Relaxing in Palm Springs (137)

Between the holidays we visited the Palm Springs area. We stayed at Indian Waters RV Resort again. While there are posher places to stay here, we like the large grassy sites and friendly people.

Mr. Roadrunner was here to greet us again…

…and we also had visitors above in balloons!

The day after we arrived we gave our RV a nice wash and wax. Well, I “supervised” the great job the folks at Santiago’s RV Wash and Wax did. They washed and waxed the entire rig and applied 303 Protectant to the roof. We were very happy with the results.

Our visit to Palm Springs included brunch at FARM, a farm to table restaurant. Though it’s in the middle of the downtown strip, you feel like you are in the french countryside while there. Very good food and atmosphere.

After brunch a good walk downtown was in order.

Right off the strip is the Palm Springs Art Museum. Even if you don’t visit the museum, the grounds have several “objects d’ art” for viewing. They range from this:

To this strange exhibit:

To each his own….

When in the Palm Springs area, a visit to Joshua Tree National Park is a must do for us.

We started at the eastern entrance off I-10. It’s less crowded and there is no entrance kiosk to stop at. You just drive in and show your pass (from your iPhone) on the way out the other side of the park.

On this side of the park you see the cholla cactus first.

Then the landscape changes and you start seeing the Joshua Tree, which isn’t a cactus at all, but a type of Yucca plant.

It’s a beautiful drive with several places to stop and hike or climb, however the desert inspires you to enjoy the area.

On the way home, we stopped by Pappy and Harriet’s, an historic restaurant in Pioneertown. It was worth the stop and we’ll be back again. (Thanks, Chuck, for the recommendation!)

Another favorite of ours, of course, is Shields Date Farm in Indio. We stopped by a few times for lunch and enjoyed it each time. They have a large outdoor patio with live music each day.

After your meal, a stroll through their date gardens may help you make room for one of their date shakes. 🙂

Speaking of walking, a great walk/hike we found this trip was the Bear Creek Oasis Trail in La Quinta.

It runs along a wash and heads toward a little oasis at La Quinta Cove Park. There are other trails past the oasis, but we saved those for another time. Just be sure to bring plenty of water.

It was a short 9 nights in Palm Springs. We always seem to find plenty to do and enjoy the great weather. On our list for next time? The Polo fields in Indio.

However, our next stop was in the Phoenix area to visit family, so we were looking forward to traveling further east to Arizona.

Al & Deb