We will spend the next week at the Catalina Spa and RV Resort, located in Desert Hot Springs. The park has 2 pool areas, both are fed from natural hot springs coming in at 145 degrees, the one nearest us has 1 average sized pool filled with bathtub temperature water, heavenly, as well as another small cold water pool, used mainly by children, and a hot tub. As the other pool area was more centrally located it tended to be very busy so we just gravitated to the one nearest us.
When Carl and I were to Palm Springs years ago we had taken a drive up to Bob Hope’s house, so we thought we would take J and D there as it had unique architecture and was situated up on a hill with a great view. Much to our chagrin, the entire area is now gated, with security, thus we could not get anywhere near it. What a disappointment!
Our first night here we took a drive into the down town area and had dinner at a rather expensive but delicious restaurant, Al Dente. We took in a bit of the entertainment at the Thursday night Street Fair along the way. Photos directly below. Photo furthest below of the of the busy weekend market.
Tuesday we took the one hour drive on the #10 Hwy to General Patton’s Museum. This smallish museum had exhibits that promote an understanding of how General Patton and the soldiers whom trained under his command had an impact on the outcome of World War 11. A video played non-stop and showed us how women (Rosie Riverter’s) aided in the construction of aircraft and ships. A walk through the outdoor Ed Hastey Vehicle Area showed tanks and vehicles utilized the the various conflicts. Photos below of Hastey Vehicle area.
On our way back from the museum we drove through the Joshua Tree National Park. We entered the park from the Cottonwood Mountain side, stopped at the Cottonwood Visitor Center for some info and continued down the Pinto Basin Road.
As it was already 3:00, we knew we would not be doing any hiking, so we just stopped at interesting viewpoints along the way, of which there were many.
The vegetation in this park changed constantly. We passed areas with ocotilla and yucca plants until we came upon the Cholla Cactus Garden, where thousands of Teddy Bear Cholla took over the landscape on both sides of the road. It was amazing. Then just 1/2 a mile down the road, not one plant could be seen. The bio zones changed so quickly, affecting rock formations and plant life.
There were a number of campgrounds, most nestled between large and unusual shaped rocks and most having no hook-ups, just a toilet.
Unusual shaped rocks and rock formations are scattered throughout the park. The rock piles were formed long ago as a result of volcanic activity. Many hiking trails can be found around here and people were taking advantage of them.
Towards the end of the drive we finally came across the beautiful Joshua Trees, some of the tallest we have ever seen, I might add. We were disappointed to not see any wildlife but as there were so many people and vehicles around that was not surprising. We spent almost 2 hours in this wonderful park. Realistically you could easily spend a week here and not see everything.
Before heading home we stopped for supper at a restaurant Carl and I had been to years ago, The Joshua Tree Saloon, great food and a lively atmosphere, a great way to end the day. Photos below.
The next day we took a drive to Hemet, a city in the San Jacinto Valley. Not too sure why we went here as it is definitely not a destination I would recommend to anyone but at least we now know that.
An hour or so after Hemet we arrived in Idyllwild, a quaint little town located 5000 plus feet above sea level, and nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains. As today was Wednesday this little town was relatively quiet, even some of the shops were closed. Photos below of Idyllwild.
We stopped for lunch at a very busy restaurant then proceeded to browse through any of the shops that were open. This town is known for its many hiking trails and is great for just resting and recharging after a long hike or a busy work week. The drive up here was a bit windy and steep but well worth a trip.
We did golf at the Mesquite Golf Club, a nice course, great weather but terrible game. We had a nice visit with Don and Loreen, friends from Calgary, before heading home.
Of course everyone has heard of the San Andreas Fault. It is a continental transform fault that extends 1,200 kilometers through California. Fortunately, or not, depending on the way you look at it, a section of the fault is located near Desert Hot Springs, close to where we were docked.
A 1.5 km walk took us through a desert area in the southern part of the fault to a line of palm trees that live off the water that the seeping fault provides for them. Pretty neat. Photos below of the palm trees.
This was our last sight-seeing trip in Palm Springs, tomorrow we head to Vegas.
Sherry's Travel Blog 