Show ANI AM era aff rim sam 6 4 t OA Is caa t fairris Pa Irris the word oasis and it FIU conjures up in the mind thoughts 1 of the sahara desert klesert in africa ll thoughts of a cluster of palms kl sheltering a bubbling spring a place of coolness ss in a region of blinding heat an e motle exotic and ro 1 ma mantle antic spot in a country ruled over by a picturesque sheik so it Is something of a surprise to i learn that there Is IL a genuine oasis in the united states a scenic spot in our land of many natural wonders that Is unique in the new world and that cannot be duplicated except in the old that Is the oasis of palm springs on the edge of the colorful coachella Coa chella valley in south ern california around it stretches the colorado desert with its ever sand dunes enticing mirages delic delicate wild flowers and unique plant life throughout tile the year the sun drenches the land with its warm ra rays Ts directly in back of the village rise the precipitous walls of the mighty san jacinto mountains reaching skyward to a height of almost two to miles and here Is where the miracle exists the peaks of the san jacintos are covered with snow almost the year round one may stand in the village and gaze on engaging panoramas of desert scenery feel tile the vibrant rays raa of the sun turning his skin to a nut brown hue and then look upward to see a mountain covered with snow appearing almost close enough to touch in the clear desert air the desert Is a colorful rainbow like place dominated by vivid purple hues when sunset creeps over the sandy land there Is no more beautiful sight in all the world the sanda aglow with varied tints which blen cleryl p gracefully into the lengthening shadows P one of the wonder spots of palm springs Is palm canyon whose yawning pawning mouth forms a beautiful backdoor back door for the village palm canyon is a winding gorge lined on both sides with tall graceful palms these palms native of this locality are of the washington ril ifera variety and their origin will probably be forever a mystery eminent scientists believe that they date from a previous geologic age as these are the only palms indigenous to the united states the canyon Is filled with thousands of these desert sentinels which rise to surprising heights and extend many miles up the canyon through this grove of stately palms flows a cool murmuring stream bearing out the old arabian proverb that A palm shall grow with its feet in water and its head in the fiery furnace of heaven it Is expected that the ex trance of this canyon together with portions of murray and andreas canyons will be made into a national monument preserving for posterity the virgan splendor of this subtropical sub tropical wonderland this Is but one of the picturesque canyons in this vicinity the place abounds in beautiful back country ravines ranes each with its different scenic attractions and legends that have come down through the ages from the ancestors of the cahuilla indians andreas canyon named after a chieftain of the tribe that inhabited this region in earliest days das still contains relies relics of forgotten times it like palm canyon Is the home of many gorgeous palms one would not expect to find a coral reef in this desert land but such euch Is the name of a mountain wall on the southwestern side of the valley there Is no real coral deposit here of course but the vanishing water of an ancient sea left a quantity of calcium carbonate closely resembling coral and so the queer appellation was bestowed on the place the dei devils garden carden Is an aptly named mesa a short distance from the village here Is to be found a concentrated growth of all varieties of cacti including tile the plump barrel cacti those water rater filled life savers of tile the deserts whose value the government has set at 25 per cactus theatergoers the world over have thrilled to the sight of a romantic desert de ert chieftain charging over a dune on his trusty dusty mount As depleted depicted in the film filma these dunes look for all the world like the sands of the sahara which they represent the ever shifting sand dunes near palm springs have been the background for many a desert cinema production the great masses of sand with their wind ruf fled fed furrows are a memorable sight to gee ee canyon named for the evil spirit rit of the cahuilla indians has many interesting geological formations A short distance up the canyon a beautiful waterfall tumbles down to the weary traveler just oft off the desert this co cool 01 spray baray of water appears like a mirage other notable spots of interest around palm springs ore are whitewater canyon the trail two bunch palms thousand palm canyon snow creek canyon seven palms painted canyon murray canyon mission creek canyon magnesia spring canaba the tha garnet and hidden spring canyon the salton sea one of the queerest of na da tures pranks la Is located at the south end of the tz sia M 4 ak ak A X wild Verbina verb ins a 3 on or desert palm springs spans california Calif onuE zt rell falls coachella Coa chella valley A great inland sea it Is the lowest body of water in the united states and la Is feet below sea level it was formed by overflow of the colorado river and Is now it a fis hermans and fowl bunters lun paradise its boulant surface permits many unusual al aquatic feats but the unique location of palm springs does I 1 not begin to tell the story of this fascinating land of rare allurement this enchanting village which in the past decade has been aroused from the doldrums of a sleepy watering place to the position of americas foremost desert resort the history of palm springs does not go back to antiquity in fact the village Is comparatively ively new it Is believed th atthe indians of the southwest camped around the warm springs in the days before the era of the white man to capt juan bautista de anza probably goes the honor of being the first white man to visit palm springs this valiant spanish conquistador lead an overland expedition from sonora mexico to the coast of california in 1774 however it was not until 1853 1833 that any definite government survey was made of this region in that year a party under lieutenant made a survey of the coachella Coa chella valley and palm springs actual settlements were not made until during the early coincident with the opening of regular traffic on the southern iacino lines to doctor murray one of the early settlers goes the credit of establishing the first hostelry at palm springs situated opposite the present site of the desert inn it attracted many visitors though it is now vanished the year 1909 saw the opening of a tiny way side bide inn by mrs nellie coffman Co fEman prom from tills this modest beginning was destined to grow the world famous desert inn palm springs became known as an ideal place for rest and relaxation and gradually through the years has grown to its present position as americas foremost desert resort now there are three other fine hotels with the highest type of american plan accommodations tile the oasis the el EI mirador and the deep well guest ranch complete the palm springs hotel foursome the el ei Mirnd Mt rador or the last of the quartet to bo be erected Is 19 a colorful fu I 1 gem of moorish architecture from its tower which rears itself skyward like a desert sentinel one may inny a obtain a most commanding and inspiring view of the desert the development of palm springs from a sleepy little village to its present position as aa America am erleau 8 foremost desert resort r has been nothing short of phenomenal referred to as the village it Is perhaps the most interesting village in 16 the he world from october until june the fine hotels are the gathering places for the socially elite during the winter season desert lovers the world over leaving behind them the noise and bustle of th city come to palm springs for relaxation comfortable informal atmosphere mo sphere and healthful climate the success of any resort Is predicated upon three things scenery climate and recreational facilities palm springs may be said to be bountifully endowed with all although it Is the enchanting natural surroundings which gain for oas its widespread wide spread famo fame predicate number two in the success of a resort Is a ellma climate te there Is scarcely a spot in the united states where the honey laden words describing southern Cali fornias climate as aa broadcast to the winds by the zealous chambers of commerce have not penetrated southern Cali fornias perennial sunshine Is an accepted fact the average noonday temperature at palm springs Is s 81 degrees the average night temper Is 45 these two figures readily tell the story of the resorts climate an ever present sun that tans yet not so torrid as aa to blister a benevolent sun that drenches this magic land with its golden rays sunset on the desert la 18 truly a magnificent sight to behold the warm sun slowly fades behind mount san jacinto vivid rainbow like colors slant over the desert stretches golden shafts of sunlight brighten the distant hills bills As night comes on you watch the biggest of moons rise from the ink black depths of far mountain ranges to cast a calm glow over the surrounding desert high overhead myriads of twinkling stars wink down thousands upon thousands more than you have ever seen fogs have never been known to visit the sheltered valley and the average seasons reasons rainfall Is only inches recreational facilities Is the third item which enters eaters into the making of a resort all life at palm springs Is of course lived out of doors there being such a wealth of scenery in the vicinity of the oasis it Is the natural thing for the visitor to take in as much as possible horseback riding Is one of the favorite means of recreation although there are good motor roads to the principal points of interest strange to 10 say there are two regulation golf courses in this desert land entirely grass covered with sand traps au naturel swimming in the open air fresh water pools Is another delight to palm springs visitors moonlight bathing has become one of the resorts most famous attractions tennis Is also a favorite at the oasis tho tha Ind indians lans add an interesting atmosphere to palm springs the remnants of the desert tribe of the lle live on a reservation just east of the village and are a contented and picturesque band they are numbered among tho the mission indians and have long been christian iced an indian pageant Is staged each year during november at the mouth of canyon against a majestic background of striking rock rack formati formations formation om a dramatic story of indian folklore Is unfolded although every modern convenience Is avail able at palm springs the village refuses to become elti fled and retains a pIctures picturesque qu e and charming rusticity an informal atmosphere prevails and the citizenry Is of an easygoing easy going complacent though not indolent nature there has appeared frequently in this story the word desert and it is the natural impulse when one reads the word to think of barren waste lands yet for certain types of agriculture no more fertile spot exists in fill all tho the world than the desort of palm springs indio 20 miles east cast of the village Is known abr throughout ough the united states as the homo home of the deg let noor date years ago the southern pacific lines which by the way lq la the only railroad line having i a station at palm springs after repeated failures elsewhere planted the first of these palms in indio and they were found to bear fruit now there are thousands of acres of these date bearing palms this locality to la also famous tor for its buclous grapefruit so BO rich in sugar content that it need not be sweetened Bwee Q by western newspaper union |