Friday, March 1, 2013

Tahquitz Canyon


Located right off the main drag of Palm Springs, the Tahquitz Canyon, is about a 90 minute hike round-trip.  There is the option to go on a ranger guided tour, however, we decided to do the hike on our own.  The cost  is the same either way, but you'll need to make sure you arrive in time for one of the ranger guided tours if that is your preference.

When arriving, you are provided with an easy to read map of the trail, which will eventually lead you to a waterfall.  The scenery during the trip is outstanding, and the waterfall at the end is definitely worth the hike.  You can even hop in to the little pool created by the waterfall, as we saw some others do (just make sure to take your cell phone out of your pocket first!).

Also, if planning this trip, each person MUST have at least a bottle of water with them.  Remember, you are in the desert and need to stay hydrated.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway


The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is quite an experience.  The main station is located outside the main area of Palm Springs and needs to be reached by car (unless you want to do some very serious incline hiking!)  Once you get your ticket, you'll ride the tramway all the way to the top of San Jacinto Mountain, a State Park, which has a final elevation of 8,516 feet.  Keep in mind it will be significantly colder at the top, probably with snow, so make sure to dress appropriately.

During the ride up, the tramway revolves in a full circle twice, giving everyone the opportunity for some great views of both the mountain, as well as the valley below.  We'd highly recommend doing this during daylight hours, especially first thing in the morning, for the best views, and the lowest crowds.

At the top, you can continue taking in the breathtaking views of the valley, or turn around and go hiking or snowshoeing through San Jacinto State Park.  We only explored a little bit at the top, but there are numerous trails for visitors to explore, as well as 2 restaurants.

When in Palm Springs, this should definitely be an attraction to visit.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Joshua Tree National Park


Famous from various movies and TV shows, the Joshua Tree National Park, located about 1 hour outside of Palm Springs, CA, is a must visit.  You'll obviously see a ton of Joshua Trees while there, but there is so much more to this vast park.  You get an excellent taste of what desert life is like in this region of California from the cacti to the rock formations.

There are 3 entry points into the park by car, and we'd recommend entering by the main Joshua Tree Visitor's Center, as they have more souvenirs than the others, plus there is a cafe there which will make you a boxed lunch to have in the park for later in the day.  In addition, make sure you bring plenty of water with you.  We took frozen bottles of water with us provided by our hotel, which kept them nice and cold all day.

It would take several days, or more, to do everything in the park.  To maximize your time there, we'd recommend sharing your interests with one of the Park Rangers at the Visitor's Center and asking them for their recommendations on what to do with your time.  Personally, we loved the Key View, as well as some of the 1 to 2 mile hikes that were around the park.  The Cholla Cactus garden was also quite different and neat to see.