Day 5 - Tahquitz Canyon and Falls

Alas, the end of our trip to Palm Desert is drawing near. I had a mental list of four activities that I wanted to try to do during this trip, and today was our last day, and one thing remained...a hike to Tahquitz Falls. I hadn't been to Tahquitz Falls since the late 70's, when I was a teenager. We used to hike back to the falls quite often and get into all kinds of mischief! I recall that one of the big draws of the falls back then was that we could all go topless. I remember feeling very grown-up...haha.

On our final day, the sky was definitely threatening rain...especially over near the mountains, where Tahquitz was. We decided to drive over there anyway and at least check things out and talk to the ranger to see what the conditions were. When we arrived, it was sprinkling lightly. Cathy decided that she wanted to stay and paint at the ranger station, and I decided to do the hike. I was so happy that I did! The sprinkling disappeared about 10 minutes into the hike and never reappeared again. I had the whole place to myself...didn't see a single soul the whole hike, until I was on the return trip out. It was a very nostalgic hike, and it was rather meditative to hike alone and really notice everything around me. I also had the falls to myself, which was great! Here are a few photos from my last hike this trip.

I loved this view with Palm Springs in the distance.

There were a few of these cool little stone bridges (below) that took you from one side of the stream to the other.

 The tree colors were amazing.

 Cool Rock!

 Another view.

 Getting close to the falls now.

 Beautiful Tahquitz Falls.

 The trail here was very colorful.

 These trees formed a covering along the trail.

 The trail was very peaceful.

 One last view.

Until next time.....

Day 4 - Joshua Tree National Park

On day four of our desert getaway, we were up early and heading to Joshua Tree National Park. We took lots of snacks and water in preparation for a very full day of seeing sights and hiking around the park. It was a rather cloudy day as we headed out, so we were not sure what to expect. After about an hour, it turned out to be a really beautiful day....absolutely perfect with a high in the low sixties! We could not have asked for anything more. What a truly magical place this is!!

Entering the park from the south entrance.

Our first stop was at Cholla Cactus Garden...these were so cool when the sun was shining through them!

Our second stop was at the Arch Rock area. We took a 1/2 mile hike here. Here I am pictured below after climbing up some of the rocks.

I don't know why no one has named the rock on the right (picture below), Manatee Rock. It looked just like one, complete with the front flipper! Duh!

Arch Rock. We tried to find our way around the other side, but somehow we missed it. I guess that means I will need to come back soon to do that!

Me under a hanging rock.

The sky was big and amazing!

We almost had the road to ourselves. We probably saw 10 other people the whole time we were in the park. Perfect!

The view from Keys View. The dark line running through this valley is the San Andreas fault! Luckily, there were no earthquakes during our visit.

Skull Rock.

A beautiful view on the way to Hidden Valley.

Cap Rock. We took another 1/2 mile hike around this area.

The sign below was actually at the end of our hike to Hidden Valley. I loved this quote! Hidden Valley is magical! You enter into a lush valley that is completely surrounded by enormous rock formations. We did a 1 mile hike here. This was my favorite spot in the whole park.

Entering Hidden Valley.

A Joshua Tree against a very blue sky.

A climber who posed for our cameras.

A really cool purple starfish-like cactus.

Rock formations on one side of Hidden Valley.

A really interesting tree. It looked almost petrified, but who knows?

Our last stop was at Barker Dam. We did a 1-1/2 mile hike here. The ranger had told us that we would probably see big-horned sheep here, but the dam was not very full of water...and no sheep were spotted. The best part of this hike, in my humble opinion, was at the end when the moon was visible over the rock formations. It was very other-worldly looking.

Well, that is the end of our visit to Joshua Tree National Park. It was a wonderful day, and all the better because I spent it with a very good friend. I will definitely be back here again soon!

Day 3 - A Day of Rest

Well, after our first two busy days of exploring the Living Desert and San Jacinto State Park, we decided to take a day of rest. I slept in, went for a morning walk around the grounds of our hotel, and then sat out on the balcony and worked on my photos and Christmas cards. I finished every last one of my cards, which was quite an accomplishment considering I never "got around" to it last year. Cathy had gone down to the spa for a massage and to paint for awhile. 

In the late afternoon, we got ready and headed over to La Quinta Spa and Resort. We were having dinner at the Adobe Grill later, but we wanted to walk around the beautiful grounds and take some photos. We had also heard rumors of a beautiful Christmas tree and decorations on the grounds.

Cathy suggested this first photo. I love the cacti outside with the Christmas tree in the window.

This photo is of one of La Quinta's many casitas. Cathy actually gave me a painting of this exact spot that I have hanging in my home. Beautiful.

La Quinta Christmas Tree

Dusk

Sunset

Adobe Grill and Main Plaza all decorated. It looked like a magical fairy land.

 We sat outside and had a glass of wine and watched the sunset. This is part of the main plaza.

 They were showing "It's a Wonderful Life" on the side of the main salon. We sat and watched for awhile.

We started getting hungry, so in we went to the Adobe Grill for dinner...homemade tortillas and fresh guacamole, tamales (Cathy), chicken tortilla soup and a Mexican Caesar salad. After that, we went back to the hotel and got to sleep early...we had a big day planned for tomorrow...Joshua Tree National Park.