Desert cities

There's only about 15 miles separating Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs, but they're worlds apart.  The mineral water hotels and Cabot Pueblo Museum are pretty much the only attractions in Desert Hot Springs; the town is rough and unattractive.  Most tourists don't leave the spa resorts, especially at night.

Palm Springs is the exact opposite, and the streets and restaurants were teeming last night when we walked out to eat dinner.  Where are the homeless people? Palm Springs is ritzy and wonderfully diverse. What a world of contrasts.  I do love it here in California.  A mistake was made-- this is how we were meant to live.

We're staying at a small inn popular with "mature travelers." It's very quiet (except for the birds, which never seem to sleep) but we're just an easy walk from all the action downtown.

We have the best room 2 steps from the warm pool,  with a view of desert mountains on the edge of the city. Where, thank goodness, no one is allowed to build big, ugly box houses like we have in Seattle.

We're always the first ones up wherever we go, so this morning I sat outside in solitude drinking my coffee, listening to the birds and watching the first rays of sun on yonder hills.

This is our last full day of vacation. I am sad. We're planning to take the aerial tram up the mountain. The weather is perfect, very dry and in the high 80's.  They are saying more wind for this afternoon, but we shall see.  That's about all the news, except our pants are getting tight.