Page 22 - FlipBook

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
a guide and explore some of the plants, animals and geology. The Preserve on the northern side of the Coachella Valley at the foot of the Indio Hills is the Old West just minutes from Palm Springs. The Canyon contains large, rare and fragile desert wetland and palm oases, with water from the San Andreas Fault feeding seeps, creeks and ponds and supporting unusual animal species. Enjoy picnicking, hiking and the rustic Visitors Centre – the Palm House where 45km of walking trails begin, leading through a variety of landscapes. (www.coachellavalleypreserve.org)
Another way to be out in the fabulous landscape is with off-road tour company Desert Adventures offering a variety
of tours led by experienced guides and drivers in red Jeep Scramblers. A range of in-depth, educational, and fun tours are available to canyon, desert and wilderness areas. They also have a private 325 hectare Metate Ranch, with miles of pristine desert for exploring via Jeep, bike, or on foot;
a private natural palm oasis with water bubbling out of the underground aquifer year round; and steep-walled canyons thrust up by the San Andreas Fault and carved by erosion.
(www.red-jeep.com.com)
TO DO LIST
An easy way to get a bird’s eye view of
the amazing surrounds is a ride in a rotating tramcar on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway that ascends 4km along the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon, up to the coolness at 2600 metres above sea level (bring a jacket) maybe seeing heavy snow on the peak in winter and expansive views of the Coachella Valley and the briny dessert lake Salton Sea. At the top, the Mountain Station has restaurants, a
A Rotating Tram Car
museum and more than 20 km of hiking trails to explore the pristine Mt San Jacinto State Park, on foot in summer and in winter on skis or snowshoes. (www.pstramway.com)
Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley were important in World War II with airfields
in the area used as staging areas for Air Corps Ferrying Command, Transport Command; plus the whole region used as Patton’s Desert Training Centre. History comes alive and visitors can get close to vintage World War II, Korea and Vietnam era aircraft at Palm Springs Air Museum with 59 flyable and static planes on display. Different hangars house exhibits from
the Pacific War including Pearl Harbour; uniforms and weapons; aircraft used by the US Army in Europe in WWII; the Cold war, Korean and Vietnam. There is an extensive research library; documentaries to watch; computer flight simulators; and a well-stocked gift shop with unusual items related to World War II, the military and aviation. There are flight exhibitions most Saturday afternoons, and a flower drop on Memorial Day. Rides in a vintage Warbird airplane are also available. (www.palmspringsairmuseum.org)
Learn about renewable energy and see enormous wind turbines up close on a Palm Springs Windmill Tour about 10km north of the city. The informative two- hour guided tour in an air conditioned bus includes the history of renewable energy; the trials with early wind power generation in the Coachella Valley; restored exhibits of historic windmills; tour of a working wind farm; the latest technology in wind power generation
as well as visits to solar generation, and natural gas power plants. Using air flow
Tahquitz Canyon Visitor Centre
through wind turbines to mechanically power generators for electricity, wind power is shown to be plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions, consumes no water, and uses little land. (www.windmilltours.com)
In desert country, an appropriate place to visit is Moorten Botanical Garden of cacti and other desert plants. On South Palm Canyon Drive, this historic landmark has been going since 1938, named after desert- plant specialists the Moorten family who decided to convert their property into a living plant museum. The garden is home to more than 3,000 plants arranged by geographic region. (www.moortenbotanicalgarden.com)
And with Palm Springs a playground
for Hollywood celebrities since the 1920s, a fitting tour to undertake is Elvis
Joshua Tree National Park
22 JANUARY 2018