The Valley of the Names

This is not the first time that Gary and I have ventured to this desert oasis, in fact it is our third stay. But it is the first time we have heard about and visited the valley of the names.

This unique place was originally called Graffiti Mesa by "old blood and guts" as my father called him, General Patton, who trained soldiers in the desert north of Yuma. What ever you call it, it's all about the names. Thousands of them. They are written with rocks placed carefully in the sand on the hill tops, square borders with names or nicknames in the centre, heart-shaped images, symbols for personal hobbies or interests, sunbursts and in some instances, just initials.

By the 1970s the area grew to four acres. In the 80s, high school students found the spot, followed by winter visitors in the 90s when the area became known as Valley of Names. Today, there are more than 10,000 names embedded in the desert floor on what has grown to 1,200 acres of land maintained by the (BLM). Despite an ample supply of lava rocks on the near by hills, people bring in their own rocks to create their expressions, with sizes ranging from small five-pounders up to 40-pound boulders. Some are painted and some have shells. We even noticed one with solar lights on each corner, an iou held down by some smaller rocks in a plastic sleeve which Gary noticed has had the amount reduced in recent years, and some plastic flowers.

Our neighbors on the Mesa first told us about the location and of an event that happens during the full moon when people attend a "dog burning" at the names. No, not to worry, no actual dogs are hurt on this evening, just some hot dogs on a stick get roasted and consumed by attendees. Every so often, a clean-up day is scheduled, and people go out to clear away debris blown in by desert winds and replace rocks that might have been washed away in a storm.

We made the trip in our little (low riding) car but it would be best to use a vehicle with a higher clearance. This would be spectacular viewed from the air, but not today. I did notice that many of the names can be see from google earth. This is a unique place to experience and when you see the quality of work, the care and the number of names, you realize the beauty. If you ever plan to memorialize a loved one out here, make sure you get the GPS coordinates for the return trip, at the rate of growth, you'll need it to find your special spot.

From the heavens