A Desert Getaway - Today, The Salton Sea

I haven't posted since August.  Yikes!  I will come back with updated meanderings, but for now, I'm going to get caught up on the current trip.

We have based ourselves in Palm Springs CA for two weeks.  A week ago we ventured out to the Salton Sea.

A Salton Sea Day

Monday was the coldest day of the week so we wanted to do something where weather didn't matter as much.  I have always been fascinated by the Salton Sea, and Monday turned out to be the day.

The Salton Sea changes year by year, and what was there a few years ago, is gone now, and even more may be gone in the coming years.  So, I am glad we went.

A brief, and incomplete history

If you are unfamiliar with the Salton Sea, it is an inland sea/lake created and impacted by both natural and human actions.   It is an area that once was part of the Gulf of California, but was dry in the 1800s.  

The Imperial Valley of CA was developing, and they needed irrigation for crops and orchards.  Irrigation ditches and canals were built.  Then the Colorado River flooded, the levees were breached and for 16 months the Colorado River poured into the lowest land point, creating the Salton Sea.

In the 50s the place boomed as a recreation area.  In the 70s repeated flooding devastated much of it.  There's no natural outflow point so water that comes in either evaporates or perks through the soil below.  It takes all the agricultural run off from the surrounding area.

The only fish that survive are tilapia (perfectly safe to eat).  The water is higher in salinity than the ocean and often smells.  Fresh water is being diverted to San Diego (I believe that is what I read).  

Still, it is beautiful, and a bit haunting.

The Visitor Center

We started on the northeast section and visited the Visitor Center and walked on the beach.  As we had been told, dead fish littered the shores.  But shorebirds including black necked stilts, several egrets, and pelicans flew about. 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/06/03/history-salton-sea/

Bombay Beach

Next stop was Bombay Beach, once a thriving community on the shores of the lake.  It was more inhabited than I thought it would be, with most of the abandoned residences on the very edge next to the manmade berms to the lake.  There were some fascinating  and beautiful graffiti on many of the buildings.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Beach,_California

Salvation Mountain

Next we drove on to Niland and headed west to Salvation Mountain.  This is out towards the area known as Slab City, or The Slabs.

You know those big billboards along the highway telling you that Jesus Loves You?  Salvation Mountain is those billboards on steroids.  The creator passed away last year but left behind quite a monument.

He has used clay and straw and paint to build a "mountain" with bible verses, exhortations, and decorative touches.  Don't just view it from the parking lot though.  Wander up and see where he has built alcoves and almost altars of mementos.  Here he also incorporated found objects like car doors.

It's all very colorful, and as one friend said when she saw photos, it looks like claymation.

All about the parking lot are cars, motorcycles, and more, all painted and decorated in the same style.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_Mountain

Slab City

We then drove on further into Slab City.  These are the old slabs remaining from Marine training grounds.  Now it is a city of squatters with no services and no fees.  There are a few spots where they have put together gathering places for live music, as well as a free library.  

It's not pretty, but it is an interesting part of our culture.

The Sole Tree:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slab_City

Dos Palmas Reserve

This is as far south as we went.  We turned around and headed back to the Visitor Center for a picnic lunch, then headed east up to Dos Palmas Reserve.  We took a short 1.5 mile walk up to a palm oasis.  It was somewhat eerie in among the untrimmed palms.  Light and shadow created interesting and spooky patterns.

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wildlife/watchable/areas/dospalmas.html

International Banana Museum

Now we were headed back north, and were lucky enough to stop at the International Banana Museum!

Itis only open Friday through Monday. What a hoot. There is a sign outside the door that if you just want to look, you have to pay a $. And of course it isn't a museum at all, but an extensive collection of every imaginable thing you could imagine related to a banana. 

We had chocolate banana milkshakes, made with real ice cream, and they were delicious. You could get banana splits, banana sundaes, and frozen bananas dipped in chocolate. I should have gotten one of those. DH bought a banana soda but I don't know if he drank it yet.

The owner was just quite a character, and his daughter was working the counter too. There are 4 barstools set up like a soda fountain counter. It was never crowded, but there was a prettyregular steady stream of people coming in for banana treats.

Since we stopped there, I did not make DH also stop at the date farm for a dateshake. That will have to wait for another day (Lots of date farms around here, and date shakes are a big deal.  Haven't tried one yet)

http://www.internationalbananamuseum.com

Mississippi - The 47th State

In April I took a road trip from Texas to Mississippi to visit my 47th state.  Only 3 more to go y'all!

We packed up some road trip food and got started early in the morning.

Our first rest stop in Louisiana gave us a warm greeting.

Warmed by smiles we continued on to Natchez Mississippi.  Natchez bills itself as the Antebellum Capital of the World, having a large number of undamaged Antebellum mansions.  Natchez is beautiful when we visit.  Lush, and green, and more Magnolia trees than I have ever seen.

We arrived at lunch time and stopped for a sandwich before continuing on to Longwood, one of the fascinating mansions.  This mansion is an Octagon, and only the first floor was ever finished.  When the war started, the workman laid down their tools and left.  Until recently, the tools lay where they were dropped.  More recently they have moved the tools and other bits and pieces for display.

Our timing is perfect and we arrive just in time for the tour.  They wouldn't allow any pictures on the first, finished floor, but allow pictures up through the center showing the shape of the octagon.  You can see too more floors.

All the ways they took advantage of air flow and natural cooling was fascinating.  Floor to ceiling windows--with screens! led out into what was sometimes a sleeping porch.

I was fascinated by the shipping case for the piano that is still on the first floor.

And you can see the address in New York from where it was shipped.

The family that owned the home lived on the first floor for many many years.  The public can now tour the mansion and the grounds.  Here's a picture from the back of the house.

Longwood:  http://www.natchezpilgrimage.com/dailylongwood.php

April 2015 Annual Birdwatching Trip

Steve and I go to the upper gulf coast of Texas every spring for birdwatching.  I don't have many pictures from this trip as I went to the woods exactly once.  I have never seen the woods so wet and muddy and miserable and overrun with mosquitos.  I freely admit that I am a fair weather birder.

All that water meant pretty flowers though.

Here are my boots before I entered the woods.

And here is what they looked like the next day:

Wrapping up Palm Springs, March 2015

What else did I do in Palm Springs?  I lounged in the spa or poolside, read books, went hiking, and went out to eat.

Indian Canyons

This is such an incredible place in the desert, and tons of hiking available for all levels.  A friend joined me on Thursday morning for a short hike down into Palm Canyons.  I was happy with the trekking poles I bought prior to the trip as they helped me keep my balance going downill as well as over some rocky bits.

http://www.indian-canyons.com

Thai Smile

I went to Thai Smile for a lunch and another day for a dinner.  The meals and the cocktails were delicious.

It was a nice winter interlude, and then I had to say good-bye.

Joshua Tree National Park - March 2015

Since I had rented a car in Palm Springs this time, I decided to take one day to go see Joshua Tree National Park.  It was a gorgeous day with clear blue skies, not too hot, when I headed out that morning.

http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm

I had decided to essentially make a big loop, driving to one of the northern entrances to the park, go through the park, and exit the southern exit.  That way if I decided to go down to the Salton Sea I would already be on that edge.

As I drove out of town I got to get up close and personal with some of the wind farms that you see all over this area.  Lots of wind, therefore wind farms!  Seeing them afar is much differnt than seeing them up close.  Those things are huge!

As I got close to the entrance to the National Park I decided to stop to get gas, water, and some food. There are no facilities in the park.  They aren't kidding about the wind up there, it nearly blew me over!

The drive through the park was beautiful.  I had not realized that the Joshua Trees only grow in the northern part of the park, so thank goodness I decided to make a loop rather than enter and exit from the south.

Lots of pullouts to take pictures, and I did.

This doesn't really capture the  forests of Joshua Trees.  Eerie and beautiful in their own right.

And then you come across these sweeps of what looks completely barren, with hills and mountains in the misty distance, and you can't help but think of what it must have been like to cross something like this on horseback or on horseback.  How unforgiving it would be to the unprepared.

Some of the rocky, rugged hillsides have the remains of old silver mining operations.  See those little buildings?

Naturally I need to stop at the cholla garden.  These cacti are so beautiful, and look so soft and fuzzy, but I am very wary and cautious to keep my distance!

In the southern part of the park there are no Joshua Trees, and the terrain is different. I take a short walk to some springs.

I had somehow missed the Ocotillo patch, so when I spotted a patch I stopped to take a picture of it and some other blooming flowers.

But the most exciting thing of all is that buzzing around the ocotillo was this beautiful Costa's hummingbird.

More Adventures in Palm Springs - Village Fest

I certainly have a lot of catching up to do!  I never finished this visit, and since then have had a few other adventures.  First, let's finish up Palm Springs.

Village Fest

You might know about Village Fest.  Every Thursday night in old Palm Springs there is a big street fair.  A street fair on steroids.

http://villagefest.org

There's a small Farmers Market side street where an old retired couple elbowed me out of way to get to the free tapanade samples.  I think it was their dinner.  Eventually it was fun to talk to the farmer, the daughter in the Farmers Daughter Olive Oil.  All organic.  The oils were really good and it was fun to taste them.  Visit her in Palm Springs or a the San Diego farmers market, or order from her here:

http://www.farmersdaughteroliveoil.com

I was pleased to see that the Ask a Rabbi booth was still there, but couldn't think of anything to ask!  

All I  could think of was the Lucy booth in the Charlie Brown comics.

And there was a Carriage Horse rescue operation.  We fed carrots, stroked noses, and dropped $20 in the bucket.

After selecting from the food booth options (paella and more!) we found a concrete wall to sit on,ate dinner, and headed for home.

The Villa Royale, Palm Springs CA

I stayed a few days after attending a conference in Palm Springs.  I specifically wanted to stay in a place where if I wanted to do nothing but hang out at the hotel, I would enjoy it.  I also had a car this time and so location was not as important as prior times when I wanted to stay in a place that was walking distance to most things.

The entrance to the inn and restaurant was a sign of things to come.

The grounds are a series of courtyards and secret places.  Lots of blooming bougainvillea, lemon trees, palm trees, and tropical foliage.  Fountains, streams, and seating areas abound.  Everything felt very private, even with plenty of people there.

A path through a rose garden leads to a hot tub that is private and separate from the pools.

There are two pools, one unheated in the third courtyard and much more private than the main pool.  My room was in the far corner.

The main pool is larger and heated.  It is in the first courtyard outside the bar and restaurant area.  The bar is not normally open in the daytime but on Saturday they decided to open it up and serve a light lunch.  I didnt have time for the lunch, but spent my last two hours before heading to the airport sitting at poolside drinking a salty dog.

It wasn't perfect.  The rooms could use some tender loving care and my patio could have used a power wash.  But I left there relaxed and happy, and I think that's the most important thing for an inn like this.