1) As if on cue, the jackhammers split open the morning precisely at 8:00 AM. At least we’d been warned; my hosts had heard from their neighbor that patio renovations would be taking place, and noise would be possible Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
2) But that’s why we’d planned to spend much of the day away from home, riding the famous Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to Mount San Jacinto State Park. And certainly it would be at least a bit cooler! So at 11:30 I reported promptly with a backpack containing sunblock, lip balm, and a couple snacks, and off we went in the blasting heat.
3) Thank goodness we saw that Albert Frey architecture exhibition the day before, ’cause we passed one of his buildings on the way there, and the lower tramway station is one of his most famous buildings. So I felt like I knew what I was seeing.
Some of the windows were kept open, which brought a welcome breeze.
4) The tramcar itself is circular, and the floor rotates so that passengers get a 360 degree view — twice! — in the 12-minute trip up or down the mountain. There is no seating except for two small padded seats flanking the operator for those who really need it. Railings on the windows do not move with the floor, but there are moving handholds in the center.
5) The doors were closed, and whoopsie-daisy, up we go! The car ascended swiftly, pre-recorded facts and figures chirping at us in the background. The cables pass over five towers, each of which cause the tramcar to swing a little. The operator let us know it would happen, particularly at the third tower. It’s a little unnerving.
6) “You don’t have trouble with heights, do you?” asked Dave, when we were about halfway up. “Yes,” I said, without missing a beat. But I got all the way up to the top without drama — just concentration on the scenery — amazing — and trying to blot out voices and conversations.
AIGH!
7) How lovely to be on land again! And at an elevation just over 8,300 feet! The overlooks into the Coachella Valley all the way to the Salton Sea — just incredible. I was reminded irresistibly of visiting Rock City in Tennessee as a child. (It is, of course, much closer to sea level . . .)
8) I was fascinated not only by the scenery but by the many warning and instructional signs. You wouldn’t think it would be necessary to state that high heels are dangerous, but — and I am not making this up you know! — there was a woman in our tramcar in five-inch stiletto heels and a clinging jersey dress, clearly visiting in a non-hiking capacity. I hope she did not end up having to go outside.
9) Almost at once we repaired to the scenic overlooks facing the valley. The expansive windmill farm, the grid of Palm Springs itself, the hazy horizon . . . and then our more immediate surroundings of boulders and tall wind-altered pines.
9a) I can find a drag queen name in almost anything, and in the park signage I found Miss Rocky Backbone and Miss Fern Valley.
10) Seated on the intimate top tier of the three-tiered restaurant, we enjoyed a quiet lunch of burgers and iced tea with commanding views in a rustic mid-century room.
Steeper than it appears!
11) After lunch Owings and I actually did a mild spot of hiking out the back of the lodge, where the paved path winds steeply down. We speculated about the logistics of actually building the park and the tramway: transportation of construction materials and supplies and staff, the housing (and cooking!) required for the crew, weather conditions . . . how did they do it?!
12) The film shown in the tiny cinema is about 25 years old, made to celebrate the retirement of the old tramcars and the launch of the new (current) ones. It hasn’t aged nearly as well as The Romance and Sex Life of the Date at the Shields Date Farm in Indio, which I saw there on a previous visit.
For the engineers.
13) On the way down, the operator turned the journey into a sing-along, any perky touristy narrative substituted with recordings of “Sweet Caroline,” “Country Roads,” and “September” by Earth Wind and Fire. It actually made the return journey a bit less tense for acrophobes like me, but there were a couple bluff and hearty guys, traveling with their wives, who were not having it; I think they must have been Yankees fans.
13a) I did make the mistake, at the top, of looking down the length of cable we had to travel, and it was just like looking up at the top of the Eiffel Tower from its second level. I really need to learn not to do that.
14) Inevitably I wandered into the gift shop, but then wandered out again almost right away. “Stop!” said the clerk. “You can’t leave without buying something!” When I turned around he added “Just kidding!” Ha ha ha no.
14a) But from him I learned that there’s a difference between the park gift shop at the top, which is run by park volunteers (and was closed), and the tramway gift shop, which is run by the tramway staff. All I have to say is, a) petty, and b) there were better T-shirts in the park gift shop.
15) Next stop: a tourist information center closer to town . . . that was originally a gas station designed by Albert Frey! Delightful for a) architecture history, b) air conditioning, and c) being able to see in the cement/concrete/whatever flooring the auto repair bays (or whatever they’re called). The building suits its new purpose well.
Neither demure nor mindful.
16) After cocktails in the pool — and why not? — we had a beautiful little dinner of chicken parm and pasta while watching the Democratic National Convention on TV. The flaps on my skull nearly opened to emit the light of Enlightenment when Owings took down the flat screen from over the fireplace and angled it toward the table. I was not expecting that!
17) The full moon felt exceptionally beautiful arcing over the neighborhood that night.
My lunar photography is never stellar.