Friday, September 22, 2017

The Grand Trip - The Land Of The Palms

It's time to return to the adventures of The Grand Trip.  There are so many more things to share with you - we've only just begun.  If you need to catch up with where we were when we were diverted for a bit you can read about our adventures here and here.

We left the RV park where we had spent the night and we traveled on toward the south.  We weren't very far from our destination so it wasn't a long drive to the next place where we planned to spend the next two nights.  We had been told that there was a very beautiful way to get to the freeway where we would turn east through southern California.  We followed the route but wondered if what we were told was right - this didn't seem beautiful at all!
The road continued and it didn't get much better.  One advantage of taking your home-away-from home with you is that you can stop along the way and fix lunch when you get hungry.  My sweetheart found a place to  pull off the highway so we could stop and eat lunch in the middle of nowhere.
It's a lovely place for lunch, don't you think?  This was our view from the big back window. What happened to the road through the beautiful part of the state?
There weren't many vehicles that came along the road beside us but every few minutes we heard the sounds of loud equipment somewhere nearby.  When we went outside we looked out and saw this high overhead.
They were building a new highway and we were sure it would replace the windy road we had taken.  A few minutes after we left our lunch spot the road took us up the hill to the construction zone. We could see how the new road was taking shape and we took our turn waiting to continue on down the road.
Soon we were on our way again and it wasn't long before the scenery began to change.  Things were green and there were trees in bloom beside the road. And then we came to the place we knew had to be what we had heard of.  And they were right - it was beautiful!
Then we saw a sign that told us that vehicles that are thirty feet or longer are not advised to take this road!  Our home-away-from-home was thirty feet long! Now what were we supposed to do? - there was no place to turn around.  So, we kept going.  The turns in the road were tight in many places.
Was I nervous? You bet I was! My sweetheart said we could make it - as long as there were no oncoming cars or trucks as we turned the sharp corners.  It took both lanes to maneuver the turns - and we didn't see another vehicle on any of the corners - and we made it!  When we got to the top of the mountain the view was amazing.  There, spread out below, was the San Bernardino Valley.

We drove down the mountain highway and soon we were on the freeway!  Just a short time ago we were on roads where we saw no one else. Now we were in a traffic jam!
We found the exit we needed to take us east toward our next destination.  Things changed almost immediately and we were in the land of wind turbines that produce electricity from the power of the wind - modern day windmills.
When we saw this sign we knew we weren't far from our destination.
A few miles farther down the road we found the RV park that we would call home for the next two days. We settled in and made ourselves at home and enjoyed the shadows of palm trees as night began to fall.
We enjoyed our days in the Palm Desert - Palm Springs area.  We enjoyed it so much we extended our stay an extra night!  Palm trees fascinate me and I loved the tree-lined streets all over that area.
If you've been following my blog for awhile you know I love mountains!  Palm Desert and Palm Springs are right up against beautiful mountains.  They are very different than the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, but they are gorgeous and they tower above the buildings. The cities are built right up next to some of the mountains.  Some homes have them in their backyards. . .
And some homes are built right into the rocks of the mountainsides.
I wanted to see the mid-century modern homes that are famous in Palm Springs.  They are part of the historical drive through the town. We drove along streets lined with beauties that had been well-cared for. I wish I could show you the wonderful homes we saw as we drove up one street and down the next but I couldn't take photos of most of them. There were people all around and in and out of the homes. I felt I couldn't intrude.  Many of the homes are behind hedges and gates but this one sat high above the street and I just couldn't help but take a photo of what we could see. I loved the landscaping.
But there was one home I wanted to see.  My sweetheart was pretty surprised that I wanted to find it but he was a good sport and followed my directions until we came to the home.  Now I've never been an Elvis fan, but I wanted to see the house where he and Priscilla spent their honeymoon and where they lived for the first couple of years of their marriage.  Isn't it cute? Very unique.
We really enjoyed our time in the Palm Desert - Palm Springs area.  Our time there went fast and we knew it was time to move on.  But first, there was one more sunset before we headed on down the road again.

4 comments:

  1. You had me wondering about that scenic drive but probably not as much as you were while taking it. The view of the San Bernardino Valley is gorgeous. And I love seeing the palm trees by the streets. Thanks for sharing! ~Jeanne

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  2. My father was an architect, and he designed and built the mid century modern home I grew up in the the mid 1950's/ I think I would like to visit Palm Springs one day.

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  3. loving the views from your trip(s)..
    and how you describe your experience.
    i am forever grateful to have spent
    time with you and your sweetheart
    during your time away. ♥

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  4. Girl, you had me wondering and worrying for a minute here! LOL! Love the pictures. So glad you are enjoying yourself. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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