For New Year we have a trip to California planned specifically to Palm Springs. It is quite famous and we want to visit it and explore the area around it. But first we have to get there passing through Quarzsite first where we stop to top the gas and visit the famous Hi Jolly Tomb that commemorates an Ottoman subject who was part of the failed effort to use camels to explore the Southwest.
We stop more after we enter California following well maintained gravel roads to lonely geocaches. There is no one else around and we really hope we don’t get one of our patented tire blowouts on holiday weekends when no one will come to rescue us.
We continue exploring the wilderness on the southern side of I-10 with some nice views of Joshua Tree NP as we continue slowly towards Palm Springs.
The area here is quite barren, more like you expect a desert to be with the only exception being the washes which as usual are much more greener or at least have more vegetation.
As the sun sets we enjoy the beautiful colors over the desert and then it is time to make our way to Palm Springs.
First we check in in our hotel and after resting for a short while it is time to go to our New Year’s dinner. We have booked in advance at a local restaurant for quite an amount of money so we hope that the food is at least good.
The food is reasonable ok but probably not worth the $200 that we paid for it. But we wanted to try it once and now we know I guess. Full we return to the hotel where we fall asleep after midnight, it is now 2012!
