After spending Sunday night at the Wally World parking lot in La Quinta, our Golden Spike Chapter of 20 Motor Homes made the short trip to the Riverside County Fairgrounds, caravan style. Upon arrival at the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) Western Rally, we were parked as a group, with connections to electrical power. Our arrival one day earlier this year seemed to make a difference, as the wait time, and parking was much quicker.
It's a virtual sea of motor homes parked at the FMCA Western Rally in Indio, CA.
It was early afternoon by the time we got everything squared away, and with nothing else on the agenda, Patty and I decided to drive to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for a ride to the top of the San Jacinto Mountains. Many years ago, we had ridden this tram to the sky, and the car pictured below was what they used. The tram cars are now much bigger, holding approx. 80 people, and the floor rotates 360 degrees. During the 10 minute trip, everyone inside the car makes two complete revolutions, and the views are truly spectacular.
The elevation at the bottom of the tram is 2,643 feet above sea level, and once you reach the top, the elevation is 8,516 feet. The temps on the valley floor in Palm Springs & Indio, were in the mid 70's yesterday, but by the time we reached the top, the temperature was 49 degrees. At least we had enough sense to take a jacket and sweatshirt. Some folks went outside in their t-shirts & shorts, but were quickly back inside the building. There was a little bit of snow around the tram building.
This view is looking back down from near the top.
Looking up, as the tram approaches the top of the mountain.
Once we reached the top, the views of Palm Springs, and the surrounding communities from over a mile up was pretty incredible. We took in the scenery, snapped a few pictures, and then took the tram back down to the valley.
These tram cars are the worlds largest that rotate
Once we were back at the fairgrounds, it was time for the social hour with lots of snacks that the ladies had prepared. We sat around for awhile, visiting with our fellow Golden Spiker's, then it was time for dinner. Our buddies, Bill & "D" Hall introduced us to the Fisherman's Restaurant last year, and it was definitely a hit. The four of us loaded up in our jeep, and we headed off for some seafood here in the middle of the desert. It's a very popular place to eat, but fortunately, it wasn't quite as crowded as last year. The food was great, as well as the company. After we were all stuffed, it was back to our motor homes, and day 1 of our week here in Indio was history.
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