The Coachella Valley angles southwest for about 50 miles from the northwest point at the San Gorgonio Pass which is formed as the San Andreas fault passes between the San Bernardino Mountains to the north and the San Jacinto Mountains to the southwest. The valley is about 15 miles wide with the relatively flat desert floor bordered by towering mountains.
You might not recognize the name “Coachella Valley” but you will certainly recognize the name of the major city in the valley, Palm Springs. Yes, that Palm Springs: winter playground, center of mid-century modern architecture, home to many, many golf courses and tennis courts. As symbolized by the title of this journal (The ‘Other’ SoCal), I’m going to be searching out other aspects of the valley. The northwestern edge of the valley is home to a chain of resort towns that string south along the base of the mountains between the San Gorgonio Pass and the Salton Sea. Urbanization gives way to agriculture towards the south as irrigation has allowed the desert to bloom. However, this is still a harsh environment. The approximate year-round population of 200,000 swells to nearly four times that during the winter season, but plummets as the heat of summer approaches. Two of the jewels of the north valley lie on opposite sides of the desert floor, the Cabot Museum on the north slopes of Desert Hot Springs and the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens tucked into a canyon to the south in Palm Desert.
Cabot Museum
Cabot Xerxa was an extraordinary man. Son of prosperous grocers in Minneapolis, MN, he left home at age 14 to make his fortune in the gold fields of Alaska, not by actually mining but by selling a stash of cigars that he carried to Alaska on his back. Having made some money, he returned to Minneapolis and then in succession he and his family tried their fortunes as pineapple plantation owners in Cuba, grocers in Seattle and citrus farmers in western Riverside County of Southern California. After the big freeze of 1913 destroyed their citrus farm, Xerxa retreated to the desert, homesteading on the northern slopes of the Coachella Valley about 7 miles from the train stop (and only water source) at Garnet. He had to walk the 7 miles back and forth every couple of days to bring water back to his wife and son. Xerxa tried to dig a well and was successful in 1914, though he hit hot water. Several months later he tried again about 600 yards away from the first well, and again was successful, though this time he hit cold water. Naming the site “Miracle Hill” Cabot didn’t realize that his “miracle” was the result of the fact that the San Andreas Fault ran through the area, allowing for heat from within the earth to raise the temperature of water while nearby water not exposed to a crack of the fault remained cold. Today Interstate 10 roughly parallels the fault as it runs through the Coachella. This older picture shows the location of Cabot’s find (the “You are Here”) located on the North American Tectonic Plate, the dividing line of the interstate and then on the left the northern edge of Palm Springs on the Pacific Tectonic Plate.
Cabot continued his eclectic lifestyle and in the early 1940’s began building a Hopi style pueblo set into a side of Miracle Hill above the valley. Not a rich man, the building materials were found from abandoned homesteads around the valley and adobe bricks made on site. Mostly he worked alone, though later had some assistance from his son and others.
The home looks much larger than it is as it sets into the hillside behind and is essentially one room wide. The view today shows the pueblo which was been restored after being abandoned for a number of years.
A reproduction of a sign that Xerxa created hangs by the entrance to the pueblo.
The interior is furnished with many of Xerxa’s original possessions and looks as it did when he died in 1965. Note the odd shapes in the windows and doors. Since the pueblo was made from “found’ items, the windows were built around the shape of pieces of glass that were on hand.
Xerxa’s first wife left him and he built an upstairs apartment for his second wife Portia, who moved to Texas after his death and abandoned the pueblo.
Downstairs the main living area intentionally has dirt floors and thick rock walls. (That’s Pablo, our guide, in the picture.) Water sprayed on the dirt helped keep the dust down and cool the pueblo.
The large fireplace is set back in an ingenious design choice. The small protruding rectangle next to the fireplace actually houses Xerxa’s bed. The proximity to the fireplace ensured warmth in the winter, the location set into the thick rock wall is cool during the summer, and the opening set above the floor helps protect from the occasional rattlesnake wandering through.
Xerxa patched leaks in the wood roof with lids from tin cans, still effective after all these years.
The parking lot where the Lunch Box is resting is above the hill from the pueblo. As I leave I turn back and tack a picture of the pueblo from the hillside above.
Driving out the parking lot the view is across the northern Coachella towards Palm Springs at the base of the mountains. My next stop, the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, is nestled above the valley there.
Living Desert Zoo and GardensThe Living Desert Zoo and Gardens sit above the Coachella on the edge of the town of Palm Desert (the reality is that all of the towns from Palm Springs down to Indio pretty much run into each other, you know that you’ve moved from one to another by the change in the color/style of the street signs.) As I drive towards Palm Desert from Indio the mountains rise above the valley floor.
Highly recommended by friend Patsy Crouser (who also is a volunteer there) I already know that the Living Desert is not the typical “zoo.” Fortunately this is one of the rare experiences where something lives up to its’ reputation!
Once through the entrance a graceful desert plaza gives one time to pause and map a strategy for getting around. I must be getting old as it is a bit confusing, even with my map, and I have to admit that I have to backtrack a couple of times as I wander up and down the gentle hillside!
Throughout the gardens animal statuary are scattered, particularly in transition areas between the live exhibits.
A surprise is a nod to the railroad’s contribution to the history of the Coachella Valley, a stunning miniature railroad complex. It was fascinating to see the various trains going around and exploring the incredible level of detail.
A stunning desert landscape enfolds the visitor as exploration continues. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens gives equal weight to both of the entities cited in its’ name, and the desert landscape is spectacular this spring, lush and green due to the wet winter. The zoo/gardens is divided into two areas: North America and Africa. North America is up first.
It’s getting close to noon and most of the animals are hiding out from the heat of the day (though to be fair, it was only a glorious 78 degrees!) Sometimes it took some looking to find the animal. Here just the paws of a mountain lion are peeking out over an edge in the cliff.
The eastern edge of the complex houses a tent camp where kids/groups can spend the night for a unique experience.
Big horn sheep perch on a rocky hillside above.
The transition to Africa is marked by an elephant statue.
Exotic animals of Africa on display include the Arabian Oryx, Slender-Horned Gazelle, and Grevy’s Zebra.
Nearby a curious meerkat surveys the scene…
A cheetah stretches out in the shade.
The entrance to the giraffe area is marked by metal sculptures.
I’m not sure I would recommend visiting the Living Desert in the middle of summer, the heat would be debilitating as one walks up and down the paths, but it was a delightful way to spend a spring morning!
Next up: The South Valley
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