Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve sits on the northern edge of the Coachella Valley in the Indio Hills, just a few minutes away from Palm Springs. Wildflowers A couple of weekends ago I ventured out to look for the first signs of wildflowers. I wasn’t disappointed. When I arrived I stopped at the ranger station and […]
Desert X 2019: Dive In
Superflex’s Dive In art installation is pretty. Ok, I shouldn’t really start like this. However, the pink color stands out in the desert, specifically in the pre-sunset light. The idea behind Dive In is that the Coachella Valley used to be an ocean millions of years ago and is awaiting its turn to become an […]
Araby Trail: wildflowers, and a storm brewing
It’s not a secret that Araby Trail is my favorite hiking trail in Palm Springs. I use it as a workout trail, a show-my-friends-the-town-from-above trail, get-out-of-the-house-trail, and just-enjoy-the-outdoors trail. Today I wanted to see whether the recent severe rain falls (that closed several of the man streets in Palm Springs) did any damage to the […]
Desert X 2019: Lover’s Rainbow
Pia Camil’s Lover’s Rainbow is a 2-part art installation spanning two countries, the US and Mexico. One rainbow (the first installed) sits in Baja, Mexico, the other one – as part of Desert X – in the Coachella Valley in California, 190 km apart. Pia Camil explains on her Instagram page: “The series documented abandoned […]
Keys Ranch, Joshua Tree National Park
Keys Ranch (or Desert Queen Ranch) in Joshua Tree National Park was built and extended between 1910 and the 1960s. The building structures are still in place and so are some of the mining machinery, old cars and trucks, and spare parts. Short history of Keys Ranch Many rugged individuals tried their luck at cattle […]
Early morning in Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in California lies within the Sand to Snow National Monument. The desert oasis at Big Morongo Canyon is one of the 10 largest cottonwood and willow riparian habitats in California. I visited early morning one chilly December day, when the sun was coming out and the frozen dew was just thawing. […]
Landscapes: Mono Lake
A photography challenge caught my attention this weekend and I wanted to find my unique perspective to the challenge. Having spent a few minutes earlier this weekend thinking about whether it’s possible to revisit a place or whether every visit is new and unique and therefore a “re”visit isn’t possible, I figured every landscape photo […]
Revisiting Mt San Jacinto
I get to look at Mt San Jacinto from my front porch in Palm Springs. It is one of my favorite things to do when I am out there on weekends: brew some fresh coffee and sip it while marveling at “my” mountains. Mt San Jacinto Mt San Jacinto stands 10,834 feet above sea level, […]
Enjoying the stillness of the lunar eclipse
I got into a frenzy early afternoon. Which hiking group to join? Which one will find the perfect spot to watch the lunar eclipse? As I was weighing my options, I couldn’t get excited about any of the hikes. Now, I live in Los Angeles, so observing night skies takes some planning due to the […]
Wandering Inspiration
Whitewater Preserve, a place for hiking, resting, and inspiration. The trails around the ranger station exhibit famous quotes written on rocks.
10 Things To Do in and around Palm Springs this Fall 2018
It’s October! And this means life comes steadily back to Palm Springs as the heat leaves and temperatures fall below 100F again. Music, art, weirdness flocks back into the Coachella and Yucca Valleys. There is so much to do in the desert during the cooler fall days. The big question is which event will you choose […]
Simi Dabah Sculpture Garden in Joshua Tree
I always love discovering new places, especially in my beloved desert. A few weeks ago I participated in a photography workshop in Joshua Tree National Park. As part of the workshop we detoured to a sculpture garden near Joshua Tree to play with different colors, black and white, lines and forms, structures, and perspectives. This […]