Indio, California: No more exciting datelines such as Cabo San Lucas, nor Puerto Vallarta. We are back in the desert. Dave and I have not accomplished much (except laundry) since our return to the Coachella Valley because we have endured three days of wind. After returning Saturday (we arrived back to our RV from the cruise port at 10a!), and starting laundry, we hunkered-down in the bus and looked at Redfin - we need to start to find a place to live!
We are starting to get some-sort of an idea about what type of community we desire. We really like living in this resort (in the winter) and enjoy the amenities: guarded gate, golf, tennis, 3 pools, 3 spas, fitness center, restaurant and bar, cruising around in your golf cart - cocktail in hand.
To find similar accouterments, we need to get behind the guarded gates of the hundreds of country clubs in the Coachella Valley, and this means attending open houses. We made a plan and visited two communities in this end of the valley on Sunday. First we visited (Merv) Griffin Ranch. The homes are spectacular and everything is very pretty, but the development is about as far from Palm Springs as one could get and there is no golf and no restaurant. It would be a six mile drive to the grocer, and I’ve been doing that in Oregon for the past 25 years. No thank you.
Our next stop was the the famed Rancho La Quinta Country Club, basically next-door to our resort. We have been here before for various reasons, but have only been in a few homes. This resort offers two golf courses, tennis, pools, spas, several restaurants/bars and basically anything else anyone could need. It is one miles from a grocery and 1/2 miles from Tacos G. Rancho La Quinta has several floor plans that could work for us, so if we ever decide to go this route, we only need to find one for sale (there are so many) that has been finished to our liking... or only needs paint. The only odd thing about Rancho La Quinta is their logo, which features a conquistador empaling the earth with a massive crucifix.
While we were at an open house, the wind blew a branch off a tree, which landed directly in front of our car. A few feet ahead, an entire tree had been blown across the road! Honestly, the trees fell between the two cars (one was ours; the other belonged to the realtor). Mother Nature could not have planned her damage better. I ran back to the open house and told the realtor he had better move his car. We were lucky.
Since we didn’t find our dream home Sunday, we came home and I baked a pizza:
On Monday, we returned to our normal schedule of coffee, exercise, and often, lunch out somewhere. Imagine our surprise when an old friend from Portland (Ryan grew up next-door to Kathy & Woody) walked into Tacos Gonzalez with his wife and friends Monday! Not as surprised as Ryan. (Kathy and Woody had recommended Tacos G to Ryan.) How fun to see a very familiar face in our new home town! I love these moments.
If I sit in Tacos Gonzalez long enough, will Jimmy Buffett walk through the door?
Today we voted! We stopped around the corner to a Baptist church, exercised our franchise, then went to lunch at the Tack Room Tavern at the polo grounds. DT had that pretty Cobb salad again (without bacon).
I think they add avocado if you ask for the vegetarian version?
That’s all the news that’s fit to print. Until my next update, I remain, your American correspondent.