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INSIDE THE COACHELLA VALLEY A BEAUTIFUL OASIS
SPRINGS PALM by joel martens One of the things you hear about Palm Springs is its
spectacular geography. The Coachella Valley is a thing of beauty and the topography of the valley and surrounding mountains is remarkable to say the least. “Purple moun- tains majesty...” finally makes sense to me. The first time I saw the valley back in ’94 however, it felt
like a arid, alien landscape compared to the deciduous forests I had grown up with in the Midwest. I have to admit, those first impressions were a little daunting: rocks, cactus, palm trees, tumble weeds and Joshua trees standing like sentinels against the intense rippling heat coming off the desert floor…Oh lordy it was hot. That first afternoon the temperature topped out at 117 degrees and my poor little ’85 Honda didn’t have air condition- ing (It was a Minnesota car and when you live inside a Frigidaire, why bother?). I was reminded of a dear friend’s comment, though the antithesis of my current experi- ence, climatically speaking. Recently relocated from the deep south, he said to me as we stood at a Minneapolis bus stop one frigid Sunday morning (17 below zero, with gale-force winds making it minus 40), when he horrify- ingly understood a Midwestern reality, “We could die right here, couldn’t we?” Palm Springs though the reverse was somewhat similar, though I doubt standing in front of an air-conditioned Starbucks in flip-flops, shorts and a tank top conjure quite the same dramatic image. I do remem- ber thinking however, “People die in this kind of heat.” It is without a doubt that after 25 years in Southern
California, I have acclimated to the heat and have come to love and appreciate the desert landscape. In fact, I couldn’t face a winter in my home state of Wisconsin, even if you promised me electric socks and undergarments— they are real, people—I just sent a set to my mother for Christmas last year.
38 RAGE monthly | JUNE 2018 FOUR DAYS IN PALM SPRINGS:
A Little Nature and History Lesson: Nestled in between the spectacular Santa Rosa and
San Jacinto Mountains National Park, Mount San Jacinto State Park, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs is not just another resort community, though at first glance it may seem that way. Steeped in history, the first human inhabitants, the Cahuilla Indians entered the region over 2000 year ago, establish- ing permanent settlements in the canyons, due to the abundance of water and respite from the cruel sun. You can still find Native-American petroglyphs in Tahquitz, Chino and Indian Canyons and mortar holes used to grind acorns in Andreas Canyon. A spectacular sight to witness and a wonderful part of an excellent Palm Springs tour expertly led by Nathan, our guide from Desert Adventures Jeep Tours. Nathan is “family” and a wonderful resource who will happily fill you in on the LGBT side of things in Palm Springs. Nathan explained how much of the city of Palm Springs
sits on land leased from its actual owners, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Established by the United States government in 1876 the Agua Caliente Reservation occupies 32,000 acres, of which 6,700 acres lie within the city limits, making the Agua Caliente band the city’s largest landowners…and some of its wealthiest residents. I was
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