On Friday, March 2, we left Acton, CA under blue skies with sunshine and a big wind from the East. We traveled Rt 14 to 138 on the Pearblossom Highway eventually on to I-15, I-215 S and I-10 through San Bernadino to Desert Hot Springs, CA. We went over a 4800' pass in the San Gabriel Mountains with at least 2 ski areas visible from the freeway. Traffic was easy going though the wind got even bigger near Beaumont, CA
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| San Gabriel Mountains |
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| Freight trains passing near San Bernadino as we head down the pass on I-215 |
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| Wind farms near Palm Springs |
There were over 4000 mills on this wind farm. We weren't able to take the tour to learn more about them-next visit for sure. We also saw micro wave towers disguised as palm trees.
We camped for 4 nights at the Catalina Spa in Desert Hot Springs. This was the view from our back window looking west to the 8000' tramway. I hear that while it ascends, it turns 360*, but being a chicken of heights, we didn't take that tour! The full moon and stars were impressive at 3 AM this morning. Desert Hot Springs had many likable features. Mountains all around, a hot spring feeding the pools that were open 24 hours a day, line dancing 5 days a week, well tended spaces, gardens, water features, warm weather and friendly folks, many from Western Washington.
Bougainvillea hedges were everywhere in the park along many cacti, palms and a brook like water feature. Pickleball was the game of the day plus horseshoes, water aerobics, bocci ball, card games-all those Senior activities!
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| Stream through the park |
After we were settled, we drove into Indio, about 25 miles away, to have dinner with our friends, Ed and Eleanor Payne, from Seattle. They are staying at their daughter's condo for several weeks to enjoy the sun. We ate at a Polo Club though we didn't see any horses, we did catch their aroma.
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| Palm tree outside of the Payne's condo. Though you can't see them, the tree is full of golf balls from players who hooked on the 5th fairway. |
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Gardens lining the entrance to Indian Palms Country Club where Ed and Eleanor are staying.
Cactus gardens |
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On Saturday, we checked out the local craft fair and then drove into Palm Desert for the weekly street fair and farmers market. There were over 300 booths selling everything from art to socks to clothing to jewelry, furniture plus fruits and veggies. A band was playing live music. We topped our day off enjoying the hot spring pool.
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This booth smelled wonderful!
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These organic strawberries were the best tasting we have had in years!
On Sunday morning, it was another cloudless, blue sky, sunshiny warm day. Ahhhhhh. We went to the Cabot Pueblo Museum to learn about Cabot Yerxa, discoverer of the hot, curative mineral waters of Desert Hot Springs and the home he built in the desert in 1941. Cabot was an explorer, architect, accomplished artist, visionary, gold miner and philosopher to name a few. The museum is the kooky 5000 sq ft home he built based on the Hopi custom of having no two doors or windows alike. There were 35 rooms total including secret rooms, passages, cooling with indoor waterfalls, incredibly narrow stairways, dirt floors in the original "man cave" so his pet burro, Merry Christmas, could be in the house, too.
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| Flowering cactus in the museum's garden |
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| Cabot House |
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| Sonny looking west to the Coachella Valley over Cabot house. |
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| More Cactus garden plants |
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| This is a test....can you find the humming bird?? |
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| Sonny checking out the saguaro |
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The weekend that we were at Cabot Pueblo, there were two guest arts creating pottery. This husband and wife came up from Mexico to demonstrate their art. The artist began with a ball of clay mined in Mexico, formed a flat pancake and sculpted these bowls. The total process takes 2 weeks from clay ball to finished bowl.
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After the bowl is formed, it is painted quickly and then allowed to dry thoroughly. The firing custom is done by building a small fire under the bowl which is laying on its side. (The gentleman holding the water bottle is the museum translator.) The piece is covered by the pot and wood is stacked around the pot.
The fire is started with a little gasoline help. The firing goes on about 45 minutes till the wood falls away from the metal pot.
Here is the husband and wife team. (I should have written down all the names). They were chosen from their village in Mexico to study under a well respected potter. The wife has pieces on display in the Louvre. She is known for creating and painting half bowls. Only 70% of her work survives the firing process. If a pot breaks, the shards are made into jewelry so that the family still has an income. My camera battery died at this point so I don't have a picture of the finished vessel which did survive the firing!
Sunday afternoon, we drove out to the General Patton Memorial Museum, about 30 miles East on I-10 from Indio at the Chiriaco Summit, with Ed and Eleanor. We all had family members involved in World War II and the Korean War. This truck is a deuce and a half which I recall my dad saying he drove all over Europe. We thought the desert setting miles from anywhere for this museum was strange until we learned that the area was used as a training ground for troops preparing to go to Africa in World War II.
Serviceman's chapel outside the museum.
Sonny and Eleanor outside the museum
.We took the scenic route through the desert back to Indio. The rock formations were amazing. Many dry campers were enjoying the sunshine, too.
The route took us pass irrigated fields of baby peppers and on to the Salton Sea.
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| Pepper fields |
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| Salton Sea white pelicans in the distance. |
The sea is shallow, saline and comprised of runoff from the New, Whitewater and Alamo Rivers. It is below sea level and the largest lake in California. Sadly, the saline content is killing the fish and their bodies are littering the beach with crushed bones not to mention the lovely oder emanating. No swimming or water recreation there.
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| Blowing sand at sunset |
Monday morning, line dancing class began at 8 AM. I knew most of the steps and was able to make a respectable showing in the first class. They invited me to the intermediate class next. I barely survived two dances before heading off with Sonny to meet Ed for their tee time. Eleanor took me on a shopping tour of Palm Springs. I found a small piece of Maine Rowentree pottery in a thrift store for less than $2 ( an incredible deal) and even got the senior discount though the clerk said he didn't need my i.d.-he believed I met the criteria.
This morning, I went to line dancing class before we headed off to Quartzsite, AZ. Yes, the sun was shining AGAIN!! We've lost count of how many sunshine days there have been. Yesterday, there was light cloud cover but it was delightfully warm. The route we took from Catalina Spa to I-10 was a country road with "whoop-dee-dos" for 20 miles. Wind had been promised but wasn't evident. However, before long, the wind kicked up. The mountains around us were obscured by blowing sand. It was like a snow storm but with sand blowing across the road. We arrived in Quartzsite and found our campsite. The wind is rocking the rig. The news said to expect 33-36 mph winds with gusts up to 55 mph tonight. We are surrounded by big rigs and park models so hopefully we will be protected from those big gusts.
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| The local grocery store |
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| Hand painted yard art |
We camped for 4 nights at the Catalina Spa in Desert Hot Springs. This was the view from our back window looking west to the 8000' tramway. I hear that while it ascends, it turns 360*, but being a chicken of heights, we didn't take that tour! The full moon and stars were impressive at 3 AM this morning. Desert Hot Springs had many likable features. Mountains all around, a hot spring feeding the pools that were open 24 hours a day, line dancing 5 days a week, well tended spaces, gardens, water features, warm weather and friendly folks, many from Western Washington.
This booth smelled wonderful!
After the bowl is formed, it is painted quickly and then allowed to dry thoroughly. The firing custom is done by building a small fire under the bowl which is laying on its side. (The gentleman holding the water bottle is the museum translator.) The piece is covered by the pot and wood is stacked around the pot.
The fire is started with a little gasoline help. The firing goes on about 45 minutes till the wood falls away from the metal pot. 
Here is the husband and wife team. (I should have written down all the names). They were chosen from their village in Mexico to study under a well respected potter. The wife has pieces on display in the Louvre. She is known for creating and painting half bowls. Only 70% of her work survives the firing process. If a pot breaks, the shards are made into jewelry so that the family still has an income. My camera battery died at this point so I don't have a picture of the finished vessel which did survive the firing!
Sunday afternoon, we drove out to the General Patton Memorial Museum, about 30 miles East on I-10 from Indio at the Chiriaco Summit, with Ed and Eleanor. We all had family members involved in World War II and the Korean War. This truck is a deuce and a half which I recall my dad saying he drove all over Europe. We thought the desert setting miles from anywhere for this museum was strange until we learned that the area was used as a training ground for troops preparing to go to Africa in World War II.
Serviceman's chapel outside the museum.
Sonny and Eleanor outside the museum
.We took the scenic route through the desert back to Indio. The rock formations were amazing. Many dry campers were enjoying the sunshine, too. The route took us pass irrigated fields of baby peppers and on to the Salton Sea.
The sea is shallow, saline and comprised of runoff from the New, Whitewater and Alamo Rivers. It is below sea level and the largest lake in California. Sadly, the saline content is killing the fish and their bodies are littering the beach with crushed bones not to mention the lovely oder emanating. No swimming or water recreation there. 
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