Palm Springs ~ Coachella Valley, California

We love rv’ing all over the country but there is one place that we love the most and that is Palm Springs, California. We have been rv’ing here many times over the years. Sometimes it was for just a few days as we passed through to get to other locations but we would always come back.

Palm Springs is much like home in many ways, and  in a fairly central location for access to much of southern California. The sun is shining all the time, so what more could we ask for our winter vacations?

Palm Springs is located in the Coachella Valley, one city of many that stretch through the valley. Palm Springs is the familiar name to most so we refer to the whole valley as that when we talk about it but in fact there are nine cities. See the map at the bottom to see what I mean. Here are some pictures of this area.

Square in downtown Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs was the most famous city of the valley. We have seen a lot of changes in the Coachella Valley over the years that we’ve been rv’ing here. The population of Palm Springs is almost 48,000 but the entire Coachella Valley is 410,000 with a seasonal influx of about 100,000 people.

We usually stay in Cathedral City, which gives easy access to everything. We can get anywhere within twenty minutes or so, even in heavy traffic times. There are several RV parks in the valley, depending on what you require of your park.

San Jacinto Mountains from RV park

The gated park we recently had the fortune to stay in is for long term stays. Our friends live here for the winter season every year and love it. It is a community of like-minded retirees and is one of the most welcoming places to stay. There are wonderful amenitites available to all those that stay here. Most RV’ers who come here for a visit, end up buying their own place and come back every winter.

There are swimming pools and hot tubs scattered around the park and they also have laundromats at each of these locations. There is a woodworking shop, a crafters room, library, gym and more. There are organized social groups for many things and lots of evening entertainment for those that want to participate.

Morning view from back patio of RV

The green spaces have fountains that offer the sound of splashing water that seems so calming for everyone. The ducks enjoy an occasional visit in the ponds and we’ve even spotted a blue heron who will stop on his way by for a look into the pond.

The Great Roadrunner

There are bunnies and roadrunners who make an appearance now and then, too. The bunnies stay hidden till it gets dark but the roadrunners are fairly brave and stay to forage the insects they want to eat. They know they can sprint away quickly if they need to, they will fly if avoiding a predator but they know there are none here in the park.
Roadrunners, part of the cuckoo family are 18”-24” from tail to beak and can run up to 32 km/h (20 mph). I found it interesting to learn that during the cold desert nights they will lower their body temperature and then during the day will expose dark patches of skin on their back to the sun. We call that solar panel heating !

Grapefruit tree at our RV pad in Palm Springs

Fruit trees can be seen all over southern California but it sure is a treat to have one in our own back yard. They ripen in the spring so are not good eating yet but when that time comes, there will be an abundance on this tree.

Palm trees line Street in RV Park California

Palm trees are the tree of choice in the valley. There are several kinds but the most common in the park are the date palms. Palms are the signature tree for southern California and seem to add to the magic of the valley.

 Bougainvillea Tree - California

The beautiful Bougainvillea plant is seen all over the valley. They can be trained to grow tall, like a tree, as was this one in the photo above, or grown as a shrub, bush or vine, according to how it is pruned. Magenta seems to be the most common colour, but we also saw purple, pink and red blossoms. As pretty as they are, bougainvillieas are full of thorns but are very hardy and drought resistant.

Palm Springs Plaza Theater

The old Palm Springs Plaza Theater, downtown Palm Springs was a movie theater in its early years but it shut down in the 80’s and sat empty until a very clever man, Riff Markowitz decided he wanted to produce a follies show and that he did in a glorious way in 1991. The interior is beautiful and takes you back in time to the days of old.

Palm Springs Follies

The Palm Springs Follies is a music, dance and comedy show with music of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Riff Markowitz, the founder, also emcee’s the show with his style of humor and offers us a show not to be forgotten. The most amazing part of this show is that all of them are entertainers from that very era.

The showgirls range in age from 50 to 86 today. The Guinness world record set in 2008 for the oldest performing showgirl still working was 84. They are all beautiful and have legs that any woman will envy. This show should not be missed. To learn more or book the show for you visit, clik on their link.

The Follies includes a guest star that changes from one season to the next. We had the pleasure of seeing Gloria Loring perform on two separate occasions and she has a beautiful voice that gives you shivers. Any opportunity you may have to see Gloria sing is a must. Visit Gloria’s webpage to see where this very accomplished lady may be performing, her CD’s are available on her webpage.

College of the Desert Street Fair

There are 340 vendors participating in the College of the Desert Street Fair, located on the campus, that carry new merchandise, arts and crafts as well as lunch sites and the Farmers Market. The Alumni Association uses the funds raised at the Street Fair to provide student scholarships and financial aid to fun many other college programs and projects. The Street Fair patronage allows the Alumni Association to continually support the College on the Desert.

Street Fair shuttle

The shuttle is available to transport visitors from the parking lot to the street fair and back again. It is great if you find yourself with your arms full of bags and can be a long walk after all that shopping. The Street Fair is open on Saturdays and Sundays.

October to May the shuttle operates from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; June to September, 7 a.m. to noon with free parking.  Come early and plan to stay awhile. There is much to see and you're able to have lunch while you're there.

I’ve told you a bit of the wonderful life in Palm Springs but there is so much more! I plan on doing that on future blogs pages. I will save that for our next Palm Springs visit, so stay tuned.

Seven of these cities do seem to all be one city as there is no break between them. They are Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Indio, west to east. They are on Highway 111 and it is 35 km (20 mi) from one end to the other, about a 25 minute drive. Interstate 10 bypasses these cities and gives access to them all to shorten the drive, but you’d miss much of the Coachella appeal. The towns on the north side of I-10 are Desert Hot Springs and Twenty Nine Palms.

Remembrance Day, Canada ~ Veteran's Day, USA

Remembrance Day has always been a special time for our family as my dad served in World War 2 and it was important that we honor our fallen soldiers and pay tribute to them all on November 11 at 11 am. I felt that we were honoring only those who had died but as time goes on, I realize that there were other sacrifices made by our soldiers and they should be honored as well.

Most of the surviving soldiers of the world wars have now passed on but we will forever honor all those who have paid and will pay the price of being part of the Armed Forces in the line of duty.  Today we honor them all.

We visited Patriot Park in Cathedral City several times over the last few days and nights, and it is a very emotional feeling to be standing here with thoughts of all those young men and women who have given their life for their country.  And to also think of the moms and dads and siblings of those same soldiers and mourn with them for their losses.

Here are some pictures that show this moving memorial.

Patriot Park in Cathedral City, CA  USA

This same day is called Veteran’s Day in the United States of America. Celebrations and parades are held all over the country to honor those veterans who are here and able to celebrate with us. 

There are several cities in the USA that pay tribute with the Healing Fields. Cathedral City in California is one city that will hold a memorial event today at the site of the Healing Fields at Patriot Park at the corner of Date Palm Drive and Dinah Shore, and is hosted by the Rotary Club

 Section of Patriot Park

Sections are marked alphabetically so that one might find someone they wish to honor and there are apparently over 5000 flags in Patriot Park for this special occasion.

Flags at Patriot Park USA

Volunteers transformed Patriot Park into a sea of red, white and blue by setting up on November 8 and taking down on November 15.

Close Up Flags Patriot Park

Each flag pays tribute to fallen soldiers and will help visitors to heal, honor and remember that freedom is not free. It honors the selfless dedication and ultimate sacrifice by the military.

Flags stand proud

Flags Mark Afghanistan Service

This moving event features one 8 foot US Flag for each military person lost in Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Each flag is personalized in memory of a soldier, sailor, airman or marine.

View Patriot Park From the Street

World War 1 ended November 11, 1918 at 11a.m. when Germany signed the Armistice and has been observed as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth countries since King George V dedicated it on Nov. 7,1919.

Massed Flags in Honor of Military - Cathedral City California

We pay homage on Remembrance Day in Canada today and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in times of war and all who have served their country in times of need. We must also remember those who are now serving our country and those who have died in the line of duty in today’s war.

To mark the day, Canadians wear  a small red poppy, chosen in 1921 as a symbol of this day as memorialized in the poem In Flanders Field by John McCrae. Flanders Field, in southern Belgium, is covered in poppies. The red color also signifies the blood shed.

We honor all of these soldiers, Canadian and American and thank them for their sacrifices.

Rio Grande ~ Old Town ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

We arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico on our Cross Country RV adventure on a beautiful sunny day and noticed that the city sure has grown since we were here last. The metropolitan population today is 845,000 (522,000 city) and is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Albuquerque is roughly half of the population of all of New Mexico. When we were here last, the population was about 385,000. That trip we didn’t stay but drove thru to Santa Fe for overnite.

Welcome to Old Town Albuquerque, NM

My memory is not always the greatest, but some things one just doesn’t forget.  There was a visit to Old Town Albuquerque on my list for a very long time so we made sure to see it on this visit.  The day was overcast for our visit in Old Town and it is also not a high tourist season at this time so we could wander in and out of several shops without crowds.  We were impressed with many artisans products and enjoyed the cultural treat.

Old Town ~ La Placita

Old Town was founded in 1706 so that explains the age of some of these buildings. They’re definitely old but much has been done to maintain the ambience of La Placita, meaning ‘little plaza’ in Spanish. This typical La Placita was built with buildings, homes and churches surrounding it and still stands that way today. It was 1846 when they raised the flag of the USA over the plaza, which then became the site of a major military outpost.

Mucho red chili peppers

Red chili peppers are a common decorating item in the southwest area and this storefront was one of my favorite displays to see. There are hanging bundles or shapes for centerpieces and wreaths using the red peppers, decorated with raffia. Other colors are used, too, but red is most common and has the best impact. The bright, beautiful and decorative peppers are bred solely for ornamental purposes and valued for their looks, not their flavor.

Street vendors sell their wares in Old Town Albuquerque, NM

Many vendors lay out their wares daily on the sidewalk under the overhang shown in this picture. They will be there, no matter what the weather is like selling mainly jewelry. We saw the same in Santa Fe all those years ago and it was the very coldest of winter but they were there, all bundled up to sell their wares.  Some things remain the same over the years.

El cafe is one of many in Old Town

The railway arrived here in 1880 and located east of town so Old Town ceased to be the hub of downtown Albuquerque but did continue to be a vital part as town center. It is still a major commercial area and a tourist attraction, as well.

The San Felipe de Neri Church

The San Felipe de Neri Church has continuously served as a House of Prayer for 200 years. They’re now in the process of restoring and preserving this landmark, an effort that is expected to take several years to complete.  The name on the building is Sister Blandina Convent, so must have served as that as well at some point.

The vibrant autumn leaves on the Rio Grande river path

The fall leaves are showing off their best right now and as we’d driven over the river in the sunshine, I saw a great photo op. and I was determined to get it. There is no stopping on the bridge, which is on the freeway so we had to try and find a way to the river, without a map, and lots of driving and walking. We did find a place to follow a path and the trees along the path were so colorful but still didn’t give me that ‘photo’ I was after.

Viaduct near Rio Grande in Albuquerque, NM

On one of our epic walks to reach the river, we had parked in a schoolyard and were apparently trespassing when we were at this spot. Another 10 feet and we were in a state park and safe again! I was not giving up on finding a place to get to the river for pictures but thought if I couldn’t get there, I would at least have pictures of trees and water!

Rio Grande River near in State Park

This turned out to be the best I could do and it wasn’t the photo I was hoping for. The river is lined by the colorful trees for miles and a sight to see. Now if I could just get a helicopter for an aerial shot………… ! The Rio Grande River is the fifth longest river in North America at 3,034 km (1885 mi.) and was designated as one of American Heritage Rivers in 1997. The natural flow is only 1/20th the volume of the Colorado River or 1/100 of the Mississippi River so is barely navigable at all, except for small fishing boats.

Snow covered Sandia Mountains border Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque, New Mexico has an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, but we happened to manage being there for one of the other 65 days ! The city is one of the highest of any major city in the USA with an elevation of 1490 m. (4900 ft) at the river to 1940 m. (6700 ft) in the residential foothills. The morning we left had started out very foggy and visibility was poor, but by the time we left the fog was lifting and when it did we were able to see a very surprising sight, it had snowed overnite and left a dusting on the Sandia Mountains east of the city.

Nashville ~ Grande Ole Opry ~ Ryman Auditorium ~ Parthenon in Tennessee

We love rving but one of the challenges is driving in strange large cities with many freeways and not getting onto the wrong one in rush hour. Nashville, Tn has a population of 626,144 but the metropolitan population, which includes all the counties, is 1,550, 733 so that makes for a large center but we had no problems getting around and with all those freeways, the traffic flows well and easy.

We wanted to spend a couple of days in Nashville, Tennessee but had no plans of what we would see and do while we were there. We’d booked our RV park, which was a few miles north of the city and once settled in we would make a plan. All we knew was that we would have to see Nashville and the rest would just happen, much like the rest of our RV adventure!

Grande Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee

One could never come to this city without going to the Grand Ole Opry They have performances on four nights of the week, so we were lucky to find out in time that our first night there was the only night of our visit there was going to be a performance. Be sure to check that out if you’re going to Nashville, by visiting their webpage. You do not want to miss that experience.
We booked tickets on the phone and were able to catch a shuttle from the RV park, so that made this very easy, especially for our first evening before we’d found our way around the city. The shuttle was late picking us up due to heavy traffic so we were not able to look around before the show but went back the next day to take pictures. We are country fans but were not necessarily fans of the old country style but we found they have integrated both old and new so that the show was great and covered several decades of country music. Several artists are featured each night but sing only a few songs each so the show moves quickly.

Legendary Stage inside Grande Ole Opry

There is a five foot circle inlaid into the stage floor that was cut from the original Ryman auditorium floor and that is obviously a place of honor to stand. Some performers are long time Opry members and are wonderful to see in person after listening to them for years, the young singers are gracious and express their thanks for being able to perform on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. It was great to be here and feel the spirit.

The Grande Ole Opry is broadcast four times a week on radio and is the oldest continuous radio program in the US. It has been ongoing since the first broadcast October 5, 1925. It is now also televised on Saturday nights.

Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee

The Ryman Auditorium was originally built in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle by Thomas Ryman. The story goes that when Ryman was 15 yrs old his father died and left him as the owner of a saloon. Within a short time, he had built his business to include 15 saloons as well as other businesses of the day that were not approved of by many. He built the Tabernacle to put himself in good standings with those people. It was renamed after him following his death in 1904.

Restored staircase in lobby of Ryman Auditorium

The stories we heard about the backstage and the stars of days gone by were great. Johnny Cash and June Carter were here, and there are windows donated by Johnny Cash  in order to be back in good standing with the Opry. They had very strict rules about a couple of things and one was that you could not be late for your performance, and there was no swearing or using cuss words allowed and they stuck to those rules with few exceptions. I wish could tell you more but I suggest you take that walking tour on your visit to Nashville and hear all those stories.

Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl

Minnie Pearl was one of the original Grande Ole Opry members, from 1940 until she died in 1996. Her name was Sarah Cannon but she built her icon act of Minnie Pearl to have wide recognition and when she was offstage, she corrected those that called her Minnie, her name was Sarah ! She’d gotten her theater major then taught dance and also became a drama coach previous to her Grande Ole Opry career. Her own personal battle with cancer caused her to become an advocate for cancer research and education and she willed her estate to benefit the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center when she passed away.

Ryman Auditorium Center Stage

The Ryman Auditorium was used for the Grande Ole Opry during the years 1943 to 1974 but once the Opry moved to the present facility, the Ryman sat vacant and fell into disrepair. Emmylou Harris performed several concerts there and created a renewed interest in the building and due to that, it was reopened in 1994. There are pews as seats so it is often called “The Mother Church of Country Music”.

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge on Broadway

We bought a ticket for a walking tour of downtown Nashville and had a great tour guide who told us lots of stories from behind the scenes of the music industry. It was great to hear some history and in such a fun way. Tootsies Orchid Lounge was and still is a very famous bar that features beginners in the country music scene. The interior has not changed in many years and has pictures of many very familiar famous faces of those that have performed there over the years. Many interesting stories about this place.

Broadway Street, downtown Nashville, Tn

Many of these buildings have a history related to the days of old. The printing business is one of the founding businesses of Nashville and there is one that has been making posters for the famous for many years and still work with the same system of all those years ago.

Nashville High School

The neoclassical architecture in Nashville added some very interesting buildings, altho I don't know if that fits the description of the school to those that know the difference. Whatever the style of design is, it certainly is a commanding figure sitting near the center of town where some famous names such as Dinah Shore graduated high school from. Nashville is the home of 24 post-secondary educational institutions, colleges and universities. Education is one of the top industries of Nashville.

The Parthenon Nashville

The Parthenon Nashville is a full scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. A temporary structure was built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, which had been influenced by the fact that Nashville had been called the “Athens of the South”. The original was built of plaster, wood and brick as it wasn’t intended to be a permanent structure but was not demolished at the time. It was rebuilt on the same foundation in concrete in a project that started in 1920, the exterior was finished in 1925 and the interior was finished in 1931. It is used today as an art gallery.

Bicentennial Capital Mall State Park

The Pathway of History is a marble wall that extends 1400 ft (427 m) and covers a 200 year time line about the state’s history. It was built in the Bicentennial Capital Mall State Park across from the State capital building and is remarkable to see. At the one end of the park, it is filled with pillars with chimes in them that play on the hour ever hour. One of the songs played is the Tennessee Waltz. So pretty to hear. 
Nashville has much to offer and is a very diversified city to enjoy.  The welcome mat is always out there and nowhere will you find friendlier people.  Come and visit, you will enjoy it.

Atlanta, Georgia ~ Chattanooga ~ Crossville, Tennessee

We drove through Atlanta, Georgia on a wet and dreary day but there was one bright spot during the day and that was the Georgia State Capital building. We were busy concentrating on the changing freeways, which can be challenging while pulling a long RV, anytime but especially in busy times when not everyone is willing to let you change lanes when necessary. I would even say that ‘no one’ is willing to give you the space. They will even race up to pass rather than let us move over, but I digress, I saw the gold dome almost shining like a beacon up ahead as we made our way to the RV park just north of the city.

Atlanta, Georgia

The 75’ diameter gold-leave dome was first gilded with 43 oz. of gold from the Georgia mountains in 1958. It has been touched up twice since then in order to retain the shine. The 22.5’ female copper figurine topping the dome is holding a torch and sword and weighs 1,250 lbs. It would have been amazing to get a closer look as well as an inside look but sightseeing in the city while still towing the fifth wheel isn’t recommended, nor is it wise to ask the driver to look at the sights while he is battling the traffic on a busy freeway !

The next morning was a sunny one and we headed north to continue on our way to Tennessee. We followed I 75 N and would pass through Chattanooga, Tn on our way to Crossville, where we would spend a couple of days. We stopped at the travel info center on the south end of Chattanooga (I love that name), to get maps of the state and information that might be interesting. You usually need to ask for the state map and their tourist book at the desk. They’re very willing to give them to you, but at most info centers on our travels you won’t usually find them on display with advertising brochures.

Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee

We then get back onto the freeway to carry on. It looked so easy on the map but as it turned out, the signs didn’t direct us onto the right access to the road we wanted. We wanted to take the secondary highway and not the mountain pass, but rather than make a third attempt to get onto that road….. we decided we would take that scenic mountain route and enjoy the drive ! Therefore, I only got one picture of Chattanooga, too busy reading the map and trying to navigate to get more !

Valley view in Tennessee

Our drive up Hwy 27, getting to Hwy 127 was a winding but scenic drive up through the mountain pass and we enjoyed seeing the small communities on this fall day. The leaves had started to turn and gave some pretty scenes on this sunny drive.

Colorful viewpoint on Highway 27

We pulled over on the only viewpoint we found to stop for lunch and enjoy the view. Traffic was very light thru here and only the few locals would use this road. It would have been the only highway at one point before the freeways were built and was still in good repair. We do enjoy taking the roads less travelled at times and this one was a good choice, albeit not intentional.

We passed through Dunlap, Tn and almost every business in that town had decorated for the season. Even government buildings will have pumpkins, bales of hay, straw people and other autumn and Hallowe’en decorations, it is great fun to see.

Breckinridge Lake in Tennessee

We arrived at our destination late afternoon and once set up at our RV park, we drove through the countryside getting familiar with the location and enjoying the Tennessee countryside. It was a peaceful place to be.

Cumberland County Courthouse in Crossville, Tennessee

Crossville, Tennessee is 110 km (70 mi) north of Chattanooga and is centered around two major federal highways, which implies it was named for it’s location. It sits atop the Cumberland Plateau with an elevation of 565 m (1854 ft) and a population of 11,498.

Cumberland County was formed in 1856 and with Crossville being nearest the center of the county was chosen as the state seat. The city was incorporated in 1901 and still has an old downtown core but has spread out to include a large commercial center that brings in a lot of traffic from outlying areas.

Heritage Mural in Crossville, Tennessee

This Heritage Mural was painted by Katie Yamasaki of Brooklyn, NY. The wall was donated and although the information I found doesn’t say how long it took her to complete the mural, it would have taken quite awhile to do it. The mural is 73’ long x 19’ high and is bits of history told by many of the locals Katie got to know on her visit and includes bits of many people living there today. It is a great tribute to the history of Crossville and apparently has begun a trend of upgrading the buildings in the area.

Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee State Park

Fall Creek Falls State Park is more than 20,000 acres of what is said to be the “most scenic and spectacular outdoor recreation area in America”. This is Fall Creek Falls and drops 78 meters (256 ft) and is the highest in eastern United States. We were told the width varies from year to year and has been much wider or narrower than this other years.

Interesting rock formations on Cane Creek

We spent several hours in the park following the paved roads and stopping at several places with a viewpoint or another photo opportunity. This was a pretty place with a wide spot in Cane Creek that gave great reflections of the interesting rock formations.

Cane Creek Falls in Fall Creek Falls State Park

There are other falls in the park, this one is Cane Creek Falls, and there is also Piney Falls as well as Cane Creek Cascades. We walked down the staircase for viewing of the falls and then down rock steps to get down to the bottom of Cane Creek Falls. There were several other people down there enjoying the sound and the view as well.

Reflections in Cane Creek

On a sunny autumn day many miles away from any large center, we found there to be a lot of people enjoying the Fall Creek Falls State Park. The leaves were turning and that may have been the big attraction but we were surprised at the numbers. All, young and old were there to enjoy the peace and the beauty.

The Historic Homesteads Tower Museum

The tower was constructed in 1937-38 as the government administrative offices of the Cumberland Homesteads. The homesteading program was part of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration during the Great Depression.
The octagonal stone tower holds a water tank and a stairway leading to a lookout platform at the top. Most of the original 252 homesteads can be seen from here. . Visitors may climb the stairs, all 97 of them to the lookout platform to enjoy the view from the top. The building was opened as a museum in 1984, with the four rooms housing a gift store and museum displays, many of which come from Homesteader families.