VINTAGE PALM SPRINGS



STUDIO HOUSE
CABOT'S PUEBLO MUSEUM

CABOT'S PUEBLO MUSEUM

       When Californians say they are going to the desert, they usually mean a trip to Palm Springs, a 140 mile drive from San Diego. They will also tell you it is just a two-hour drive, but it is a good two and one-half hours if you don't drive “Californian”. So here we are heading to the desert for two nights and 80 degree sunny days.

     The beauty of the Palm Springs area lies in the surrounding mountains which change color depending on the time of day and season. Golf is probably the biggest draw with over 130 golf courses. The temperatures are above 100 degrees in the summer—I would not want to live there year-round.
     We came to attend a special joint performance by ABBA and The Desert Symphony held at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert. It was particularly special to us because our son, Ben, was the sound engineer. This meant he sat out of sight in the back of the balcony doing his work. We had great seats, thanks to him.
     ABBA songs like “Mamma Mia”, “Dancing Queen”, “The Winner Takes It All”, “Knowing Me Knowing You” and “Take a Chance” were some of the popular favorites at this concert. It is a magnificent and rare performance when the ABBA band plays jointly alongside a first class orchestra like The Desert Symphony.
     ABBA started in 1971 and ended as a group in 1982. All of the music from the movie and play Mamma Mia originated from ABBA. The legacy goes on, thanks to “The World's Greatest Live ABBA Tribute Show.” The ten musicians, that include two female lead singers, sound and dress very much like the original group.
     The next day, we visited Cabot's Pueblo Museum. It is located in Desert Hot Springs, a 12 mile drive from Palm Springs. This unusual museum was designed and built by a very colorful character named Cabot Yerxa. He started the project in 1941, and it was a work in progress until his death in 1965. Built with whatever material he could find in the surrounding desert, it is often referred to as the “greenest” museum in America. The adobe-style and sun-dried bricks were handmade by Cabot in the courtyard.
      Sharing the Indian belief that evil spirits dwell in symmetry, he purposely left walls somewhat uneven, floors not perfectly level and every door slanted. The Hopi-inspired four-story pueblo has 35 rooms, 150 windows and 65 doors.
       When Cabot started developing the area, he dug two wells. Interestingly, he discovered that one had extremely hot water and the other was cold. It turned out that the temperature difference was due to each being on the opposite side of the Mission Creek Fault (a branch of the San Andreas Fault).
       Another popular thing to do in this area is to ride the Palm Springs AerialTramway to the top of Mount San Jacinto, 10,831 feet. Ben and I couldn't resist the opportunity,and it was well worth the time. The rotating tram travels two miles up the cliffs of Chino Canyon and takes ten minutes. At the top, we enjoyed spectacular views of the desert below, and an early morning hike on the 1 ½ mile Desert View Trail.
       If you have an interest in hiking to the bottom, don't try it, because it's too steep and rocky. You may hike up the mountain, which takes about 10-12 hours, but if you have a problem, there's no turning back. You need to have a cell phone to call for help, and then a rescuer hikes up to assist. A little scary in my opinion, but according to our tram conductor, there are people who hike it regularly.

THERE IS NO PLACE JUST LIKE THIS PLACE
ANYWHERE NEAR THIS PLACE, SO THIS MUST BE THE PLACE

WORKSHOP

NARROW DOOR
CABOT'S PUEBLO MUSEUM