Dunes

Another fascinating spot near Yuma is the Imperial Sand Dunes. Formed by windblown sands of ancient Lake Cahuilla, the dune system extends for more than 40 miles and averages 5 miles wide. Dunes often reach heights of 300 feet above the desert floor and the scenery is fabulous, especially from the Osborne Overlook off Route 78. The favorite place for off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts is in the areas on the south side of Highway 78. There are areas of the dunes that offer opportunities for solitude, and a home to rare plants and animals.

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There are other areas south of I 8 to explore on your OHV. You can even ride along a section of the wall between the US and Mexico. I’m not sure who paid for that. There is also a section of an old plank road used to drive cars across the dunes in the early 1900’s. The 8×12 foot sections stretched 7 miles across the dunes. A team of horses would move a section whenever it got covered with sand. Occasionally, there would be a double section to allow vehicles to pass.

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There are several ‘campgrounds’ within the recreation area, but they’re basically just paved and gravel lots to park your RV and unload your toys to play in the sand.

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Tumco Historical Site

On the way to the Imperial Sand Dunes, we passed a sign that directed drivers to the Tumco Historical Site. Enquiring minds want to know so the next day we took a drive down the rough gravel road to see what we would find. Tumco is an abandoned gold mining town and is also one of the earliest gold mining areas in California.

There are a couple myths on how gold was discovered here. One legend has it that a mule wandered off while members of a California-bound wagon train were camped near these mountains in 1862. When the mule was later found in the foothills, one sharp-eyed man picked up a nugget at the spot. Another tale has two young boys coming into their camp one evening with their shirts filled with gold ore. These muchachos cargados (loaded boys) were the namesake for the Cargo Muchacho Mountains, where Tumco was located.

Originally named Hedges, the town was completely abandoned in 1905. Renamed Tumco in 1910 — after The United Mines Company — another attempt to go after the gold proved just as costly. By 1911, the diminishing prospects of the mines forced the miners and their families to return to Yuma, signaling the end of Hedges/Tumco as a community. Not much remains of Tumco today other than the foundations of some buildings. There is also some telltale signs of a later strip mining operation. We found one old mine shaft and there are probably several more. There are many trails in the surrounding mountains that looked like the led to some old mines. But during the boom time of the 1890’s, it had a population of at least 500 people and produced about $1,000 per day in gold.

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Algadones

Another fun thing we did five years ago was cross the border into Algadones. This town is where people with lousy medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage go to get affordable care. There are more pharmacies, doctors, dentists, and opticians in a concentrated area than anywhere else in the world. Americans and Canadians alike find heavily discounted prescriptions, eye-glasses, and medical and dental care that are just as good as the same procedure or service back home, although I’m sure they aren’t doing complicated procedures like heart bypass or organ transplants.

It’s best to park in the lot on the U.S. side and walk over as it eliminates possible complications of getting your car back into the United States. Still, entering Mexico is virtually effortless for American and Canadian citizens, no one checks your ID or inquires about what you are bringing in. Just stroll across, and voila!, you are in another country!

What You’ll Find

Immediately when you arrive in Algodones, you will notice the overabundance of pharmacies and medical offices, some simple and very “south of the border looking” and some new and not unlike what you will see in any American town. The pharmacies have signs advertising their prescription prices and staff members eagerly beckon you to enter their stores. Everyone speaks English and during the day the town is filled with older Canadians and Americans. If you’re planning on taking advantage of the services offered, ask around and get a referral from someone who’s had experience with the process. Just like everywhere else, there’s good and bad. And make sure there is someone on staff that speaks English. You don’t want a dentist working in your mouth and have no idea what he’s talking about.

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Plenty of vendors line the streets, sidewalks and alleyways trying to get you to buy something. Stopping to look at something is just an invitation for the merchant to give you the hard sell. Some use humor to lure you in. The best line we heard was from a young girl who said “I’ve been waiting for you! Come on in and let me sell you something you don’t need!” I almost wanted to buy something just for her creative and honest approach.

Bring lots of cash because most places don’t take credit cards. No need to exchange currency – they all accept American dollars. Bartering is expected so offer half the price and go from there. It’s best to look around before you attempt to purchase anything. That goes for pharmaceuticals, vanilla, souvenirs, or liquor – and sunglasses. I got swindled into buying a pair of Faux-kleys last time. Doh! Buyer beware.

Eating Well

And then there are the restaurants. There are plenty of options to grab a bite and/or a beverage. Our favorite place is El Paraiso (The Garden Place). But be warned, this patio isn’t easy to find on your own. Ask a vendor to point you to the right place if you get lost. They have live music, good food and a fun atmosphere. And, of course, there are vendors wandering around hawking their wares. And they are persistent. One guy told us that the margaritas are his best salesman. The margaritas are much more potent than what you get in the states so adjust your consumption accordingly. Especially when taking to a vendor.

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The musical duo at El Paraiso had crime scene tape around where they played. I don’t think they committed a crime, but then, they did sing ‘Achy, Breaky Heart’ in Spanish. That might be worth a few months behind bars.

Getting Back

While getting into Mexico is effortless, getting back is a little more difficult. The wait at the border to get back can be long at times. If it starts winding around the corner and back up the street, it might take you an hour or more to get through the crossing to the U.S. This is when merchants bring out the big guns – little kids with their big, brown, sad looking eyes. It’s really hard to say no to them. Algodones has provided some benches and light shade while waiting. It is a good idea to carry a bottle of water or there is always someone who will sell you one.

When you approach the officials at the border, have your passport ready and know what you are allowed to take back. You’ve already waited in line for a while. Why prolong the agony.

Agriculture

I’m constantly amazed at the amount of agriculture here in the desert. It’s all made possible by diverting the water from the Colorado River through an extensive irrigation system . If you ate a salad this winter, you can thank the Yuma farmers and the migrant workers who do the harvesting..

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More Eating Well

When we travel, we like to eat the local cuisine. And down here, that means Mexican food. There are plenty of places to get authentic Mexican food. We love it. And the Mexican border being just a hop, skip, and a jump away, there are more places to get the real thing. In a totally unrelated topic, Cathy keeps shrinking my clothes.

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Moving On. . .

Our time camping at the American Girl Mine is up. It’s time to move on. With the warm, sunny weather in the area expected to continue, we won’t be moving very far. We’ll let you know where we end up. Thanks for following along.