Palm Springs

It was time to explore Palm Springs, a distance of 40 km west or 30 minutes on the I-10. We weren't overly impressed with the desert village atmosphere. Maybe we were expecting too much of the town where old Hollywood stars, such as Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, had holiday homes.

We decided to do a hike as our map showed a trail head right by the Art Museum. It was a rocky, steep climb that Linda felt apprehensive about so she chose to explore the shops along Palm Canyon Drive, while I forged ahead. I later learned that the Skyline Trail has the greatest elevation gain of any trail in the US....10,600 feet from the desert to the summit. It has also had several deaths from heat exhaustion, mostly during the Spring and Summer when the temperature climbs into the high 40s. I only climbed for 45 minutes so I could get a good view of Palm Springs and then returned to meet Linda at the car.Read more