Fun in the sun day 5,6 and 7

Palm Springs....

Mom and Dad wanted us to experience the tram ride up Mt. San Jacinto from the Coachella Valley. It is a 2.5 mile ride up some very rugged cliffs. The cars rotate so you get a 360 degree view all the way.









It was a very beautiful ride. The tram was built in 1963 the main reason was to get people out of the heat in the desert and to colder air in the mountains, were they could enjoy hiking etc...






It was very interesting you leave the valley were it was in the high 70's and desert, mostly sand, rock and a few cactus. As you road up, the plant life changed, more bushes and grass. Then at the top you are in a alpine forest and snow. At the top the elevation is 8515 feet.










Looking down at Palm Springs.











The next day Dave and kids wanted to spend the day at the pool. The condo has a beautiful pool or pools. They have water slides, two hot tubs, one under a waterfall, a in pool volleyball area, a lovely place to just relax.






Dad, Mom and me decided to go exploring, we noticed that the Indian Canyons were about 2 miles from the condo. so went to check them out. We were sure glad we did.

>Indian Canyon is really a group of 5 canyons in the Santa Rosa Mountains. It is located in the Auga Caliente Indian Reservation. Andreas Canyon first, if you decided to go on this hike take the path on the right, with it's 150 species of plants and native Washingtonia Palm trees it is breathtaking. You hike along a creek, there are so many plants you feel like you are in a jungle. As you walk along you can see the mortars in the rock were the Indian women ground the corn. I would recommend this short hike to anyone who likes to take pictures, watch birds and lizards. It is only about a mile but took us a over an hour as we couldn't stop taking pictures.

These are the mortars where the corn was ground.



























Then we drove up to the trading post and had our lunch. They had hummingbird feeders hanging out by the Info desk, I never seen so many hummer eating at the same time in my life.



A view across the desert.




Palm Canyon


We then took the Palm Canyon hike this is a 14 mile hike....we only went a couple miles then can back. As person could send a couple days just hiking up here. It is so different that the we take through the Pacific Northwest forest.. Palm trees instead of cedars, I really felt like I was hiking in some jungle in South America. Enjoy the Photo's




Some of these Palms date back hundreds of years. The ones that look black are burnt . They are fire resistant so if the tops don't get burnt off they will continue to live. The last fire here was in 1980. This is looking up the Palms.



It's amazing that a place so pretty is tucked away the these mountains.

Now it is time for us to fly back home. Back to reality. That all she wrote.. Diane