Desert Wonders

Today we explore the Indian Canyons. In our research we found this was a 'must see' and they were right. We drove down Palm Canyon Drive again, but kept going through town. Soon we were passing amazing homes high on hilltops and Indian Canyons Golf Club - and then nothing but desert. We came to the entrance gate of a beautiful recreation oasis.

We are walking in the footsteps of the Aqua Caliente Cahuilla Indians who settled here centuries ago. There are 3 canyons here which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Our first stop was Andreas Canyon. Off on the scenic foot trail that lead us through the canyon, over boulders and through groves of statuesqe skirted palms. The path followed the Andreas Creek and we stopped to appreciate the unusual rock formations beside us and above us. Part way up the path we came to a spot and looked up to see camps way above us on the mountain tops.... how did they get up there? Lizards scurried across the path as we sat on a rock enjoying the contrasting greens of the fan palms and hundreds of different plants as we listened to the silence.

To contrast the Andreas Canyon we decided to see Palm Canyon next. We climbed up the winding road to the top of a hill looking out over the entire recreation oasis and Palm Springs valley. It was breathtaking. At the ranger station there were hummingbird feeders with about 8 hummingbirds fighting for positions. One of them was different and when I asked the Ranger what it was he said it was a Costa. He has a gorgeous purple head and when fending off other "hummers" his purple turns a floruesent violet. They were really fun to watch. Down a narrow foot path into the 15 mile long canyon. We find ourselves standing in a grove of Fan Palms that tower above us. The path leads along the Palm Canyon Creek and up into the hills. About a mile down the path crosses the creek. However, the water was high and we decided not to cross it so we turned back. There were several picnic areas along the way and we sat under a canopy of palms and enjoyed the cool air of this oasis in the desert. It's in the 70's now and we decided to head back to camp. While climbing back up the foot path we spotted a Desert Spiny Lizard sunning himself on a boulder. These lizards can be multi colored, but he was only showing his gold color today. We really enjoyed the hike and the magnificent wonders around us.

Tonight we met Glenn & Marcie for dinner. We went to the Fishermans Market in Palm Springs. It was good to see them again. The market sells fresh fish and is also a restaurant. It reminded us a lot of the Seafood Center we used to go to at home. We enjoyed exchanging stories about our RV escapades and then it was time to say good night.

It was a good day.

Fabulous Palm Springs Follies

Desert Pools is really growing on us. We have met some really nice folks. Clara and Morris are a really cute couple and they have invited us to visit them in the Albany area when we get back East. We just hung out this morning and did some housework.

Finally it's time to go to the Follies. The Plaza is what they call a 1930's Jewell Box Theatre. The outside hasn't changed much over the years. It just has more buildings around it now. There are no posts, 2 balconys, movie screen, stage, and comfy velvet seats that actually have lots of leg room. We arrived about 45 minutes early so we could catch the old black and white film clips of movies with Clark Gable, Hoppalong Cassidy, and Abbot & Costello who did - 'Who's On First'. Then it was time to 'Let The Good Times Roll' and that's exactly what they did. They sing, they dance, and their ancient - the youngest is 56 and the oldest working showgirl is 86 and fabulous! The showgirl costumes are right out of Zigfield Follies. The MC is quick witted and they had a really good ventrilloquist. I can't say enough about the show. The background of these performers is unbelieveable with 20 - 30 years on Broadway and Las Vegas in shows like Pal Joey, Mame, Lido in Paris. Several of them have danced with the likes of Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor, Mickey Rooney and two were Radio City Rockettes. Four hours later we rode home singing and laughing - it was a great night. Oh we are on the Follies website. They took our picture in the audience dressed in our look alike rain jackets - guess the red stands out! I put the picture here so you wouldn't have to hunt through the other 240 people on their website. (LOL)

It was a great day. We have found some other things we want to do in the area so we have decided to stay another day.

Perfect Palm Springs

Sunny and in the 60's. We signed up at the Club House for the free dinner that comes with the resort promotion. I'm so excited - Chicken Fried Steak is on the menu - we've never had it so it will be a new adventure.

We called our friends Glenn & Marcie and began making plans to get together. Then we drove into Palm Springs. (Another Bucket List item gone!). This is a place I've always wanted to visit. Cruising down N. Palm Canyon Drive into town we passed the Coachella Valley Wind Farm. The farm is huge as it runs up and down the valley and along the mountain ridges. The joke here is these are what keeps Palm Springs so cool in the summer ...

Palm Springs is a slow paced little town and not what I expected at all. It's not filled with night clubs and loud music. It has a happy relaxed atmosphere. The streets are lined with palm trees, lots of gardens and flowering trees. The small shops offer everything from clothing to antiques (not the ones who live here).

If you're like me and love old movies and vaudeville this is your place. We strolled down Palm Canyon Drive along the Walk of Stars. The sidewalk has blocks with stars on them to honor those who worked in stage, film, radio, and the TV industry. The sidewalks stretch for miles and have hundreds of stars. We saw ones for Ruby Keeler, Howard Keel, Al Jolson, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall among others. We stopped to rest at the Aqua Caliente fountain and watch people for a while. The streets are line with pretty cafes and restaurants. Our next stop was at the Kalura Trattoria for lunch. We had a great table outside right next to the red carpet that leads to the Plaza Theatre. The theatre opened in 1936 with Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor performing Camille. It was a venue for several world premieres and during the 1940's stars like Jack Benny, Amos'n Andy, and Bob Hope did radio shows from the Plaza. Today the Plaza is where the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies performs. We got tickets for tomorrow night.

Strolling back up the drive we saw the "Lucy Bench" which has a bronze statue of Lucille Ball sitting and you can sit next to her ... we said "Hi Lucy" as we passed...

Palm Springs has things for the guys too. The golf courses are so numerous you can't count. They are gorgeous and they looked challenging. There is a lot more to see and do here but I'll tell you about that later.....

Time for dinner. For those of you who don't know - Chicken Fried Steak is a thin steak cooked in batter like fried chicken with the thick white gravy they love in the south --- not my cup of tea. However dessert was great. We sat with 2 nice couples at dinner. Afterwards they invited us to play Pegs & Jokers in the card room... Ok something new... They taught us and it was a blast. The game is a combination of cribbage (uses a peg board), parcheese (move men around the board), and cards. We really had a great time. We broke up about 9pm and called it a night.