(Happy New Year! Now that the holiday madness is over, I hope I can return to some more regular posts!)
Until recently, all I knew about Joshua Tree was that it was a U2 album. And all I knew about the Palm Desert area was that it was known for its mid-century modernist architectural and design style. Nonetheless, we were excited to get to California.
We found a place in Desert Hot Springs with availability and a pool, set the GPS and headed westward. When we got there, somehow, and maybe it was psychosomatic, but the air was different. It was still hot, but it was windy and the music was different – better (106.5FM on the recommendation of my good friend, La Carmina). I felt like we had been transported. And so, we ordered sushi.
The next morning, Charlie had a couple quick calls, so I fashioned some activities for the kids before we headed to the outlets, on recommendation by our friends in Surprise.
Painter’s tape obstacle course
(best not done in a tutu)
The asphalt is lava!
I was so in awe of the number of wind turbines we saw on the highway. Turns out, you can do tours (including self-driving tours), but they were booked up on the times we were available so we couldn’t get a slot. Oh well, another bookmark for next time. In the meantime, here are some basics about wind energy from the American Wind Energy Association.
After we got our retail fill, we headed back to the campsite for lunch and a dip. We had ordered so much sushi because my eyes are always bigger than my stomach when it comes to sushi, I had the rest for lunch.
Following lunch and some down time, we headed back out to check out some dinos we had seen from the highway, the Cabazon Dinosaurs. The kids loved it, and I appreciated the misters to help manage the heat. It is a roadside attraction that’s worth stopping for, but I was not feeling so great, so it was hard for me to appreciate.
Before we pulled out of the parking lot, Charlie had to pull over by Spanky’s BBQ (or maybe it was Burger King?) so I could get out of the car and relinquish my lunch. I admit, I love sushi and hate food waste, but let this be a lesson learned: eat all the sushi in one sitting, and don’t try to save it for tomorrow. Also, don’t assume California has decent sushi even though it’s closer to the ocean.
