We are presently at Thousand Trails RV Resort in Palm Springs, California. This region is beautiful with a rich history. From downtown seeing where the rich and famous used to perform and live to a tram ride taking you from the hot desert to the snow topped mountains just a few miles away. The names of the roads such as Frank Sinatra Dr., Dinah Shore Dr., and Bob Hope Dr. just to name a few, remind us of the Hollywood royalty that were here just a few short years ago.
Some of our adventures here included a short trip to the Salton Sea which used to be the water playground for the rich and famous. Due to the increased salinity and the dying wildlife as a result, the yacht clubs closed and the resorts were left to decay. There is very little activity these days on the largest lake in California and will only get worse as a plan has been put into place to reduce its level even further to 2020.
Another short destination was, The Living Desert, just on the outskirts of Palm Springs. This botanical garden/zoo was amazing and well worth the cost. The animals are presented as they would be in their natural habitat and gives a good photo op for those shutterbugs (see pics in our gallery page). They also boast a world class animal hospital and rehabilitation center to care for their animals as well as injured or orphaned native wildlife.
Some low or no cost adventures include the many preserves in the area. They offer a connection to nature in a very personal and safe environment. They include many hiking trails and living museums with artifacts and ruins of centuries past. These preserves are funded by the state of California and accept donations for further improvements.
We will be leaving here on February 8th. Because this is such a demanding park the usual length of stay is two weeks instead of the normal three. We will be back in April as we work our way back home from San Diego. If you get a chance to stay in this area we highly recommend it. You may want to plan your trip in the spring, winter or fall as the summers get incredibly hot. It’s the beginning of February and the temperatures have been in the mid to upper 70’s expected to be in the upper 80”s next week.