On November 22, we accomplished something we’ve been talking about for a while. We finally drove across the US! It’s funny, given the scope of this trip, it was almost an afterthought—
”Hey, guess what.”
“What.”
“We just officially drove cross-country!”
“Oh yeah, I guess we did.”
Our first stop in California was Desert Hot Springs, just outside of Palm Springs. We’d heard a lot about the region, but didn’t really know much about its claim to fame. According to Palm Springs.com, there are many reasons that the area became such a desirable destination—the hot, dry climate was particularly appealing for many, especially those with health issues. However, the story that caught our eye was about why so many Hollywood stars found themselves there. Apparently, during the tough economic times of the ‘30s and ‘40s, gossip reporters were only reimbursed for travel expenses up to 100 miles from their home-base. Palm Springs is 107 miles from Los Angeles, making it relatively safe and accessible for stars who may have had secrets they’d prefer remain untold.
So many of the places we travel these days were originally occupied by Native American communities, and we’re trying to learn as much as possible about that history, as well. We found this particular piece of Palm Springs info interesting:
“In 1876, the United States government established the Agua Caliente Reservation over 31,128 acres in a checkerboard format of alternating sections of 640 acres. The alternating non-reservation sections were granted to the Southern Pacific Railroad as an incentive to bring rail lines through the Sonoran desert. This checkerboard format includes downtown Palm Springs, making the Agua Caliente one of the wealthiest tribes in the United States. Those interested in buying Palm Springs real estate may be shocked to discover that the land underneath some of the homes or condos they wish to purchase is leased. The Agua Caliente secured the right for its members to lease land for 99 years at a time in 1959.”
While in Desert Hot Springs, we took yet another fascinating hike—this time through the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve in the Coachella Valley Preserve System. Sadly, the lake at the center of the preserve was closed during our visit, but we were able to wander through groves of Washingtonia filifera (California fan palms)—the only variety native to the state. These trees are fascinating to view both from a distance and close up, because when their fronds die, they remain attached and drop down, creating a skirt around the trunk.
Fun fact: the oasis is fed by water seeping out of the San Andreas fault (if you climb to the top of one of the hills in the preserve, you can identify the fault by the trees that grow along it).