Rancho Mirage
March 9, 2022
Got to Bob and Cheryl’s about 7:00 pm last night. Today Cheryl and I went to the Salton Sea and Salvation Mountain. Got back around 4:00 pm and when Bob was done working for the day we went ot dinner at La Quinta Brewing Co! Sat out on the patio and split an awesome burger and nachos!
The Salton Sea is California’s largest lake with a surface area of 343 sq. miles; 110 miles of shoreline and an average depth of 29′. It is at 235′ below sea level and is the home of North Americas largest population of migratory waterfowl outside of the Everglades. It provides a nesting habitat for 2/3 of the bird species of the US, and lies in the major Pacific Flyway route with over 400 species of birds that have been counted there.
The amount of water flowing into the lake is about equal to the amount of water that evaporates and it contains twice the amount of salt of the ocean! But reduced flow of water to the Salton Sea is causing rising salinity and has become an ecological disaster. Foam lies along the shoreline and the water is pretty disgusting!
Then we drove on to Bombay Beach! It was this huge, abandoned beach area with ‘vignettes’ from its previous days as a destination for beach goers. It was a popular getaway for beachgoers until the 1980s, when the draining and increasing salinity of the Salton Sea destroyed the lakes ecosystem and drove businesses and private landowners out of the area, rendering Bombay Beach a ‘ghost town’.
Despite this, by 2018, a number of people had moved into the area, and the town’s many abandoned structures and features from it’s past have drawn visitors back in. It is said that it was “enjoying a rebirth of sorts with an influx of artists, intellectuals and hipsters who have turned it into a bomemian playground.” the Bombay Beach Biennale, an annual Art Festival, is held here.
From there we drove on to Salvation Mountain. Leonard Knight began creating the mountain in 1984 which was mostly concrete. In 1989 the first mountain collapsed and he began re-building. This time he used adobe clay, straw bales, tree limbs, tires, windows and lots and LOTS of colorful paint!
Knight died in 2014, but Salvation Mountain is now a 501(c)(3) non-profit run by a caretaker, and many volunteers to maintain its upkeep.
March 10, 2022
This morning Cheryl and I left about 7:45 to hike Tahquitz Canyon, a 2-mile loop that took us up to a 60-foot waterfall. We did a ranger-guided tour and he was great! He was so informative! The canyon is a culturally-sensitive area of the Aqua Caliente Indian Reservation. Along with the waterfall, it is home to rock art, ancient irrigation systems, native wildlife and plants. We waw a Bighorn Sheep up on the wall of the rocks. It was a beautiful hike! Great for strengthening the quads, but a little hard on the knees on the way down!! It was a workout, but really, really fun!
Our guide. Ralph Chaporosa, was a Native American with such a rich history of the area! Before starting the hike we watched a short video of the legend of the Tahquitz…
“Tahquitz was the first shaman created by Murat, the Creator of all things. Tahquitz had much power and in the beginning used this power for the good of all people. But he began to use his power in selfish ways and to harm the Agua Caliente people. The people became angry and banished Tahquitz to this canyon that now bears his name. He made his home in a secret cave below a towering rock. It is said that his spirit still lives in his canyon. He can sometimes be seen as a large green fireball streaking across the night sky. The strange rumblins heard deep within the San Jacinto Mountains, the shaking of the ground, and the crashing of boulders are all attributed to Tahquitz as he stomps around the canyon.”
Then we headed over to the Palm Springs Arial Tram. It was 29-degrees at the top of the mountain at 8,300 feet. Quite a bit of snow! The views were awesome! Inside the Tram the floor rotates 360-degrees so everyone has a great chance to see from all angles. It’s about a 10-minute ride to the top! We walked around the three floors at the lodge at the top and then had lunch at Peak’s Restaurant overlooking the snow-covered Mountian. SO. MUCH. FUN!! Shortly after that we caught the Tram back down.
Coming back to the house we stopped at a couple really fun home stores in Palm Springs!
March 11, 2022
Today Cheryl and I went to Anza Borrego State Park and hiked “The Slot”! It was gorgeous!! My first time hiking a real slot canyon. It reminded me a lot of the photos I’ve seen of Antelope Canyon, but the walls weren’t as red! It was beautiful the way the light played off the canyon walls.
After that we drove about 20 minutes to see the metal sculptures in the desert! So bizarre to be out in the middle of nowhere and see these giant, intricate sculptures in the middle of the desert!
March 12, 2022
Bob, Cheryl and I went to the Street Fair this morning! Kind of like the Fountain Hills Art Fair, but with less art and more clothes and jewelry! Went to In and Out for lunch!
After that we came back to the house and sat by the pool for most of the afternoon and then went ot see the Jahn Stanley King band at El Paseo. So much fun! The Music was great and the night was beautiful!
Then we went ot the Cheesecake Factory and split Nachos and a slice of Cheesecake!! Such a fun trip! Heading home in the morning!
March 13, 2022
Well… this day didn’t turn out exactly as planned!! Got up and had coffee and planned ot leave when we decided to take a walk around the subdivision to get some exercise in before I sat for 4.5 hours to drive home.
We were walking by the tennis court on that smooth, sanded cement and it was wet from the sprinkler systerm. My right foot slid out and I landed on my left knee! The cracking sound was something I’ll never forget!! It was sooooo loud! Cheryl walked home and got the car and a box to make a temporary splint. It looked deformed at first but as I straightened it, I was able to push the bone deformity back into place. (After X-rays I realized it was the top half if the patella!)
Bob and Cheryl packed overnight bags in about 10 minutes and Cheryl drove me back to Phoenix in my car. Bob followed in their car so they would have a way to get back home. We drove directly to Thompson Peak ER to have X-rays! It ended up being a transverse fracture of the patella with the patellar tendon pulling the bottom half of the patella down and the quadriceps tendon pulling the top half up. They gave me a leg brace to to keep it straight in the ER and a brand new shiny pair of crutches!!
I don’t know what I would have done if it weren’t for Bob and Cheryl!!! They were amazing!
