Gypsy & The Navigator

On The Road Again...................The Back Road That Is!

"On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again"  Willie & Johnny

Walt was SO happy.  A whole day with nothing on the calendar.  Perfect for a back road drive.

We started north on Highway 88 through the stunning desert.

Our first stop was a short hike to an overlook where we got a glimpse of Weavers Needle.  Weavers Needle has played a significant role in the stories of the Lost Dutchmans Gold Mine. The Needle's shadow reportedly indicates the location of a rich vein of gold, and many treasure hunters have searched for it. The hunt for gold around Weavers Needle has been pursued by hundreds (possibly thousands) of people. Weavers Needle has a large split in the side that makes it look like it has two tops, not one. This can only be viewed from the side.

Soon we were at Canyon Lake. Canyon Lake is one of four reservoirs that were formed by the damming of the Salt River in Arizona. The lake was formed by the Mormon Flat Dam, which was completed in 1925 after two years of construction.  There is a steamboat named Dolly that does sightseeing cruises on Canyon Lake.  It is on our "to do" list. 

That little town nestled down there in the valley is Tortilla Flat.

Traffic Jam!  The population of Tortilla Flat today is 6.  That traffic jam is created by visitors.  Tortilla Flat got its start because of the road construction to Roosevelt Dam in 1904. There was a need for a stagecoach stop for freight haulers on their way to the construction site at Roosevelt Dam and Tortilla Flat served that purpose. Shortly following the construction of the road, Roosevelt Dam became a big tourist attraction. At that point Tortilla Flat was a stage stop for tourists and mail carriers through the 1930s.  Today Tortilla Flat is made up primarily of a small store and restaurant, which were constructed in the late 1980s after a fire consumed the existing store and restaurant on the same site.

They take breaking the law very seriously in Tortilla Flat.

We heard it was against the law to not have some of their Prickly Pear Gelato.  That is a very good law. Everyone should have a taste. Yum. 

As soon as you continue on Highway 88 from Tortilla Flat the road becomes a dirt road.  It starts out wide but rough.

I wonder if they come out here to gather the prickly pear fruit to make their prickly pear gelato.

 

The views as you climb and climb are spectacular. 

This view is from the Fish Creek Hill overlook.  See the road we will soon be heading down on.

The descent is 1500 feet in a very short distance.

The road narrows with lots of hair raising twists and turns.

 Now we are looking up instead of down.  

Cactus gardens are everywhere. 

We stopped for awhile at an Apache Lake overlook.  There is a short hike for a nice view of the lake. Apache Lake is 17 miles long and another lake in the Salt River Project. 

The Salt River really is beautiful as it meanders through the desert.  Always fascinates us how in the desert the water stays in the river bed and offers no moisture to the banks.  The cactus grow right down to the river edge. 

Isn't it nice that they have built up the road with a little sand pile on the edge so we don't careen off into the river?  I'm sure if the Navigator built up much speed he would easily blast right through that barrier. 

What is that?  It is Theodore Roosevelt Dam. This photo was taken from the car.  The road does turn just in time.

Theodore Roosevelt is the largest lake or reservoir located entirely within the state of Arizona (Lake Mead and Lake Powell are larger but both are located partially within the neighboring states of Nevada and Utah respectively). 

The Roosevelt Bridge is the longest two-lane, single-span, steel-arch bridge in North America. I love that they painted it blue so it would blend in with the sky and water. 

From Roosevelt Lake we headed back to Apache Junction on paved Highway 188 to connect with Highway 60 at Miami.  Miami is a classic Western copper boomtown, though the copper mines are largely dormant now.  

Not much traffic.  What a great day doing our favorite thing. 

"Drive slow and enjoy the scenery - drive fast and join the scenery."

Douglas Horton

A Hike Up Silly Mountain..............In Gold Canyon

Yes, it really is Silly Mountain.  For no other reason than a Pinal County Arizona public works employee who owned the second home to be built on the road leading up to the mountain named it. One day he told his supervisor he wanted to name the mountain Silly Mountain Road and apparently there were no objections, so the name stuck.

We have been SO lazy since we have been parked in Apache Junction.  Happily we went for a desert hike on Silly Mountain.

Easy to get to not far from where we are parked in Apache Junction.  The trailhead parking lot is just off Highway 60. 

It has several miles of trails that interconnect looping around and up the mountain.   

 

I always wondered how birds could sit right on cactus needles.  They even build nests on or in the cactus.  So I did a little research and found that birds feet are very tough. Their feet and legs are covered with tough scales. Their feet have no fleshy muscles - only tough tendons and a limited supply of nerves and blood.  So now I know............mystery solved.

   

Great view of the Superstition Mountains.  Where we are parked in Apache Junction we have a view of the other side.

We took the trails that looped around.  The climb was pretty high but we did not take the trail that leads to the summit. 

 The higher we climbed the rockier it became.

 Maybe they should have named it Rocky Mountain instead of Silly Mountain.

The trail back down was nice and sandy. 

 There is a small figure 8 Botanical Trail at the bottom.

A nice display of various types of cactus, bushes and trees.  The trail is well compacted making it accessible for anyone with a disability or for strollers for small children.

 A cholla tunnel.   Not something I want to walk through.

A splendid day in the desert.  We need to get back to doing this more often. 

 

Drove the back roads on our return. 

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity” 
― John Muir, Our National Parks

Palm Springs..............A Step Back In Time.

When the Palm Springs trip was planned my first thought was to go see some of the notable Mid-Century Architecture that Palm Springs is famous for.  When we lived in San Diego in the 60's we would go to Palm Springs for the week-end and all those houses, hotels,businesses and tourist spots were brand new.  Palm Springs was THE place to be in the 50's & 60's.  The list of movie stars that called Palm Springs their second home is long and they all had big beautiful homes. 

Our first stop was the Tramway Gas Station, this space-age style and breathtaking mid-century modern icon of Palm Springs architecture, is now the home of the Palm Springs Visitors Center.  It was formerly home to an Enco gas station. The gas station was often referred to as the "Tramway Gas Station" because of its location at the foot of Tramway Road, the long road leading to the entrance for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, commonly known as "The Palm Springs Tram" offers great mid-century modern architecture.

The Tramway Valley Station, constructed between 1949-1963, was designed by Albert Frey & Robson C. Chambers.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world.  The twelve-and-a-half minute ride begins at 2,643 ft and arrives at the top at 8,516 ft.  The floor of the 18-foot-diameter aerial tram-cars rotates constantly, making two complete revolutions throughout the duration of the journey so that the passengers can see in all directions without moving. With a maximum capacity of 80 passengers it is the largest of the three rotating aerial trams in the world.

It was cloudy when we were there so we couldn't see clear to the top.  But, what I could see was clear enough for me to know it was high.  For someone like me who has a fear of heights it isn't something I can do. There has only been one death and very few incidents since it opened in September 1963. Over 18 million people have ridden to the top to enjoy the view, play in the snow, hike the trails or eat at the mountain top restaurant but I am not one of them.  At least not yet..........never say never. 

The view from the road was pretty spectacular, even on a cloudy day.  The view at the top can stretch northward for more than 200 miles on a clear day, all the way to Mount Charleston north of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Views to the east and west can stretch as far as 75 miles. California's Salton Sea is plainly visible to the southeast. It does make me regret that I am missing that. 

 The Kaufmann House was designed by Richard Neutra in 1946.  It was built for  Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr., a Pittsburgh department store tycoon as a desert retreat from cold Pennsylvania winters.  A decade earlier, Kaufmann commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. After Kaufmann died in 1955, the house stood vacant for several years. It then had a series of owners, including singer Barry Manilow and San Diego Chargers owner Eugene V. Klein. 

The residence today is still privately owned and was recently listed for sale at approximately $15 million.   

Since I didn't want to take a chance on being arrested for trespassing I found a photo on the internet of what the house looks like from the back.  I love all that glass!

 Elvis' Honeymoon House. 

The Alexander Estate originally dubbed "the house of tomorrow" was built by prolific Palm Springs developer Robert Alexander for his family.  The dominating feature from the street is the polygonal glass bedroom floating beneath a bat-winged roofline.  This modernist iconic estate consists of three stories in four concentric circles and there is not a square room in the home. The Alexanders tragically passed away in a private plane crash in 1965. In 1966, Elvis Presley leased the estate for one year for $21,000. The original plan was to host his marriage to Priscilla on the property's grounds, until the media learned about it. The ceremony was moved to the Aladdin in Las Vegas, and the couple was whisked back to this Palm Springs landmark the very same day, where Elvis carried Priscilla over the threshold and began their honeymoon.

Being able to only see a portion of the outside not hidden by walls or landscaping I thought that the entry was its best feature.  You cross stepping stones over the trickling water to get to the gate. 

One of the recurring features of mid-century modern architecture is the privacy afforded from the street.    This is the home designed by architect Donald Wexler for Dinah Shore in 1964.  Who remembers the Dinah Shore Show or the Dinah Shore Chevy Show?  Oh how I loved those shows. Everyone dressed up in beautiful clothes and so many stars coming on to sing and do skits with Dinah. The best was Dean Martin and the Dino & Dinah skits were my favorites. She had anyone who was anyone at that time on her show.   

The Dinah Shore multi leveled single story mansion is said to include walls of floor to ceiling glass which frames views of the verdant back yard and the magnificent mountains beyond.  I understand that Leonardo DiCaprio purchased the home last year for $5+million.

 No information of anyone famous who lived here but I loved the symmetry of it.  Appeals to OCD people like me.......everything in perfect order. 

 

The Orbit In was built by Herb Burns, the first designer/builder to introduce Palm Springs to the "ultra modern motor court inn" , which featured large studio style rooms with sitting areas and kitchenettes, surrounding the pool.  It was originally completed in 1947.  

It is still in business and the new owners have done extensive renovations in keeping with the original architecture.  

 The Saguaro Palm Springs was actually built in 2012 but the architecture is mid-century modern to the max. 

 It has 312 rooms. Though generally positively regarded for its airy rooms and comprehensive cable channel selection, the hotel's literal center piece is its pool and jacuzzi. On a normal day, an average of 545 revelers ranging in ages from 6 months to 87-years old descend on the pool.  It is said to be a favorite of todays Hollywood Stars. 

 

This and That Around Palm Springs

 

I originally thought this beautiful flower art was and M but am wondering if it is a W because it is on the Westin Mission Hills Golf Course in Rancho Mirage which is next to Palm Springs. Either way it is a feast for the eyes. 

There is a lot of street art as you walk around downtown Palm Springs.   

The flowers were everywhere.  They made me miss my yard.............briefly. 

Oh So Palm Springs!  A SUPPERCLUB.  Visions of the Rat Pack out for a night on the town.  

The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is on the streets of Palm Canyon Drive, Tahquitz Canyon Way, La Plaza Court and Museum Drive in downtown Palm Springs, where "Golden Palm Stars" are embedded in the sidewalk pavement.  It includes Medal of Honor recipients, Former Presidents and Stars that have lived in Palm Springs at one time. 

Look..............it's Marilyn.  Love those pink umbrellas.  

Does this sign on the street make you want to run right into their Antique Store and make a purchase? 

We are thinking that we can come up with the $5 down if they will make the monthly payment at $5 as well.   

 I think that this was our favorite place to eat while we were there.  Salmon and chips............so good and the Clam Chowder was as good as I've ever had. 

They had a nice patio that added to the enjoyment.  

 

There was even some Art Deco Architecture.   

 

Palm trees everywhere you look.  A fond farewell to Palm Springs. 

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” 
― Anita Desai

Palm Springs..............Timeless Beauty

It was raining heavily as we left for a long week-end in Palm Springs.  But, we love every inch of the rain in the desert. 

As we headed west on I10 the rain stopped but the clouds remained.

We zipped on past Quartzsite.  There were patches of sun on the mountains and a bit of blue in the sky.

Our son, Rob, works for Marriott's and through him we were able to get a great discount at the JW Marriott Palm Desert Resort and Spa.  What a treat.  As soon as we drove onto the grounds we knew we were in for something special.

The hotel is surrounded by golf courses and shimmering waterways.

We were on the 5th floor and had a view from our balcony overlooking the golf course and palm trees, palm trees, palm trees.  Our room was much larger than Gypsy and even had a separate bathtub and walk in shower.  Luxury much enjoyed.

There were several pools on the grounds and water everywhere.

The water  comes right into the lobby.

Parked in the lobby are their version of gondolas that take you for a ride on the lakes.

They can take you to the Blue Star Lounge or the Rockwood Grill and other Restaurants.  We ate one night at the Fisherman's Landing and the food was excellent.  

One of the lakes even had flamingos.   

Everywhere you look there are flowers and points of beauty.

Excellent service and lots of amenities. 

And here is the reason we are in Palm Springs.  Cheer competition for this beautiful young lady.

Anyone who says that Cheerleading is not a sport has never been to one of these competitions. We are astounded at the energy that pumps through the hall when the performances are on.  So proud of Brianna for her hard work, commitment and dedication. 

"Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best."

Michael Johnson