Savvy-Boomers

A little over a week ago our family decided to celebrate some birthdays with a gathering in Palm Springs California. It turned out to be one of the best weekends we have ever had. Palm Springs is a great place for a family get together and there was something for everyone. Among the local attractions there is Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs Ariel Tramway, Living Desert Zoo, casinos, golfing, shopping, theatres, live shows, & museums. There are numerous top notch hotels,motels, restaurants and attractions that cater to tourists, and shoppers can find high-end boutiques in downtown and uptown Palm Springs. The trip from Phoenix was about 265 miles and the trip from LA was about 120. The trip to Palm Springs was made on Friday afternoon and from Phx it took just over 4 hours. Unfortunately it took the same length of time to get out of LA on that particular afternoon.

Palm springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California located in the Cachella Vlley desert region right along interstate 10. The area is sheltered by mountains on all four sides. It is one of nine adjacent cities that make up the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area). As the western gateway of the Cachella Vlley, Palm Springs draws visitors from all over the world with its beautiful landscape, rich culture, fine restaurants, spectacular resorts, outstanding attractions, and a climate that boasts 350 clear days every year.

We arrived on Friday evening and made our way to the rooms at Marquis Villas which is actually a time share facility that rents suites in the $125.00 to $175.00 range. They had a very nice work out gym and an outdoor pool and jacuzzi, there were tables for pool and ping pong and we were all very satisfied with our sleeping arrangements. Right next door we stopped at Sherman’s Deli for supper. On the tables were slices of dill pickles and sourkrauut provided to work up your appetite just like chips and salsa in the Mexican restaurants. I had a huge Pastrami sandwhich with a scoop of potato salad on the side that cost $9.99 and was it VERY GOOD.

We spent the first morning at the Living Desert which is a little to the east of Palm Springs in Palm Desert. We set aside about three hours for the visit there but could have used up two or three more hours with no problem. One of the first things we ran into was one of the largest displays of G guage model trains in the world. It ws all out doors and that attests to the great weather they have there. The Living Desert exhibits included animals from the American Southwest, Mexico and Africa. There is a botanical garden that includes plants from these same areas and also from Madagascar. There are over five miles of hiking trails at the facility and they range from easy loop trails to a wilderness trail across boulders and narrow switch backs along the base of Eisenhower Mountain. There is a petting zoo for those who want to get a little closer to the animals and of course there are wildlife shows which feature the animals who live at The Living Desert.

For the Afternoon we decided to take the Ariel Tramway to the top of Mt. an Jacinto.
The tramway is located about 6 miles from Palm Springs and is easy to get to. The ride will take you through five distinct life zones and an elevation gain of over 5,000 feet. At the top we found a wonderland that is Mt San Jacinto State Park. There was a shorter 3/4 mile nature trail that gives you an introduction to the pristine 14,000 acre wilderness and then a total of 54 miles of trails for hikers from novice through expert. Primitive campsites are located throughout the park but permits are required. We had a mixture of ages and decided to stay a little closer to the tram station and nature trail.

That evening we had dinner at the Blue Coyote, a Mexican restaurant thats been in town for about thirty years. Meals ran from $10.00 to $15.00 and the plates were piled high with food that was delicious.(Be sure to ask about the Margarita specials)

On Sunday morning several of the men decided to play golf and there are lots of golf courses to choose from. We went to a smaller nine hole course and only spent about thirty bucks apiece. The women went for facials and body wraps and by two o’clock in the afternoon most of us had decided we really didn’t want to leave.

We found a lot more than we expected in Palm Springs and are already talking about when we can get back and head for the top of Mt San Jacinto early in the morning and take one of the longer hikes in the Alpine Wilderness.