Modernism Week

Feb 22/17  Weather 75 sunny, gorgeous day for a double decker bus ride!
The Palm Springs area has some of the most prestigious residential properties in all the USA.  We purchased tickets to take a tour during Modernism Week in Palm Springs, we heard it is one of the best ways to see the many architects of the 1950's to 1970's.  The city celebrates and fosters the appreciation of mid century architecture and design, as well as contemporary thinking in these fields, by encouraging education, preservation and sustainable modern living as represented in Palm Springs.  Our tour was 2 1/2 hours and when you take the ride on the top of the double decker bus you can see into the yards of the homes which otherwise by car you could not see.  It is a "who's who" list of celebrities.  You name it, they were here.  We saw the homes of Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Liberace, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Kirk Douglas, Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Gable, Sammy Davis Jr, Jack Benny, Ava Gardner, William Holden, Peter Lawford, Movie Moguls - Warner and Goldwyn, Lear (from Lear Jets), Barry Manilow, Sonny & Cher's, Ray Bradbury(writer) and Leonardo DiCaprio,,,,,,,, and more.   After we looked at our pictures, we honestly couldn't remember who's house was who's except for a few.  The tour was to show you the notable Architects of that timeframe which really set Palm Springs apart. We really enjoyed our day, the modern home designs were way ahead of their times. 

Look at that roofline

this was a Frank Lloyd Wright design

this was a Swiss Miss style

Frank Sinatra's Twin Palm estate

Liberace's home

Walk of Stars in Palm Springs

Feb 22/17  Weather sunny, mid 70's, night 50. 

Downtown Palm Springs, Palm Canyon Drive - stars are in the sidewalk

Great day for visiting Palm Springs during Modernism Week and then some walking around the old area in downtown Palm Springs.  There are 3 streets with the stars embedded in the sidewalks - Museum Drive, Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way.  Randomly we went for a walk from the P.S. Museum along Palm Canyon Drive for a bite to eat and back.  The Walk of Stars honorees had to live in the Palm Springs area and were suppose to contribute to the charm, world wide prominence and name recognition of Palm Springs.  Persons and Animals from Show Business, Literary, Pioneers and Civic Leaders, Humanitarians, & Military are showcased. 

square in downtown Palm Springs with fountains

Merv Griffin - stage/radio/film/tv

bank building from Modernism Architect era

Scrub a Dub Dub

Feb 20/17  Sunny, 77 high  low 52. 
Beautiful day to get a Christmas present from Mom.  Every year she gives us a Wash and Wax on the Coach.  The crew of 4 were all over the rig including the trailer.  This time we had the carpets cleaned inside too.  Ahhhh,,,, it's like brand new.  Sparkling!

A crew of 4 were all over the rig cleaning and waxing

When "Stuff" Happens, Look on the Bright Side

Feb 14/17  Valentines Day  80+ and sunny.
15 & 16 Hot 17 Storm coming, 18 showers.

our new wheels and tires

We thought we were heading up into the San Jacinto mountains for an overnight ride on the motorcycle when  "stuff happens" occurred.  Lucky for us Billy just happen to notice something stuck in our rear tire when he was getting the bike out of our trailer.  A couple of metal pieces were embedded in the tire but it was not leaking ...... yet.  We rode it on the back roads over to the Palm Springs Harley shop and asked for an emergency repair.  Once the tire was off the service tech found that our rim had a couple broken spokes and some other issues.  Bad news was we needed a tire and rim, and the rim was not in stock so we would have to leave the motorcycle for a few days.  Oh, oh.  Good news is we could have been on it riding and had a flat or accident or worse.   There is always a bright side to every "stuff happens" situation.  Thank you Guardian Angel for looking out for us.  (I secretly think my Dad up above is watching out for us).  Big smile :)  
So while we were at it we decided to bite the bullet and get 2 new tires and 2 new wheel rims in a totally new style.  5 spoke chrome mag wheels with black tires, no more white walls, no more little spokes.  Cleaning it will be a whole lot easier from now on.   So Tuesday to Saturday we had no motorcycle, but that's ok we just relaxed at the RV Park and we had our bicycles and a Walmart about a block away.  When we picked it up I told Billy that would be his Valentine present for the next 10 years!!! 
P.S.  we did learn a valuable tip from this.  We had to get back and forth from the Harley dealership to the campground so we downloaded "UBER" and requested a ride.  In 5 minutes we were picked up by a nice lady and clean car; at less than half the cost of a cab, for a 24 mile ride, no money exchanges hands, it has your credit card info and after we were dropped off we had a receipt in our email inbox.  How slick is that!   We did it again to pick up the bike. another great driver.  Definitely never hesitate to use UBER in the future anywhere, anytime.

Line Dancing Mania

Month of February/2107

There is a delightful lady named Carol who leads/teaches line dancing 3 times a week here at the RV Park.  She is so patient and fun loving and happy.  Carol is awesome.  The class goes for an hour and you can come early to get some one on one time with the teacher too!  Billy has not ventured up for the line dancing (there are actually quite a few guys in the class) but Rosey has not missed 1 class since we came into the park.  It is a "blast".  My Fitbit is getting over 12,000 steps a day on the days that line dancing occurs.  What a great way to get exercise..... while having fun.  Just love it!

the clubhouse is full on line dance class days

Boot Scootin Boogie - now to get some cowboy boots!!!

Snowbird Convention

Feb 13/17  Weather hot and sunny, 84 low 58

CSA information

Today we went to a Canadian Snowbird Association meeting at the Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio.  We don't actually belong to the association but have heard so many good things about it; and we are snowbirds!  The first hour was numerous presentations concerning medical insurance coverage, the money exchange program, and other benefits the group offers by joining.  Only $25 a year.  One thing that was interesting to know is that by belonging they will provide  legal services to you for any border or out of country situation that might come up in your life while travelling.  They also lobby for changes to our Canadian Government that will benefit you as a Snowbird.  They were the advocate for extending the days out of Ontario with our OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) it was 183 and went to 212.  Sounds like a good organization to belong to, anything to better our travel time is impressive to us.  The last half of the afternoon was entertainment.  Excellent entertainment - Michelle Wright sang and then John McDermott crooned us.  McDermott could sing without any instrumental accompaniment.  He ended the session with Danny Boy.  What a tear jerker.

Michelle Wright is 9 miles from our hometown in Ontario

Dr. George Car Show

Feb 11/17 
What a day!  A cemetery and a car show.  Billy sometimes thinks we are bizarre when I ask him to take us to such and such an address and it turns out to be a graveyard.  So here we are at the biggest car show in the Valley.

row upon row of cars

All week we have been hearing about this mega car show; over 1,000 cars on the 20 acres at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.   What a great venue, it was the largest we have ever been to.   We spent the good part of the day walking the rows.  The entrance to visitors is all donation for the Desert Cancer Foundation. 

beautiful paint job

oh wow,,,,,,,,, 1995 Ferrari F50 GT Super Car

Gotta love gearheads...

Billy checking out a sweet ride

not every car is red!

The Beat Goes On

Feb 11/17  Weather suppose to be 74 and cloudy, but it cleared and was quite warm 79, night 58.
Palm Springs is known for being a playground for the rich and famous.  It's been decades since Frank Sinatra and other celebrities turned Palm Springs, California into their playground, to escape the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.

Desert Memorial Park - every Wednesday they remove all flowers and memorabilia left

In Cathedral City which is near Palm Springs you will find a couple of notable interments in the Desert Memorial Park.  What is remarkable is how simple and  plain the grounds are.  We did find "ol blue eyes" and half of the duet of Sonny and Cher.  Sonny Bono was more than a singer/songwriter he was also a politician being the 14th mayor of Palm Springs and a Congressman for California.  

Frank Sinatra - The Best is Yet to Come

While we were at Frank's grave site there were three teenagers also paying their respects.  We asked them if they knew where Sonny Bono was buried they had no clue who he was.....  we said  "you know Sonny and Cher".  "Oh right, is that his name?".  

Sonny Bono - and the beat goes on

 

Every Wednesday at 6 AM, all flowers in the cemetery are removed, - See more at: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2032#sthash.QxdKM08D.dpuf

Every Wednesday at 6 AM, all flowers in the cemetery are removed, - See more at: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2032#sthash.QxdKM08D.dpuf

Box Canyon Road

Feb  9/17  Weather hot and sunny 85, low 58.  We are getting some hot days right now in the Palm Springs area.

a map of biker rides

At the Harley shop we picked up a Southern California motorcycle scenic road trips map.   There are about 30 rides in the map and we found one road very close to our campground that we had not explored before - Box Canyon Road.  It is only about 10 miles out from us so we thought lets just ride out one way then turn around and ride back.  The road always looks different going both ways; and this time coming back gave us great views of the mountain ranges and the Salton Sea.

From the crest of the Mecca Hills you can see the Salton Sea

Mecca Hills

riding into Mecca Hills on Box Canyon Road

Box Canyon Road winds its way through the Mecca Hills.  Among the hills is the  ladder canyon hike which we found out is one of the best slot canyon hikes in California. The Mecca hills were formed by the convergence of the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate along the San Andreas Fault.  Riding along you will see many bicyclists, hikers, campers and motorcycles.  The ride is 20 miles each way; and there is nothing out there so fuel up before you go.  We were surprised to see so many off the grid campers.  The oddest thing was the Apiary !  and the Beekeeper was working among the hives - he just gave us a friendly wave as we went by.  How cool is that?

Apiary on Box Canyon Road

Winds in the Cochella Valley

Feb 7/17   Weather sunny 77, low 59.
Today we had to take our motorcycle over to North Palm Springs which is about 25 miles from our RV park in Indio.  We reminded ourselves this is why we always stay in the East end of the Cochella Valley.  The winds.  Remember this as there are lots of parks down in the west area,  you want to stay in the east.....

wind towers everywhere

The San Gorgonio Pass is one of the deepest mountain passes in the 48 contiguous states.   The mountains to either side rise almost 9,000 feet above the pass; Interstate 10 and a rail line run right through the pass to the Los Angeles basin.    Perfect place to have a Wind Farm - the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm.

it is a huge area

When we arrived at the Harley dealership the winds were really whipping up and the dust was blowing.  After we had left and drove into Cathedral City they actually had to close a couple of the north/south roads due to the dust storm. 

ahead of us on the bike..... you could hardly see

Glad to get out of the windy area we headed for a Burger joint that we saw on the Food Network TV show.  It was part of the Best Burgers from Coast to Coast.  Tony's Burgers in Cathedral City.   Billy tried the burger which he said was great, one of the best he had had in a long time.  Rosey had the Fish Tacos which is one of their specialty plates.  Awesome!  Forgot all about that crazy windy dusty drive.

Tony's Burgers -  there is a burger in the left corner but this is the Fish Tacos

What a view going into Cochella Valley

Feb 1/17  Weather sunny and 78, low 55
When we drove into the Palm Springs area a few years ago we approached it from the Northwest.  This time we are westbound on Interstate 10, totally different view. There is a 6% grade for 10 miles descending into the Cochella Valley, which was no trouble just take our time.  

Cochella Valley map

The views out our motorhome window of the surrounding mountain ranges were beautiful and covered in "snow".    We had forgotten how high the ranges are and how low the valley is; it took us by surprise. 

interstate 10 westbound into Cochella Valley

look at those mountain tops

We are going to stay for a month in Indio which is a city in the Cochella Valley       (the others are La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Cochella, Indian Wells, Bermuda Dunes, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs) and do a bit more exploring of the area.  The motorcycle riding is great here with the nearby mountain ranges however; we might not be able to get into some of the roads as we heard there is up to 4 feet of snow over 7,000 feet!  Yikes!  How amazing is that?  In the Valley the weather is consistently beautiful 70's to 80's with low humidity.  Nice.

view from the pool/clubhouse area in our rv park

Our park for the month is Indian Waters RV Resort, nice park with a great view.  We have a big long pull thru, which is so much easier for us pulling the trailer.  The park has a calendar full of activities so Rosey just might have to partake in some; keep you posted on what those might be like.  No not bingo; thinking more along the lines of yoga and line dancing.  I got this Fitbit charge 2 for Christmas from my boys and it counts my steps everyday.  It is a great little gadget motivator.  Every hour it tells me to keep moving!!!   There is an older fellow (I will guess he is about 75) across from us and he wears a Fitbit.    He walks and goes to line dancing and it all counts as steps; he had over 12,500 the other day!  Gosh, I've been cruising along at 8,000 plus steps thinking that was ok.  So maybe line dancing is the key to health?  

that little wrist Fitbit will make you get up and go

Now made even better

Jan 31/17  Weather sunny, 77 high 52 low
Yuma is warming up day by day.  Soon in the 80's.  However we are moving on to California for Feb 1.   Yuma did have the best Fry's Grocery store we have ever been in.   While picking up some food we found a display of Ducktape with about 40 different scenes and colours !!!

flamingos walking along the little campers

Cloud Museum and a fine layer of dust

Jan 28/17  Weather sunny 75 high low 52

Johnny Cloud cruising around his museum talking to the patrons

There was a small brochure at the park office when we checked in that interested Billy so we thought we would go take a look today.  It is not far from Yuma about 10 miles into California near a little village called Bard.  We looked on Roadside America which often lists obscure and unusual places but did not see it in their listing.  After we spent a few hours at the personal museum of Johnny Cloud; we just might have to tell Roadside America about the place.  It definitely should be on their site...... and the American Pickers would have a ball at this place!

a very early bicycle

spinning wheel

Cushman scooter

 A long time Bard, California resident who began the collection in 1989. The collection includes cars, trucks, tractors, power tools, hand tools, household equipment, boat engines, wheels, items from local businesses including the old Bard Post Office, plus many more items too numerous to mention. The collection is vast, overwhelming, well organized, and incredibly impressive.  Oh and the fine layer of dust on everything is free!

parked outside, there is a honor system box inside the gate for $5 admission

a row of pulleys

a very old RV

branding irons

row after row of old vehicles

hey Billy and Rosey whatcha doing?

the cars and trucks are in pretty good shape