The Wild Desert West, Sis & I – Hangin’ At Salton Sea, San Jacinto Mountain & Joshua Tree

Sis and I hiking at Joshua Tree National Park

Since my lovely sister arrived last week I admit I’ve been having too good a time to blog. Not only is it ultra-cool to have her here, but there is SO much to do and see in the desert that we’ve had mega-full days of activity followed by Happy Hour with our RV buddies, dinner, spa-time…and well, who has time to do anything else?

Joshua Tree magic

So, it’s time to catch up with my 101 photos and stories of what really happens when you bring a Dane from rainy England into the wild desert west. Apart from the sheer visual danger of taking something so blindingly white into the wilds, there are basic problems such as the fact that my sister does not own a pair of sunglasses and requires SPF 50 to stay alive. And of course, no-one understands what the dickens she’s saying. OH dear, what is a sister to do? Thankfully I’m here to translate and keep the curious wildlife at bay so despite these inherent obstacles we’ve managed to break through and enjoy some mega-cool adventures within 50 miles of our spa-home in Desert Hot Springs.

Most folks are amazed at how much variety the desert has to offer. At first glance it can seem quite monotone, but if you’re willing to explore and drive just a bit you can go from one awesome environment to the other. So without much more ado I’ll give ya just a taste of what we’ve been up to:

1/ Salton Sea & The Slabs

On the shoreline of the Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is a 376 sq mi (974 km²) inland sea that lies ~50 miles SE of Desert Hot Springs….and she’s a fickle gal. When she’s good she’s quite fine, but when she’s bad she’s very, very bad. She’s basically a big ‘ol sink that was filled by accident, became popular as a beach-spot in 50′s, but lost her charm by the 60′s due to increasing salinity and massive fish die-offs leading to the infamous Salton Sea stench (sometimes reaching as far as LA!). Despite all this she remains a key migration spot for thousands of birds and when the stink isn’t acting up she is THE most beautiful, THE most serene, THE most mesmerizing desert sea anywhere. Oh goodness she can be so fine.

Salvation Mountain at The Slabs

We headed out there on a perfect day and spent several hours basking on the white-shell shore & enjoying the bird songs. From the ~110-mile shoreline of this inland sea you can do a bunch of smaller and fun outings. Besides kayaking in the water at the State Park, there is nearby Bat Cave Buttes** (very cool), the Mud Pots (rather blah, especially since there was no mud) and the unique and always-interesting Slabs (see my post from last year HERE). We did them ALL and ended the afternoon soaking in an ephemeral late afternoon glow by the water. Ahhhh, perfection!

Now that’s natural beauty!

** To reach the Bat Cave Buttes park at the abandoned Corvalis Estates Cafe and bushwhack across the railroad tracks ~1.5 miles to the Butte at N 33.431141, W -115.814995.

2/ San Jacinto Mountain & The Aerial Tramway

Posing for the view at Wellman Divide

I’ve written about San Jacinto Mountain before and it remains one of my fav outings around Desert Hot Springs. The Aerial Tram, the world’s largest rotating tram-car takes you from the desert floor up ~2.4 miles, through 4 different climate zones to lush pine forest at 8,500 feet. At the summit you’re greeted by spectacular valley views and access to 54 miles of hiking trails. The past times we’ve visited the ground has been covered in snow, but this time around the mountain was perfectly clear and we were able to take advantage of a hike. Sis and I chose the fabulous ~7-mile roundtrip to the Wellman Divide. A moderately strenuous stroll through pine forest to an open and spectacular valley view. On a good day you can even see the gleam of the Salton Sea in the background. Nice!

3/ Joshua Tree National Park

The lovely Joshua Tree National Park

No visit to Desert Hot Springs would be complete without a day-trip to the fabulous Joshua Tree National Park. This 790,636 acre park dominates the hills behind Desert Hot Springs and preserves the special habitat of Yucca brevifolia, the zany-looking Joshua Tree that made U2 famous (or was it the other way around?). Either way these trees, or rather very large Yuccas, are something else. They grow up to 40-feet tall and bloom once a year. The more a tree blooms, the more branches it has so you could say the biggest and wackiest trees are the most bloomin’ wonderful. You pass through huge forests of these things as you enter the park and they really are quite mesmerizing.

But that’s not all. Joshua Tree also happens to have the most amazing rock formations which actually formed from the bottom up. Over 100 million years ago molten liquid oozed upwards and cooked into granite formations (called monzogranite) that were slowly revealed by water and time. The massive boulders have since become a rock-climbers paradise and decorate the ground in fine symmetry between the Joshua Tree forest.

Sis takes a shot of the valley from Lost Horse Mine trail

Sis and I went for a full day of exploration, stopping to gawk at the climbers at Intersection Rock, pose with the trees and do a hearty 6-mile hike at Lost Horse Mine Trail. The latter has some spectacular and deserted views of the valley, especially if you chose to do the loop rather than just the out-and-back to the mine.

Bushwacking in the desert by the Salton Sea

And that pretty much wraps up our week. In between sightseeing madness we’ve managed several happy hours with our RV buddies (and solid doggie-friends) Sue and Dave, seen a few not-too-shabby desert sunsets and caught up on life in general. I’ve even (believe it or not) settled on a swimsuit and have survived my month at the spa without any embarrassing youtube-worthy moments. In a few days I’ll be one day older and we’ll head out of civilization and back into the boonies. In the meantime I’ll be giving my sis a few final wild desert experiences before we ship her back to the English. It’s the least I can do

Serenity at the Salton Sea

Inside Salvation Mountain at The Slabs

A bloomin’ wonderful Joshua Tree

More Salton Sea beauty

The “fishy” side of the Salton Sea

Hanging at Batt Cave Buttes

Perfect sunset at the Salton Sea

And yet another great RV sunset

Sunsets In The Desert = Nature’s Perfect Color Storm

Just another great afternoon show

Whenever I’m in the desert I can’t help but think of the 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia. The scenes in that movie were intense and captured natural beauty and panoramic vistas way ahead of their technological time. There’s a particular moment when the war correspondent Jackson Bently turns to the (by then) half-mad, arab-robed Lawrence and asks him “What attracts you personally to the desert?” and he replies quite simply “It’s clean”.

It’s a desolate beauty out here

Apart from the urge to stride through the sand in long flowing garments, ride camels and wear massive swords (which surely everyone has out here), there’s alot of depth to this statement. You see it’s this very cleanliness that makes the colors in the desert so very striking. From warm hues in the morning, to deep blue afternoon skies, to cascades of fire in the evening. The fact that it’s so dry and so desolate is the very reason the sunsets are so rich and intense…it’s a dichotomy of extremes, and right here the opposites attract to make a most perfect whole.

The RV is bathed in a late afternoon light

In my geekiness I can’t help but think of Rayleigh scattering, the very thing that makes our day sky blue. All of light’s colors scattered and bent by the massive natural prism that is the atmosphere giving us the daytime blue that our eyes favor the most. And the effect so deeply blue in the clearest and weakest atmospheres (deserts and mountains). It whacks me out to think that some animals actually see the sky in violet or ultraviolet…what would that be like?

High clouds reflect intense desert hues

But where this manifests most strongly is later in the day, where the longer orange and red wavelengths finally emerge for their sunset show. This is where the clean, dry air crystallizes and saturates colors like nowhere else. Add to that the desert winds that whip up cirrus and altocumulus clouds high in the atmosphere, posed perfectly to reflect and amplify that light, and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed 5-star view -> stunning horizon colors ramped-up ten-fold by the cloud layers above it. It aaaaallll comes together in the desert…nature’s perfect sunset storm, if you will, ready to give you a new performance every single evening.

No touch-ups on this photo…the colors were exactly like this!

And me? I just can’t get enough of them. Something about that afternoon fire in the sky penetrates deep into my soul and steals my heart. In that deep sea of color I happily drown. The sky expands before me and pulls me in, stilling my mind and bringing me in complete harmony, if just for a moment, with nature’s glory. It’s like a 4D IMAX movie, where all except the scene before you disappears from view and even the subconscious is taken in. And in that very instant the world stops -> a total calm, my entire life-force focused on the beauty that is the sky.

I love sunsets. It’s free mind yoga every single afternoon and it’s the kinda geeky coolness I can’t get enough of. Oh yeah and as a bonus, it makes for pretty neat pictures too

A color blast reflects off the RV

High clouds promise a stunning sunset

Lounging in Paradise – Desert Hot Springs, CA

“Paradise is exactly where you are right now…”

Welcome to paradise...

We had just met Rio & Kitty in the local hot tub. They looked like a couple right out of a corny Vegas mob movie -> old-timers with big hair, big bling and a leopard-skin bathing suit with all the busty ”fill” to make it work. They’d travelled here on a whim 25 years ago in a 27-foot Winnebago with 5 kids and decided they couldn’t leave. In fact, the kids were the ones that begged them to stay.

“You guys enjoying your stay in paradise?” they asked

It was an interesting question.

The massive wind-farms in the San Gorgonia Pass just outside of town

You see Desert Hot Springs is a quirky little place. Your very first thoughts as you drive into town might be more along the lines of “What a dump…”. The first thing you see as you enter the valley is the massive eye-sore of San Gorgonio Pass wind-farm. Then you take lonely Dillon Road into what can only be described as mobile home heaven in the desert. It’s a panacea of trailer parks, one after the other with a few run-down shops and long tracts of flat desert land inbetween. And the local grocery store doesn’t exactly inspire confidence with its’ fully barred windows. It’s not the best first impression.

The fabulous view from San Jacinto mountain

But then something astonishing happens. Like a big, comforting blanket the place just grows on you. First you sink yourself into a soothing mineral pool with view of a fiery red desert sunset. Then you meet a couple of the locals and get invited like old family to chat and  join the pack. Then you take a 3-hour hike in the hills and soak in all the deep, barren, fabulous beauty that is the desert. Add-on some pure puurrrfect desert winter weather and the majestic San Jacinto mountains in the background. Before long you’re liking the place and in a few days you’re just outright loving it.

Hiking the mountains in Desert Hot Springs

It’s exactly the same thing that happened last year when we came here. Desert Hot Springs may be the outcast neighbour of ritzy home-of-the-stars Palm Springs, but it is most definitely the place to be. We loved it so much last time that we decided we just had to come back. Same place (Sam’s Family Spa), same fantastic mineral pools and same exact wonderful impression.

Oh yeah...this is the life!

And we did the whole tour all over again -> the Aerial Tram (they had 5 inches of fresh snow on the peak this time), Palm Springs Village Fest,  Farmers Markets, unlimited spa-soaking, and long hikes in the surrounding hills. I even got the chance to meet up with fulltime RVers Terry and Martha from Gypsy Life Journal who were lounging at Lake Cahuilla County Park (nice spot, by the way and they accept Passport America mid-week).

Ahhhh...the fabulous winter desert!

Our original plan was actually to stay here a month, but more nutty travel plans got in the way (more on that story to come.).

In the meantime if you wonder what I’m doing  just imagine me lounging in paradise. ‘Coz that’s exactly where I am…

Gorgeous desert with San Jacinto in the background

Street vendors at the Palm Springs Village Fest

Another great hike in the surrounding mountains

Terry, Martha and lovely pooch Charlie in front of their rig

RV Park Rating – Sam’s Family Spa (Desert Hot Springs, CA)

Hiking with Polly in the space behind Sam’s Spa

A quirky park with simply fabulous hot mineral pools in Desert Hot Springs, South-Central CA

Note/ Review updated as of last stay Nov 2012

Link to park here: Sam’s Family Spa
Link to map location here: Sam’s Family Spa

1. Site quality = 3.5/5
   We’re in the desert here, so these are basic gravel/dirt sites. Reasonably sized and nicely landscaped with palm trees/oleander bushes & hillside views all around. All sites offer 50Amp/water/sewer (just upgraded 2012) with concrete pad “sitting area” and picnic table. Biggest dings are sites are mostly open (no real privacy between sites) and are rather uneven with some requiring quite a bit of levelling. It’s open seating so you chose your site on arrival. Sites at back of the park (furthest from the spa) tend to fill up last on busy family week-ends, so if you’re looking for more space & quiet park your rig there.
2. Facilities = 4/5
   The campground just upgraded the RV site bathrooms this year (2012) so facilities are looking much, much nicer. Bathrooms are in somewhat dated buildings, but showers are large individual stalls with attractive new tile and good temperature & pressure. All are kept nicely clean. The spa bathrooms are lovely with modern tile and fancy “raindisc” shower heads.
3. Amenities = 4.5/5
   The amenities are what make this park special, especially the spa area. There is a good-sized main pool with lounge chairs, separate kiddie pool, 4 huge natural mineral hot pools, relaxing waterfalls, small lake, grassy picnic area, and even a modern sauna + steam-room, all beautifully landscaped. This is most definitely the highlight of the park. Good working WiFi throughout the park but you need to pay for it (only ding). Full-sized and very modern laundry, plus a small general store available at the office.
4. Location = 3.5/5
   You’re somewhat out in the boonies with this park. You’re not that close to Palm Springs (~30 mins), or to Joshua Tree (~40 mins), but within easy reach of downtown Desert Hot Springs and reasonable driving distance to the rest. All the major stores are in the surrounding area, but still need to take a little drive to get there.
5. Pet friendliness = 5/5
   Great area for doggie.There is a small grassy fenced-in dog area inside the park which is OK, but the real draw is access to miles of open land for dog-walking & hiking all around the park. Open desert can be reached from either the front or back gate entrance, and longer walks can be done all the way to the mountains. Relaxed and friendly about pets in general.

 Overall rating = 4.1
BONUS ALERT: 4 gorgeous natural mineral pools for soaking within crawling distance of your RV

Summary: This ia a quirky park, albeit a little in the middle of no-where. Half the park is RV sites and the other permanent mobile homes.  The sites are quite basic -> open sand/gravel pads which are rather uneven (some require levellers!), but separation is decent, the landscaping quite nice and you have pretty mountain views all around the park. What makes this place exceptional is the pool/spa area. There are 4 huge mineral pools of varying temperatures surrounded by a beautifully landscaped spa area with water-falls, playground, lovely showers, steam-room & sauna. This is a family spa so it can get very busy on week-ends and holidays, but tends to be rather quiet inbetween. Snowbird season (Jan-Mar) can also be busy. Daily rate ($44) is more than we usually like to pay, but the monthly rate ($520) is an absolute deal, plus you can extend indefinitely and get unlimited spa access. Lots of space all around the park to hike and explore the hills, plus you are within reasonable driving distance of Salton Sea, Johsua Tree and Palm Springs with associated sights and shops. If you’re looking for a relaxed park with fabulous pools this is the definitely spot. We’ve come her 3 years in a row and will most definitely be back again.

Extra Info: Verizon just installed new cell towers (2012) and now offer 4G signal in the area (yeah!). Snowbird tower overloading sometimes slows it down on peak week-ends, but otherwise the signal is decent. On-site Tengo Internet works well, but you need to pay for it. Sites cost $44/night (daily rate), $520+elec (winter monthly rate) -> all rates include unlimited spa access.

The RV sites at the park…basic sand, but not bad

View near entrance of park (RV in site #237)

View of one of back rows. Our RV on right in site#196

Another view of back row. RV on right in site #159

View of site near mobile home area. #152 shown w/ mobile homes in back.

View of “sitting area”. Concrete pad with picnic table.

Another “row” view. RV in right in #206

View of the pool area

View of kiddie pool area

The info chart for the 4 mineral pools at the spa

The mineral pools…absolutely awesome!

View of on-site dog run

Desert Hot Springs, CA…a little gem in the desert

When we first came down the long, bleak stretch into Desert Hot Springs the place looked very much like yet another massive desert. As it turns out, this little gem of a location hides a bunch of well-kept secrets. From underground mineral spa’s, to alpine forests (no, I’m not kidding) and the unique Joshua Tree National Park, this is truly a gem in the wild.

The story of Desert Hot Springs goes back to the wild west, as all the best stories do, and specifically to a most astonishing man called Cabot Yerxa. A pioneer of his time, and most definitely a consummate optimist he bought a small burro in Desert Hot Springs around 1913 which he named Merry Christmas. Convinced he would find water in this bone-dry environment he started digging and sure enough, 27 feet down he hit some natural hot springs. Through sheer guts and luck, the healing mineral waters of Desert Hot Springs had just been discovered, and the town eventually built around that event. The story of Cabot’s remarkable life is well worth reading as is a trip to the Cabot Pueblo Museum. 

“Taking the waters” in the hot springs is a great little pastime, and apparently quite healthy too. In fact, after a week of twice-a-day soaking we find that we are both better looking and more intelligent, so I’m happy to recommend the practice. There’s lots of places you can do this both around Desert Hot Springs and in the neighbouring towns. For the risqué of you lot there’s even nudy spa’s.

If after a morning of soaking and sunning you should happen to decide you need a frolic in alpine trees and snow, then Palm Springs, despite it’s name is ready to deliver. The Mount San Jacinto State Park, located  Just 20 mins from Desert Hot Springs and a monumental 2 ½ mile cable-car ride from the desert floor to a height of 8,516 feet is just the ticket. With 54 miles of hiking trails this is a unique micro-wilderness and well worth the visit.

And…the list doesn’t end there….we have

• Night’s out in Palm Springs. A hot-spot for foodies, bars and even casino’s
•  Golfing. If that’s your fancy, this area abounds with locations
• The Palm Springs Thursday night village fest & street fair. Music, arts and fooooood, and it’s dog-friendly too
• Farmer’s Markets. There’s one almost every other day somewhere close

Overall we were surprised how vibrant and varied this area is. Worth coming back, no doubt about it.

Snow & alpine wilderness in San Jacinto State Park

The 2 1/2 mile arial tramway to San Jacinto Park

Night out with Matt and Tracy in Palm Springs

Cabot's Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs...quirky and well worth a visit

The Ancient Weather Rock at Cabot's Museum: When rock is wet it's raining, when rock is white it's snowing, when rock is hard to see it's foggy, when rock is moving it's windy or there's an earthquake...ROCK IS NEVER WRONG