Dec 30, 2010 - Palm Desert

We returned here to TTN Palm Desert today. We have bought a 2003 PT cruiser for a tow car the people we are buying from live here in Sun City. The car already has the tow brackets and wiring needed, so we are ready to go again. The weather is not real warm right now but starting to look better as the days go by. At least we don't have snow here since I don't have a shovel anymore.

Dec 3, 2010 - Palm Desert

We arrived here on November 24 and will leave December 15. The weather continues to be great with blue skies and warm days. We met Marcia and Eric that's Elizabeth'sister in-law and her son. Elizabeth has been spending some time at Gilda's Club a cancer support center in Cathedral City. We spent Thanksgiving day with Marcia and her son Eric at his home they fixed dinner and we had a great time and a lot of good food. Eric lives here in the desert we didn't know we had family here before.

Nov 23, 2010 - TTN Palm Springs (actually at Palm Desert)

We woke up the morning of our move to frozen water hoses, it was 30 degrees most of the night. Dave dressed warm to work outside for getting us hitched up for our trip to Palm Desert. The 150 mile drive went very smooth and quickly. Recently we have noticed that, at least in California, that freeways are in need of repair. Lots of pot holes, cracks and ridges. The economy has not allowed a state in bad finances to repair the infrastructe and has done a number to these freeways, so we drive alittle slower than before. Two days after arriving...

Mar 23, 2010 - Back to Palm Desert

Drove back to the McCaig house in Palm Desert on Monday with a stop in Palm Springs for dinner at our favorite restaurant in the area - Pomme Fritte. The drive back along I5 was ok - traffic was heavier than on our trip north and the fruit trees were no longer blooming. Tuesday was spent unpacking from San Francisco and getting the car packed for the trip back to Tennessee.

Mar 9, 2010 - Wildflower Festival

This weekend the San Jacinto National Monument had a Wildflower Festival that we visited a couple of times. Friday, we took a guided wildflower hike where we learned about different wildflowers and cactus flowers. Many were in bloom - it was beautiful. We returned on Saturday but didn’t take any other hikes because the crowd was huge. There were exhibits, a raffle, a band, food, drinks and several different types of artists demonstrating their art (pottery, sketching, painting) and selling pieces. It was fun, but it was held at the...

Mar 4, 2010 - Hiking - Palm Springs & Mecca Hills

On Monday, we hiked the trail above Palm Springs that Rick hiked while Tina went to the Follies with Lynn and Jerry last week. We saw many plants and cacti blooming and enjoyed a picnic overlooking Palm Springs - there were picnic tables at one of the overlooks! Thursday we hiked in the Mecca Hills southeast of the valley. When we hiked there 3 weeks ago we found a canyon we wanted to explore but could never find the entrance. We went back to another overlook and found that last time we had walked by the entrance without realizing it! So,...

Mar 4, 2010 - Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains NM

Mar 4 This morning started with the cat acting crazy. We have one wall in the RV that is all mirror. RG saw himself in it and thought it was another cat. He was stalk it and then jump at the image. He would then walk to the edge and look around the corner, no cat. He would come back to the front, see the image and jump at it again. Every time I got the camera he would go away. Put the camera away and he would jump at the image again. Next as we were clearing out drawers RG decided to investigate. He had to get in each drawer and then...

Mar 3, 2010 - Thousand Palm Oasis

Mar 3 we head off this morning to pick up Al and Mary and then we are off to the Thousand Palms Oasis in the the Coachella Valley Preserve. This is a 20,000+ acre sanctuary for the endangered Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed Lizard. The preserve is jointly owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish & Game and California Department of Parks & Recreation. The preserve, home to the fan palm as well as other plants and animals, notably the fringe-toed lizard and Desert...

Mar 2, 2010 - Joshua Tree NP

Mar 2nd Joshua Tree National Park #4 We were up early and got ready, as we were leaving RG was headed for a new hiding place, behind the couch. We gassed up the car ($2.83 per gal) and then headed to Al & Mary’s. By a little after 8:00 we were under way to Joshua Tree. Our plan is to enter by the east entrance, make a diagonal pass through the park and exit at the West entrance in Joshua Tree, the town. Joshua Tree comprises more than 1200 sq. miles of desert, the” low” Colorado and the high” Mojave. Elevations range from 536 feet to over...

Mar 1, 2010 - Palm Desert

Mar 1 64456 8:00 It is sunny again today. We have been camped in an area filled with orange, grapefruit and lemon groves. The trees are full of fruit and there are others lying on the ground. Our trip today takes us through orchards and then rolling hills covered with green grass that looks like velvet. The hills eventually give way to wide flat green fields with the road down the middle, straight as an arrow. As we come into Bakersfield we start seeing oil fields with pumpers and derricks. There is evidence of heavy downpours in the area...

Feb 28, 2010 - Follies, hike, Living Desert, airport

Jerry, Lynn and Tina went to the matinee for the Palm Springs Follies while Rick went hiking. We really enjoyed the follies - amazing that men and women 56 through 86 can move like they are in their 20s - they looked great too, but we think they have had help with that! Rick followed a trail he and I hiked a couple of weeks ago that overlooked Palm Springs, but he continued where we had turned around and said there were several great views and more blooming plants than he has seen on the other trails. Rick and Jerry waited patiently at a...

Feb 28, 2010 - Party Time in Palm Springs

Our next stop was Palm Springs, California. We love this park and it was good to be back. We had the added pleasure of Linda and Denny being in a campground just a few miles away. We drove over to see them a couple of times, they came over to our place a couple of times, and Don and Denny played golf one day while Linda and I had a quiet afternoon together. One evening we went to the Tilted Kilt for Happy Hour and fish and chips (since it was Friday during Lent). Linda and I were surprised that there were no women in the bar, but after...