Sunday June 6th

Las Vegas to Palm Springs, California

We said our good byes and dropped Diane and Bill off at the airport. Bill observed that here we were together in the morning and by the time they got home we would be in California-almost on opposite ends of the country.

As soon as we got on the highway, I eagerly started to read the Intelligencer Journal Bill had brought. I was excited to read news from home-two different articles contained stories about people I knew.

In no time at all, just outside Las Vegas, we were driving through the desert. The Mojave Desert covered a large portion of the map. We turned off the highway, opting for the back roads and ran into the Yardman convoy. 1-800-Yardman is doing a promotion by driving a riding mower across the country. We didn't realize what was going on until we passed them.

We had to stop at Joshua Tree National Park. My parents have a funny story from years ago with their softball friends about the Joshua Tree. Evidently they drove for miles and miles to find the Joshua Tree and when they finally got there, would not pay the entrance fee so they turned around and drove back. Somehow this turned into the funniest story among those that were in the car that day. Hey guys-we have news for you. There are thousands of Joshua Trees and if you take the entrance fee and divide by the number of trees, it comes out to 100 trees per penny. Check out Freds' sites page to see a picture of the Joshua Trees.

The hills in the park are another geological wonder. The rock formations look like someone took a bunch of very large pebbles, threw them up in the air and wherever they landed is where they stayed. It is one of the oddest sites we have ever seen. We took a short hike but the trail was not well marked and we lost it. The land is flat except for the Joshua Trees and the piles of boulders. You would think we would have had no trouble finding our way back, but the boulder formations hid the car. I had a moment of panic as I looked around and all I could see was desert. Fortunately, Fred had picked out a certain formation before we began so we worked our way back to it.

The Key View lookout site within the park was a horrendous example of how smog is ruining our environment. The sign showed what is visible on a clear day, but sadly the clear days are getting fewer and fewer. We could barely see Palm Springs due to the haze that hung like a black curtain on the horizon. The effect of Los Angeles pollution is wreaking havoc even this far away. Many of the people at the lookout had no clue that they should be able to see more then 20 miles. They were oblivious to the fact that this gorgeous view was slowly being stolen by air pollution. Since we had just come from Bryce Canyon only last week, we knew the difference in the air quality. We were very upset.

Here is a plea for everyone to try to do their teeny tiny part. Recycle and reuse, walk instead of drive, and carpool when possible. It might not seem like much, but if each person tries to do a little bit, together it all adds up.

We finally arrived in Palm Springs and checked into our timeshare. It's going to be a great week. I was excited to hear the resort had bicycles for guests to use. We took a ride around town, and by biking instead of driving, did our part for the environment plus got some exercise. These bikes are the "no-speed" variety like we had in grade school. The one hill we had to climb was tough but we made it.

With everything thats going on I almost forgot that today was my birthday. To his credit, Fred didn't forget. While I was in the shower he prepared my "birthday cake". Although the cake was small it was one of my favorites.

After my party we went downtown to check out the night life. We stopped at a place called Nate's and met a couple at the bar who were in Palm Springs to get married. They were fun to talk to and kept us entertained for about an hour.

The bartender was full of gossip about town, most of it negative. He couldn't tell enough stories about how stupid the "city" (as in City Hall) was. He said that the only reason Sonny Bono ran for mayor of Palm Springs is because he couldn't get a permit to do some construction at his house. Then when he did become mayor, he had the city construction crews finish his house. Negative Nate (our name) also stated rather firmly that Bono did not die by skiing into a tree as reported to the public.

His wife who obviously is the one who runs the place told us that she had been married for 23 years. she said something about her and her husband being at each other for 23 years and she ignores him. Later we figured out that she was married to no other than Negative Nate the bartender. We could not figure out his story, as a part owner, he was one the lousiest bartenders ever.

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Monday June 7th

Palm Springs - (L.A.)

It took 2 hours and 40 minutes to drive the 90 miles from Palm Springs to Los Angeles. It could have been worse; we only hit two traffic jams. Three major interstates have exits to Dodger Stadium so even though it is located in such a large city, it is fairly easy to get to. However, there is nothing around the outside of the stadium except interstates and parking lots.

We arrived before the gates opened and were third in line to get into the parking lot. As we pulled up in the Big Kahuna, Fred handed the attendant a twenty dollar bill for the $6.00 parking fee. The attendant asked if he had anything smaller. Freds' first thought was, no, sorry this is the smallest vehicle we have.

From where we parked, we walked up a hill to the gate and entered the stadium. Dodger Stadium is built into a hill making for a very interesting layout. From the gate, looking back behind where we were standing, we could see the skyline. That is, the part of the skyline not hazed behind a layer of smog.

Inside, center field is open to the surrounding hills. That is different than other stadiums that have one side open to the skyline, (or horrors-are all closed in) but it gave us the cozy feel of being in a minor league park. As the sun set and the sky grew dark, it was delightful to have that wide open feeling of being outside.

We were disappointed in not being able to get down to the field level to watch batting practice and get autographs. If you did not have a ticket for the lower level, you were not allowed down at all. Same with the outfield bleachers-I brought my glove to try to snag a batting practice ball but only those with lower level tickets could get to the bleacher section. The usher said the rule was changed last year. Even Turner Field allows fans to get autographs up to an hour before the game.

Dodger Stadium rated high for good use of the land and design of the stadium, but ranked low for fan amentities. There was a museum of old Dodger pictures which we were allowed in, but no other activity outside or inside except vendors selling food. The concessions were plentiful but expensive. The Dodger Dog is grilled, not boiled, and was very tasty. The Sports Bar, which we heard about and were eagerly searching for since there was nothing else we could do until the game started, turned out to be a converted concession stand with three beer taps. There were not even any bar stools.

One positive which Fred noticed was the lack of major advertising. Other stadiums bombard the fans with sponsor ads everywhere you look, but here there were only a few signs which were definitely understated. The jumbo-tron was big but not used for any fan shots, only player stats. One interesting side note-the players pick their own music and Eric Karros rocked to AC/DC. The crowd was sparse; there were a lot of empty seats down in the lower section. Even though it was a Monday, it was the first home game after a road trip and an inter-league game at that.

The game finally got exciting in the bottom of the 7th. The Dodgers were down by two runs. A Dodger batter hit a double and then advanced to third on a bad throw. The crowd was going wild. Next batter, infielder Adrian Beltre, popped out. Next up was the catcher, Angel Pena. He called for a time out to conference with the third base coach. The crowd is clapping in unison. The first pitch comes in. Angel slams it back up the middle for a hit and run. The runner scores from third. The crowd goes wild.

Unfortunately, the Dodgers could not prevail and lost the game to the Texas Rangers. Our ride home took less than two hours. I tried to stay awake, I really did, but Fred had to drive the last hour with sports talk radio to keep him company.

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Tuesday June 8th

Palm Spings

The course we played today was gorgeous. Only 1-1/2 years old, the Mountainview Course at Dessert Willow is located in the middle of the desert. As we drove up to the course, we could see evidence of the desert all around. Miles of sand surrounded this beautiful oasis. The fairways were like a soft green carpet and the greens were challenging, but in perfect shape. Maybe it is because I was playing fairly well (shot my age on the front nine-I'm still young enough for that to be good) but I just loved this course. The rates go down drastically after June 6 because the temperature can hit 100 degrees here. We were lucky, it was only 92 with a gentle breeze blowing.

The marshall told us the developers spent over $90 million in designing the course. It showed in the impeccable landscaping of natural plants and vegetation which are irrigated with a drip system using recycled water. The flowered bushes of purple, red and yellow attracted hummingbirds and delighted me. Several different kinds of cacti, a lake, and various babbling brooks added to the charm. I voted this course the best of the trip. Fred is still sticking with Pinon Hills in Farmington, New Mexico.

We were so excited because we thought the Phillies vs. Yankees game was going to be on TV. Schilling versus the Yankess-what a great game. We moved our tee time up so we would be finished by 7:30 ET (4:30 PT). However, somehow we both heard the wrong thing on ESPN and had to settle for watching the Braves vs. Devil Rays.

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Wednesday June 9th

Palm Spings

The bathroom in our timeshare flooded today. We each blamed the other for overflowing the toilet. We threw all the towels we had on the floor to try to soak up the water but the water just kept coming out of the toilet (thank goodness it was clean water). After three calls to the front desk, they finally had a plumber turn off the water. By that time, almost 2 inches of water covered the bathroom floor and was seeping into the carpet. Evidently a pipe had burst and flooded two other units as well. Even the bedroom carpet was soggy. Since maintenance had arrived, we left to go for a bike ride.

We took a lesiurely 2 hour bicycle ride around Palm Springs. Riding bike is a great way to see a town. Palm Springs has bike routes marked throughout the city which is a great idea. It encourages people to ride bicycles and for us tourists, gave us a route to follow. Somehow we managed to miss a turn while I was in the lead. Maybe it was because we were going up an incline and I was in agony with my head down concentrating on my breathing and pedaling.

When we arrived back at the timeshare, the leak had been fixed but there was still water on the floor. We didn't have any dry towels left in the place. Just then, the maid arrived and she almost freaked out. She tried to soak the water up with towels, but there was too much plus the carpet was a squishy, spongy mess. She didn't speak English, but I tried to convey to her that she was going to need a water vac. She finally went and got her supervisor and a maintenance guy came with a shop vac.

We intended to walk downtown later in the evening, but never got around to it. I spent hours on the phone starting off in the morning with Jim Hersh from the Sunday News. He called to talk with Fred and I and is doing an update for the newspaper. Later in the day, I talked with Jeanne (who had been trying to call the night before, but found the phone busy as Judy and I talked for 2 hours), my parents who are extremely wonderful, and my friend Carol. We all had lots of catching up to do. Fred was busy updating the web site and before we knew it, 11:00 PM had rolled around (that is 2 AM for you back east)

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Thursday June 10th

Palm Spings

Our golf today was at the Mission Hills North course. We were paired up with another couple, Mimi and Larry, from Northern California. They were a funny couple, chatting away, using their own golf lingo. They kept talking about Indio when they were putting-"Honey, Indio pulled that one", "Darn, Indio slowed that one down". We thought they had their own Golf God of Putting, until they explained that Indio was the last town down the valley. Indio is below sea level and sometimes the greens slope that way even though you can't read a break. So whenever they missed a putt, it was due to Indio.

Mimi had a relaxed easy swing. She claims it is genetics, her mother and sister both have the same automatic swing. I like to play with other golfers because I usually pick up a tip or two. Just by watching her, Mimi had an influence on me to slow down my swing. I was hitting some great drives, as was Fred. We both played well. I had an 87 and he shot a 90. The course was in great shape, but not as pretty as the one we had played Tuesday. A couple of the holes had waterfalls which we found beautiful. Larry told us that Palm Springs is built on an underground lake, from mountain run-off, and that is where the reclaimed water source comes from.

We spent the afternoon taking care of the Big Kahuna. We had been losing air out of the new tire (the one we had to replace because of the flat), so we stopped at a tire place and they patched it. Somewhere we had run over a screw that plugged in the tire.

Next stop was the Chevy dealer because the BK had a vibrating noise when we were in reverse. We dropped it off and walked to get something to eat. Typical of a dealer, they said it was our muffler rattling because we had hit something (did not!) and the warranty was voided (bet me). They had not even bothered to put it up on the lift in the hour we had been gone. Someone had crawled underneath and saw a tiny little dent on the muffler and said we had to have the whole muffler replaced.

We insisted they put it up on the lift and show us. While it was on the lift, two other technicians came over and after poking and prodding decided the problem was our catalytic converter. It was a funny sight seeing Fred under the lift with the other guys acting like he knew what he was looking at. I was afraid Fred was going to hit his head on something under the BK. (I should have more faith in my husbands mechanical ability but I always remember the time he tried to hang a bracket in our living room and slipped off the two step ladder. The drill was still going and as his arm waved wildly about as he struggled to regain his balance, he put 5 nicks in the wall. He was not hurt, but it was a funny sight.) Of course, they didn't have the part in stock or we would have argued with the service manager about the warranty. Needless to say, the BK is not fixed. We are going to try again at the dealer in San Diego. Why are dealers so frustrating?

The Desert Museum in Palm Springs had a special road runner exhibit I wanted to see so we walked there from our timeshare. The road runner is an amusing creature bearing no resemblence to the cartoon Road Runner. We have seen several of them on golf courses and they make us laugh. The exhibit at the museum was very good showing not only the road runner but other desert animals and how they survive.

The museum had four floors of exhibits, but we ran out of time and only got to see a few of them. The Modern Art floor was wild. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding why or how some projects are considered art. Some of the paintings looked like a kindergartner did them. Another floor was devoted to sculptures by George Montgomery. He was an old time movie star turned sculptor. Several of his pieces, mostly bronze statutes of guys on horses, are in the hands of Nancy and Ronald Reagan who evidently loved western art.

Palm Springs is a wonderful area. The downtown has a variety of interesting shops and restaurants. We checked out a new place called Muriels. Rumor has it that the guy that owns it spent millions on it. The club is an upscale swing joint. The band was great (a 8 piece big band/ swing group) and we had a wonderful view from our primo seats on the yellow velvet couch. Most people were dressed up and trying to impress. We fit right in with our shorts and sneakers.

Our timeshare is at the base of the mountains. We are so close we could touch the mountain. Hey, that's a great idea. Oh Fred-let's go walk up the mountain.

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Friday June 11th

Palm Springs / Anaheim

For some strange reason Fred decided he needed to sweat, so a run was the only answer. Of course, I couldn't be a slacker, so off we went. The sun was hot with very little shade available and the pavement felt like it was going to boil up around us. We did our 2-1/2 miles but didn't sweat as much as we would have back home because the heat is so dry out here. As soon as we got back, I went to the pool for a quick swim. It really is a tough life, but we are doing the best we can to enjoy ourselves.

The drive to Edison Stadium was smooth sailing until we actually arrived in Anaheim. We needed to maneuver off Interstate 5 and onto Interstate 22 but missed the turn. It seemed like forever before we could get off I-5 (12 lanes) to turn around. Not knowing where you are or where you need to be in a big city is no fun. After a few choice words from Fred (not able to repeat here), we finally found our way.

Here is a brief history of the Anaheim Angels and their stadium for those of you that are interested. The team started out as the Los Angeles Angels expansion team in 1960 when they were acquired by Gene Autry. The played their first season in 1961 at Wrigley Field, not in Chicago, but in Los Angeles and played from 1962-1965 at Chavez Ravine (now Dodger Stadium). The team moved to Anaheim in 66. They became the Anaheim Angels in 1997 when Disney bought the team. A fact I found interesting is that one of their original players was Jim Fregosi. Maybe I thought it was interesting because he was the only player I recognized from the expansion team.

The stadium was renovated in 1996 back to a baseball only facility when the Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis. Outside two large baseball hats mark the entrance and serve as a pavilion for bands. A swing band was playing complete with two pairs of dancers. They were so good that Fred and I were tempted to imitate them Hauck Stadium style. I declined. One of our famous half-time shows at the late great Hauck Stadium involved us attempting to imitate Dan and Michelle's tumbling routine. Fred almost dropped me on my head.

Inside, the defining feature is a huge rock waterfall in centerfield. A picnic area behind the waterfall gives fans a place to eat, but not a view of the field. There were lots of games for kids in the Family Zone and quite a variety of food stands with everything from cinnamon rolls to Chinese food.

The stadium is in great shape for as old as it is, but one particular feature that has been fixed in new stadiums was sorely evident to us. Our seats were at the right field foul pole under the 2nd deck overhang and for $17.50 ranked as the worst seats so far. The seats did not face toward home, but rather if we sat properly in our seats we were looking straight into the outfield. Consequently, we had to turn towards home plate to see the action which got uncomfortable after awhile. We felt very closed in, plus with the seat design, there was always a head in the way, as I'm sure our heads were in the way of those behind us as we shifted and rutched (this good old Lancaster County word is appropriate here, but I'm not sure how to spell it) around. If the tickets had only been $8.00, I might not have felt as bummed.

By the sixth inning, I had had enough. Besides, I had spotted a whole row of seats at the front of the second level near home plate that had been empty the whole game. After some convincing, Fred followed me shaking his head. Well, we couldn't get to those seats because of the super boxes on the second level so we stood in the back of the first level near home plate. It was a much better view and eventually we sat down in some empty seats. By the seventh inning, people in the lower sections were starting to leave as the Angels were down 7 to 0. The Diamondbacks had batted around and Matt Williams was up with the bases loaded. He smacked a single which scored two more runs so now it was 9-0. The Angels did finally come back to score 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth to avoid a shut-out. The final score was 12 to 2. The crowd totaled 35,014 out of a capacity of 45,000.

This time I stayed awake on the drive back to Palm Springs.

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Saturday June 12th

Palm Springs

We had passed miles of huge windmills on our way into Palm Springs last Sunday and had been extremely curious. We saw in one of the local guides that Windmill Tours were offered so today was our last chance.

This is one of only six major wind farms in the world. Here in the valley, the desert heats up causing the hot air to rise which is then filled in by the cooler air coming off the ocean and through the moutains. These conditions are optimum for creating electricity using windmills. This wind farm was developed in the early 1980's shortly after we all sat in line waiting for gas. In the mid 1970's, the government ordered a study to find alternate sources of fuel and it was found that 33 of the 48 states had enough wind to make windmill farms feasible.

There are four generations of windmills at the farm. The first generation, some of which are still in operation, could supply electricity to 400 homes. The fourth generation, which are a more sophisticated efficient design, can supply electricy to 1,200 homes. Imagine that, from a source that does not pollute!

The tour was fascinating and I am going to do more research on this alternate energy source. Why are electric companies building nuclear power plants which are dangerous and dirty when this alternate source is available? I have a feeling the answer is $$$$$ for big business.

We decided to get in one more round of golf at Palm Springs. Since we enjoyed the Mountain View course at Dessert Willow so much, we went back to play the Fire Cliff course. Unfortunately, we did not like it as much. It was a beautiful course, however there was sand on every hole, on both sides of the fairway and also surrounding the greens. It was unfair to the average golfer because almost every green was heavily guarded by sand. If our approach shot was not absolutely perfect, quess where we were chipping from? It got old after awhile to be chipping from the sand all the time. The fact that it was 105 degrees didn't help our temperment. However, our playing partners were quite a treat. These two guys were cousins and had one of those "pick on each other" relationships, no doubt garnered from years of family gatherings. They were a riot and kept us totally entertained with their antics.

We had spied an ad for a bar called Beer Hunter so that is where we went after golf. This is a three restaurant locally owned chain. The food was good and they had about 100 different kinds of beer plus NTN Trivia. We got a box and signed on as BUDWSR, our players plus sign-on. We won one game and were well on our way to winning a second when our box malfunctioned. Those that play, know that even if you get another box, you can not sign on with the same screen name because it says it is in use. We met a brother/sister team when Tommy introduced himself to us. Bridgett was recently divorced after 18 years of marriage and was out to experience it all. She was a riot and embarrassed us with some of the stuff she talked about. She was feeling no pain, if you know what I mean, and talked about anything and everything. Quite entertaining.