We spent the weekend in relaxing Palm Springs. Our friends have a place out there so they invite us a few times/year and it's always a wonderful, fun and relaxing time. There is so much to do there or better yet, nothing at all. They have a great pool and BBQ so we usually just hang poolside with cocktails and cook out. They are located one block up from Palm Canyon drive, the main drag in town with a stunning mountain view. The landscape is so dramatic with the shadows cast on the overpowering mountains and the harsh elements of wind bending giant palm trees and moving clouds overhead. The building is a beautifully preserved 1960's converted hotel and is said to have been a favorite of Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra.
Saturday was a glorious day and we were up fairly early after having chilled out Friday night so we decided to maximize the day before some other friends arrived. I had always wanted to visit the Living Desert Museum and heard it was quite an enchanting place so off we went. I had no idea what to expect and was totally surprised to find a slew of African animals there in addition to other exotic and endangered species. It spans over many acres of harsh terrain
and home to many indiginous flora, fauna, and fowl. No expense is spared as it appears to be very well cared for (endowed by uber-rich blue hairs I'm sure). The most startling thing was the $7M exotic vetrinary facility. A docent took some time to explain to us that scheduled physical exams are posted and can be viewed by the public. We saw video footage of a leopard check-up. A few weeks ago an Oryx got it's horn stuck in a fence and was bleeding to death. They successfully amputated the horn and the animal is recovering nicely. We learned that Mexican wolves were considered one of the most endangered species and they brought a couple of them to the facility to perform invetro and have just released the offspring into the wild far away from civilization and expect that the species will propogate and flourish. While it's far and away the African experience, it is far and away the Tokyo one. There is plenty of room for the animals to roam freely and the mission at the Living Desert Museum is preservation of the species. Cool experiences like "Starry Safari" where you sleep in tents on the property are a good way for kids to learn how to respect nature.
It was an exhausting day just because there is so much to see and we wanted to take it all in. The weather was perfect but it's a lot of walking. Our friends were en route so we met them at Hamburger Mary's for happy hour before getting ready to go out on the town. After a brief stop at the casino (I'm not much of a gambler) we hit the strip. It is a well-known fact that Palm Springs is a gay haven. We decided to go dancing and gay clubs play the best music and have the least amount of drama. Hunters has a bar in the center of the room with pool tables and a separate room with a dance floor. A couple of male go-go dancers were staged to entertain the crowd and one of them was very good at getting everyone riled up. We had a lot of fun.
We didn't have time this trip but a really interesting thing to do is take the tram up the mountain side to Idyllwild. The tram is actually a gondola that ascends the rocky vertical San Jacinto face on a cable and is simply an engineering wonder. Once you get to the top you can see the entire Coachella valley. There are hiking trails that traverse the peaks and take you into the town of Idyllwild - another fantastic weekend away, but that's another story for another time.
You can't leave Palm Springs without a stop by Hadley's date market for a banana-date shake. It's tradition and it's the perfect topper to a perfect weekend.
Saturday was a glorious day and we were up fairly early after having chilled out Friday night so we decided to maximize the day before some other friends arrived. I had always wanted to visit the Living Desert Museum and heard it was quite an enchanting place so off we went. I had no idea what to expect and was totally surprised to find a slew of African animals there in addition to other exotic and endangered species. It spans over many acres of harsh terrain
and home to many indiginous flora, fauna, and fowl. No expense is spared as it appears to be very well cared for (endowed by uber-rich blue hairs I'm sure). The most startling thing was the $7M exotic vetrinary facility. A docent took some time to explain to us that scheduled physical exams are posted and can be viewed by the public. We saw video footage of a leopard check-up. A few weeks ago an Oryx got it's horn stuck in a fence and was bleeding to death. They successfully amputated the horn and the animal is recovering nicely. We learned that Mexican wolves were considered one of the most endangered species and they brought a couple of them to the facility to perform invetro and have just released the offspring into the wild far away from civilization and expect that the species will propogate and flourish. While it's far and away the African experience, it is far and away the Tokyo one. There is plenty of room for the animals to roam freely and the mission at the Living Desert Museum is preservation of the species. Cool experiences like "Starry Safari" where you sleep in tents on the property are a good way for kids to learn how to respect nature.It was an exhausting day just because there is so much to see and we wanted to take it all in. The weather was perfect but it's a lot of walking. Our friends were en route so we met them at Hamburger Mary's for happy hour before getting ready to go out on the town. After a brief stop at the casino (I'm not much of a gambler) we hit the strip. It is a well-known fact that Palm Springs is a gay haven. We decided to go dancing and gay clubs play the best music and have the least amount of drama. Hunters has a bar in the center of the room with pool tables and a separate room with a dance floor. A couple of male go-go dancers were staged to entertain the crowd and one of them was very good at getting everyone riled up. We had a lot of fun.
We didn't have time this trip but a really interesting thing to do is take the tram up the mountain side to Idyllwild. The tram is actually a gondola that ascends the rocky vertical San Jacinto face on a cable and is simply an engineering wonder. Once you get to the top you can see the entire Coachella valley. There are hiking trails that traverse the peaks and take you into the town of Idyllwild - another fantastic weekend away, but that's another story for another time.
You can't leave Palm Springs without a stop by Hadley's date market for a banana-date shake. It's tradition and it's the perfect topper to a perfect weekend.
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