DESTINATION
Wetlands and many more places.
Yuma has a story to tell and telling it can mean heads in beds, eating in restaurants and “partying on Main Street,” Perry noted.
But it’s not just for tourists. Perry stressed the need for the local community to support the state parks as well. “Local Yumans need to rediscover these great treasures, these hidden gems. People need to come out, not just when guests come into town.”
That will ensure that the parks stay open and continue to attract outside visitors as well.
Perry likes to ask the Yumans he encounters: When was the last time you visited the prison? The Colorado River park? Often local residents will say they haven’t been there in many, many years.
Since he took over the helm of the Heritage Area earlier this year, Perry has talked about involving younger generations, hearing their ideas and getting them interested in what got Yuma on the map, why the community is here and how Yuma evolved and will it continue to grow.
The Colorado River has been connected to all that, and it will continue to be.
“A lot of kids have no idea,” Perry noted. Yet, it’s their heritage.
Perry and his staff are working on several projects to increase attendance, in particular among young people and the Hispanic community. It’s working with an advisory council to discuss what projects would make sense.
The YCNHA is also working with high school and college students in partnerships that will give them real-life business experience and career skills. For example, students in the Southwest Technical Education District of Yuma (STEDY) are developing an app for self-guided tours at the Colorado River park.
It’s a win-win situation. The YCNHA will help students develop skills and talents that they can take to the marketplace. He has met with some classes and challenged them to come up with projects that are “intriguing to your generation.”
It’s something they can put on their resumes. But more than that, they will develop pride of ownership in the park, feel invested and will tell friends and family about it. That will likely bring in even more visitors to the park.
“If this goes well, we will do one for the prison,” Perry said of the app project.
In addition, Perry pointed out, supporting young talent goes hand-in-hand with the growth areas in Yuma and the focus on technology. “We will have a better trained workforce to respond to the need for talent,” Perry said.
In the meantime, the YCNHA is enhancing the experience for all visitors. Plans include audio enhancements so people can hear how the river sounded in its heyday, the steamboats, the trains in the background, the horsedrawn carriages bringing in supplies.
They also want to add smells and enhance the visuals as well, for example, by adding virtual reality to the exhibits. Plans also include building a replica of a steamboat where kids can play and learn.
“There’s a certain trajectory that we want to happen: restoration, preservation, maintenance and promotion,” Perry said.
But to make all this happen, the organization will need the support of the business community. The river has always had a connection to business; it’s what made irrigation and agriculture in Yuma possible. At one time, 1870s, the Quartermaster Depot was the top employer in the area, using the skills of blacksmiths, wood carvers, etc.
In the meantime, the state parks are being prepared for the winter season. Both parks will be open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., now through May 31.
Snook said the river park is working on new exhibits in collaboration with Arizona Western College students and the Children’s Museum of Yuma County.
Many special events are planned, including the first-ever Christmas on the Colorado slated for Dec. 9 from 3-8 p.m. The event will focus on family fun with popcorn-eating, creating crafts with Artsy Fartsy, visiting Santa Claus and taking a family photo with Desert Bee Photography. A surprise holiday movie will also be shown. And of course, the on-site Back in Time Pie Shoppe has the “best pie in Yuma.” Tickets go on sale Nov. 1. A popular event is the Civil War Days, featuring reenactment battles and usually taking place in January.
The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, a seven-mile footprint, also includes the East and West Wetlands, which have walking and biking paths, horse trails and parks.
The YCNHA was the first heritage area west of the Mississippi and has national significance, Perry noted. He invites locals to “participate in the development and growth and enhancement that’s to come.”
He is always looking for feedback and ideas on enhancing the experience for visitors and locals. Perry can be reached at 928-3735198. The Colorado River State Historic Park can be reached at 928-782-0071.