Monday, January 6, 2014, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs, CA

Joani signed us up for a morning sales pitch for a vacation timeshare at a resort in Indio, CA. Why you ask - because they were going to give us breakfast and two free Palm Springs Aerial Tramway tickets ($47.90 total) just for listening. It was a really nice resort, but it was not something we want or need. We didn't lead them on, so we were finished and out of there, tickets in hand, in less than 2 hours.

The Golf Club at Terra Lago was breathtaking!

WorldMark by Wyndham is a class act.  Wow!

Almost makes you want to take up golf!

It seemed like we drove about halfway up the mountain to get to the tram. Of course, we really didn't. We boarded at 2,643 feet and rode it up to 8,516 feet. We were packed into the tram car like sardines and then the floor started to rotate. That would have been fine except the rails did not rotate with it and everyone hung on for their lives as the car rocked and swayed. The moving floor and stationary rails and crowded car created some confusion - good thing the whole trip was only 11 minutes.

The view was spectacular from the tram and from the platforms at the top. It was so clear I believe we were able to see a mountain peak near Las Vegas, 150 miles away.

At the top, we hiked a couple of trails for a total of just over 2 miles. It should have been pretty easy, but the altitude made it a bit of a challenge.

 This will make you laugh if you are a "Late Night with Craig Ferguson" fan.

A beautiful sunset and 30 minutes in the hot tub cap off a great day in the desert!

Sunday, January 5, 2014, Living Desert, Palm Desert, CA

There was so much to see in the Coachella Valley (Indian Waters RV, Indio, CA) and we tried to see it all on our first time through! 

Beautiful landscaping everywhere!  Oh my, what the water bill must be like to make the desert look like this!

Of course, there was no chance we could really see everything, but we wanted to make sure we saw the Living Desert, Palm Desert, CA, a zoo that only included animals (and plants) that live in desert climates around the world.

Stop by the welcome center for $3 off the ticket price.

We had the chance to feed the giraffes. We were supposed to be quiet and stay away from the fence so we did not frighten the animals. Few people listened, but the giraffes must have been really hungry and they just kept on eating.

The tallest of all four-legged animals.

Males can reach heights of 19 feet and weigh up to 1.5 tons.

We were told their tongue can reach 18 inches.

I'm not sure about the connection between the Living Desert and the model railroad, but I was fascinated with the extent and intricacy of their layout. They even sold billboard space to sponsors. Volunteers maintained the track and operated the "G" scale trains.

They built a tiny Mt. Rushmore!

Onward to the animals! Who knew there were so many desert animals? Quite the variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Striped Hyenas are true desert dwellers. They can live in waterless areas, relying on their food for moisture.

Bat Eared Fox

Yellow-Billed Storks rest on their knees. I wanted to see how they get up, but they never moved.

East African Crowned Crane

I actually think this big cat thought he was hidden behind the brush so that I couldn't see him. He kept a wary eye on me just in case.

African Wild Dogs - such an artistic coat!

Meerkat - the Afrikaans name for mongoose

Mexican Wolf or "lobo"

We each took the same picture, but from different perspectives.

There is a nursery with tons of cacti. I didn't get this one's name, but I loved its aesthetics!

We walked through one of the shops in the park and ran into Debbie and Terry (from the American Coach Association). What a nice surprise! Terry invited us to a maintenance seminar he put together.

A tee shirt at the gift shop.

Saturday, January 4, 2014, Palm Springs, CA

We were invited to the movies with Ron and Beth (Indian Waters RV, Indio, CA). We saw the Hobbit (part 2) and had a great time. The only downside to it was the wait until Christmas next year to see part 3. I guess it will be OK - they did the same thing to us with the Lord of the Rings movies and I survived.

After the movie, we had a late lunch (early dinner) and then Ron drove us into Palm Springs where we saw the 20-foot high statue of Marilyn. I have to admit, I was a bit embarrassed to stand under her and look up her skirt. It's just not something a gentleman should do (or me either). I only did it because Joani insisted!

He never looked up, I promise!

We topped off the outing with some frozen yogurt before heading home for the evening.

Friday, January 3, 2014, Move back to Indio, CA

Moving day - It was a bit difficult leaving the Oasis Palms RV Park in Thermal, CA, after making so many new friends. I suspect the community bonfire each night helped everyone get to know each other. Thank you, Gloria, for the nice knit washcloths - they were very thoughtful! 

It was just a short 22.2 miles again (6,157.8 trip/65,638.9 total) back to Indian Waters RV Resort, Indio, CA. The place had filled up quite a bit during the week we were out. While we were checking in, another American Coach was right behind us. How's this for a coincidence - it was Jane and Jerry, friends from the American Coach Association. 

I don't think Sam really hates a bath, but he doesn't really look happy either. It was good to get some of the dirt off of him. I will probably need to clean the drain out before my next shower.

The Friday night Happy Hour and Jam Session were right across the street from our new site, so of course, we headed over. We had margaritas while we listened to the guys play some oldies.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014, Oasis Date Gardens, Thermal, CA

The promise of free date shakes lured us to the Oasis Date Gardens in Thermal, near Mecca, CA. Bob and Gloria, new friends from Washington, joined us for the trip. The brochure said there would be an educational talk, but the staff just shrugged their shoulders and said there was a video we could watch (which we did). The Coachella Valley turns out to be one of the few places in the world where weather and soil conditions are perfect for growing palms. Who knew virtually every species of date palm here was imported from the Middle East and Africa? Washingtonia filifera, California fan palm is the only palm tree that is native to California.

We learned a lot about dates and had a nice lunch with our free date shake.

We sampled far too many dates.

I think David is in a date induced stupor!

 The dirt is flying!!! There is a gopher to be had!

Sam wants the gopher in a bad way, but all he will get is a BATH!

Good thing I had that nap - I was able to stay up for the stars. This campground was the first place I could actually use the telescope. The skies were pretty dark and clear and the moon was nearly new. I pulled the telescope out on three separate nights while we were here and was able to share some sights with the other campers.

The favorite, of course, was Jupiter and its moons. There were "wows" from some of the open clusters (M35, M36, M37, M38 and M45) and the Double Cluster in Perseus. M31, the Andromeda Galaxy was also a big hit. I think most everyone liked M42, the Great Nebula in Orion. The only globular cluster out was M15 which looked good to me, but it is a bit difficult to appreciate if it is your first time looking through a telescope (as it was for many of our neighbors). Several people were entranced with the laser pointer which made it easy to point out constellations. I think it was fun for all, especially me, and I will have to try to get it out more often.