1. Main entrance—The large slabs of rock at the entrance were donated
and put in place by the Yuma BLM rangers and staff. The rock on the left will
have the dedication information, and the rock on the right has the names of
everyone who has been remembered in the Gardens. The rock butterflies were made
by members of the Rock and Gem Club. In front of these rocks will be the large
planted bed with the Rainbow made of colored glass, welcoming people to the
gardens.
2. Celia’s Oasis—A special area in memory of Celia and other children
who are remembered, this area will have a waterfall fountain in the center
(being built now). It will be surrounded by a low wall with the handprint bricks
made by the children Celia went to school with. To the right as you go past the
wall entrance, there will be a gathering circle of seats for small children for
reading, etc, inspired by Celia’s teacher Mrs. McClenning.
As you go past the oasis area, there are two trails, one to the left and one to the right. If you go to the left, you will come to many bedded areas and trees planted in memory of someone. Past these is the next side trail...
3. The Pioneer Village Trail—This Area contains two large bedded Areas that house the display of Miniature pioneer buildings donated by he Quartzsite Historical Society. These buildings have been restored and put in place, and will eventually have plants and landscaping included
The old wagon in the center of the area was donated by Tony and Cee Carnevale, and is thought to be one of the original wagons used to haul freight from the ferry at Ehrenburg.
4. Palm Tree Plaza—The large palm in this semi-circle were donated by Main Event owners Howard and Marilyn Armstrong, and were planted by his crew Several benches and landscaping will also be included.
5. Desert Information Area—across from the palm trees you will see giant saguaro. This giant, which we figure is over 300 years old, was struck by lightning, and the center stalk was severed. Four giant arms grew out of the scarred center. To the left of the saguaro, the pavilion sponsored by the QIA for information will be built. It will have displays of reptiles, birds, mammals, insects, flowers, cacti and trees of this area. On the right side of the saguaro, the Rock and Gem club has been building their pavilion, and when finished it will house displays of the rocks in their raw and polished states from this area. Behind the saguaro is the mining equipment display donated by BLM, showing some of the early equipment used in the mines in this area.
6. This area is just being started, and it will have a memorial area to honor the police, fire department and other rescue workers and individuals who lost their lives in the terrorism attack on Sept. 11, 2001. It will also honor the men and women who still put their lives on the line every day. It will have pond in the middle with a spray coming out of the top made from a 12’ wide fiberglass satellite dish, and another wildlife pond for the critters to drink from. Behind this memorial, we are planning on building two mazes for the kids, one a dinosaur and one a turtle. A play set is also going to be put into place.
Further down this main trail, you will meet up with the fitness trail that goes around the perimeter of the gardens. You can take the fitness trail to the right and go around the top of the gardens to the north entrance, you can go back to the palm trees and take the path by the angel around the back way to the other wildlife pond, or you can go back to the center oasis and take the trail to the right.
From the trail to the right of the oasis…
7. The Amphitheater area—this area will have several tiers of seating and a cement staging area. There will be room for many group activities, such as outdoor weddings, seminars, art, etc. The sides will be landscaped after the seating area is finished.
8. The Chapel Trail—a non- denominational area where you can quietly sit and meditate and enjoy the beautiful mountains. The center bed has been planted by the Master Gardeners, and they built the little chapel that sits in the middle. At the end of this trail is the entrance to the wildlife pond, and a pet remembrance area. The trail at the left of the pond will take you to the palm tree area on the lower trails.
9. This large area has not been started yet, but will eventually become a trail we will call A Gathering of Peoples. It will be a tribute to the Native American tribes who gathered in this area for centuries, as well as the early pioneers. There will be a miniature replica of Quartzsite at the turn of the century as well as some of the Mexican influences from that time included. We are hoping to include an intaglio.
10. The Veterans Trail—The sundial at the entrance to this trail was made by an artisan from Arcosanti named Craig Lefever. This trail was adopted by the Veteran’s Association in memory of their lost comrades. The VFW of Quartzsite will also have a trail near here.
Past the Veterans trail you will reach the north entrance to the gardens that joins with the fitness trail.