We spent a total of four weeks in the Greater Palm Desert area.  Even with our laid-back weekend for combatting travel fatigue, another weekend combatting the stomach flu, and time spent having repairs done to our rig, we found time to have some adventures, make some memories, and have some fun. Here’s my Top Ten Things from our time in the Greater Palm Desert Area:

#10 Time with Friends – A woman that I worked with for many years and her husband were spending the weekend in Palm Springs celebrating her birthday while we were also in the area.  What a welcome opportunity to spend time with friends as one challenge of our lifestyle is not getting to see friends and family much.

#9 Binge-Watching Breaking Bad – friends commenting on social media about our recent boondocking location led us to this series from a few years ago.  Available to watch on Netflix, by the time you read this, we will have finished all five seasons of the show.  (Don’t judge!  It gets dark early these days!) 

#8 Dog Park at Shadow Hills RV Resort – on behalf of Skipper’s adventures, I include this one.  With our site just across from the larger of two dog parks at the campground, Skipper made a ton of new friends, including Roscoe, Desi, Tucker, Riley, Sophie, Birdie, Chaquita, Banjo, and countless others.  We are proud of our well-socialized and playful puppy.

#7 Sunsets – They arrive early in the area as it’s the eastern side of the time zone and there are mountains to the west.  The mountains also seem to produce a prolonged sunset and dusk.  These sunsets did not disappoint!   

#6 Dinner at Counter Reformation – honestly, this was the first menu I read in a long time where I wanted to order one of everything, including the wines offered on their list.  We settled for a handful of plates to share, including the tuna crudo pictured below. If you’re looking for exceptional food in the area this is a must-stop restaurant.

#5 Mexican Food at Fresh Agave – there is no lack of Mexican restaurants in the area, but this one delivered the best Chiles Rellenos that I’ve had in years.  When done right, these stuffed peppers are delicious! The problem is that they are often not done right.  My mouth is watering thinking about them now!

#4 Moorten’s Botanical Garden – I loved my visit to this cool privately owned estate in Palm Springs with an amazing collection of cacti.  Skipper and I had a pleasant walk through one afternoon while Brian recovered from the stomach virus.

#3 Hike in Cahuilla Hills – we planned a bike ride, but accidentally left the batteries for our e-bikes behind.  Making the most of the situation, we stayed and hiked a trail instead and enjoyed the views of Palm Desert.

#2 Bike Ride through Box Canyon – outside of the south end of Joshua Tree NP is Box Canyon Road, which provided an amazing backdrop for us to take an afternoon bike ride.

#1 Joshua Tree National Park – where the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert connect.  Who knew that deserts could be so different from one another?  Want to know more about our visits? Click HERE.