23rd Dec – 27th Dec 2021
From an outsiders point of view Palm Desert is an odd place. It is situated in the Cochealla Valley about 14 miles from its better known, older, more established, more cultural neighbour, Palm Springs. This whole area is a mecca for the ‘Snowbird’ population- mostly retired people who live in the northern USA and Canada who are fed up with frozen bones and shovelling snow off driveways in the colder months so escape to the warm, sunny, dry, desert for at least a few months each winter. This valley is surrounded by mountains that create a ‘thermal belt’ protecting it from the potential colder night-time temperatures that the desert can deliver. Having experienced a couple of UK winters over the past two years I completely understand the pilgramage and, this Tin Can journey being a winter trip, our presence in this part of the country is no random event.
Palm Desert has grown rapidly and caters nearly exclusively to the over 55s. The housing is almost entirely arranged in beautiful walled communitites with gated entrances and despite the desert environment there are palm trees, lush plantings and green lawns, all supported by widespread irrigation. The communities mostly all have social clubs, pools, golf courses and other sporting facilities and the whole place functions like a big ‘summer-camp-in-the-winter-for-the-mature-person-with-an-inner-child’. Friendships are forged, legs are tanned, bodies are exercised, aching joints are eased, parties abound and life is completely geared to benefit a segment of society that can often be marginalised by the modern world’s obsession with youth. In fact what makes it odd is that there are almost no children here. Visiting minors are occasionally spotted hanging around the sports facilities watching their grandparents play Pickle Ball, or they may be the kids of the golf pros. I guess they are allowed to breed.
So we arrived here a couple of days before Christmas and it was the end of the first phase of this trip. We had covered 1600 miles in 3 and a half weeks and we had come to spend the festive period with Lori and her family from Wenatchee. They all decamped here in November and we were really looking forward to catching up with Lori and her partner, Paul, who we hadn’t yet met. (Approval since granted!) Our digs were to be the spare room of Lori and Paul’s very comfortable Air BnB house which was on, you guessed it, a manicured, gated community, complete with palm trees and pool. (Also approved!) Unfortunately there was no parking for BD & TC here, but Lori’s parents, Rocky & Casey were happy for them to be abandoned on their driveway, about 10 minutes away. We packed an unfeasible amount of possessions and alcohol into reuseable shopping bags (all class) and Lori and Paul scooped us up before another very ‘un-desert-y’ 12 hour downpour commenced.
Now although we were ostensibly here for Christmas, it was not the main focus of our stay. That was pickle ball. Now for those not in the know, pickle ball is a cross betweeen tennis and table tennis, played with a paddle and a plastic wiffleball on a court about 1/3-1/4 the size of a normal tennis court. It is mostly played in doubles, very social, easily accomodates all ages and mobilities and in these parts has the participation levels and passionate following of a religious cult. We really had no choice but to give it a go. We were pretty good. This was unsurprising for Nick who was a tennis whizz in his youth, but even I, with my pathological inability to clear a tennis net with a tennis ball, was suprisingly competant for a newbie. We played every day including Christmas Day and with plenty of expert coaching from Paul, Lori and Marla, Lori’s sister, we were able to put up a reasonable game, although we had some aching muscles from our unfamiliar exertions. We came away from Palm Desert with some loaner paddles and balls from Marla and a plan to play when we find some courts on our travels. Apparently the ettiquette is just to turn up to a court complex and await opponents.
Otherwise Christmas was a low-key family affair with Lori & Paul, Marla and her husband Marty, Rocky & Casey and us. We all got together on Christmas eve for dinner and ‘secret santa’ present giving and again on Christmas morning for Rocky’s traditional Swedish pancakes with bacon and sausages. The catering was excessive enough to feed us all for days with leftovers and we had a thoroughly lovely time. Thank you everyone!
