Apache Junction, AZ

Well today, at least, it wasn’t anywhere near hot in the Sonoran Desert!

I travelled today from Yuma, Arizona to just east of Phoenix in a suburb called Apache Junction. My route travelled through the Sonoran Desert and the warmest it got to today was 14 and it was a chilly 11 degrees when I set up camp in Apache Junction. And wouldn’t you know, after I had set up I put the heater on to take the chill off and………right, no propane. Luckily they refill propane at the KOA and so the tank was off, filled up, and back on in no time. I’m getting quite a lot more proficient at getting that task accomplished.

The most exciting part of today was that I saw a WILD (well, I guess natural would be a better description) Saguaro Cactus for the first time on this trip. It’s the symbol of Arizona and you see them used in commercial or residential landscaping, but it’s kind of like seeing animals in the wild versus seeing them in zoos to see the Saguaros in the wild. Well, maybe not quite like seeing a lion or elephant, but you get what I mean.

I took some pictures with my little point and shoot along the way today and they’re not great, but they will give you an idea of how beautiful the countryside was that I drove through today. In the next couple of days, weather permitting, as I use Apache Junction as a base I hope to get some better quality shots to add to my collection.

This desert (or at least the part I travelled through today) is not what you normally expect – sand, sand, and sand dunes with the odd oasis. It has quite a lot of vegetation which is pretty green. Maybe more so this year due to the extraordinary rain. It’s still pretty barren for the most part, but beautiful just the same. And with the purple, rugged mountains poking up toward the mostly blue sky it makes quite the sight.

Since I let you know when I visit a great KOA or other RV Park/campsite, I thought I’d share today’s experience with you as well.

When looking on line to book tonight’s KOA I had noted in the camper reviews that this KOA is under new ownership and they were having some issues with the change in terms of taking payment by credit etc. I had no trouble with that, but when I arrived I discovered that the advertised pool is closed for work (including the hot tub which at 11 degrees would have been nice) and the Recreation room, with big screen TV etc, is closed for renovation for the time I am here. Then when I tried to get wifi, I discovered that I wasn’t able to access it from my site despite being able to log in at the office. So, uncharacteristically, I stopped into the office and suggested that since some of the advertised features of their KOA were not available to me that I ought to have a reduction in my rate. They assured me that the new owners were not interested in refunds or reduced rates. I asked to speak to the onsite manager and she said she would talk to the owner but that she hadn’t been successful in getting any concessions previously. So I left it with her, with the comment that I had planned to stay on a few more days depending on the weather etc but that I wouldn’t be if there was no reduction in the fees. And I did mention that I did a travel blog and was effusive in my praise when it was justified and had no problem being just as profuse in my disappointment where warranted.

So we’ll see what transpires. I’ll let you know.

Note from Editor: No refund or reduction in fees was ever secured. Nor was there any further communication from management.

Yuma, AZ

One of the best things about being as involved as I have been in politics is the great friends you make along the way. Most of them support the same political party as I do and share the same values and vision for the country.

Yesterday, in Yuma, I shared food and drink with two such groups of friends.

I had breakfast with Guenter and Diane, from Prince George, BC, who I met during their time in the lower mainland. Retired, they are living back in Prince George now, and wintering in Yuma. Guenter suggested Beer and Burgers (just east of 4th Ave at 20th Street), and I said that was fine as long as I didn’t have to have either a beer or a burger at 10 am I was good with that! Turns out their breakfasts are pretty darn good. I had a traditional eggs and bacon but Guenter and Diane both chose more adventuresome Mexican breakfasts that looked great. It was great to connect again and to pick Guenter’s brain as he has been a Rotarian for 33 years and that is something I’ve considered getting involved with when I eventually settle back down in Ottawa. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of Guenter and Diane. Guess I wasn’t quite awake.

After being relatively stationary in Palm Desert for 5 weeks, on the way to Yuma, wouldn’t you know that the maintenance light came on. So I stopped in at the local Toyota Dealership and they kindly fit me in to their shop yesterday afternoon for the routine 16,000 km maintenance. Yup, I’ve put over 17000 km in on the Venza since Ottawa.

Then last evening, I spent some time with my friends Lee, Charles, Sue and Garnett. Lee has been a friend since 2000 and I’ve gotten to know his husband, Charles and his parents (Sue and Garnett) in more recent years. I once stayed with Lee for a month in Malyasia on the beautiful island of Langkawi. We started with a tour of my “house” and then it was back to their place where I had such a lovely evening visiting, eating snacks and a beautiful meal prepared by Sue (the day after they returned from a week in Mexico over New Year) and a hilarious time playing a very politically incorrect game.

So great to catch up with friends and important to keep in touch. Thanks to them all for taking the time.

Yuma, AZ

OK, the title was meant to catch your attention. Hope it worked. Read on and you’ll see what it’s about.

This morning I started the next phase of my “No Fixed Address North American Tour”, travelling only 3 or so hours east from Palm Desert to Yuma, Arizona. I hated to leave Emerald Desert RV Resort as it was a great Park and I had a great stay, but it was time to move on. Today my “house” entered it’s 4th State along our journey since Yuma is just into Arizona. Great to be on this side of the time zone now, so that it stays light later.

I headed east on Interstate 10 to California 86, just east of the string of desert cities. Hwy 86 headed south and just west of the Salton Sea. I didn’t take any pictures because I was on a freeway and I didn’t think they would look like much. This sea has a very unusual story which I had read about and thought about as I drove along. Very briefly, the Sea originally started as a low area of land that got flooded by the Colorado River (it’s not clear whether it was accidentalor intentional) and became a usable sea where resort areas sprung up in the 50s – Palm Springs with a beach. But then it started to become polluted by the chemicals from the farms surrounding it and the fish stocks died leaving millions of fish carcases on the beach stinking. It’s now mostly deserted.

You can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Se a

This link is to a personal account which differs somewhat from the Wikipedia version, but it’s an interesting read: http://www.vice.com/read/i-went-to-cali fornias-post-apocalyptic-beach-town-sal ton-sea

I joined Highway 78 and then down to Interstate 8 for the rest of the drive in to Yuma, running very close to the Mexican border. The fence was even visible for some miles. The countryside for most of the trip was not that interesting, although there were some great sand dune areas along Highway 8 just west of Yuma.

I am staying tonight and tomorrow in an RV Park, which is primarily for permanent residents or snow birds with just a few spots for transients, because I happen to know some of the snow birds from Smith Falls, ON who are staying there. I will see them tomorrow, along with another couple I know from Prince George, BC who I got to know in the lower mainland. More on that tomorrow.

When I asked what I should see in Yuma it appeared the most interesting thing would be to visit the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park. Thus the subject line. So after I was set up I headed off to see this historical state park. It’s built into the hillside near historic downtown Yuma and just off Interstate 8, overlooking a relatively new riverside park which runs along the Colorado River. There is a small charge ($6 or 8, I forget) to get into this well maintained and laid out site.

The prison was in use from 1876 – 1909 when it was closed because of overcrowding and the prisoners were transferred to another state prison. There were a total of 3069 prisoners held there over the years, including 29 women, who according to the accounts there, created a lot of trouble for their jailers.

The tour starts in a museum building with artifacts and a 7 minute video presentation, and then you exit outside to the cell block area, where some of the cells are set up to represent what it would have been like. One interesting take away was that in 1901, steel bed frames were installed throughout because they were not able to do away with the bed bug problem any other way. And another interesting story is of a woman prisoner who had a child while in prison. The child stayed with her until he was 2 and then she and he were released out of concern for the child.

The prison is built on a hill overlooking the Colorado River, and they have done some work on rejuvenating the shoreline which you can see from the guard watch tower in the prison.

I realized at that point that I hadn’t had lunch yet and it was now almost 5 pm Arizona time so I stopped in Historic Downtown Yuma at an appropriately named restaurant, Prison Hill Brewery, for a great chicken salad sandwich, in house made chips and coleslaw with a kick! So much for my resolve to eat healthier. And they had a $3 a glass wine special……so how could I resist.

Thanks for joining me again on my journey around north america. Remember to let me know if there are any stops I should make along my way. I’m headed east now as close to the Mexican border as I can go without crossing it, all the way to the Florida Keys.

Andreas Canyon, CA

Today I joined friends David and Kathleen and their kids, Alex, Pauline, Nick and Peter hiking in Indian Canyon, just south of downtown Palm Springs. (Nick and Peter are twins and I hope they will forgive me if I got them mixed up). To get there, I took Highway 111 almost to downtown but turned south on South Palm Canyon Drive and drove just a few minutes to the toll gate entering the area. The cost was $9 for adults, and $7 for seniors and students.

The Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians settled in the canyons around Palm Springs area centuries ago. They thrived in this area because of an abundant water supply provided by springs throughout the area and were able to grow crops of melons, squash, beans and corn.
Today the canyons in their reservation lands have been developed into hiking and equestrian trails which range from short walks along the canyon floor to more ambitious, longer hikes up the sides of the canyons to what must be spectacular views. The three canyons in this area and the nearby Tahquitz Canyon have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The website for the attraction is:

http://www.theindiancanyons.com/

I met up with David, Kathleen and the kids at the Andreas Canyon Trail parking lot where we had planned to take a guided hike in the canyon. Turns out they cancelled the guided tour today but we struck out on our own, which worked out just fine since it allowed us to go at our own pace. After getting set up with water bottles, and toilet stops, we headed out for a great afternoon.

The first part of the hike was above Andreas creek looking down on the various palms which follow the creek. They were primarily the skirted palms, but close to the creek were also quite a few California Fan Palms, my favourite. The juxtaposition of the desert mesa and the green palms was gorgeous and the rock formations of the canyon walls were ever changing. Top it off with a bright blue sky and it just doesn’t get a lot better.

At the turn around point of the loop path we spent some time taking pics, floating leaf boats in the clear water of the creek, drawing, using palm fronds as fans and climbing rocks. On the return trip we followed the creek bed in the shade of the palms. All in all, it was a beautiful hike.

Next we drove to the trading post at the beginning of Palm Canyon which is up high on a hill looking down into Palm Canyon and has a spectacular view. We couldn’t resist going down into the canyon to check out some dome structures made from palm fronds. There were some odd Palm trees along the canyon, one that grew quite curvy and another that had fallen yet continued to grow, with the fronds growing out of the side reaching towards the sun.

Having worked up an appetite we headed to Olive Garden for dinner, and after a short wait for a table, we enjoyed a pasta loading. I know, I know, you’re supposed to do it before the exercise, but this suited us just fine.

Then the crew came back to visit my little “house” so they could imagine me in it as I continue my North American No Fixed Address Tour. It was great that our time in Palm Desert intersected and we were able to share some time together.

Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Happy New Year Everyone!

Time for a fresh beginning; a clean slate; a clear prospective; a new year for exploring; and the continuation of my North American No Fixed Address Tour.

2015 was a fabulous year with lots of adventure and adding experiences to my life’s memories. Looking forward to 2016 to being even better.

I’ve had a great stay in Palm Desert, and lovely Christmas and New Year with friends and family. Karen and Allen have been amazing friends and we’ve done a bunch of fun stuff together. Gill joined me for 5 days right after Christmas, and MMOS (my much older sister) Lynn and her hubbie Wally came from Lake Havasu City to visit with Gill and to see my “house” this week. And last evening before heading out for our New Year celebration we visited with my friend David, his wife Kathleen and their 4 wirey and energetic offspring Alex, Pauline, Peter and Nick who are down from Vancouver for a week enjoying the desert. I’m hoping to have another visit with them before I leave. (And hope this time to remember to take a picture!).

Gill and I had a late New Year’s Eve night, well, early morning really, as we joined Karen and Allen and Karen’s Uncle Hy and his friend Teri for dinner at Five Guys, a movie (Gill and I saw the Big Short, and the others saw Star Wars-long story) and then back to Karen and Allen’s for nibblies, bubbly and to watch the new year rung in at Time Square.

Then today, Gill and I started the year off right with a day spent exploring Joshua Tree National Park, just north of Palm Springs. After gassing up, picking up water and tea and breakfast sandwiches at Starbucks we were on the road by 9 am. It was cool to start, about 5 – 6 degrees, and stayed that way until we came back into the Coachella Valley late this afternoon where it jumped up to 18 or so degrees C.

We drove from Highway 10 up through Desert Hot Springs (not a terribly inspiring place) and then north on Highway 62 through the Morongo Valley and into the Yucca Valley. We took a side trip from the town of Yucca Valley just 4 miles north to Pioneertown which K&A had told us about. There is a restaurant and motel that are famous for hosting great music in the evening. It wasn’t open when we were there because of reduced hours for New Year’s Day, but it sure looks like an interesting place and Gill has pledged to return some day for dinner, music and a stay at the unique western style motel.

We carried on through the town of Joshua Tree and into the north gate of the park. Joshua Tree National Park is part of the Mojave Desert and is named for the odd looking tree native to the area that isn’t really a tree, it’s a type of yucca plant. The Joshua Tree grows only 1 inch a year and can grow to a height of 40 feet, although we didn’t see any taller than about 25 feet.

Our first destination in the park was Keys View, which at 1581 metres, high in the San Bernadino Mountains, had a fabulous view southward overlooking the Coachella Valley where Palm Springs and the other desert cities are located. The air quality was great today so we could see as far away as Salton Sea, south east of the desert cities and even further. There were dozens of motorcycles also out for a ride today and they stopped to see the view and to wam up.

Then we headed back to Hidden Valley and hiked the 1 mile trail through the valley taking pictures and loving the sights and atmosphere. We saw prickly pear cacti, junipers, pinto pines, and Mojave yuccas anchored among the piles of boulders forming a hidden valley which was a legendary cattle rustler’s hideout. We had taken a picnic lunch and we stopped after our hike to enjoy it in the very fresh air. We didn’t dawdle since, although we were warmed by the desert sun, it was still only a chilly 8 degrees or so.

Back on the road, we wound our way along Park Boulevard and past several campgrounds (which were all full, BTW), and past many hiking and climbing opportunities. We turned south along Pinto Basin Road towards the southern entrance and Cottonwood Visitor Centre. There were some great views of the Pinto Basin and multiple mountain ranges surrounding the basin.

We stopped for a short walk along a pathway through the Cholla Cactus Garden. These odd looking cacti have yellow-green flowers whose shape reminded me of raspberries. There is a huge field of them in this area and they don’t seem to be found elsewhere. They are really prickly and can easily get attached to pant legs so the developed pathway was welcomed.

Gill and I left the park by the southern entrance on to I-!0 and headed west back into the city, glad of our time together in this beautiful part of the world.

Sadly, Gill heads for home tomorrow. It’s been wonderful having her sharing my “house” this week and although it’s been “cozy” I think it worked out OK. I will treasure our time together forever and as I head into the next phase of my trip, the memories of this week will hold me over until I am reunited with she and Phil in Ottawa in the spring. I will be doing errands and getting organized over the next few days to hit the road again on January 6th. It will be sad to leave PD but I am getting itchy feet to get on the road again.

Palm Desert, CA

Well, it’s been a while since I posted anything because I really haven’t done anything news worthy or picture worthy for some days. I have been relaxing, eating, swimming, eating, going to movies, eating, visiting friends, eating, shopping, eating….. Well, you get the picture.

But this evening I thought I best show you what the RV Park looks like in time for Christmas. This past week the park has been busy with some people leaving to head home for Christmas, primarily those that are fairly close to home. It’s also been busy with many arriving, the beginning of the snow birds. They won’t begin to arrive in earnest until mid-January, but several have pulled in this week ready to celebrate Christmas here and many staying on for 3 – 4 months. I’ve seen plates from the northern States, as well as many from Canada – BC, Alberta, primarily, but a couple from Ontario in addition to me.

This evening I toured the park, with camera and tripod, taking pics of some of the prettier Christmas displays. It was warmer this evening than it has been most evenings so there were many RVers sitting outside enjoying their favourite beverage and the warmth of their fire pits. Many of the big rigs bring along their own fire ring fuelled by propane because wood fires are not allowed here due to the drought.

In the years to come, I know I’ll remember where I spent Christmas 2015 because it is so different than most. Not only am I spending it in the desert, and away from any family, but it will be the first one without my Mom. For the past few years I’ve spent every Christmas with her and my family in Comox, with a view that it might be her last one. And last year that proved to be the case, although I didn’t know it until this August when she passed away. I have shed a few tears this week as I know others will at this time of year thinking of loved ones that are no longer with us. But I have also smiled at so many fabulous memories of Christmases past and I can look forward to those in the future. One of the things that Mom and I shared just between she and I at Christmas was a drink or two of Kahlua and Egg Nog, and I intend to raise my glass with a couple of those in the next few days and will say “cheers” to her.

Don’t feel sorry for me being without family though because I will be with my very good friends, Karen and Allen who I’ve spent many Christmases with in the past. We have a delux Christmas dinner planned for Friday, and I’m very much looking forward to it. And I’m very excited that Gillian will be joining me here in Palm Desert over New Years. I haven’t seen her since August 1st and I’ve missed her immeasurably. We have all sorts of things planned and I may share some of them with you if there is anything interesting.

I may not post again before the New Year so I also want to say a very Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates and a healthy and prosperous 2016 to everyone.

P.S. Yes, I am getting itchy feet to get on the road again.

Rancho Mirage, CA

Yesterday there was a storm here in the desert. The winds were ferocious, it got dark and cloudy and the wind whipped up the sand so badly that in the few minutes it took me to cross a short distance in the Home Depot parking lot, I felt 10 years younger because of the dermabrasion. I also heard on the news that Ventura Pier, one of many I visited on my way down the coast, was closed yesterday due to high tides and huge offshore swells creating waves crashing over the end of the pier. Hard to imagine when I think back over how high over the water the pier is.

Today, fortunately, the winds have died down and it was back to beautiful, clear, blue skies for my visit to Sunnyland in the community just west of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage. Sounds like something out of our new PM’s world, but no, it was the winter home of Walter and Leonore Annenberg, which has been preserved and the Sunnylands Centre and Gardens added to create an amazing property.

Walter Annenberg was an incredibly successful American businessman who after amassing a fortune, spent his final years as a philanthropist. His father passed on his newspaper business to him, which included The Philadelphia Inquirer when he died in 1942, but Walter started TV Guide in 1952, just at the beginning of TV, and Seventeen Magazine. TV Guide alone was bringing in $1,000,000 profit a week at it’s peak. He sold off his business for $3 billion dollars to Rupert Murdoch in 1988.

It’s estimated that Annenberg donated over $2 billion dollars in his lifetime including donating the French impressionist art, his wife Leonore and he had collected, upon his death in 2002 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. It was valued then at $1 billion dollars. He also donated $50 million to the United Negro College Fund and donated to many other education causes throughout the country. His daughter, Wallis Annenberg has continued his work as President and Chairman of the Board of the Annenberg Foundation. When I was executive director of InnerChange, then mayor and now MLA, Sam Sullivan, was able to secure a grant from the Annenberg Foundation to help with the start up costs of the Not For Profit.

The property and historic residence at Sunnyland is still used for high-level retreats for national and international leaders, including most recently a meeting between the President of China and Obama in 2013. The home that was built for Walter and Leonore between 1963 and 1966. It is an unbelievably beautiful work of art itself which allowed their works of art to be enjoyed to the fullest when they used the home as their winter retreat.

It is rich with historic significance for all the people and meetings that have been held there. President Reagan and Nancy attending New Years Eve parties there annually for 10 years, other Presidents have golfed there or met with their international counterparts or cabinets. British PM Margaret Thatcher first met Ronald Reagan at Sunnyland and Reagan signed the Free Trade Accord and watched a Gorbachev speech to the U.S. people and recorded his final speech as President from the library. Thus the nickname “Camp David of the West”. The Queen and Prince Philip, the Queen Mom, and Prince Charles have all been hosted there. And of course the royalty of Hollywood were frequent visitors. Frank Sinatra, whose name is given to one of the streets that borders the property, was married there. Others such as Gregory Peck, Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, Truman Capote, and Sammy David Jr have all dined and danced and visited there.

The tour includes some parts of the grounds and the private golf course surrounding the house, but picture taking is very limited for security reasons. So I have taken what I was allowed but it goes no where near to telling the tale of this amazing place.

Palm Desert, CA

My destination yesterday was Lake Havasu City, AZ, not only so that I could enjoy the desert and get off the beaten path a little, but I have some family in the area. My sister, Lynn and her husband Wally are enjoying relief from the rain of Vancouver Island, and cousin Gary and Maggie are there getting relief from the usually even more severe winter in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, in my hurry to get on the road in the morning, I forgot, of all things, my camera. So these photos are taken with my iPhone.

To get there, driving across the desert outside of Palm Springs area is gorgeous with the taupes and browns of the desert contrasted against the blue sky, with the lush green of the occasional natural or man-made oasis of palms and cacti. Shadows and shapes peak your interest, especially in the early morning sun.

I followed Interstate 10 for some time and then headed north along CA- 177 and then east along CA-62 to Parker where I joined up with CA-95 and headed north. All along these stretches the mountains poked their sometimes smooth but increasingly craggy heads above the flat desert floor. There is the odd bit of red in the hills, but mostly the same taupe tones of the desert sands and sage brush. I thought back to the challenging road from CA-101 over to CA-1 in northern Californian and how different these roads were. Flat, except for the odd dips and some grade as Interstate 10 passes over Chiriaco summit on the southern side of Joshua Tree National Park, and for the most part, straight as an arrow. And with very little traffic, let’s just say I made good time on the drive. I always feel like I’m in an old western movie when I’m in this environment and expect a war party or cavalry to come down out of the hills at any moment.

On CA-62 I was driving along enjoying the desert, and I started to see trucks pulling boats on trailers, and bill boards for dock installations and boat storage signs. What the heck? Oh, yes, I remember, Parker is where I am connecting with the Colorado River. One of the very few waterways in the American south west. I’ve come across the Colorado frequently in my former travels through several states in this part of the world by motorcycle. (One of my favourite places to enjoy the Colorado is in Moab, UT).

There is a damn on the Colorado just north of Parker (and 155 miles downstream from the more famous Hoover Damn) built from 1934 and 1938 for electricity production and to provide a water reservoir which they called Lake Havasu.

In 1963, a businessman and owner of McCulloch Motors, Robert McCulloch was flying over the area looking for a place to test his outboard engines when he got the notion that the area around Lake Havasu would make an excellent site for a new community. Since then Lake Havasu City has never looked back. It is now home to more than 50,000 people, over 750,000 thousand visitors annually, and the London Bridge.

The London Bridge was taken apart, brick by brick and transported and reconstructed on dry land on a peninsula in Lake Havasu City. Then a canal was built under the bridge creating an island in the Colorado. It completed and dedicated in 1971.

My visit there started with a quick catchup visit with Lynn and Wally and tour of the great house they have rented for a few months, and then we joined Gary and Maggie for lunch at Chilis. It’s a U.S. chain restaurant that I have seen but hadn’t been to before with a really extensive menu. I chose the Quesadilla Explosion Salad, which was really tasty and huge. The flat bread looked great too.

After a lot of rag chewing as well as lunch chewing, Lynn and Wally showed me around the waterfront, and we went for a short walk in the park along the Bridgewater Channel. We got a great look at the London Bridge from water level as well as some of the miniature lighthouses that are dotted along the shoreline all around the island. Nearby was Maggie and Gary’s RV Park, Crazy Horse Campground so we dropped by for a visit and enjoyed their hospitality. It’s right on the lake with a great beach. Unfortunately I forgot to take a pic while I was with Gary and Maggie! My mind seems to be doing a great job of being on vacation from photography and blogging!

I headed “home” late in the day, as the sun was setting and managed to get a great pic as the light was just draining from the sky. Gotta love the desert sunsets seen above.

Palm Desert, CA

Yesterday I headed to the Street Fair at the College of the Desert here in Palm Desert. On weekends they turn the college’s parking lot into a huge market selling everything from fresh dates and other produce, to clothing, yard sculpture, hot dogs, shoes, jewelry, etc. And in the evening, Karen and Allen and I headed out to a movie – Trumbo. It’s a great flick, that I’d highly recommend. It’s a true story about Dalton Trumbo and the “Hollywood Ten” that got blacklisted in 1947 for their political beliefs and not testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Once again makes us thankful for the freedom we have in Canada to speak about our beliefs.

Today Karen and Allen and I had a great day with two completely different but equally fun activities. It went from the gregarious, colorful, and loud to the serene, quiet and beautiful.

First off we headed east to downtown Indio for the 2015 Annual Tamale Festival. What fun! Instead of traffic the streets were covered with lively booths selling food – primarily tamales of course- but drinks, hats, pashminas, sorbet, churros, sandals, jewelry and a whole pile of other things. There were several stages set up throughout the area with entertainment and beer gardens for the big kids; and for the smaller ones a play area with bouncy space ship and climbing/sliding castles, amusement rides, face painting and pony rides.

Having never had tamales we were off in a search of the best booth to choose. We found one that had a whole line up of trophies and quite a few people in line so we stepped right up and ordered one each to try. They were OK, but not terrific. They had a thick corn bread type covering that was kind of tasteless. So we tried one at another booth and they were much tastier, had less bread and more substantive amount of protein, and we all agreed they were much better. After walking around we came upon “Grandmother Lupe’s Tamales” booth, and it had a huge long line up compared to all the rest. So I suspect it might have been the best. But one never knows, and like anything it’s individual taste. And yes, there were churros so of course I had those as well. Not surprisingly, they were much better than the ones at Disneyland.

When I was at the College of the Desert Street Fair on Saturday, I sat and chatted with a fellow Canadian from Nelson, BC, who had spent winters in Desert Hot Springs for the past several years. He told me about some things to do while in the desert including an oasis in Coachella Valley Preserve that you could walk through and approximately where to find it, so after the Tamale Festival we headed out to see if we could find it. And sure enough we did. It’s called the Coachella Valley Preserve. There is a small parking lot with an old log cabin visitors centre, manned by volunteers, and well marked paths through the desert from one oasis to another.

We started off at the Thousand Palms Oasis near the visitors centre, where there was some standing water and we hiked for 30 minutes or so out to another oasis, called McCallum Oasis. Between the two, the path meandered through the sand and dry brush and there are some plaques marking native desert plants such as the smoke tree. Once at the McCallum Oasis, you come upon a gorgeous, large pond produced by hot springs. This area is on the San Andreas Fault so there are many springs in the whole area. There is a path around the pond with a viewing platform and several benches, and you can even have a picnic if you haven’t eaten tamales and churros all morning. There is also a lookout point up the hillside you could hike to, but we were losing light and energy and hadn’t really come prepared for hiking so we headed back.

It is very different to hike among a palm tree forest, or oasis, than it is in other kinds of forests. The palm trees are surprisingly huge up close and with the fan palms and other grasses it felt jungle-like near the water source and yet you’re just steps from the dusty taupe desert. There are two types of native palms at these oases which produce tiny fruit the size of wild blueberries rather than the larger fruit of the imported date palms found elsewhere in the valley. Once back at the visitors centre we asked about the fruit and they had some samples there for us to try. They tasted much like dates, but with their small size and the pit there was very meat.

What a great way to spend a Sunday.

Palm Springs, CA

Today Karen and Allen and I headed in to Palm Springs to check out a new bagel restaurant and to check out the strip along Palm Canyon Drive. I was last in the area 3 years ago as I was in the process of getting my position at International Trade. Karen and Allen graciously hosted me during that visit. Not a lot has changed, but there seems to be some attempts at revitalization of the downtown core with the construction of a new convention centre and hotel under way.

Palm Springs is a unique city with no end of golf courses, interesting architecture, art and design shops and a million or so restaurants. New communities have gradually built out along Highway 111 and a lot of the cities you’ve heard about are strung out along the Highway into Coachella Valley, running from one to another. Indian Wells, Cathedral Grove, Indio, Palm Desert to name just a few.

Our first stop was breakfast at a new bagel joint that Karen and Allen had heard about. It makes boiled bagels in a dozen or so varieties and if you love these type of bagels you’ll love Townie Bagels. It’s a small cute little place, off the beaten path, but worth finding. They serve breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches, and other baked goods. The cinnamon bun with orange-flavoured icing was to die for. The staff are uber friendly and willing to go the extra mile. You even get an extra bagel of your choice when you buy a bakers dozen.

http://towniebagels.com

Then it was over to Palm Canyon Drive where we started at the Palm Springs Art Museum – Architecture and Design Museum. Their current exhibit explores light through various media. My favourite was a full size glass dress made using moulds of an art model.

Then we checked out the great shops along Palm Canyon Drive. A lot of them are retro themed and they have some really funky stuff. We stumbled across some retro travel trailer Christmas ornaments, and you just have to know they’ll be showing up on my tree next year.

It was overcast most of the afternoon and didn’t reach higher than 20 degrees or so. But we crazy Canadians were in capris and short sleeve shirts. The Californians of course were wearing down jackets and complaining and making fun of us.

After our fill of window shopping we drove back to Palm Desert to El Paseo, one block south of Highway 111 and running for a km or so. It’s a high end shopping district nicknamed “the Rodeo Drive of Palm Desert”, anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue. It is beautifully landscaped, has valet parking and at night the palm trees boles are all lit up with white lights and it’s quite magical. The first and third Fridays of the month in late afternoon, there is a parade of antique cars that we went to take a look at. There weren’t really very many out tonight, perhaps because it was a little chilly.

It was early, but we’d had an early breakfast so we headed for Thai Smile on El Paseo and it was really enjoyable.

All in all, a great day!