Living the Dream...: Wednesday, January 22, 2020 (La Posa South LTVA, Quartzsite, AZ)

Steve and I were just finishing up the dishes this morning when Steve McCormick popped over to invite us to go to Yuma. We've already been twice this season but heck...we had nothing planned. They ended up having 2 empty spots after another couple decided not to go. Guy, Sue, along with Sue’s sister Penny and her husband, Roger were in Guy’s truck…and we made up the other 4 going in Steve and Deb’s truck.

It was 9:30 when we all headed south on highway 95 . As we got closer to Yuma, we stopped at this cute tiny church...Loren Pratts Little Chapel...

Guy straightening the cross while Steve prepares his sermon...LOL!

Our next stop was Center of the World in Felicity, California...a spot we have passed by numerous times but never stopped. The town of Felicity is based on a children's book and was established in 1986 and named after the owner's wife Felicia.

The Sundial at Felicity

The gnomon of the 15 ft. Sundial at Felicity is a three-dimensional bronze of Michelangelo's Arm of God painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The arm was sculpted and cast in bronze in New England. The rock is local but the installation required the assistance of a mining engineer and a special drill. The bronze Roman numerals give the time. A sundial is precisely accurate once a year and this was set at noon on Christmas Day. The arm points to the Church on the Hill at Felicity built in 2006. The Hill of Prayer , site of the Church, was built in January 2002 by moving 150,000 tons of earth (engineered to earthquake zone 4 specifications). The church will remain the highest point in the Town of Felicity now and in the future.

View of the Church on the Hill from from the Center Of The World plaque inside the Pyramid...

We were told to either touch the dot in the center...

...or stand on it and pose while making a wish and looking at the church...

View of all the granite slabs from the Pyramid...

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Half scale model of the Liberty Bell...

Many of the granite slabs are blank waiting to be completed...

The Church on the Hill (2008)...

Looking back from the Church...

A work in progress. There is currently only one lady completing the granite slabs with another one on her way from the east coast. Steve thought these were made in a facility somewhere and produced perhaps with a laser...but nope. The printing is sand blasted on and from a picture taped next to it the pictures are duplicated by hand using a dremel tool. Wow...now that's talent!

While reading about the history of French aviation Steve met a friend of the owner. He told Steve that the owner immigrated from France. He eventually passed by this area when he was on his way to Fort Pendleton before shipping overseas to the Korean War and said if he was lucky enough to return he would buy property here but had no idea what he would do with it.

Debbie M making her way through the maze...

It's a work in progress. You can pay to have a photo placed here. The owner is 92 years old and is pictured here with his Chinese wife and perhaps their daughter...

Sculpture at Entrance
The 25 ft. high section number 12 of the original stairway of the Eiffel Tower is the entrance sculpture at Felicity. In 1983, the Government of France removed approximately 500 ft. of the original stairway. Built with the technology of the 1860's, the weight of approximately 54,000 lbs. was causing sway at the top of the then 94 year old tower. Twenty sections were sold at auction on the tower on 1 December 1983. Most are in museums and a few in private hands. Section 12 was bought at auction in June 1989 at the Chateau de Cheverny. The installation of the 6,600 lb. section required engineering and a building permit. It serves no practical purpose, but is part of the spirit of Felicity.

An absolutely amazing place…and definitely worth the visit! You could easily spend a few days here reading about the history of the human race and our planet. Your entrance fee is good for one year on the honour system...

Next, it was time for lunch…so we headed to Lute’s Casino…..Roger, Steve, Debbie, Sue, me, Penny, Guy and Steve....

After lunch, we headed to the Yuma Territorial Prison State Park. Guy, Sue, Penny and Roger had never been…but the rest of us had, so Steve, Deb and I sat out in the sunshine overlooking the Colorado River while the rest did the tour inside.

To view our previous tour click here...