Palm Springs Area
Normally at this time of year, one can expect Palm Springs to be in the 70s with lots of sunshine. We had rain for several days, so we visited museums instead of hiking. When the rain stopped, the trails led to waterfalls with water, and we found lots of wildflowers and a greener desert landscape.
We also managed some entertainment--the Palm Springs Follies and Forever Plaid at the Annenberg Theater.
Sites visited:
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum—a few basket displays and an exhibit on the loss of native languages in America. The Agua Caliente were deeded 32,000 acres for a reservation in 1876. About 6,700 acres of the reservation are within the city limits of Palm Springs. The Agua Caliente were primarily vegetarians who used about 300 varieties of trees and plants for food, clothing, shelter, medicine, etc.
The Palm Springs Desert Museum had several special exhibits in addition to it’s permanent collection. The special exhibits were the Desert Tortoise and Woven Worlds: Basketry from the Clark Field Collection. The latter was superb. It included 125 baskets from the Philbrook Museum of Art’s collection. Clark Field collected over 1000 baskets, trying to preserve the best examples of a “vanishing” culture from all North American native peoples. The permanent collection included works of George Montgomery (the actor who made wonderful furniture and bronzes), selections from the William Holden (actor) collection, and the Leo S. Singer Miniature Room Collection.