The word to describe Palm Springs is pleasant. The temperature was in the balmy 80s F and the sun shone in a clear sky. Gentrified might be another word, and stinking rich perhaps too. It's a bit like the Walnut Creek of SoCal. A local old people's centre was advertising an "iPad 101" course for the next day, and even Arbel's presence managed to skew the statistical age only a fraction lower.
We made it out the other side without aging too much and found Indian Canyons. This was the original Palm Springs, where Native Americans settled centuries back (and attended iPad introduction courses...?) A river runs through some amazing rock formations, and the tall palms line every side.
I stayed in the RV for a sleep while the others headed off for a couple of hikes, so many thanks to them for the photos below. It looked like they had a lot of fun without me. Hmmm. Anyway, on their return we decided to see if you can get an RV into the passenger drop-off area of Palm Springs airport. You can! Anat, Arbel and Shauli are RV-ing for a few days longer, so we kissed them goodbye after an unforgettable Christmas and were soon waiting the usual two hours for fog to lift in SFO and our delayed plane to depart.
All rock and palm trees.
Hiking up.
It's another rock house! A different builder, I presume.
Family on the bridge.
Looking back down one of the canyons.
Anat takes a breather.
Hannah has found a new mobile home!
Arbel seems quite impressed too.
Yay!
The place even has a skylight.
The sun sets through the palms.
Hiking back down.
Very pleasant, see?
If only they could be an RV at the other end to pick us up again.
