| The Coachella Valley is a popular vacation spot for | | | | these caches relatively easy. Prior to heading out to |
| families. Palm Springs and nearby cities are the perfect | | | | the Pinkham Canyon Trail, we went to the website |
| antidote to congested big-city living. | | | | and found a dozen or so caches that were located in |
| The cities of this valley have made good use of | | | | that particular area. The Garmin software enabled us |
| irrigation water piped in to transform the harsh desert | | | | to download the longitude and latitude of those caches |
| environment into a cornucopia of luxury resorts, golf | | | | into our GPS so that we could see where they were |
| courses ' some 120 at last count ' upscale shopping | | | | on our GPS map. Once we got in the general area of |
| boulevards and palm trees as far as the eye can see. | | | | the caches, we just let our GPS lead us right to the |
| The fertile green lawns are carefully overseen by an | | | | locations of the caches. |
| army of landscapers and a drive through the | | | | Some caches are easy to find in easy terrain; others |
| neighborhoods of places like Palm Desert and Indian | | | | can be quite challenging and located in terrain that is |
| Wells is a window into the "good life" enjoyed by | | | | hard to traverse. It was going to be a hot day, so we |
| well-to-do retirees as well as upwardly mobile | | | | chose the easiest option - driving the 4-wheel-drive trail |
| professionals. | | | | and finding caches along the way. We eventually |
| Yet never far away from these meticulously | | | | found about two-thirds of them and, of course, our |
| maintained homes and estates is the raw desert ' a | | | | grade-school-aged kids were thrilled with each find ' |
| place where you can finally put space between | | | | even though nothing of real value was to be found. |
| yourself and other people, and enjoy what passes for | | | | The idea is to take a trinket and leave a trinket of your |
| a back-to-nature experience, even though minutes | | | | own; it's "treasure" only in the sense that you'll treasure |
| later you'll most likely be luxuriating in modern, upscale | | | | this activity with your kids. And it gave us the illusion, |
| accommodations designed to pamper you from head | | | | anyway, we had gone "into the wild." |
| to toe. | | | | Another 15 miles east from the Pinkham Canyon Trial |
| On our most recent trip to the desert we based | | | | on Interstate 10 there is a great place to see some |
| ourselves a few miles east of Palm Springs in Indio, a | | | | military history first-hand: the General Patton Memorial |
| comfortable neighborhood, but perhaps less | | | | Museum at Chiriaco Summit. The museum is a |
| extravagant than some other parts of the valley. Out | | | | testament to General George Patton, one of the |
| on the eastern edge of the Coechella Valley cities, this | | | | military heroes of World War II, and also to his specific |
| area is now undergoing a major transformation with | | | | involvement with creating the Desert Training Center, a |
| several new housing developments that feature | | | | vast desert landscape set aside for tank training when |
| modern, spacious homes set alongside man-made | | | | U.S. troops needed to prepare for warfare in North |
| lagoons and canals, all five minutes from the freeway. | | | | Africa. While Patton only ran the center for four |
| It is in this same area that a major new resort | | | | months when it opened in 1942, he was instrumental in |
| complex ' the Resort at Indio ' was built just in the last | | | | choosing the site where it was located. |
| few years. | | | | The museum tells the story of the training center, but it |
| There are 453 condo units altogether and they're built | | | | also is a collection of artifacts from several wars |
| around a waterpark full of sprinklers, canals, ponds, | | | | including World War II. It's not in a fancy building and |
| pools and even a man-made river for inner-tube | | | | doesn't compare, for example, with the World War II |
| floating. The largest of two swimming pools is a | | | | Museum in New Orleans, but it is a fascinating group of |
| gigantic 5,000 square feet. If you're anxious to get | | | | exhibits that brings visitors closer to the realities of war. |
| some exercise, check out the backetball court, tennis | | | | Through its collection of photos and documents, the |
| courts, gym and recreation center. Golfers need go no | | | | museum offers a historical account of Patton and his |
| farther than the Terra Lago golf course adjacent to | | | | contributions to the U.S. military. There is a large |
| the resort. | | | | assortment of items actually used in war, from |
| Given the recreational opportunities, it's not surprising | | | | German Lugar pistols to machine guns to gas masks |
| that the Resort at Indio is especially popular with | | | | to uniforms and gear worn by our troops in several |
| families. During our visit on an unseasonably warm | | | | past wars. |
| spring weekend, family groups large and small were | | | | It's as if someone put up a sign that said "Bring us all of |
| taking full advantage of the pools and other facilities. | | | | your war memorabilia and leave it here." |
| Families were spending hours on the spacious deck | | | | Outside the museum are several tanks and other |
| poolside. Come mealtime, many would walk the short | | | | Army vehicles that help visitors envision what tank |
| distance back to their condo units and fire up the | | | | warfare must have been like in World War II. And it |
| barbecues available on their decks and patios. As you | | | | was easy to imagine hundreds of these tanks doing |
| might expect, the accommodations are really vacation | | | | mock battle in these miles and miles of open desert a |
| rentals, not hotel rooms ' each unit comes with a | | | | little more than a half-hour away from today's glitzy |
| complete kitchen, multiple bedrooms, living and dining | | | | Palm Springs. |
| room areas. Since the resort is almost brand-new, | | | | AT A GLANCE |
| everything's in top shape with the latest appliances, | | | | WHERE: Indio is located in the Coachella Valley, about |
| colors and d?r. | | | | 20 miles east of Palm Springs. The Resort at Indio is |
| As tempting as it was to just laze by the pool all | | | | next to the desert foothills at the northern edge of the |
| weekend, we did want to get out and experience the | | | | valley and adjacent to Terra Lago golf course. |
| desert. With daytime temperatures reaching mid-90's, | | | | WHAT: The Resort at Indio is a condo-style resort in |
| we headed out early in the morning when temps were | | | | which visitors can reserve condos much as they |
| more in the mid-70's to mid-80's. Our objective was | | | | would reserve a hotel room. During our visit there |
| the Pinkham Canyon Trail, within the Joshua Tree | | | | were no restaurants on property, but a deli and an |
| National Park, only a 20-minute drive from the resort. | | | | on-site Domino's Pizza were scheduled to open in late |
| Our desert activity: geocaching. | | | | spring 2008. |
| For those who are not yet enlightened, geocaching is a | | | | WHEN: Prime time of the year is late fall, winter and |
| relatively new activity in which you use your hand-held | | | | early spring because daytime temperatures are |
| GPS unit to find "caches" or boxes of trinkets hidden in | | | | moderate during those periods. However, we've |
| various locations. There can be caches in remote | | | | enjoyed Palm Springs even in hot temperatures by |
| areas, or in developed areas, or even in amusement | | | | planning early morning outings and spending a lot of |
| parks such as Legoland near San Diego. What it really | | | | time in the swimming pool. Rates are substantially |
| comes down to is a kind of Easter Egg hunt for both | | | | lower in summer. |
| kids and adults and, from what we've discovered, it is | | | | WHY: The desert is a great place to escape |
| great family activity. | | | | civilization and it's where you can always count on |
| If you have a Garmin GPS, it has nifty software that | | | | sunshine. |
| interfaces with a major website - ' to make finding | | | | |