The San Andreas Fault line runs through the Indio Hills in
the Coachella Valley just southwest of Joshua Tree NP. Slo-mo movement along those faults has
created some impressive geologic changes in this part of the country and gets
blamed for lots of damage to man-made structures. In this desert land it is also responsible
for strings of palm trees and even surface pools as water works its way up
through the fault line. Just beyond the
pool and palm oasis the valley walls and washes are blanketed with wildflowers.
Snowcapped peaks create a perfect back drop. All this is protected in the Coachella Valley
Preserve and is a great place to get out and hike for a few hours. Today the temperature made it into the mid
70s by noon so we were glad we had gotten an early start.
I rarely hike alone but Kent is under the weather and it is
too pretty to stay indoors. Off I go on
a 3 ½ mile loop around a ridge just above camp.
It is still pretty early so I have the trail mostly to myself, nice. I trek up washes and some nicely placed
carved steps as I move up the ridge. Near the top, a short boulder scramble
takes me to a solitary spot at the summit with a beautiful view of the rugged
valley. No pictures, I left my
photographer at home! I relax for a few
to let it soak in. As I head back down,
I come across a chuckwalla basking in the sun and couple very friendly
hummingbirds that dart all around me. What
a great morning.
Kent is sniffling and sneezing like crazy and is really low
energy. It started very suddenly so I am
hoping it is something here in the desert that he will get over as soon as we
move on. It will be terrible if we all
come down with something from LA!
I’m up early and it is a chance to check out a quiet desert sunrise. I wander a short way just over the ridge from camp. As I wait for the sun to make its appearance, the whir of hummingbird wings and tap-tap-tap of a woodpecker break the desert silence. I love morning!
Wildflowers carpet the sandy soil along the Bajada trail. Poppies dance in the breeze, humming birds flit
among the brilliant red trumpet shaped flowers of the Chuparosa, and the buzz
of bees is everywhere. I could sit here
all day.
We find our way to the north side of the park where the
Joshua tree forest rules. Many are about
ready to bloom. The rolling terrain is
dotted with piles of huge boulders; eroded remnants of the most recent volcanic
activity and the work of 1000s of years of wind and water. From Key View overlook snowcapped peaks rise
above the haze blown in from LA. It is not
as clear a day up here as we hoped but still worth the drive.
We go on to Barker Dam trail where a mile-long walk loops
past a lake in the desert. A natural
tank has been enlarged by dams built by cattle ranchers who have long ago moved
on. It is mid day and there are lots of
people around so not much wildlife. A
covey of 4 quail makes an appearance as do the regular desert birds. I am still looking for the big horn sheep. Even so, it is a beautiful cool oasis among
huge boulders.
Just the two of us taking in some desert time at Joshua Tree
National Park. We roll in on a beautiful
clear afternoon. A leisurely stroll to a
nearby palm oasis includes jackrabbits, a verdin busily building a nest, and
the ever present desert dweller, phainopepla (P2). We close out the day under a lovely star-studded
dark sky.
We meet up with Mike, Tracy, Willa and Katrina in Claremont
where they have some business to attend to.
Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden is highly recommended and within easy
walking distance. Willa joins us to
check it out while Mom and Dad are busy at work. It is a natural setting with zones that
include pretty much every desert plant you might expect to find in the US. A special exhibit of large origami sculptures
makes for great accents among the plant life.
Unfortunately, our timing is off and very little is blooming; add a few
dark menacing clouds that bring a chilly rain and our visit is cut short.
We move to an Airbnb in Hollywood/Little Armenia that is
perfectly located for the kids’ business meetings and a great place to
stroll. Kent and I check out Barnesdale
Park and tour Hollyhock House, a Frank Lloyd Wright house that has been
preserved by the city of LA. It has an architectural
motif that looks very Aztec-like to me and appears everywhere both inside and
outside the house. As it turns out, it
is Wright’s geometric interpretation of Mrs. Barnsdale’s favorite flower, the
Hollyhock. The poured concrete entryway
and door are a bit tomb-like and the motif almost overwhelming. Great for a visit but probably a bit much for
everyday living. They continue to fight
with reoccurring roof leaks – our docent says that is a frequent issue with FLW
houses – guess he is too focused on the creative and unique to worry about
mundane stuff like roof leaks? The
docent is great with lots of stories to tell and pictures on her ipad to show
various remodels and a look at original construction.
Our neighborhood strolls take us past (well not always past)
a great Armenian bakery with a huge assortment of sweets and shelves loaded
with loaves of crunchy outside chewy inside bread. The pastries never make it all the way home but
everyone seemed to enjoy the bread.
Lunch at a street vendor includes chicken marsala and a
spinach dish over excellent spiced veggie rice (delicious) all accompanied by cucumber
lemonade (refreshing).
This one is a hike not a stroll
Kent and I head to Griffith Park and the top of observatory
hill. The sandy trail up the Ferndell
side is all steep switchbacks but it is a clear cool day so a wonderful
hike. The view is fantastic: LA and the
ocean beyond, snowcapped mountains to the east and Hollywood just below
us. I stop to take in an observatory
talk about the life of stars with a reminder of exactly how amazing it is that
this one place called earth ever even came to be and how many things had to
come together just right for humans to even come into existence. There are lots
more displays and some great sounding shows in the theatre and planetarium. Those
will wait until another visit.
Meals make for perfect family time – Everybody out for great
Thai food in the neighborhood and a simple spaghetti dinner at home.
Check it out: Willa on a star. We strolled the walk of fame and posed on the
red carpet – never mind that it is plastic covered! This is Oscar’s weekend so things are all set
up around the Dolby theatre.
We meet up with Tracy and Katrina at a coffee shop. There is outdoor seating with a fountain and
as it happens, a shop called “I love pie”.
Who could skip that? We enjoy an
assortment of mini single serving pies; cherry, mixed berry, chocolate brownie
and vegan apple. They have savory pot pies too …
The kids and Willa head to la Brea tar pits and Santa Monica
beach with a stop on the way home at a vegan sandwich shop. They brought us sandwiches that were
amazing. Typically, if I go vegan, I
avoid the meat substitutes and just enjoy the savory vegetable dishes, but
these were full on meat substitute meals and they were not missing a
thing. Kent’s BBQ brisket burger was spot
on flavor wise and the texture pretty darn close. The BBQ sauce cinched it…just plain
delicious. I had grilled chicken. Both flavor and texture were so close I would
not have known it was vegan if they hadn’t said so.
We all hike- Mike, Tracy, Katrina, Willa, Kent and I
plus friends from the girl’s earlier years all meet up at Griffith Park for a
great afternoon hike before we all must head out. LA haze veils the view from the summit, but
it is still a nice way to close out our visit.
Back down at the trailhead the kids grab a Lyft for LAX while we gather
up to head out of town for a bit more desert time.
Some menu items are too authentic for our palate – specials
include a stew of kidneys and tripe in red broth and various dishes featuring
beef tongue. Complete menu descriptions
are in Spanish but we have English subtitles and pictures plus our waitress is
fluent in English so we manage to order.
I try the sopes with marinated pork and Kent a wet burrito. The plates are beautiful when they come out
and we both enjoy our choices.
I couldn’t resist the homemade sweets and take a bit of
sweet potato candy to go. I would have
thought served with hot tea or coffee but the waitress recommends it served
with a little milk on it. Perhaps we will try that.
There is a project in the Coachella Valley that results in a
wide range of art installations scattered across the desert landscape. We found our way to four of them around
Mecca, CA. Terminal Lake Exploration: a
pontoon boat outfitted with cameras and sensors monitoring and playing back at
the state park all things measurable about the Salton Sea. Mosquito Net: a water’s edge sculpture of people
and creatures. Point of View: a cluster
of 5 sets of stairs to nowhere out in the open desert. Gossimer: an abandoned gas station draped in
bright colored fabric waving in the wind.
There are dozens more scattered between here and Palm Springs ranging
from simple
shapes to complex visual projections. It could take a whole weekend navigating this
rugged terrain to check them all out. We
will leave that to others this year.
