Spent many happy hours putting together a multi-day hike we’ll complete in April. Much of the hike is countryside, but on the last day we cross the Golden Gate Bridge towards San Francisco. The challenge was aligning cheapest days to fly with availability in two isolated inns.
Category: Place
Final Palm Springs Hike… for Now
One final hike above Palm Springs. We both wished the hike had been longer: “Leave ’em wanting more,” I guess.
Foraging At A Supermarket
My hike for the day: walked to a supermarket, walked back carrying provisions in my backpack.
Oasis
Experienced contrasts as we hiked desert trails with wide vistas in the hills, then descended into oases wedged in canyons. The sudden drop in temperature and the sound of running water were always surprising. Indian Canyons, Palm Springs.
Missed Opportunity
Friends couldn’t join us, but we walked out, anyway, to a wine bar we’ve never visited. Pupus were excellent: dates (terroir for Palm Springs) wrapped in bacon, and meatballs.
Yellow Pollen
Temporarily stained our clothes with yellow pollen as we brushed against flowering brittlebush (encelia farinosa) as we hiked above Palm Springs. Everything went in the wash, including ourselves, when we returned to base.
High Hedges
Walked along residential roads lined by high hedges. The former home of movie mogul Darryl F. Zanuck, the first president of United Artists, hides behind this gate.
Formal Desert
Walked through formal desert gardens at the Annenberg Foundation’s Sunnylands, the “Camp David of the West.”
Staying Cool
With temperatures rising into the 90’s, stayed close to home. At about 4:00 p.m. the sun will go behind the mountains, and the temperature will seem to drop almost 20°, making it comfortable to sit on the balcony. Our 1947 rental apartment was designed by architect Albert Frey.
Indian Canyons Vista
Hiked the trails of Indian Canyons, just south of Palm Springs: ridge trails, temperatures in the 80’s, flowering cacti, palm tree oases in canyons, expansive views of the snow-capped San Jacinto Mountains.