Hiking in Indian Canyons

We have heard so much about Indian Canyons, and the great hikes there, that we decided to see for ourselves.

It is on the outskirts of Palm Springs, so the location is very convenient.

We were a little surprised that the entrance fee was $9.00 each, but we also know that it costs money to keep things well maintained.

The most popular hike seems to be the Andreas Canyon Loop.

This is a very easy hike, and Teresa and I felt a little out of place with our hiking boots, hiking shirts, hiking poles and fanny packs, when little children and teenagers were walking around in flip-flops!!

It was around 10 AM when we started this hike, and with a light cloud cover, the heat was not a problem.

The beauty of this place is that here you are in the middle of the desert, and all of a sudden, you are in an oasis of running water and gorgeous palm trees.

Although this trail is well used, it is in pristine condition, with no litter to be seen.  We appreciated that.

In fact, there was some kind of reverence to this place, and when people did talk, it was in a kind of whisper.

It was so shady and cool in some places, that we did not want to leave.  The crystal clear water looked like you could just bend over and take a drink.

It took us about an hour to complete this loop, but that was with many stops for photos.  I am sure if we never stopped, it would have been about half an hour.

When we completed the loop, we stopped for lunch at one of the many picnic tables they provide.

Teresa packed a healthy snack of peanut butter and jam sandwiches, cut up apples, and trail mix.

As we drove to the next parking area, we immediately noticed how much hotter it was.

We brought along plenty of water, so we thought it would not be too uncomfortable.

Our second hike was the Palm Canyon hike, and this trail is 15 miles.  Don't worry, we knew we would be turning around long before that point !

As we started out on this hike, we noticed how red everyone's faces were as they were coming off this trail.  Not a good sign !

Oh boy, was it ever getting hot.  We were going through a lot of water, and we were sweating it out just as fast.

It wasn't so bad in the shelter of the palms, but there were many stretches where you were in the mercy of the sun.

After about an hour, we joyously reluctantly turned around, and headed back.

Of course, the solution to this problem, is to get up early and hit the trails in the cool morning.

Anyone who knows us is still laughing at that prospect !!

A Cure for Homesickness

Leave it up to my darling wife to come up with a great idea.

During coffee the other day, she suggested that rather than just sitting around wondering how our family was doing, that maybe our time would be better spent staying active, keeping our minds off back home.

Sounds like a great idea I chimed in, what should we do first.

The Outlet Mall, she squealed with a huge smile on her face !!

The Outlet Mall, I squealed with a huge frown on my face !!

Off to the mall we went, and I was going to have fun, even if it killed me.

Teresa walked away with two new purses, two exercise outfits, and tons of clothes for the Grandchildren.

Me, on the other hand, well I was stuck holding all the bags.

The next adventure a couple of days later was a great road trip to Idyllwild.

This small village is about 6000 feet up.  The temperature dropped from the high 80's, to the 60's, and we were loving it.

In fact there was snow on the side of the roads !!

When I was googling this resort town, everyone recommended a stop at the local bakery for the Caramel Pecan Rolls.  They were not wrong !!

The pine trees were giving off this amazing scent, and with the cool air, we felt invigorated.

We attempted to walk off our snack by checking out the local shops and galleries.  We were struck by how friendly the locals were.

Back in the car, we headed home a different way, and soon found ourselves on the Pines to Palms Highway.

A squiggly road for sure.  Also, please note on the GPS that the speed limit was 55mph, but I was only doing 40mph, and Teresa was still digging her claws into the dashboard !!

Soon enough, we had to put the A/C back on because the temperature was rapidly increasing as we descended into the valley.

Yep, the first thing we saw were palm trees !!

We are going to possibly do this trip again, when it is just too darn hot to enjoy anything else !!

Hot - 97F !!

Thank you to everyone who left comments and emailed us with encouragement over yesterday's post.

We find comfort and wisdom from those who have more experience than us in long term travel.

We received news that Teresa's Uncle is stabilized and that a trip home is not necessary at the moment.

With that said, and because it was an overwhelming 97 F, we wanted to get out this evening, and have some fun and distraction.

Since it was a Thursday, it was an easy decision to go to the Palm Springs Village Fest.

This street fair is held every Thursday from 6 pm to 10 pm.

A bonus for us was the Forever Marilyn statue on this strip, and we have been meaning to check it out.

There were lots of people waiting to get a chance to have their photo taken with Marilyn, so that is a stranger on the left, with Teresa on the right.

We knew it was going to be busy, because of the searing temperature during the day, and the perfect evening weather.

Teresa looked at most of the jewelry booths, but did not find exactly what she was looking for.

As for me, I was interested in the food vendors.

We shared a Gyro, some toffee, and some ice cream.

And for another "it's a small world" moment, we met two sets of blogging friends this evening.

First was Rene and Jeanette . We have traveled the same path as these two, and were in Gold Canyon, Yuma and now Palm Springs at the same time !!

Later, we were tapped on the shoulder and immediately recognized Don from Kim and Don .  

This was the first time we met these wonderful folks in person, but we had frequented each other's blogs over the last few years.

We appreciated the encouragement and hugs we received from all of these great people.

RV'ers are a special bunch, that really care about each other.

Hopefully, we will have a chance to get together in the next few days.

Life's Ups and Downs

Well, like we hinted in a few previous posts, we have had some lows this winter.

I lost an Aunt, but it has been Teresa's side of the family that has experienced some tough times.

The Uncle she is closest too, was fighting for his life a few days ago, and we were looking into flights for her to get home pronto.

The next day, things were looking a little better, but then we found out that two other Uncles have received bad news regarding their health.

On top of that a friend of hers since school days, lost her battle with cancer at the age of 49.

Family members have told Teresa that she really doesn't need to come home right now, but we are ready to fly her home if the need arises.

Lately, during our long talks, we have been thinking that a large part of our being "homesick" this winter, has been a vague feeling of not belonging or of being misplaced some how.

We are thinking that part of this transition for us, is that we are newly retired, and are still trying to get our heads around not having a schedule and a purpose, outside of work.

Does any of that make sense ?   I sure hope so.

We do have some fun things planned for the rest of our stay here, so we are hoping not to hear any bad news from home.

Not only that but the temperatures this week are going to be in the mid 90's !!

Putting it all in perspective, we are reminded that life is fragile and short, which is why we worked so hard for an early retirement in the first place.

We are simply learning as we go.

Street Fair

We have been here for a little over a week already, and find the time is going by quickly.

We enjoy walking around the whole park, which usually takes a little over an hour.

Some people have gone to great strides to make their lots very beautiful.

We had some rain yesterday, but today the skies were bright and sunny.

We thought it would be a good day to go to the College of the Desert Street Fair.

With the forecast to be in the low 70's, we were thinking today would be a great day to visit, because the temps are supposed to soar to the high 80's and low 90's next week.

We find that a little too hot to be walking along the hot ashphalt, looking for a great shopping deal.

Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones to come up with this plan, and the crowds and parking were complete chaos.

The above photos do not show how packed it was, and at times we could not even move.

We did not find anything to purchase, but we did enjoy a great bbq lunch in the outdoor market.

We are planning a trip to the outlet stores in nearby Cabazon, and I can guarantee you that Teresa will not come home empty handed from there !!

Settling in

We love our resort, and have a great feeling about our stay here.

The only disappointment was that the park wi-fi is going through some upgrades, and is not very reliable right now.

Talking to our neighbours, we found out that Time-Warner provides the free cable service in our park, and for a reasonable fee, you can pick up a modem and get very fast Internet.

The process was simple.  We left a fifty dollar deposit, and walked away with a wireless modem. The monthly fee is less than forty dollars.

Getting on-line was a breeze, and the speeds are as fast as we have at home.  Awesome.

Next stop was one of our favorite stores, Trader Joe's.

We stocked up on some frozen pre-made meals, and a couple bottles of wine, along with fruits and produce.

A couple of days ago, we ran out of our Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Espresso Beans, so another stop was in order.

Teresa and I have never been to a Cheesecake Factory, so a return trip is in the books.

Our last stop of the day, was at Costco.

Although the parking lot was packed, the shopping wasn't too bad, and we stocked up on our Costco favorites.

Can you say shopped out ??

Luckily, we redeemed ourselves by inviting friends over for Teresa's homemade cheesecake and some drinks.

All is well that ends well !!

Palm Springs, Ca

We traded in our gravel spot in Yuma, for a bit more green in Palm Springs.

We stumbled upon this resort last year, and decided that we would have to stay for a month this year.

This resort is called Outdoor Resort Palm Springs, and the only negative we can find is the exorbitant rate.  

Fifteen hundred dollars for one month is very steep, but we were willing to pay.  If you are a golfer, it is easier to justify the expense, but unfortunately, we are not.

We were excited for today, because our best pals Bob and Janet were making the two hour trek to come visit us.

It was interesting discussing each other's travels, and soon it was time for lunch.

We enjoyed a great BBQ meal under the hot sunshine.  The temperature today was in the mid 80's.

We needed to walk off our heavy lunch, so what better way than to show off all the amenities this resort has to offer.

Bob and Janet agreed with our wonderful reviews of this park.

All too soon, we were saying our good-byes as they had a long drive home over some mountainous terrain.

And to think we would have never met these great friends if not for this adventure we began last year.