It's late and our first visit to Palm Springs in 2026 has been a very full one. Please excuse my brevity. It was amazing and tomorrow promises the same.

The Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory always has something going on. I have been a fan for years.

We were there for a 2 PM LP and the Vinyl concert.
These four San Diego-based musicians came together with a purpose: explore the art of song in their own unique way! Renowned jazz, blues and gospel singer Leonard Patton teamed up with the critically acclaimed Danny Green Trio to form LP And The Vinyl. The band’s wide array of influences includes everything from jazz, R&B, and rock, to 80’s and 90’s hits, Brazilian music, and classical music. What an incredible show (they played everything from the Beatles to Tears for Fears... Wow!).
Next we went to the Observatory for Sun Days, "an opportunity to get up close and personal with our closest star: the Sun." Sadly, it was so overcast, there was no Sun to ogle.
It was fun to speak with the experts. I know we'll return when the weather is right.
The Welwood Murry Library is exhibiting one man's PEZ Collection. On display are 700 (of his 4,000 pieces) unique Pez dispensers, along with incredible history.
We learned so much. Did you know that the word PEZ was created using the first, middle and last letter in the German word for peppermint, PfeffErminZ? It was first introduced in Vienna in 1927 for adults as a breath mint and alternative to smoking.
The first Pez dispensers were invented in 1948 and are known as regulars. These had no character heads on them.
All are marked with a patent number and the country in which they were made. Who knew?!







This was the most shocking thing we learned. PEZ still produces roughly 5 billion candies and 70 million dispensers annually. Wow.
Our home for the night was one of my better finds: Hotel El Cid.


Fabulous... all of it.

Edward Abbey said, "I hold no preference among flowers, so long as they are wild, free, spontaneous." And like those described flowers, Steve and I spontaneously hopped in the car and headed to the desert.

"Thousands of visitors come to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park each year to enjoy the beauty of unique and captivating desert wildflowers in bloom. With 92 different plant families, 346 genera and hundreds of flowering species, there is quite a variety of flora to discover!"
While not a Super Bloom, there were enough examples of Nature's Paint Palette that we were pretty giddy. This one seemed to have its arms out ready to embrace.
We were warned that wildflowers here are still beautiful, but they are beginning to taper off with the warmer temperatures and limited rain. Many blooms are past peak, though flowers can still be found with a little exploration. We delighted in Spanish needle, dune evening primrose, California primrose, brown eyes, lupine, two types of Cryptantha, California shieldpod, and so much more. The varying hues made it worth the drive. I'll let the photos tell the story.









This was my favorite photo of the day. I 🧡 Pollinators!





Oh to frolic in flowers. It doesn't get much better than this!

We began our day dropping our son off for his flight back home.

I didn't have the French Toast but this bird was thoroughly enjoying someone's unfinished breakfast.
George Biddle, War Department Art Advisory Committee Chair, advised, "Express if you can, realistically or symbolically, the essence and spirit of the war. You may be guided by Blake's mysticism, by Goya's cynicism and savagery, by Delacroix's romanticism, by Daumier's humanity and tenderness; or better still, follow your own inevitable star." I thought that was an incredibly poetic statement to launch artists off to war.
Moving on to a happier beach, we loved our brief trip to the shore- always a must.
While at the Museum we learned even more about the Hotel Del Coronado, the iconic, 1888-built Victorian beach resort. It always WOWs and demands a visit, too.
Our second to the last stop was at Parlor Doughnuts for Karen and David's favorite layered treat, the Sandy Beach donut.