My Day in Indio...

When I found out that my dear friend, Fern, was going to be only 80 miles away, we made a plan for me to visit her while she was staying with her daughter in Indio.

For those who don't know, Indio lies between Palm Springs (northwest) and the Salton Sea (southeast). The area was originally inhabited by Cahuilla Indians and was the site of Spanish and Mexican exploration in the late 18th century. The Spanish subsequently established a mission outpost there. The city was founded in 1876 as Indian Wells, on the site of a Native American village, by the Southern Pacific Railroad, and in 1877 it was renamed Indio (Spanish for Indian). Okay, more history later.
Fern and I became fast friends, almost right after we moved to South Lake Tahoe. We are kindred spirits and the hours sitting on the back patio, catching up and sharing stories, flew by! I miss her already!
I wanted to visit the Coachella Valley History Museum since I was so close and I do love history! The museum is housed in the 1926 adobe home of Dr. Harry W. Smiley. The Smileys became stranded in Indio on their way to the coast. The majority of the residents of the Indio townsite, at this time, were employees of the Southern Pacific Railroad and needed a doctor. Dr. Smiley needed money to repair his car and agreed to be the company doctor. Eventually the couple decided to stay and built this home. The Smileys made significant contributions to the social and medical development of the Indio community. What a perfect space to hold the area's history.





I learned about U.S. Route 99 via a collection of postcards and hotel keys. So cool. US 99 was a main north–south United States Numbered Highway on the West Coast of the United States until 1964, running from Calexico, CA, on the US–Mexico border to Blaine, WA, on the U.S.-Canada border. It was assigned in 1926 and existed until it was replaced, for the most part, by Interstate 5. Known also as the Golden State Highway and The Main Street of California, US 99 was important throughout much of the 1930s as a route for Dust Bowl immigrant farm workers to traverse the state. It's the unsung Highway hero (I guess no one got their 'Kicks' on route 99). Sad!
So some older history. In the 1850s, local artesian wells were utilized for irrigation, and Collis P. Huntington, president of the railway, successfully introduced Algerian date shoots (more about that later, too). Indio developed as a desert spa and a shipping point for agricultural produce, especially dates, citrus, grapes, vegetables, and cotton. After 1949, water via the All-American Canal gave added impetus to Indio’s growth.
Prior to the accidental formation of the Salton Sea (1905), this area was the lowest in the valley where salt flats were left by the Gulf of California. Salt was mined, bagged, and transported by train.
I have always been intrigued by the Salton Sea. We even camped there two years for my birthday. Starting in the 1920s, the Sea became a very popular recreation area. Developers hoped to make the area around this unique body of water the Palm Springs of the East Valley but before the dream came true, the 1980s recession killed the plan (and then the fish began dying, it was not meant to be). Such interesting local history.
We then moved south of the border. I loved the colors, textures, and motifs found in the exhibit, Corazón de Mexico.

This outstanding and eclectic collection of Mexican folk art includes textiles, pottery, costumes, and wooden toys. It captures the vibrant spirit and life of this amazing artwork.




My last stop was at The California Date History Museum. Oh so many questions. Where did dates originate? How have they evolved? How did they make their way to the Coachella Valley? Why are they so dang yummy?

This historical exhibition covers the history of the world’s oldest cultivated crop – the date palm. From its origins in the Middle East to its introduction to Coachella Valley and up to the modern-day, here one can learn about the horticulturalists and essential workers who helped the date palm take hold.

Today the area produces all of the United State’s 41.4 million pound annual date output. Date production has become more than an economic boon to Indio, though. It has become part of its culture. Every year, Indio holds the National Date Festival, its Middle Eastern theme harkening back to the crop’s roots.
The Fair started as a festival to celebrate the end of the annual date harvest in the desert region, the major commercial date-producing area in the Western Hemisphere. Dates were an unknown commodity in the desert until 1903 when date palms were transplanted there from Algeria. By the early 1920s dates became a major crop for the area. Date groves in the Coachella Valley also became tourist attractions.
When World War II started all fairs in California were halted. When the War ended, Robert M.C. Fullenwider was hired to manage the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival. Fullenwider introduced an Arabian Nights theme tying in with the desert region and date industry.
Also, tying into this theme, the Fair has a scholarship pageant called Queen Scheherazade. Students from Riverside County compete to win the scholarship money for continued education and act as the goodwill ambassador over the Fair. Next year we hope to be there!
Last stop was to ogle a variety of Date trees in the Date Garden. Without fruit on them, they all looked alike but I was happen to wander about in them.

For something different, I came home via 74, the Palms to Pines Highway. Oh man, the snow was pretty crazy (I know Tahoe friends, I can't even imagine what's going on there). it was a surprise for SoCal and I was happy to be in my Subaru.

Connecting with a good friend, learning something new about a town, and an exhilarating drive home... all made for a really awesome day! I do love a road trip, even if it's only 80 miles long.

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Our Sunday...

Spontaneous is defined as "performed or occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus. It is rare that we have a gap in our schedule to do anything at the last minute.

When I awoke, early, I was greeted by two things: this amazing scene above our street, and a text from Karen.
Karen wrote, "We had dinner at my sister's last night and I suggested we all go up to Temecula to get some of our free glasses of wine at Poggio Leano* and then have pizza at Spuntino's. We'll start with wine by 4pm. Available/interested in any or all of it?" The question was answered in a most definite affirmative!
So after a full day of errand running, chore tackling, and even a long walk to Starbucks, Steve and I joined our group of friends for a very joyous, and spontaneous, evening of delights. Sometimes it pays to leave gaps in one's schedule.

*Poggio Leano translates (from Italian) to rest, lean, base oneself, perch. We so poggio leanoed!

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My New Favorite Vending Machine

When I stumbled upon this treat dispenser I was delightfully surprised.

Since 2021, readers of all ages have been able to access books 24/7 in Encinitas (located by my mother-in-law's dentist).
This self-serve kiosk is making it easier for residents to use San Diego County Library services. The kiosk looks and operates like a vending machine but instead of chips and candy, you can nourish your mind with books, DVDs, and audiobooks.
The 8-foot tall, 13 feet wide, and 5 feet deep machine offers full circulation functionality that one would find at any of the county libraries. With it, visitors can check out and return items and even browse the entire library catalog. So dang cool!



E.B. White said, “A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” Now, his quote is true 24/7. I love it!

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Cabot's Pueblo Museum...

Before the desert winds roared in, and we had to leave our oasis two days early, we visited Cabot's Pueblo Museum. A place I have wanted to tour for years and am so happy it finally came together for us!

"This museum was built by Cabot Yerxa from 1941 to 1949, during his second adventure in the desert (made with found materials). This site sits only one mile north of his original homestead building. Cabot arrived in present-day Desert Hot Springs in October of 1913, to homestead 160 acres of land for $10. He successfully found the first hot water aquifer on the property - the first person in modern times to do so. In early 1918, he left the desert (for WWI) and would not return to be a permanent resident until 1937. By taking the museum tour, guests can gain an understanding of Cabot, his life, and ideals." We knew absolutely nothing about this amazing man. Wow. What a life!
Cabot was an active artist and art collector. He built the Pueblo as a museum with the intention of displaying his impressive collection of Native American art and artifacts as well as souvenirs of his travels and his own works of art. Cabot is one of the three men who are credited with the founding of the city of Desert Hot Springs. He saw the area’s potential upon his arrival and worked with other businessmen and entrepreneurs to develop the city. He was often referred to as “Mr. Desert Hot Springs.”

We began our tour in the Water Gallery. This room was Cabot’s original trading post and this is where people would have purchased a ticket to enter his Pueblo Museum. It was here where we learned all about the man and boy were we impressed!
I loved this photo of Cabot in Nome, Alaska where he lived from 1900-1901. He had a cigar store, which was a tent, that he shared with a barber and newspaper reporter. To make ends meet, he helped run a mercantile store. He stayed in Nome, during the winter, where he assisted to run a stage line. 

He spent time with the Iñupiat people, learning their language and customs. He recorded nine pages of their vocabulary, which he sold seven years later to the Smithsonian Institute for $20. This is a page of the vocabulary list. How crazy is that?

His wife, Mamie, and son, Rodney, lived on Cabot's original homesteaded property. Once he completed the requirements of the homestead and received the land deed to the 160 acres, Cabot was free to join the U.S. Army during World War I. The armistice was signed before he was deployed. And the only casualty that he suffered was the breakdown of his marriage (probably because he left his family in the middle of the desert, alone). His first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower. 
It was interesting to read the inauguration invitation of President Eisenhower, sent in 1957. Cabot must have made a very big impression.
In 1925, Cabot set-off a yearly adventure traveling via Panama Canal, South American, Ireland, England, and Europe. His trip included studying art, particularly portraiture, for three months at Académie Julian where Pierre Renoir, Henry Matisse, and Diego Rivera also attended. This guy lived!

What surprised us both was the fact that Cabot didn't start to build the pueblo until the age of 58.
When Cabot died in 1965, the Pueblo was abandoned. It is incredible that no one rifled through it, stealing the treasures within. This is a museum now because of that fortunate happenstance, and we're thankful for it. What a treasure this place is.


How about this cute couple?! After his first marriage ended in divorce, Cabot remained on his own for some 20-plus years before wedding again at the age of 62. Cabot then met Portia in Palm Springs. It was love at first sight. Can you imagine Cabot meeting a kindred spirit to converse about various subjects? Both of them shared an interest in alternative spiritual movements and societies that were broadly influenced by ancient traditions. And both were avid readers.
On August 8, 1945, Cabot Yerxa married Portia Fearis, his second wife, and her third husband. Portia's apartment was a delightful way to meet a seemingly sweet, dear, and lovely woman and an extremely intelligent one. This was Portia's personal space for privacy from guests visiting the pueblo. She has her own kitchenette, bathroom, sitting room, and bedroom.
Portia was always elegantly dressed and her bathroom was fit for a woman of her elegance. It boasts a bathtub, shower, vanity, and toilet and it has vast space and is adorned with Cabot's paintings. The bathtub is one of the few items that Cabot purchased and in blue--as it was Portia's favorite color.
Tucked in a closet, we discovered this Gabrieleen Tepidaire Permanent Hair Wave Machine. The contraption has a front on/off switch, six poles for heating, thirty clamps and a long black plug with a rubber cord. It measures 16" x 8" x 8." The plate on the front reads, "115 volts, 10 amps, use on alternating current only, Serial No. 1802, Model 100. Gibbs & Co. Distributor, ‘World’s Largest Mfgrs. & Distributor Beauty Shop Supplies & Equipment.’" Oh the price for beauty! What an odd luxury found in this remote place.



This was one of Cabot's favorite rooms, the Earthen room. This is where Cabot welcomed friends or spend a quiet evening with Portia. Architecturally, this is a beautifully designed room using boulders to construct an artistic fireplace.

Surprisingly, the floor is not finished. We were asked to take a look at the dirt and think of it as the desert or as earth. Most Native American creation stories have one thing in common: spirits come from the earth and go back to the earth. He felt it the best way to welcome Native American friends.
The photo, found on the wicker sofa, below, depicts life in the Earthen Room. Notice the wall textile and the pinecones in the photograph and in the background. So dang cool.

This sculpture, made by Semu Haute (photo below), a Chumash tribal healer, and elder, was located by the front door. It is named Ah-ah-ota, or two-faced white man. Interesting.

On the kitchen table, we ogled the local newspaper, The Sentinel, dated Thursday, October 11, 1951, in which Cabot had a column, On the Desert Since 1913. A prolific writer, Cabot shared 280 articles of early homesteading in the Coachella Valley. I'd love to find that collection.
Shouldn't every home have an armadillo? What an interesting peek into the life well lived. Wow.
After an hour meandering in the home and peeking in every nook and cranny, we ventured outdoors.
We could have explored the grounds for hours. What an eclectic collection of one man's vision.




Cabot’s Hopi-inspired pueblo features 35 rooms, 150 windows, 65 doors and is four stories high. Since Cabot recycled materials from many places, all the doors and windows are different from one another, and unique in size and design to the structure. So very, very cool.

Cabot knew the value of small items while managing trading posts. This is why he painted postcards. These little snapshots of desert life are amazing. A man after my own heart! We loved this place.

Cabot said of homesteading, “The work was hard and the indignities many, but I always kept up my courage thinking of the desert and the joy of freedom.” What a monument to his perseverance!

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