California - fall 2012

To keep myself comfortable with the blog format, until we go to Mexico, I am going to occasionally blog about other trips.

We were invited by friends, Rick and Eve, to visit them in their new place in Palm Spring, with 2 other friends, Kathy and Bruce. The 6 of us have been friends for over 30 years and have celebrated most New Years together for that period.

Metal sculptures jump across the road on the way to Palm Springs

We flew into San Diego and drove a rented van over the mountains to Palm Springs. The highways along the coast are wide and comfortable however once into the mountains, Rick and Eve had advised us to take the "scenic route", they were less comfortable often doubling back on them selves and with quite sheer drops.
Coming over the mountains and looking down into the valley was quite impressive but the pictures weren't great because the sun was almost gone behind the mountains.

Looking down into the valley at Palm Springs, you can just see the road winding down.

The area has a number of "cities": Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage etc. They have been created in the desert and have a rather "plastic" feel to them with manicured green space and lakes. They are simultaneously beautiful and oddly alien in comparison to the surrounding arid landscape.

I was surprised by the abundance of water, considering how precious it is there.

We were not the only snowbirds there.

Lawns and flower beds require automatic sprinkler systems to work at least twice a day. Residents are however being encouraged to landscape their properties with plants that require less watering.

Palm trees, cacti, grasses, yucca and succulents all need less water.