What a blast!

If you’re in Yuma and want to hose the dirt off your rig—especially the solar panels—you might try Speedway Car Wash, 2460 W. 8th Street, just east of Avenue B.

Besides the usual self-serve car wash amenities, it has large-vehicle-friendly bays with raised areas that allow you to clean your roof. Rather than the metal catwalks found in some car washes, these are built into the dividing walls. The steps are narrow and steep, but they work.

My favorite thing at this place is tremendous water pressure. It’s just a little shy of a power washer. Assume a solid stance, hold on tight and BOOOOOOOOOOOSH! Dirt and bug guts stand no chance. So be careful if you have that flakey white van paint.

One thing that would make this car wash perfect would be machines that accept cards. Luckily, the change machine actually works, though there’s enough of a pause between it eating your bill and the quarters falling to make you wonder whether you just lost a buck.

Oh, as an extra bonus, there are several good Mexican restaurants along 8th Street. I recommend Los Manjares de Pepe between Dora and Almond, a little over a block from Speedway, on the other side of the street, behind a huge tree.