Travel Blog

This was Marilyn Monroe’s Palm Springs Home when she lived there and it was just down the road from Elvis Presley’s honeymoon house as well. She grew up or lived in Palm Desert area. At the present time there is a thirty foot statue of her in down town Palm Springs. It is at the corner of Indian Canyon and Tacquitz road. We have included this picture of Marilyn on another post that is on this site. Just look in recent posts or in categories under Palm Springs. This particular statue is on Palm Springs until sometime in 2014, at which time it is supposed to go back to Chicago.

Marilyn Monroe’s Palm Springs Home

The city  is trying to purchase the statue for several million dollars, however the current owners do not seem to be ready to sell at this time. I guess further negotiations will be needed before a final decision is made.

The city is also trying to obtain her statue at a significant cost to be placed in the downtown area. It was here for roughly a year and it turned out to be very popular with tourists. Many people would have their picture taken with Marilyn in the background. She stood over 30 feet tall and dominated the Palm Springs downtown area in a very positive way.

For more Palm Springs things to do, click here.

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We really enjoyed our breakfast at Peabodies in Palm Springs this morning. This Restaurant is always popular in the mornings for breakfast. They have heaters for cool days and misters for really hot days. It can be a bit crowded if you are eating on the patio, along the sidewalk, however, most people do not mind on a beautiful morning as they enjoy their coffee and breakfast. They are well known for really good meals, lots of food and lots of coffee with great service. There are also heaters that will keep you toasty warm on cooler nights.

Peabodies in Palm Springs

These are some of the things we enjoyed and liked about Peabodies in Palm Springs:

• Lots of coffee
• Large meals
• Large enough to split
• Real potatoes or home fries
• Excellent food
• Great service
• Heaters to keep you warm
• Free wi-fi

What more could you ask for! The only negative comment that we can make is that sometimes delivery trucks will park in front while delivering products to various stores. Not only do they block the view, but they also leave their engines running. The sound of a diesel engine running and the fumes can be annoying especially when you are trying to enjoy breakfast. this does not happen often, but it does occur so you may want to keep that in mind.

For more information about Palm Springs Restaurants, click here.

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There are multiple cause and effect of not getting enough sleep and if pictures tell a thousand words, this one does. He is snoring away blissfully or so we think. She is really upset at not getting to sleep because of the loud snoring. There are thousands of reasons why people do not sleep. However we are going to focus on this couple and one of the reasons that both people are probably not sleeping well. She is obviously not getting enough sleep due to her partners snoring. He may not be sleeping well since snoring is the beginning of sleep apnea in most cases.

People who snore loudly are not sleeping well and if they have sleep apnea. They are having sleep disturbances quite often during the night. Which interrupts their sleep and ruins the deep sleep we all need to be well rested. In fact he could be waking up many times a night and be exhausted every morning as well. The cause and effect of not getting enough sleep can be based on sleep apnea.

What is the Cause of Not Getting Enough Sleep

In this case sleep apnea is preventing this person from breathing properly. Loose relaxed tissue at the back of the throat is closing the airway and as he breathes, is fluttering to make this loud snoring sound. In cases where it completely closes off the airway, a person will actually stop breathing until the brain, starved for oxygen, wakes the person up enough to move or swallow and begin breathing again.

This is a sleep interruption and if you are in a deep sleep, this can be very disruptive to your sleep rhythm leaving you tired and sleepy the next morning. The problem with many people with sleep apnea is that this sort of thing repeats itself many times an hour leaving a person tired and irritable the next day.

There are many other reasons why people do not sleep, however this is one situation were you need to talk to your doctor and ask for a sleep study to be done. You may need to use a CPAP machine to keep your airway open and help you sleep at night. They work well when set up properly, although they can take some getting used to.

What is the Effect of Not Getting Enough Sleep

The effects of not getting enough sleep are numerous and do not only affect yourself. As the picture above shows, this guys partner is really upset and definitely will not get enough sleep. She will be upset with him in the morning for sure and may even move to another room to get a good night’s sleep.

Relationships can suffer for this reason alone since both people are now tired, possibly short tempered and certainly not on their best behavior. There are other effects that can occur, which we list as follows:

• Relationships suffer
• Reduced intimacy
• Tired at work and performance suffers
• Reduced ability to concentrate
• Low energy level
• Sleep apnea can lead to stroke and heart attacks
• Fall asleep anywhere including while driving a car or operating heavy machinery
• Chronic lack of sleep can lead to organ problems
• Tendency to eat more to make up for lack of energy
• Weight gain
• Reduced exercise

This is Also About Diet

One of the reasons we include subjects like this on this website which is all about diet and weight loss is the impact of not getting enough sleep has on your weight. We all have needed a pick me up at some point. When we are tired, some people will go for a coffee and a sugar fix to provide that instant energy source. They have a lot of calories and the body does react to this energy source, however due to our reduced activity level, because we are so tired, we gain weight.

This is just not a good scenario. The more weight we gain, the worse sleep apnea will get and the more tired we will be. It can be a vicious circle. If you have any of the symptoms that we have discussed, see your doctor and ask for a sleep test. It may be some unrelated health issue or it may be sleep apnea. At least with a sleep test you will know and can deal with that issue. With more energy to burn you may also lose weight and get in better shape which is really the objective of this website. For more information about the cause and effect of not getting enough sleep and sleep information in general, click here.

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Safety is a huge concern when anyone goes river white water rafting. Participants can be dumped from the raft at any time. Equipment can be bounced around the raft hitting some of the people in the raft. Rivers are categorized in various levels of difficulty and it is important that participants meet the levels of proficiency and health to enhance their safety. Before you book a rafting trip take the time to learn about safety rules and what you are responsible for during your trip.

White Water Classifications

Calm rides with minimal rapids are usually fine for just about anyone including young children and older adults. Everyone must wear a life vest to protect them and keep them floating should they accidentally fall into the water. On these calm rides there is little chance of this occurring, however better to be safe than sorry.

At the other end of difficulty, only expert white water rafters are allowed to goes on these trips. It is routine for people to be thrown from the raft and both guides and participants need to be able to work hard at navigating through the rapids. If you do get thrown from the raft during a particularly rough ride, participants must be able to stay afloat and swim to shore to be picked up later.

Real Life Experience with Rafting

If you cannot swim or cannot swim for any distance, then do not go on these trips. These trips are really meant for people who are very fit, have excellent stamina and can swim well. We also recently talked to a river guide who mentioned that you can suffer hypothermia and be dead within 5o minutes if you do not get out of the water. You will begin to cramp and feel the effects in three minutes and some people will die much quicker. If your guide tells you to stop fooling around or get out of the water, do what he says. It could be your life that you are fooling around with and no one wants to die on a trip.

This particular guide rafted on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and other places. He also mentioned that younger guides might be afraid to take on an older adult tourist. It is an age thing and a respect thing, however this also can mean the difference between life and death. When a guide asks you nicely to stop drinking or not go swimming in the water follow his or her instructions because you could be playing with your life here. You could also jeopardize the lives of the people who try to save you. You do not want to be responsible for other adults, or your family not making it along with you! It is that simple.

There are Puerto Vallarta luxury hotels for tourists to stay at while in the city, however, these are not in the same class as you might find in other North American cities. They are nice and probably would rank a  4 out of 6 if you were comparing other properties. All of the amenities are there, including pools and beaches with great restaurants. They are just not in the same class as other locations in terms of maintenance and quality.

No Puerto Vallarta Luxury Hotels

There are luxury hotels in Puerto Vallarta as well as along the coast in both directions, in the marina area, in Nuevo Vallarta, and in several other small towns along the coast. You go to Puerto Vallarta for the weather, for the inexpensive food and drinks, and for the culture. There are many places to visit and explore. The people are friendly and will help if you get lost. Just do not expect the same level of luxury that you might find in other cities in North America, after all, it is a seaside town in Mexico.

Weather in Puerto Vallarta

Weather in the summer and late fall can be very muggy and humid with lots of rain. From December on, the weather is usually hot and dry, although some years there will be a small amount of rain and humidity in the winter months. Temperatures are in the high 80’s from January to April. This is a great place to spend a vacation whether you are in a luxury hotel or in a condo.

Book early for these Puerto Vallarta luxury hotels since tourists often book for the next year before they leave.  Book a hotel on the beach so that you can stroll along the beach. If you want to be able to walk the beach to the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta, book hotels that are south of the marina, otherwise you have a long walk along the highway to get around the marina.

We suggest that you take a bus or car to get where you are going. The buses are very good in terms of regularity and cost, however, they are pretty basic compared to other North American Cities in Canada and the US.

For much more information about Puerto Vallarta, click here.

We visited the Lieutenants Pump Restaurant in Ottawa this past summer for breakfast one beautiful summer morning. The temperature was perfect for sitting outside to have your breakfast. We sat on the patio shown in the picture. This is a great place under the trees just off the sidewalk. It really a pleasant place to have your breakfast.

The food was well served, the waitress did a great job of taking our order and bringing us our food. It was still hot and really everything was done properly and correctly. We have nothing to complain about in this area what so ever. We would suggest to anyone wanting to go out for breakfast, that this would be a great place to spend an hour having breakfast on a beautiful summer morning.  There was just one problem which we will talk about and invite others to comment on.

Don’t Order the Coffee at Lieutenants Pump Restaurant – Ottawa

We ordered coffee with our meal which was not included in the meal price. Lots of places include coffee in the meal price for breakfast and lot’s do not. This is pretty typical and we were not surprised by this nor were we annoyed by this. We were annoyed to find out that a cup of coffee was going to cost us $3 per cup, which is very high to begin with even if they refill it multiple times.

The issue that one has to take into account is that in Ontario Canada, they charge 13% HST tax and then you have a 15% tip to add on as well to this cup of coffee. The final cost is going to be almost $4 for a cup of coffee in addition to whatever meal that you have.

We found this to be ridiculous. Even Starbucks, who has much better coffee, does not charge anywhere close to this price for a cup of coffee. With a registered Starbucks card, you can have as many refills as you want.

While we thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the service was great, we will not be going back to this location for breakfast anytime. And since we are turned off this place, we will not be going back for lunch or supper as well. We would rather go to the competition down the street than ever pay $4 for a coffee at an outside café.

Your comments and thoughts are welcome. Is this too much for a cup of coffee? We think so, but then our readers might disagree, so let us know. For more information about what to do in Ottawa, click here.

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This was George Burns home when he lived in Palm Springs. His home was just below that of Barbara Streisand . It is a very elegant looking place with lots of desert plants around the property. Of course palm trees as well. One of the unique things about this home is that it has quite a few pieces of art around it. They are strategically placed were you can see them from the street. This really adds to the beauty of the place and contributes to the value of the property.

You can find this home in the Las Palmas area of Palm Springs and if you live in the down town area of the city, it is within easy walking distance of down town. There are also walking tours that you can sign up for that take you past this home as well as many others were famous stars stayed when they came to Palm Springs.

George Burns home – Security

This home is also protected by gates. There is an armed response sign on the fence. This is to ward off anyone who might be thinking of jumping the fence. For instance it is surprising how many tourists if given a chance will try to walk on the grounds or peer inside a window to look around.

For more posts and articles about the Palm Springs area, click here.

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We are now into the 7th day of her testimony which has been spread over 3 weeks and we have not even got to the actual murder yet. We are almost there in terms of the time frame that gets us to the actual murder.  Maybe this week we will get to the murder and then it will be the prosecutions turn. They are going to tear her apart on the stand and there are so many opportunities to do that. I am listening to Nancy Grace on HLN now and they are just tearing her apart.

Jody complained about a lack of money. There was a lack of receipts for hotels and gas while she traveled. Also  she filled up with gas so she would not have to buy expensive gas while traveling. Yet she rented a car when she was so broke and she had money to go for a manicure.

Jody Arias Trial

I am at the point were I cannot stand the show any more  and yet my wife is glued to the TV set and that means i have to listen to all of this drivel. I predict that she is going to get off and not be convicted of anything. The jury is so tired of listening to all of her detailed lies and then suddenly when we get close to the actual murder which she has admitted to, she suddenly cannot remember details.

This is really going to get interesting when the prosecution gets going and it will be sad actually to watch while they tear her story apart. Stay tuned.

For more information on notorious crimes, click here.

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This was where Johnny Carson’s home was when he was in Palm Springs. Cannot see much , he was a very private man even though he was the king of late night TV! His home reflected this privacy. Even if your on a bike or in a bus you can still not see over those hedges.

The entrance door was also opaque to avoid anyone looking through and catching a glimpse of the famous late night show host. I used to think that these shows were taped late at night as well. We went to a Jay Leno show which was taped at 5pm Pacific coast time.  I realized that by the time we saw it on the east coast it was already 11 pm.

Johnny Carson’s home

The neighborhood is very private with quiet streets. Almost all of the homes have private walls with lots of shrubs to provide everyone living there with privacy. There is not much traffic in this area other than local traffic and people like ourselves wandering around looking at the movie star homes.

These homes are all over the million dollar range, so if you want one of these homes, be prepared to spend lots of money. For more information about other Palm Springs homes and Palm Springs in general, click here.

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Elvis Presley spent a lot of time in Palm Springs. This was Elvis Presleys honeymoon House where he spent his honeymoon with Priscilla. He intended to be married at this home, however, there were just too many reporters camped outside his home. Instead, he borrowed Frank Sinatra’s plane and flew to Las Vegas and was married there. He spent some time in this house with his bride Priscilla in Palm Springs. The house itself is located at 1350 Ladera Circle in Palm Springs. this home is a two-bedroom home with 4,695 square feet and was built in 1960 and is a good representation of the 1960’s modernism design that is so popular in Palm Springs.

Elvis Presley’s Honeymoon House

This home in Palm Springs is close to downtown and within easy walking distance of the downtown area. Of course, it can also be driven to as well and can be seen easily from the car. It is on a public street and very accessible.  This is one of many homes that many of the stars have either visited, rented, or owned in the Palm Springs area.

Elvis Presleys honeymoon House is on a little cul-de-sac with lots of privacy while at the same time with a few of the streets. It is now privately owned. Tourists can approach the home in this quiet Palm Springs suburb with little problem. However, everyone should realize that this is a private home and respect the owners privacy.  For more articles about the Palm Springs area and things to do, click here.

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We were hiking on the Art Smith trail Palm Springs the other day. It starts off of Highway 74, in Palm Desert and heads across a drainage reservoir, and then almost straight up on a well-defined trail. Eleven miles in length with a number of oases’ along the way that you can stop at to take a short break, rest a bit, or grab a quick bite.

We only made it to the second oasis, which was about 3 miles. That was enough for us. It was almost 80 degrees with no breeze at all. We found that with the sun beating down on us, it gets quite warm.

Hiking on the Art Smith trail Palm Springs – Water

We had lots of water with us and we cannot stress this enough for anyone hiking in the desert. Always take water with you and always take more than you think you will need. It does not take long to get dehydrated in the desert and that just brings serious problems if you have no one to help you.

The Art Smith Trail is a great hike with lots of scenery and beautiful views of the valley. Take your time, take pictures, and take extra water with you always to ensure an enjoyable day. Oh, and don’t forget a hat as well as sunscreen to make your day more enjoyable!

For more posts about hiking around Palm Springs, click here.

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We really enjoy hiking in Palm Springs and the area around Palm Springs. These are pictures taken at various places around Palm Springs. This trail is about 11 miles long in one direction. It is considered a challenging trail to take for many people. The portion shown in the picture is pretty flat. However this was after we had been hiking for an hour and climbed probably a thousand feet in elevation. On a hot day this trail can be pretty challenging. Always bring lots of water with you to avoid getting dehydrated.

Hiking in Palm Springs

A beautiful day for hiking, with little wind and some cloud, however we were very hot with the 75 degree temperatures in February 2013. If you decide to go hiking in late spring or summer, sun screen , lots of water, and even a snack is mandatory. People have died due to lack of water, even on some of the short trails that are available. There are fewer people hiking during these times so there is les chance someone will find you if you are hiking alone!

This was another picture  below that was taken on the same day in Whitewater canyon overlooking the Coachella valley.  Beautiful views with at least a 50 mile distance to the other side of the valley. In this picture, there is Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and Palm Springs in the far distance. The views are fantastic, the air is clear and clean and the hiking is healthy and exhilarating.  If you are in the Palm Springs area this is a great sport to take on and it costs virtually nothing.

There are over 100 trails that are available for hiking in the area. Some are well maintained, most are not monitored. You really should tell someone where you are going, when you will be back and always hike with a partner to ensure that in case of injuries, there is someone to help. Take lots of water  with you, more than what you think you might need.

For lots of details about things to do in Palm Springs as well as restaurants to visit, click here.

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A meteor explodes over Russia and does a great deal of damage to buildings and explodes a lot of windows. As a result, it appears that 1100 people were hurt mainly from exploding glass windows that burst from the shock wave. All of this from a meteor the size of a bus and weighing 7000 tonnes. It was estimated to be traveling at 54,000 km’s or 40,000 miles an hour. It exploded 30 to 50 km’s in the air or about 30 miles high. All of this from such a small meteorite.

The small ones burn up in the atmosphere and are the shooting stars that all of us have seen at one time or other. But this was a relatively big one compared to the ones that burn up in the atmosphere. It was big enough to cause an explosion and a sonic boom that blew out a lot of windows many miles away.

Imagine the Damage

Imagine the damage this meteor would have done if this had happened over Moscow or New York. There would have been people killed from the breaking glass as a minimum. Many would have thought that a nuclear bomb had been set off.

Another meteor or actually an asteroid passed relatively close to the earth today as well. This one was 130,000 tons and passed within 28,000 km’s of the earth. For example, the space station by comparison is around 300 miles or 480 km’s above the earth. Some satellites were in the vicinity, but none were reported being damaged in any way.

Dirty Solar System – Meteor Explodes

Apparently we live in what is called a dirty solar system. There are lots of objects orbiting the earth, the other planets and the sun. The earth in its orbits sweeps many of these asteroids up in its atmosphere every day. There is little or no impact on the environment or the humans that live on the planet.

One day we may be hit by a large one. But this cannot be predicted. We have nothing at this time to deal with these asteroids. As a result if one is in the same orbit as the earth and we intersect with it there is a chance of a catastrophic event on earth.

This sort of thing is very remote and unlikely to occur in our life times. But when something like the event in Russia occurs everyone talks about it. As a result we wonder when the next one will hit the earth and where.

For more life changing events and other stories, click here.

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There are lots of road runners in Palm Springs but it is not often you get this close to one. This guy likes sweet potato fries and is not afraid of guests sitting on the patio having lunch. We are pretty sure that the waiters keeps him well fed.

This picture was taken at the Agua Caliente Casino on Ramon road in the Palm Springs area. We were sitting out on a patio enjoying our lunch and the scenery when this road runner came along. He was looking for food and his favorite seemed to be sweet potato fries which he would grab and then take off to eat somewhere in the foliage. He was quite entertaining.

Road Runners in Palm Springs

If you have never had your lunch at the casino, this spot is one of the best. You can eat indoors or outdoors. It is shaded from the sun which is nice when it is really hot and you overlook the pool area. This is quite a nice spot to spend an hour or two having lunch or dinner.

It is also a good place to take a break from the casino. If you are looking for some peace and quiet, this restaurant is a great place to take some time out and enjoy the outdoors. For more information and things to do in Palm Springs, click here.

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One of the worries that many consumers have when they are diagnosed with sleep apnea and are told they need a CPAP machine is how they will travel with these machines. Fortunately there are travel size CPAP machines that are easy to pack, easy to carry and easy to use. The writer uses the CPAP machine displayed in the picture shown on the left. He has traveled with it a great deal.

It is an extra bag that you have to carry and account for. However the value received by using this machine far outweighs any additional concern that you might have. If I am only traveling for a single night, I use a small water bottle to carry distilled water for the humidifier. Otherwise I carry a larger jug of water with me.

Adjustments to The Travel Size CPAP to Make it Even Better

So far I have made two changes to my travel size CPAP machine to enhance my convenience when traveling with it.  The first is relatively simple. I added an extension cord to the bag to use in hotel rooms. Most hotel rooms have an electrical outlet relatively close to where you will set up your CPAP. However there are a few, that do not or the existing plugs are all in use. I carry this extension cord so that I have no problems in this area. I use it about 2 or 3 times out of every 10 hotel rooms that I stay at.

The second change is related to distilled water that you really should use in your CPAP machine. The picture shows a CPAP with a humidifier included. Which is really recommended to keep your nose and nasal passages from drying out. It is recommended that distilled water should be used to avoid any particulates from getting into your lungs. In addition chlorine that is routinely placed in tap water

Distilled Water

The bottles of distilled water are large and it is one more thing to carry into a hotel room. If you are flying the bottles are too large to be carried on a plane, so many people need to rush out in the city they are in to find distilled water. If you are driving it is less of a problem, however it is another package or in this case bottle to carry in. I have taken a small water bottle and filled it with distilled water. It is small enough to fit in the travel case for my CPAP machine and holds enough water for two days of use.

This is just a practical thing to do to make life a little bit easier for people traveling with a CPAP machine. There may be other things that can be added, however this is what I have found so far and wanted to pass along to readers who are dealing with CPAP machines for the first time.

Emergency Power for a CPAP Machine

If the power is down for any length of time, you will not be able to use your CPAP. One or two nights without power for your CPAP is not the end of the world. Unless you have severe sleep apnea. You probably have a lot of other things to be concerned about if the power is off for this length of time. A generator can be used to provide power. However it is important to follow all safety precautions with their use including hook up and exhaust outside of your home.

We have included a number of posts about CPAP machines, sleep apnea and sleep studies. This is based on our own experience with these topics. It does not replace what your doctor or a sleep specialist might provide to you. We happen to believe that it is very important to deal with this issue to avoid the possibility of stroke, heart attack and other ailments that result from chronic lack of sleep. In addition it also affects diet and weight loss. If you are not sleeping you will be eating to provide immediate energy. Of course this is a bad thing for weight loss. Take the steps now to arrange for a sleep study if you suspect that you have sleep apnea.

For more information about travelling with your CPAP machine, click here.

Would you go on a cruise after the most recent reports of a fire on one of Carnival Cruise lines ships? There are all kinds of reports of no food and really bad hygienic situations on board. They have no power at all. It is has taken around 4 days to tow the boat back to Alabama. Now there is a danger that the ship could go aground if the tug boats do not have sufficient power to keep the ship in the channel.

As writers we really do not care whether it is Carnival Cruise lines or any other cruise lines as we are writing this story and millions of people have enjoyed their cruises.

Carnival Cruise Lines Would you Go on a Cruise

The writer just has an aversion at taking one of these cruises and being kept on board essentially in a large hotel where you spend all of your time in the hotel or in this case the ship. As long as the power is maintained and as long as the weather cooperates you can have a really great trip.

When it goes bad and in this case it has really gone bad your trip can be really terrible. These people are cold, they are hungry, they are sick and cannot go to the bathroom in a normal way and there are reports of feces etc in all of the wrong places. This is not for me!

To make matters worse beyond having to deal with this difficulty there are rumors that the cruise line is not going to reimburse them for the cost of their trips, travel home or stays at local hotels. It is early days yet and these are just rumors. Cruise lines do have a reputation for not helping their passengers very much in situations such as this.

Personally I would rather just take a plane or a driving trip and if the weather is bad, you stop somewhere in comfort. If the hotel is not so good, you just move on and find another place that is much better. That’s my take on it and I know a lot of people feel the same way. Comments?

For more posts about travel planning, click here.

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This picture was taken at the Agua Caliente Resort, Rancho Mirage, in Rancho Mirage at Ramon road and Bob Hope drive where they both meet interstate 10.

We had lunch sitting on a patio overlooking this tropical paradise, which is actually a pool for the hotel. Lunch is very enjoyable at this location and I am sure dinner would be as well. There is an overhang so you can get out of the sun and enjoy your meal without getting overheated.

There was a little road runner who came to visit looking for meal scraps. We talked to the waiter who told us that he is a regular and knows exactly when to come to lunch or dinner. One of his favorites is sweet potato fries. Turns out they are ours as well so we shared some with him.

Agua Caliente Resort, Rancho Mirage

If you spend any time at this particular casino, take a few minutes to enjoy the scenery and even have lunch if you have more time. This is a beautiful way to spend a couple of hours.

There are also quite a few shows and events that are held at the Agua Caliente Resort, Rancho Mirage. We have not actually gone to any. However some of our friends have and they have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. There is a large hotel and also a large show room that can accommodate many people. For More details about Palm Springs Restaurants, click here.

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We visited the Spa Casino several times while staying in Palm Springs. This is a great casino, located in down town Palm Springs. It is close to all of the stores as well as many motels and condo’s that are filled to capacity during the winter months by all of the snow birds.

There is always something going on in or around the Spa Casino in addition to the obvious gambling in the casino. But first a couple of points of information about the casino itself.

Spa Casino, Palm Springs

Owned and operated by the Agua Caliente band, this casino has a large number of up to date slot machines. All the way from penny machines up to the high denomination machines. They also have a dozen or so tables were you can play blackjack and numerous other games. One of the attributes that we really liked is that there is a bar in the center of the casino where you can relax with a drink or play poker on a slot machine while observing the action around you. There is another bar in a quieter area were you can also watch sports as well as play keno and poker on machines located in the bar.

The Spa Casino routinely has various events in their show room. One such event was a tail gate party for the super bowl. Filled to capacity we watch the game, participated in free prize draws and enjoyed pictures of beer for $6.00 and an all you eat buffet for $10.00 Not a bad deal!

Car Auction

Recently there was also a car auction held in one of the adjacent large parking lots were over 700 cars were put up for sale over the weekend. We were amazed at the cars and the prices. There were some pretty nice cars from jags up to Bentley’s up for auction.

For more information about what to do in Palm Springs, click here.

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There are many places to go hiking in and around Palm springs. We will list them as we go hiking on  some of them and add pictures as well

• The Palm Springs Museum Trail
• Ramon
• The Clara Burgess – This trail takes you to the top of Murray Hill.
• Whitewater Canyon Nature Preserve
• Tram
• Borrego Springs
• Pushwala
• Murray Peak

These pictures were taken at a trail near the end of the Ramon trail on the north side of the city. Access is a bit difficult. You have to park on the street and walk to the end of the street. Then along a wire fence until you come to an opening which you can crawl through.

This particular area is actually a large wash that has a dike or dam across it to protect the city from flooding. Water comes down off the mountains over the cliff you see in the distance and then down into this wash. It is huge and can control / contain a great deal of water. It is also very nice to hike in. You can go all the way up to the cliff in the far distance. There is a lone palm tree sitting at the very top of the white cliff you see in the distance.

Views are Fantastic

This is an example of the views you see when you are standing with the cliff immediately behind you. The rocks are pretty rough and tumbled and hiking is something you must take carefully to avoid breaking a leg or scaring up a snake or two.

this hike took us about 3 hours although it really does not look as if it should take as long as it did. The distances are disbelieving in the desert and you usually end up walking much further than what was originally planned.

If you are interested in seeing where the earthquake zone is and the San Andreas fault line, head out to the end of the Ramon Road into Pushwalla. there is a cabin staffed by volunteers who can fill you in on the fault line, why there are palm trees in this area and sulphate hot springs as well.

The entire area is really one big fault line which is where the pacific plate meets the North American plate. I forget which one is going under the other, but apparently that is what is happening in this area.

Murray Peak is one of the fun hikes, although it has just about everything from flat sections to steep switch backs. It takes about two and a half hours to go up and around two hours to come down. There are picnic tables at the top and you need to take lots of water and something to eat when you go.

For more things to do around Palm Springs, click here.

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We think there is a market for electric cars and so does Tesla who sells a high-end electric vehicle, the Model S. Their success has identified the emerging market problem of recharge stations. Now all of the car manufacturers are getting on board announcing new electric car models.  They will solve the battery problem but in the meantime? What do you do when your batteries run down?

Toyota solved this problem with the hybrid Prius model. Tessa’s all-electric runs a good distance and can be driving a high-end car recharged in an hour at a supercharge station. There are not enough of them and the locations are not great. If you are going to hang around somewhere for an hour it should’ve someplace pleasant to spend time at.

The market for Electric Cars – Charging

Regular charging stations take a lot longer to get a full charge, which in today’s immediate response society is a problem even if you are driving a high-end car.

We believe electric cars will penetrate the market, but we need to have a huge infrastructure built to meet the needs of the total electric vehicle. This infrastructure for electric cars must include quick-change battery bays, quick-charging stations.

There Must also be many charging stations even if they are only 110 volts and not the high speed charging stations equipped with 220-volt connections.  The market for electric cars will develop also when the price of gasoline returns to the high levels it was a few years ago.

What are your thoughts? Leave your comments. For more electric car posts, click here.

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This picture was taken in early February 2013 after a snow fall in the mountains around Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. These are two of the desert cities in the Coachella valley, east of Los Angeles. We were actually on El Paseo street in Rancho Mirage. This street is an upscale street of shops. There are a variety of stores that offer very expensive clothing and a variety of accessories that many stars will shop for. if you want to see  fancy cars, this is the place to go.

Rancho Mirage – El Paseo

The scenery is fantastic, with the palm trees in the foreground and the mountains covered in snow in the background.  The highest ones are over 12,000 feet in elevation. Palm Springs has an elevation of 485 feet. Less than 40 miles away there is the Salton sea which is below seal level.

This area is a great area for snow birds and weekend vacationers from LA to spend their time. There are warm temperatures, golf, hiking, biking and swimming activities for all.

One of the big attractions for the writer in Rancho Mirage – El Paseo is the Apple store. This is a great place to spend some time while your spouse shops. Down the street and across the street are several coffee shops as well to relax at.

For more posts about things to do in Palm Springs, click here.

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The Palm Springs Match Box Restaurant is a great place to go for happy hour. We just got back from happy hour at the matchbox restaurant! Bottled beer was $3 per bottle and sliders are $5! We sat upstairs along the fire pit overlooking the street. Great view and we met a bunch of people from Canada.  You can see the fire pit in this picture just above the words Mercado. We sat up there and enjoyed our evening looking out on the street and chatting with these folks from Canada. On cooler evenings they have this fire pit to keep you warm and also heaters in other areas near the tables to provide warmth.

Palm Springs Match Box Restaurant

This is a great place to go for a quick couple of beers, something to eat for less than $20! The Match Box also has a regular restaurant of course where you can order an assortment of foods. We have only dined there once, preferring to take advantage of the happy hour specials and try different things from that menu. The location is great with four restaurants in the same area to chose from all offering their own specialty and all providing great service.

These include a Mexican restaurant with entertainment a couple of nights a week, Ruby’s which provides a 50’s style atmosphere, and The Falls( Now closed) which also has a happy hour and a large formal restaurant. We highly recommend The Falls for both happy hour and dining as well. For more Palm Springs restaurants, click here.

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Pope Benedict resigns yesterday claiming frail health physically and mentally. He apparently has said in the past that he would do this when his health was still good. He did not want to wait until he was too incapacitated to make decisions and stay in charge of all of his duties.

But like the little boy who told a lie, we are not sure of whether we should believe him or not. He might well be telling the truth, but how do we know? This is the problem with the Catholic Church. They do not have a good record of telling the truth.

Pope Benedict Resigns

They have lied to us in the past on so many things that we wonder if we should believe them now or not. Is there another reason behind his resignation or is his comment for real or not.

We initially thought that when the Pope Resigned there would be other information coming out about why he decided to resign. To our knowledge, nothing has come out in the past few years so either the church did a good job of managing the situation or his reasons for resignation were legitimate. We will never know. However, given the church’s history they will always be suspected of keeping things secret.

We are not on a witch hunt. We really do not care about why Pope Benedict Resigns. But if you have information or just want to leave a comment, please feel free to do so. For another post on religious issues, click here.

We recently just went to the Panera Palm Springs restaurant at the corner of Gene Autry and Ramon Road in Palm Springs. This is a fabulous restaurant, fast food but with the standard restaurant fair that most people would like fresh food,  fresh salads, sandwiches, soups and lots of pastries. The quality is very good and the prices are reasonable for such great food.

They also put out coffee with the second cup free, and there are outside patio tables and lawn chairs and umbrellas. We really enjoy going to this restaurant and would recommend that anyone should really try it. It is Zagat rated for Palm Springs.

They also have comfortable reading chairs inside along the windows which are really great to sit at and enjoy your coffee while reading the paper.

Register Your Panera Palm Springs Card

If you obtain one of these loyalty cards, make sure that you register it online. Present it each time to get credit for your purchases and pretty soon you will receive free drinks or pastries. Also on your birthday, they give you a special gift of a coffee or pastries or something else.  You may as well receive these small gifts instead of just paying for them all of the time.

We will also try other locations, but so far for us, this is one of the best.

Panera Bread
Place page
5200 East Ramon Road # F1
Palm Springs, CA 92264-3616, United States
(760) 778-5120

For more information about other restaurants in the Palm Springs area, click here.

We just watched a short TV news item on Good Morning America about a girl who was cyber bullied online. We all need to fight cyber bullying. She was bullied online because many people felt that she was not pretty enough to be a cheer leader for the Packers football team. There were pictures of her on a web site that was not associated with the team.

The headline essentially suggested that she should not be a cheer leader since she was not the usual big breasted women. Also with gorgeous hair etc that cheer leaders have come to be known for. She might not have fit the common mold. But she certainly did not deserve the many vicious comments that followed this particular post.

Fight Cyber Bullying

She found a really unique way to respond. She posted a YouTube video accompanied by music with hand written cards. It went absolutely viral in less than 24 hours. As a result there were well over a million hits in the first 24 hours. It forced the original web site to take down their post and all of the bad comments that had been posted. This is a great way to bring attention to bad taste and hurtful comments that seem to be popular on many online sites.

We hope that this serves as an example of how people can fight back against cyber bullying. Do it in a positive constructive way to get these kinds of results.

Where did this Happen

This was on the Chicago Bears Fan page. These people  finally removed the offending posts. Also the comments along with the over 3000 likes that the page had accumulated. They were a bit slow removing it and they should never have had it up there in the first place. The people who run this site are probably bullies themselves and thought it was funny. Too bad for them.

We think that people should boycott their page and the advertisers that place advertising on it. For more posts about online bullying, click here.

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Just got back from Wangs restaurant Palm Springs. As usual, it was packed for happy hour. In case you did not know, well drinks are $2, bottled beer and wine is $3 and Martini’s are $4. Pretty good prices. This is a very busy place on most days. However, Friday nights and Sunday nights appear to the day when many gay men and women go to Wangs. If you are not into this sort of lifestyle, then we suggest you might pick another time to visit this great restaurant.

Wangs Restaurant Palm Springs

The food is actually great as well. We had two appetizers, garlic chicken with rice and also green chicken with rice. The food is really excellent. One thing we would recommend is that if you are several people, it might be better to order several main courses and then share them. Better value and more food to eat than just eating the happy hour menu items.

Wangs is usually very busy on the weekends, crowded in fact, so if you are looking for a more quiet evening, we suggest that you try their happy hour during the week or go for dinner during the week.

For more information about Wangs, click here

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Jody Arias trial has been on for the last two weeks and HLN has covered it in detail while all of the other networks have been just giving the headlines. What is it that fascinates people so much that a channel like HLN can focus almost all of its coverage to this trial? Sure it is outrageous. There is a beautiful women on trial, but still what is it about America and makes this show popular?

This woman, Jody Arias,  is completely sick and probably guilty because of the way that she has lied. Many men have been pulled in by her. If she ever gets out of prison, more will suffer at her hands. They will either be broke or dead depending on how she feels about them.

Jody Arias – Guilty

In fact she is already admitted that she killed this guy but that she didn’t self-defense. Based on the prosecution witnesses there is just no way that this woman is innocent and should be put to death get using the electric chair whatever the used in that particular state or technique is Arizona.

The trial goes on with all kinds is admissions on the stand. Now they are playing a phone call recording which is not being shown on TV, which apparently pretty raw. This is an unbelievable testimony and probably all lies.

More on notorious crimes, click here.

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The Grammys 2013 are on tonight we’re wondering who’s going to win the best vocalist of the year. We will be Adele, Katie, Rhiana or someone else who is relatively unknown let’s watch the Grammys tonight.

Well they stuck to the dress code! No boobs showing and no bum cheeks showing, well maybe except for Katy Perry maybe. She was dressed tastefully but with lots of cleavage showing. I do not mind cleavage, but some times it is beyond good taste. They are used to showing themselves sometimes almost naked, so what does a little cleavage matter.

Grammys 2013

Adele was dressed in a frumpy dress, but who cares, she can sing better than just about anyone . Some stars showed lots of bare leg but stayed inside the guidelines. Who cares really about the Grammy awards and whether they dress well or properly or not. The television programmers will not show you anything risque anyway.

If you were lucky enough to be there at least as a spectator, it would be interesting. The security would really be tight and it would not be fun. Most likely you would be so far away that you would need binoculars to see anything. I think you can actually see more by watching the television programs that carry it.

Also you can watch the interviewers on the red carpet and get see and hear some of the stars. Not so if you are there in person. If you are even close to the red carpet, you might be able to see some things but not hear anything, so why go to the Grammys 2013? for more entertainment posts, click here or here for entertainment posts.

Held every Thursday night in Palm Springs, the Palm Springs Street Fair runs from 5 pm to 10 pm and extends for at least 5 or 6 city blocks. Hundreds of vendors and thousands of people descend on Palm Springs every week to take in the fair! We always enjoy buying fresh-picked strawberries and trying out some of the various barbecued meals. If you are in Palm Springs this is one event that should not be missed regardless of what time of the year, including the summertime as well as the winter.

Palm Springs Street Fair

There are lots of snowbirds in Palm Springs during the Jan to March period and this is when the street fair is the most crowded. During the rest of the year, there are still lots of people and vendors, however, it is not as crowded. During the busy months, it is so crowded that you have to line up at food stalls to eat and you have to be careful walking down the street as well. There are just so many people!

Many people will leave on March 31st. Crowds are less, traffic is better and it is a much more relaxed atmosphere. Even the restaurants are not as busy. Some will even offer better happy hour prices on food and drinks. April is a great time to be in the Palm Springs area.

For more things to do in the Palm Springs area, click here.

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We happen to believe that allergies, sleep, diet and weight loss are all interrelated. This is why we are doing a series of post about dust control and sleep issues to help people understand these issues better. We are not doctors and do not have any medical knowledge. It is based on a lot of common sense that has been developed over the years in dealing personally with these issues. We hope that this information will help you.

If it does please leave us comments. We are very concerned about dust control in your home. The picture in the left is a picture of a home with all of the points indicated where dust can be an issue for individuals suffering from allergies. it suggest what you can do about this dust in your home and how to get rid of it or at least decrease the impact of dust in your home. Note that you can click on the picture to enlarge it to be able to read it properly.

Dust Control in Your Home – Sources

We developed a list of these sources to help people understand where it all comes from. Here is a short list of sources of dust:

• Lint from clothes
• Flakes of dead skin from humans and pets in your home
• Dust tracked in from outside on your clothes
• Dust blown in through open windows
• Pollen blown in through open windows and on your clothes
• Poor filters on your furnace
• Air intake to the furnace
• Spores from mold that might be in your home

There are probably other sources; however these are the main ones for most people.

Dust Control in Your Home – Priorities

The picture that we have included shows all of the possible steps that you can take to try to manage the dust in your home. We happen to feel that although these are all good things to do and if you have severe allergies, you may want to consider all of them, there are some that provide better return for your time and money. We have divided them accordingly, however readers should look at this list from their own perspective and make their own decisions regarding which ones are more important to them. Here is the high priority list from our perspective:

• Avoid painting or decorating when windows are closed to avoid lingering smells
• Vacuum often using a central vacuum that has the canister located outside of the home
• Do not ever smoke inside the home
• Convert to a gas fireplace, clean regular fireplaces regularly
• Clean the furnace filter weekly
• Vacuum often
• Avoid chemicals and aerosol use in the home
• Do not use wool blankets
• Avoid feather pillows, comforters etc
• Keep the bedroom bare and avoid clutter to avoid dust catchers
• Wash the drapes once a month
• Keep indoor humidity at 40 to 50%

Here is a list of some of the things that should be considered if your are highly allergic to dust:

• Remove bedroom rugs
• Moist mop the hardwood floors
• Install hardwood floors and remove all rugs from the bedroom
• Wash walls regularly
• Air conditioning removes pollen and dust
• Vacuum the mattress and bed covers and also under the bed
• Clean lamp shades with a damp cloth
• Vacuum furniture, avoid polishes and waxes to avoid attracting dust
• Do not store books in the bedroom
• Avoid activity in an unfinished basement
• Clean hot air ducts every 3 to 5 years
• Paint basement floor to avoid dust buildup
• Install an electronic air filter on the furnace
• Cover hot air registers with cheese cloth
• If you must keep only one washable stuffed toy in the bedroom

This is a rather long list of steps to take to reduce dust in your home and also keep your home clean. Most people do not clean their homes to this level and do not need to if they are not allergic to dust and pollen. Every person will need to judge just how far they need to take dust cleanliness to get to a point where they can be comfortable and be able to deal with their allergies.

Good luck and focus on the things that will give you the best return for your time and your health. If you are allergic to pollen, never undress in your bedroom at night. Always undress outside of your bedroom to avoid bring pollen from your clothes into the room. You may even want to consider a shower to avoid bringing pollen on your hair into your bed.

For more information about dealing with allergies in your your home, click here.

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