Palm Springs, CA - December 14 - 20th, 2004

Our rented minivan was packed and ready to drive to Palm Springs, CA. Robin, Mary and the girls were going to meet us at WorldMark in Palm Springs, CA. We were very anxious to see them, as it had been way too long since our last visit. Our grand-daughters are growing up way too fast and we need to find time to visit more often.

On the way to Palm Springs, we would be stopping in San Jose, so that Rocke could attend to some business on the way down. We left Tuesday afternoon and drove down as far as Medford, Oregon and spent the night there. The next morning after breakfast we were on our way to San Jose, hoping that we would not run into any bad weather on the mountain pass. The weather cooperated and we arrived in San Jose Wednesday evening. Rocke and I checked into our hotel, had dinner and relaxed the rest of the evening. Rocke finished up his business Thursday evening and on Friday morning, we drove down to Palm Springs.

When we arrived in Palm Springs, our three-bedroom unit was ready. What a beautiful unit, with three balconies looking out over the pool and the view was awesome, looking out at the mountains. After unpacking Rocke and I went to the grocery store and picked up a few groceries so we could fix dinner at the unit.

Saturday morning, Rocke and I relaxed at the condo while anxiously waiting our grand-daughters arrival (of course, we were anxious to see Robin and Mary, too). Finally, they arrived and we all enjoy visiting and catching up on what has been happening in each others lives. After visiting for a while, we went to Denny's for lunch. When we got back to the room, we all put on our swim suits and went down to the pool and spa. Erin and Kate had a great time showing grandma and grandpa how good they could swim and play in the water. Megan didn't do too bad herself with her swim ring. After playing in the pool for a while, we decided to get into the spa and enjoy the bubbling hot water, before returning back to our rooms.

Rocke, Robin and Mary went to the grocery store to pick up some groceries for a steak dinner. I stayed back at the room and enjoyed watching a movie with the girls. After getting back, Rocke fired up the grill and we were ready to cook the steaks. After dinner, we watched a couple of movies on DVD with the girls before going to bed.

Sunday morning after breakfast, we piled into our van and drove out to spend the day at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert. The Living Desert was established in March 1970 as a 360 acre wilderness preserve. Today it is one of the most unique institutions in the country and stands out as the only American zoo and garden dedicated solely to interpreting and conserving the deserts of the world and is the only zoological and botanical park specializing in just one entire ecosystem.

The Living Desert is one of the most successful zoological parks in the country and offers visitors the most complete introduction to the natural desert. The organization is dedicated to preserving not only plant and animal life of deserts from around the world but also educating the public through interpretive exhibits, programs and publications.

The first thing Kate did when we got there was to try to pick up a cactus. Robin and Mary spend some time trying to get the tiny shart spines out of her hand. (Bet she will never do that again!). The first thing we did at the Living Desert was to attend a presentation showcasing some of the animals they had at the park. From there, we wandered around and enjoyed some of the many exhibits they had. Before continuing on, we all enjoyed lunch at the Thorn Tree Grill in the park. After touring the park some more, the girls wanted some play time at Gecko Gulch Kids Desert Playland.

After dinner on Sunday, Robin, Mary and the girls packed up and went back home to Temecula. Rocke and I would be spending one more night in Palm Springs, before driving to Temecula to enjoy Christmas with them.

Monday morning, Rocke and I packed up and checked out of WorldMark. Before driving to Temecula, we took the Aerial Tram in Palm Springs. Rocke had taken the tram ride a couple of times and wanted me to experience the ride. A favorite attraction in Palm Springs, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway ascends 8,500 feet up the side of Mt. San Jacinto in new, Swiss-made rotating tram cars. Starting in Chino Canyon near Palm Springs, the tram takes passengers from Valley Station at 2,643 feet elevation to Mountain Station on the edge of the Wilderness, elevation 8,516 feet - a breathtaking 15-minute journey up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon.

Rocke and I enjoyed the trip up to the top of the mountain. We spent some time hiking in the snow and taking in the beautiful sites in Mount San Jacinto State Park. After lunch at the cafe at the top of the mountain, it was time for Rocke and I to drive to Temecula and join our family for Christmas.