One of the reasons, and there are many, we like coming to Desert Hot Springs is leaving the cold, rainy, gray days of winter in NorCal. We've missed endless days of rain at home, atmospheric rivers of rain, with chilly temperatures to boot, that make the ol' bones hurt! Or is it da joints? Sitting-inside-by-the-fireplace-all-day kind of days. Here in the desert, we can be Out and About every day if we choose to. And we have a variety of options.
Another reason is being able to see or visit or experience new places. On windy Wednesday Jimmy and I drove to Rancho Mirage to spend a few hours at Sunnylands, a gorgeous 200-acre estate founded by the Annenbergs. It was the Ambassadors' "winter home," begun from a sandy patch in the desert in 1963. Sometimes referred to as the "Camp David of the West," many US presidents, famous entertainers, dignitaries and diplomats gathered here. From their website, it was: "A place of history, hospitality, and diplomacy in the California desert."
Before embarking on a tour of the grounds, we watched an informative 20-minute movie, "A Place called Sunnylands," and learned much about the Annenbergs and their lives. Jimmy and I have actually lived through this history, but the refresher was good for us. The winter home is 25,000 sq ft, with 11 man-made lakes, tennis courts and a nine-hole golf course. Touring the home is offered for a fee, but we said not today.
You could roam some of the grounds for free and for a few bucks, you could see more of the estate, which we did. The landscaping is just marvelous. More than 70 species of arid-adapted plants in the gardens.
You know I love these sharp spiny barrel balls!
The Living Pyramid.
Jimmy at one end of the reflecting pond. This water feature cycles water through a subsurface basin, creating the sound of water and a cooling space on hot days. It also provides water access to wildlife that come through Sunnylands.
Jimmy parked on a replica bench given to the President of the People's Republic of China by President Barak Obama at Sunnylands in 2013.
The cactus garden is fabulous.
The grounds walking tour was 1.25 miles and an hour long. Above is the rear of the house, surrounded by the greenest of green grass.
Each lake we saw had lots of water fowl, as well as art depicting birds. Walter was a birder! The grass harbored ants and I wore sandals, so, naturally, I got bit.
Isn't this lovely?
Their rose garden contained many rose varieties, all named and all very pretty. The two yellow flowers on the left are hosting bees!
We also took advantage of the onsite café, enjoying a yummy salad lunch on the patio. We counted Sunnylands as a delightful way to spend an afternoon, and recommend a visit if you're in the area.
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OMGosh, it was so windy in Desert Hot Springs on Thursday! We decided to escape the wind and head up the mountain with our packs and a lite lunch. We pulled in at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve to check out their hiking trails. The wind was strong up here, too, but not as strong! Thanks to the Morongo fault, ground water rises up year 'round, creating a marshy habitat and a great wildlife attractor. The Preserve is an internationally-recognized birding site. We saw lots of birds eating from feeders, but nothing I hadn't seen before.
We strapped on our packs and headed out on 9-mile Big Morongo Canyon Trail, nestled into the Little San Bernardino Mountains. At the start, the trail follows willow-lined Big Morongo Creek, before the creek vanishes. From the canyon floor, we gawked at steep-sided and sometimes towering canyon walls. I hoped to see Bighorn sheep, which occasionally perch on the rocks above, but nope.
Probably not the first people to take a photo at this spot!
Heading down on the Mesquite trail before reaching Canyon trail.
These willows are showing some spring color!
We could hear froggies, too!
We're always curious, but often there's no answer.
Very old, and, no, we don't know.
On the canyon trail. Native plants are still in winter mode, and this is arid high desert, so it will never look like Sunnylands with drip irrigation!
But we did see a few flowers, bushes of Bladder Pod
Peritoma arborea - with a visiting bee 😊
The site of a landslide sometime in the past, this striated rock was the perfect seat for me to eat my lunch. Jimmy chose a different rock nearby.
I imagine there are times when floodwaters roar through this canyon.
We turned around after a couple of miles. Little did I realize that our track was pretty much downhill, but when we commenced our return, I soon found out why the trail is considered moderate; for a while hiking to the car was tough! Till we got out of the canyon and spotted this handsome dude. I think it's the same Anna's Hummingbird that we feed at our house. All-in-all, we put 4.5 miles on our feet. Tomorrow we rest!
Man, look at the lenticular cloud gone tornado gaga! Sorry about the power poles. Sometimes you can't get past 'em. We don't always see clouds in the desert, but when we do, they can be crazy!
So we're still living the life down here, appreciating our great good fortune to be where we are. Happy to share it with y'all.
