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Published: June 23rd 2017
Geo: 33.2558, -116.374
Having experienced the real desert yesterday we decided to visit a slightly sanitised version (i.e with cafes and toilets). The Living Desert in the town of Palm Desert is part tourist attraction part serious conservation centre rather like the Eden Project. To get there we had to drive for a couple of hours through the Borrego Badlands, stunningly beautiful in a starkly barren way. Past Salton City which lies on the banks of the Salton Sea, formed in 1905 when a dam project on the Colorado River went wrong and flooded the area! We drove through some rather grim towns and then found ourselves amid the manicured lawns and titivated flower beds of Indian Wells. All that greenery in the desert must need a ludicrous amount of water.
The Living Desert was a great day out – we felt very knowledgeable as we recognised the plants from "our" desert but found that they were quite different to those of Californian's other deserts. We also finally got to see Bighorn Sheep which are
supposed to live in the mountains around the Borrego Desert but are very elusive – hence we spent a lot of time yesterday on our hike trying to spot some without success. The African desert areas seemed slightly incongruous with ostriches and giraffes (our favourites!) roaming around. One bizarre thing about the Living Desert is that everything has a memorial plaque dedicating it to someone or other – tables, benches, fences, paving slabs, drinking fountains, enclosures, animals... Of course, it is a lovely idea but the overall effect was of walking in a cemetery :+(. We were all very intrigued by the "Jenkins Family Petting Kraal" but sadly when we visited the Jenkins Family were not at home...
Our drive back took us through the Badlands as the sun was setting which threw fantastic colours across the mountains and escarpments.
Tonight restaurant no.2 - Carmelita's. Hmmm. If you ever find yourselves in Borrego Springs, as I imagine virtually all of you will at some time, do yourselves a favour and do not go to Carmelita's. Enough said.
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David
non-member comment
The Executive AssistantThe male of this species is fairly rare, especially in captivity. This one is fully domesticated (and, apparently, house trained!)Habitat: derelict universities, highland dance troops, orchestral gatherings. It is a
highly social creature.Food: Lots of it, if this collection of photos is anything to go by. General: This genus is particularly skilled in cross-breed communication. It is especially proficient in exchanges with Great Danes, to mention only one of many it can call upon at short notice.