Felicity Travel Guide

Name: Wingate by Wyndham Yuma
Price range: Rp1.402.024
Rating: 9.2

Tourist Guide

Istel is the founder of Felicity and the town’s longtime mayor, having been elected, almost 30 years ago, to an apparent lifetime term. The vote was unanimous: Istel voted for himself and so did Felicity’s other resident, Istel’s wife, Felicia. The town, established in 1986, consists of the Istels’ home and a half-dozen other buildings that the couple built on 2,600 acres in the middle of the desert near Yuma, Ariz., just off Interstate 8. At the north end, up an imposing staircase, sits the Church on the Hill at Felicity — inspired by a little white chapel in Brittany — that Istel built in 2007. The church is gorgeous and serene and looks eerily out of place, though less out of place than the 21-foot-tall stone-and-glass pyramid on the opposite end of town. The pyramid is there to mark the exact center of the world.

According to the French government and California’s Imperial County, the official center of the world lies in the town of Felicia in California’s Sonora Desert. There is no scientific or political reason for the designation, but only the effort of Jacques-André Istel and his wife Felicia Lee (the town's namesake), who founded the town in 1986. Jacques-André made his name and fortune as a famous French-American parachutist and co-founded of Parachutes, Inc., which produced parachuting equipment and opened the first parachuting school in the United States. He is credited as a key figure in popularizing parachuting in America and has been referred to as the “father of American skydiving.” In 1985 he wrote the children’s book "Coe: The Good Dragon at the Center of the World" about a dragon that lived at the center of the world, which served as the inspiration behind the town’s creation

Visit Felicity

La Fuente Inn & Suites

1513 E 16th St Yuma AZ

Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool in their reviews. ...

9.4/10 Exceptional! (2,190 reviews)

The staff at La Fuente were great as always, they make our stay feel like home

Reviewed on 25 Feb 2026

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Quality Inn & Suites Yuma

1691 S Riley Ave Yuma AZ

Rp1.156.680

Rp1.277.091 total

1 Mar - 2 Mar

includes taxes & fees

Stay at this hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular ...

8.6/10 Excellent! (1,163 reviews)

Ceiling in bathroom was falling in, minimal hot water, and horrible water pressure.

Reviewed on 25 Feb 2026

Wingate by Wyndham Yuma

1760 Sunridge Dr Yuma AZ

Rp1.402.024

Rp1.547.974 total

29 Mar - 30 Mar

includes taxes & fees

Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their ...

9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,044 reviews)

I like everything in the room

Reviewed on 24 Feb 2026

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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Luxe Yuma Home With Private Pool!

2179 W 22nd Ln Yuma AZ

Stay at this cottage in Yuma. Enjoy free parking, in-room fireplaces and air conditioning. Popular attractions Arroyo Dunes Golf Course and Desert Hills Municipal ...

Centrally Located Yuma Retreat w/ Fenced Patio

Yuma AZ

Stay at this business-friendly apartment in Yuma. Enjoy free parking, patios and an in-room coffee maker. Popular attractions Arroyo Dunes Golf Course and Desert ...

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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.