Welton, AZ

I walked another 5.29 miles, which brings me to just North of Wellton, AZ at S Ave 30E and on the service road by the Gila River.  Here's a Google ground-view of the dirt road where I am (lovely, isn't it?)  CLICK HERE.  It was 108 degrees today in Wellton.  I'm glad it was only 77 in San Diego today.

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I am thrilled to report that my friend, Katie,  has decided to join me on this "Walk Across America."  Today was her first day of walking and she passed me, walking 5.5 miles.  I'll have to catch up to her tomorrow.

You too can join us.  All you need to join us is a device to measure how many miles you walk each day (I am happy with my Fitbit Blaze), such as a Fitbit, Garmin, or even an app on your cell phone that you carry in your pocket.  Then email me your total mileage for the week, from Sunday, midnight, until the following Saturday, midnight.  You can email it to me on Sunday, even though that is also the beginning of the next walking week.  My email is bnice2meplease@yahoo.com.  Please don't spam me, or I will block you.  You can start, like Katie did, from any blogged current place on the map (you don't have to start over from San Diego, like I did).  Just tell me what your starting date is.  I will keep track of your weekly mileage totals as you report them to me each Sunday.  Our objective is to walk the distance from San Diego to Washington D.C., following

a track that I have mapped out, using Google maps, that is for someone hypothetically on foot (we couldn't walk on the freeway, now could we?).  If you walk an average of  5.5 miles every day, you should keep up with our pace, approximately.  I am fine with you walking 4.5 miles on some days and walking 6 miles or more miles on other days.  It is the average that is important.  As we get closer to Washington D.C. (We're only in Arizona, for goodness sake!), we  will adjust our pace so that anyone who is behind (like me!) can catch up.  I am hoping that others will join our little band to meet up in Washington D.C. to walk the final 5.5 miles.....which should be in October or November of 2017.

On my "real" walk today I walked from our home to the San Diego Zoo and back, which was 5.29 miles.  It was nice to see some old friends there.

The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is world famous, and for good reason.  It is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.  The zoo hosts more than 3,500 rare and endangered animals representing more than 650 species and subspecies; and more than 700,000 exotic plants. It is located just north of downtown San Diego in Balboa Park.

The Safari Park is another expansive wildlife sanctuary affiliated with the "zoo," that is home to more than 3,000 animals representing more than 300 species. Its renowned botanical collection represents 3,500 species and 1.75 million specimens. Over half of the Park’s 1,800 acres (730 hectares) have been set aside as protected native species habitat. It is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of downtown San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley near Escondido, California.

San Diego Zoo Global is the largest zoological membership association in the world, with more than 250,000 member households and 130,000 child memberships representing more than a half-million people. Members enjoy free admission to the Zoo and the Safari Park, a subscription to the magazine ZOONOOZ, and other benefits.  

Approximately 3.2 million people a year visit the San Diego Zoo, making it the most popular zoo in America.

We are members there and go often.  If you are a first-time visitor, and don't have much time, take the bus tour, because it will give you the grand tour and you won't have to walk up and down the canyon walks.  If you have a whole day to spend, you can easily see the whole zoo, just get a map and start out.  The entrance to the zoo is at the top of a canyon.  If you don't like huffing an puffing uphill, see everything on the top of the canyon first, walking either to the left or right of the entry to the children's zoo and reptiles to the left, or toward "Australia" to the right.  If you keep walking to the right, you will eventually end up in "Africa" and "Asia" where the elephants and other animals are.  Keep walking, staying on top of the canyon until you get all the way to the polar bears.  Then you can walk downhill, past the zebras, taking the wooden pathway to the left past the birds of prey, and finally down the hill to the leopard enclosures.  Then start up the the lower canyon to see the red panda and giant pandas, then after you exit the pandas, go to your left and you will see a moving walkway, just across from the concession stand.  Take that up the hill.  Or, you can take another moving walkway that is to the left of the concession stand (it's behind it in the trees) to go back up to the elephants again in the rear of the zoo. Use the moving walkways to your advantage so you don't have to walk uphill so many times.

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So, on the map on our virtual journey, we are now near Welton, AZ.  Welton is a small, agricultural town of about 3,000 residents.  But, during the Winter, the population nearly doubles due to the influx of "snowbirds" from the colder regions of the United States and Canada, filling the many trailer parks in town.

Here's a history of Wellton, AZ.
Wellton, founded in 1878 and incorporated in 1970, lies 29 miles east of Yuma. Wellton (originally Well Town) was named for the time water wells were drilled to service the Southern Pacific Railroad. Most areas were settled in the 1860’s as the need arose for stations to serve the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoaches. With the railroads eventually supplanting the stagecoach lines in the 1870’s, several communities were established (Tacna and Wellton) to provide water facilities for the old steam-powered engines. As the stagecoach gave way to the railroad, so the railroad gave way to the automobile. Though rail service is still maintained through Wellton-Mohawk Valley, the current economic livelihood is based on agriculture (Town of Wellton).


So, what can you do around Welton?  The Town of Wellton website describes a number of activities.

Butterfield Park

Attractions in and around the Wellton area include the Pioneer Museum (North of Phoenix), Tina’s Atlas, Desert Hot Springs, Baker Tanks, and El Camino del Diablo. We also host the Butterfield golf course. It is a beautiful 18-hole, Par 3 course with a variety of passes, a driving range, and rentals. We also have the Butterfield park for family picnics and fun.


For the outdoors person, Wellton hosts hundreds of dove hunters during hunting season and the rock hounds love our desert surroundings.  Every year we host many events. The YRMC Wellton-Mohawk Tractor Rodeo is always a delight as well as the Pioneer Day Parade & Fiesta. The Parade & Fiesta has a BBQ, games, arts & crafts, a golf tournament, entertainment and a carnival.
 
Being so close to the Yuma and the Mexican border, Wellton is just a short drive to shopping, movie theaters, and excellent dining (Town of Wellton).