Yesterday, we left Barstow to spend our last couple of days in Palm Springs, a place you will either love or hate but more on that in a minute.
After the true splendour of Death Valley, we did think anything that came after that would prove to be something of an anti-climax but not so because we took the longer cross country route down to this oasis in the Coachella Valley. The journey again produced spectacular scenery and roads that were virtually deserted. Whilst the distance was only a touch over 100 miles, it was a wonderful ride and was perhaps helped in some small way by the incredibly sharp early morning light which turned the mountains into a series of blazing reds and oranges. As I commented previously, only the human eye can do justice to all that was around us. Photos come a very poor and distant second! Another factor might have been the temperature which at one stage registered 39F! Brrrrrr...!
By the time we arrived in Palm Springs late morning, the temperature had improved to 84F and by early evening was in the low 90s. Oh how we love the warm and dry heat that the desert throws at you.
Palm Springs and the sprawling conurbation that covers vast areas of the Coachella Valley has become a firm favourite although it wasn't love at first sight, far from it, but it does show that sometimes first impressions are wrong! I hated it on our first visit. I thought it was hot, dusty, dirty and soulless but as we have visited over the years, that initial impression has long faded and I always look forward to spending time here because actually, it's very relaxing, perhaps because everyone appears chilled and the weather always provides wall to wall blue skies.
It really became popular in the 1930s and 1940s as a bolt hole for film stars, many of whom built homes here. It is only a short hop from the nightmare that is Los Angeles and its attraction for celebrities remains to this day. It also markets itself well with big sporting and music events
and has the supposed "8th Wonder of the World" in the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which in ten minutes whisks you from the heat of the desert floor to cool pine filled meadows at 8,000 feet.
We are only here for a couple of days and tomorrow (Tuesday) are hoping to catch a flight back to the UK from Los Angeles after meeting up with my new found cousin Drena and her husband David. We have been able to alter our plans to make this happen and whilst Sarah and I were fortunate to come over to LA last year, this will be a first opportunity for Linda to meet the new family. She is in for a treat.
Mind you, I do have a good mind to leave her behind in Palm Springs because today she has succeeded in pouring very hot coffee over my hand but worse than that, at lunchtime, she manged to drop a great dollop of butter onto the top of my straw hat! Don't ask!
I hope to post the final dispatch from LAX tomorrow evening.
After the true splendour of Death Valley, we did think anything that came after that would prove to be something of an anti-climax but not so because we took the longer cross country route down to this oasis in the Coachella Valley. The journey again produced spectacular scenery and roads that were virtually deserted. Whilst the distance was only a touch over 100 miles, it was a wonderful ride and was perhaps helped in some small way by the incredibly sharp early morning light which turned the mountains into a series of blazing reds and oranges. As I commented previously, only the human eye can do justice to all that was around us. Photos come a very poor and distant second! Another factor might have been the temperature which at one stage registered 39F! Brrrrrr...!
By the time we arrived in Palm Springs late morning, the temperature had improved to 84F and by early evening was in the low 90s. Oh how we love the warm and dry heat that the desert throws at you.
Palm Springs and the sprawling conurbation that covers vast areas of the Coachella Valley has become a firm favourite although it wasn't love at first sight, far from it, but it does show that sometimes first impressions are wrong! I hated it on our first visit. I thought it was hot, dusty, dirty and soulless but as we have visited over the years, that initial impression has long faded and I always look forward to spending time here because actually, it's very relaxing, perhaps because everyone appears chilled and the weather always provides wall to wall blue skies.
It really became popular in the 1930s and 1940s as a bolt hole for film stars, many of whom built homes here. It is only a short hop from the nightmare that is Los Angeles and its attraction for celebrities remains to this day. It also markets itself well with big sporting and music events
and has the supposed "8th Wonder of the World" in the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which in ten minutes whisks you from the heat of the desert floor to cool pine filled meadows at 8,000 feet.
We are only here for a couple of days and tomorrow (Tuesday) are hoping to catch a flight back to the UK from Los Angeles after meeting up with my new found cousin Drena and her husband David. We have been able to alter our plans to make this happen and whilst Sarah and I were fortunate to come over to LA last year, this will be a first opportunity for Linda to meet the new family. She is in for a treat.
Mind you, I do have a good mind to leave her behind in Palm Springs because today she has succeeded in pouring very hot coffee over my hand but worse than that, at lunchtime, she manged to drop a great dollop of butter onto the top of my straw hat! Don't ask!
I hope to post the final dispatch from LAX tomorrow evening.
The Desert At Its Best
Pretty Chilly
Not A Car In Sight!
Linda Inspired By The Scenery! We Were Still At The Time!
Palm Springs - We Love It
The Blue Skies And Beautiful Light
Sonny Bono's Star
Sonny Bono Statue - He Was Mayor Of Palm Springs For Many Years
An American Icon Outside Our Hotel Room
Aerial Tramway
As always Alistair I try to emulate your superb writing but never quite manage to. Well done. See you in Jansuary?
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