Part 3 Pines to Palms Scenic Drive

I was getting too many pictures on the last blog which was causing me a lot of work to restore pictures that disappear as I try to realign. Ah well, no one wants to read a whole lot at one time anyway. So,

Leaving Idylwild brought us into the thick of the clouds,

which eventually changed into clear scrubby farmlands.

Off the mountain and arriving into the San Bernardino National Forest we drove to the Cahuilla Tewanet Vista Point (shown to the left here).

And the scenery continues to change often.

Reaching the end of the Pines to Palms Scenic Drive and we were in Desert Palms, the west side of Palm Springs.

You have reached the end...finally.

TTFN friends.

PART 2 Pines to Palms Scenic Drive

We continued traveling up the mountains when we left the Diamond Zen Center and the rocky landscape changed to fast moving, rolling clouds swooping up to converge upon snowcapped mountains.

Eventually, as you can see, the clouds won out obliterating the view below. WOW! We were actually above the clouds. In with the clouds, in with the cooler temperatures. Time to decend.

Down the mountain and around the curves we traveled Through the pines we drove when suddendly we chanced upon a picnic and day use area known as Lake Fulmor. It was a wee bit cool for a picnic I thought, but there were a few hardy souls eating at picnic tables and some fishing in Lake Fulmor. We stopped long enough to snap this pix. The next stop became Indian Vista. By now we were definately on the opposite side of the mountain ranges from Palm Springs. If there was a tram going down from Indian Vista one would most likely meet the Palm Springs Tram, leading up the other side of the mountains from us, out of Palm Springs, Ca. Along the ridge of these mountains is the western equivalent hiking tail of the Appalachian Trail; the Pacific Coast Trail. No, I have never set a foot onto the PCT. The entire region is known as the San Jacinto Wilderness.

We spent some time here once again watching the fast moving cloud cover moving into this area before continuing on.

If you were wondering if there was still any snow left in the higher elevations of the mountains, well a little here and there.

Around a few more curves and suddenly we are in Idyllwild. It is a very small tourist attraction town, relatively busy even in the late winter months. Hidden in the woods surrounding the town are many "summer homes". Places the folks living in the desert move to when the temperatures exceed 100deg. F in the summer.

Look for Part 3 next: TTFN

Pines to Palms Scenic Drive PART 1 Diamond Zen Center

No, it is not all work, work, work, for us here in the low desert of CA. The last time we were in California we saw a very crooked, curvy road that we thought would make an interesting drive. This time we tackled the road.

Remember the earlier pictures I posted showing the snow capped mountains in the background from where the twins live? These are those same mountains but on a day of the Sanna Anna winds! The air was FULL of blowing sand and smog. When we returned in the evening the winds were still ripping through the valley making it absolutely unsafe for 18-wheelers even RV'ers to be traveling along I-10. As we crossed over I-10 we (the truck) were pelted/sandblasted with sand. Tall vehicles attempting to cross during these winds storms are often blown over. It appears most of March is like this.

Anyway, we left the lower desert area for the pristine beauty of the mountains. The route took us north about 15 miles on I-10 before heading into the mountains toward Idlewild. We were amazed by all the rocky terrain and the green, which began shortly after our upward climb. I believe we eventually reach a height of 6,000 + feet.

Out of nowhere appeared a sign for the Diamond Zen Cener. Always curious we made the right hand turn and headed toward the Zen Center. We were completely surprised by what we found.

Yes, this is a real Budist praying in his Temple. We believe the Center is a work in progress and designed for people to come find peace and inner tranquality. There truly is a reverent feeling about the area and it is extremely quite and very peaceful. I think it would be a good cleansing of the soul to come here for a stay. It is located in a valley surrounded by green, boulder mountains and already there is housing available for guests. Very California.

Spending Time in Desert Hot Springs, Ca.

Yes, we did get the storage area cleaned. Sunrise, found here in the midst of "stuff" did work aggressively both inside and outside getting things organized. When finished the first time, there were aisles; they quickly got filled up putting more and more back inside. Yea, stuff is still outside too.

And Horizon is carrying things around from place to place getting ready to do her "washer woman" duties. Never did find out what was with her "costume". Guess she got cold working in the storage building and put the top on, never realizing it had crawled up. But then again she is covered up, just looks silly. No, I never did get a pix of the inside of the shed before it got crowded in there again. Seems it is such a lost cause for me, trying to help "the girls" get the shed in ship shape to be able to move around in there and do crafts. They have too much stuff and it's too hard to toss anything out. Or there isn't time now and they will go through things later and toss stuff out. Haven't we all been there before? After three intense days we turned to something more fun--beading and stringing jewelry. Yea, making jewelry is a lot more fun than moving and arranging and moving.

This beautiful purple Sedulite (I believe) is from Russia and not readily available anymore. Below is gold, pineapple quartz and chunky yellowish glass beads.

The first day of stringing was a marathon 11 hours of stringing. Sunrise and I loved every minute of those 11 hours. Horizon had gone to LA for her work so it was just the two of us. In total we strung 12 necklaces and earrings for all but 2 over a two day period. Sunrise just couldn't wait to put together this pretty pink quartz, purple and black heart necklace. Heart beads are her favorite. Fun to make and pretty and fun to wear! The girls had been to JoAnn Fabrics before we started playing with the beads and Sunrise remembered a 6-drawer rolling stack of drawers that just might work for all the gems, crystals, glass beads, seed beads, and findings they have collected over the last 5-6 years.

Yep, we took the drive into JoAnn Fabrics, about a 40 minute drive through the desert and across I-10 to Palm Desert. Came home 4 hours later after visiting Michaels, Trader Joes AND JoAnn Fabrics, with 3 of those 6-stacked drawers. Since Sunrise drives a small, 2 seater car there was only room in the trunk for 2 of those big devils. The last braced me into the car between my seat and the front window. Made it home without incident, thank goodness.

Don has been busy too, adding some electricity outlets to the inside of the shed. The long and short of the whole day meant Sunrise and I had to take bunches of the boxes and plastic tubs back outside so he had aisles to walk down. (Understand Horizon, lucky girl is still in LA) Don is also going to hang two fans. I helped him by placing the round gray insulator along the outside of the building. Don suggested we should try to hide the insulator as much as possible which I took to mean hiding it behind the cement blocks placed here and there under the shed. I volunteered to do this mind you and came away with lots of scratches and a swollen hand (hematoma) tugging this damn stuff along the ground and around the blocks while squeezing between the tamarac pine tree and the shed; from my knees to bending to standing. Oh yea, and I was suppose to watch out for recluse spiders too, hoping they would be more afraid of me. At last, at last it was finally time to hand off to Don who put it through the hole he had drilled into the shed wall. The next day we attempted to shove the insulated electrical wires through the gray insulator. Don pushed and powdered and pushed that wire trying to shove it from the shed to the electrical box on the other side of the shed; and from the electrical box back into the shed. No luck either way. He couldn't shove the wires around the corners. What to do? We talked the options over and decided he would pull out all the gray tubing we had placed yesterday and shove the wires through the tube then weave everything back once again under the shed, around the cement blocks, and past the tameric; everyone assuming the same tasks. Thankfully it is complete once again and he has started to attach wires, etc.

It hasn't been all work. Don and I did take a drive through the mountains one day, story of which will be posted on another day.

TTFN Katydid