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Indian Canyons, Palm Springs

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs

A trip to the Palm Springs area might be your pleasure if you are looking for world-class golf courses. Then again, with countless up-scale restaurants and bars steeped in old Hollywood legends maybe your goal is to find places Marilyn Monroe or Dean Martin ate and drank. Speaking of Marilyn, take a walking tour or a driving tour of famous homes. Of course, fantastic shopping is just around the corner.

Did you know you can also spend some time with more than 150 species of plants…all within a half-mile radius? Did you know you could be walking through an actual oasis?

Indian Canyons are the ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The canyons are especially sacred to the Agua Caliente people. They are also historically important to scientists and nature lovers.

The Agua Caliente people have lived here for thousands of years. They grew crops of melons, squash, beans, and corn. They also gathered plants and seeds for food, medicines, and basket weaving. Some of their house pits, irrigation ditches, dams, and reservoirs still exist in the canyons.

The Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Palm Canyon is the world’s largest California Fan Palm Oasis.

We spent a couple of hours walking along the Andreas Canyon. The scenic trail was considered easy and most of it was. It is narrow in spots so be prepared to wait if there are other people ahead of you or are coming towards you. There are also large rocks to step up on or down off, so wear good walking shoes.

Huge rocks, which seem to fill the sky, line the trail on one side. Stately palms of all sizes line the clear-water creek on the other side. Singing, chirping, and happy birds accompanied us on our walk.

Keep in mind, this is a desert hike. It may look like the beautiful, lush oasis it is but it is still the dessert. During part of this walk we were shaded and cool as we made our way along the creek. Another part found us walking along the top of the ridge, in the bright sun. We were glad for our water bottles.

After our walk, we drove up to the Palm Canyon area part of the canyons. This 15 mile-long is abundant with more California Fan Palms and stark, rocky gorges overlooking the desert landscape.

Palm Springs has so much to offer. Take time to explore the Indian Canyons area next time you are in the area. It’s a welcome contrast.

If You Go: Indian Canyons is located at 38520 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA. There is a charge to enter. Find out more at https://www.indian-canyons.com/

Looking for more places to explore in Palm Springs? Check out https://travelsandescapes.net/?s=palm+springs

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Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the world’s largest rotating tram car.

Recently, we rode this amazing vehicle through the sheer rock cliffs of Chino Canyon to the top of the wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park.

First some facts and history… It all started in 1935 when a young electrical engineer, Francis Crocker, decided he wanted to get to the top of Mount San Jacinto. This 10,834 foot peak still had snow during a heat wave on the valley floor.

Many issues, delays, and WWII postponed his plans until a new tram bill was passed in 1945, creating the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority. By 1950 private funds had been raised by selling bonds, land had been acquired for the Valley Station, and technicians had designed the tramway. Not one cent of public money was used for the construction or the operation.

Construction was a challenge for the engineers. The first tower is the only one that can be reached by road. Helicopters were used to erect four of the five supporting towers. They flew 23,000 missions during 26 months of construction. Men and materials needed to erect the other four towers and the Mountain Station at the top all came by helicopter.

At the top of each tower is a 16’ x 16’ yellow helicopter pad. This allows access to the towers in times of maintenance for the Tram. Tower one is the tallest of the five supporting towers. It is 227 feet and is the only one accessible by road.

Completed in 1963, the challenges in building earned the label the Eighth Wonder of the World. Twenty-five years later the Tramway was designated an historical civil engineering landmark.

In 1998, the Tramway started an ambitious project that would modernize the old tram cars and update the facilities. In September 2000 the world’s largest rotating tramcars made their debut.

Since 1963 over 20 million people have traveled the 10-minute, 2.5-mile ride. Beginning at the Valley Station elevation of 2,642 the ride ends at the Mountain Station elevation of 8,516 feet.

In 1965, I rode the old Tramway car to the top. It swayed slightly as we passed by the breathtaking rock sides and dipped at each tower. It was exciting, exhilarating, and a little frightening. The valley floor was about 100 degrees and the top was over 60 degrees colder. We didn’t stay long at the top.

Two weeks ago, I rode the new Tramway rotating car to the top. Once again, it’s mind-blowing to see how close the Tram car comes to the sheer rock cliffs. Rotating slowly gave us great views of those cliffs, the San Jacinto Mountains, the valley floor far below, and the enormity of the towers.

There was no noticeable swaying, until we passed one of the towers. Then, it was slight. Not at all like I remembered from 1965. This ride was smooth.

With windows open along the top of the Tram car, the breeze coming in dropped significantly as we rose toward the top. Sweaters or jackets were definitely needed, especially on the side of the mountain facing the valley floor. Winds whipped around, making it seem colder than the 43 degree day at the top.

We spent some time wandering a few trails, exploring the observation decks and the natural history museum, and just marveling at how on earth Francis Crocker even thought of this idea.

Comparing my two visits, there were some things I enjoyed about the first Tram. It was a new venture, it was exciting, and I had never done anything like it. Having said that, there are more things I liked about this Tram. I appreciated it more, especially the difficulty in constructing it, and spent more time marveling at how an idea like this even took shape.

If you are in the area, The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is an activity well worth your time.

Note: Tickets can be difficult to purchase during busy times of the year. Check the website https://pstramway.com/tickets/.

If You Go: The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is located at 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA.

For more trip ideas and travel plans check out https://travelsandescapes.net/

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Palm Springs Art Museum

Chihuly Glass
Think back to 1938. Or, at least, think about 1938. What do know about art at that time?
In 1938 the Palm Springs Desert Museum, specializing in Native American artifacts, the natural sciences, and the environment of the surrounding Coachella Valley was founded. What started as a museum about the desert has evolved into the primer cultural center of the desert.
Since 1938, the Museum has moved several times within the downtown area. In 1958, the first 10,000 square foot permanent structure was built, but by the end of the 60s, there was a need for a much larger building. Since then, the current building designed by architect E. Stewart Williams, was built. Additional growth resulted in adding and administration building, an additional wing, an education center, two sculpture gardens, four classrooms, a 90-seat lecture hall, and a 433-seat theater.
The Museum’s permanent collection of more than 55,000 objects features art of the Americas and 20th Century California art. Collections include modernist and contemporary painting and sculpture, Western American art Native American and Mesoamerican art and artifacts, contemporary studio glass art, photography, modern architecture and design, and graphics/works on paper.
By the area’s many affluent residents loaning or donating individual pieces as well as entire collections, this museum now rivals much more well-known urban metropolitan museums. You will see works from Marc Chagall, Picasso, Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Donald Judd, Louise Bourgeois, Ansel Adams…just to name a few.


Situated 123 miles east of Los Angeles, the Palm Springs Art Museum serves the greater Inland Empire, which covers Riverside and San Bernardino counties with a population of approximately 2.4 million residents. Located in the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs is one of the nine cities in the valley.
Keeping with the vibrant nature of the Palm Springs area and the microcosm where diversity and unique cultures blend, it’s easy to see why the Palm Springs Art Museum membership continues to grow.
If You Go: The museum is open every day except Mondays and major holidays. Thursday evenings from 4 to 8 and every second Sunday the admission is free. With the inside temperature at an even 75 degrees, it’s an excellent place to escape the summer heat while perusing the latest collections. The café and museum store both offer something for everyone. More information may be found at www.psmuseum.org.

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Come With Me to Palm Springs

Have you been to Palm Springs lately?What were your favorite spots to eat, drink, visit, and shop?

That’s where I’m headed this week.

Looking forward to checking out some spots I’ve never been. I’ll tell you all about it on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. #VisitPalmSprings

Let me know what you think.

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Palm Springs in Winter

Palm Springs in winter is surprisingly affordable. Several hotels cater to those wanting to escape some harsh winter temps. Budget Travel listed a few that offer great prices this time of year.
Check out Los Arboles, Alcazar, The Saguaro, and Del Marcos. Depending upon what you are looking for, one of these hotels might fit your plans.
Take advantage of the plentiful hiking opportunities. Moorten Botanical Gardens, plentiful mountain hikes, the Living Desert wildlife area, and a desert oasis provide a variety of things to do.
For a view of the entire valley and beyond, ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the top of Mount Jacinto. Take a jacket on this tram even though you’ll be hot at the start. At the top, it’s cold and quite possibly lots of snow.
If you’re interested in 20th century architecture, Palm Springs is your place to check it out. Maps show where you can get a view of different types from desert modern to pop culture to everything in between.

No visit to Palm Springs would be complete without checking out Elvis’s home. This mid 1960s home is fun to see both from the outside and a guided tour.

Many other stars’ homes, both past and current ones, are marked on several maps. Take time to do a walking tour.

Enjoy your winter escape to Palm Springs…

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Look at Those Planes

Sure. Let’s visit the Palm Springs Air Museum. We’ve been to other air museums and enjoy seeing the planes and reading about their history.

This one is different.

The Palm Springs Air Museum is home to one of the world’s largest collections of flyable WWII aircraft and from Korea and Vietnam. Flyable, being the key word. Also, unlike many other museums, the air-conditioned hangars have no ropes to keep people from interacting with the exhibits and the more than 60 planes.

We wandered in and out of hangers, asked questions of many volunteers who actually flew some of the planes, and toured the interior of a flyable B-17. This one has been used in several Hollywood films. Impressive.

Hangers are organized by theme. The Pacific (Navy) Hangar includes exhibits and aircraft used by the Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Highlights include the Pearl Harbor diorama narrated by NBC journalist and author Tom Brokaw, the Grumman “cats”; the Avenger, Corsair, Dauntless and Invader.

The European (Army) Hangar features exhibits and aircraft used by the Army in the European Theater during World War II, plus a T-33 training jet used in Korea and Vietnam.  Some planes in this hangar include the B-25 Mitchell Bomber, P-47 Thunderbolt, the renovated flying Red Tail P-51 Mustang, the P-63 King Cobra, the Spitfire and the C-47. There is also a Tuskegee Airmen mural and a wall showing the European battles of WWII.

The smallest hangar is where we found the B-17 Flying Fortress.

Since opening in 1996, they have maintained their status as a museum that flies its aircraft. Definitely worth a visit to be able to see and get near planes that shaped our history. It was even more impressive to hear the engines and see the planes as they readied for takeoff.

They are open every day from 10 to 5, except Thanksgiving and Christmas, with free parking. Check their website for more info, https://palmspringsairmuseum.org. Then, plan a trip. You’ll be glad you did.

If You Go: The Palm Springs Air Museum is located at 745 North Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA.

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Celebrate California

Spend some time in 2017 in California celebrating multiple places and many sights throughout the state. Where do you go? Check out these places…

Sacramento: the new Downtown Commons, with entertainment, shopping, restaurants, and hotel

Yosemite: Mariposa Grove with its 500 giant sequoias reopens in the summer of 2017

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park: named California’s Low Desert by Lonely Planet

San Diego: the San Diego Zoo opens a new eight-acre exhibit with African plants and animals

Napa Valley: new hotels, restaurants, wineries, and breweries

There are no shortage of places to discover this year.

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Oasis in the Desert

The Indian Canyons are the ancestral home of the Ague Caliente Band of of Cahuilla Indians.

In the midst of Indian Canyons and the desert is this cool, palm-filled oasis. With a variety of walks and hikes, everyone has a chance to explore some part of this unique landscape.

Minutes from downtown Palm Springs, the green palms and soothing water of this oasis contrasts vividly with the surrounding stark desert landscape.

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Excuse Me…How High?

Last week in Palm Springs I had the opportunity to ride the Palm Springs Arial Tramway.

First, some facts about the tram car.

The tram car is the largest in the world.

It is the only one of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

The manufacturer is Von Roll Tramways, Leg. from Olten, Switzerland.

It is 18 feet in diameter.

It is 8 feet high.

The capacity is up to 80 passengers with 35,600 pounds in the cabin.

The floor slowly rotates twice per trip on ascent and twice on descent.

I will be posting more about this amazing ride and amazing engineering feat…stay tuned.