PALM SPRINGS — To commemorate the 35th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, you will be able to tour his Estate in Palm Springs – today and tomorrow. His 5,100sf home at 845 W. Chino Canyon Road has been called “Graceland West” by the New York Times.
“Graceland West” was built in 1946 and sits on about two acres. Prior to Presley’s buying the property in 1970, it was owned by the Jergen’s cosmetic family and Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s. Elvis died on this day, August 16, in 1977 at Graceland, his home in Memphis Tennessee.
Tours will be offered every 30 minutes from 10am to 4pm on both days. Tickets are priced to honor the year that “Elvis left the building” . . . at $19.77 per person.
The current co-owner of the home now has said that the house sat vacant for 27 years until he bought it in 2004 for $1.25 million. Elvis celebrated his last birthday at his home here in Palm Springs and this home and Graceland were the only properties he owned at the time of his death.
For more information, call the estate at (760) 322-3211 or go to www.elvispalmsprings.com
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Yesterday morning, fourteen dogs from the Palm Springs Animal Shelter were flown to Oregon where shelters are less crowded and there’s a greater chance for adoption, according to local animal volunteers. Otherwise, they may have been euthanized.
The dogs were shuttled out to the tarmac at the Palm Springs International Airport before 7am, where they were readied for transport by Wings of Rescue – a group of pilots who donate their services and aircraft to transport shelter animals to rescue organizations throughout the western United States.
There were Chihuahuas, Terriers and mixed breeds, all traveling in individual carriers. These dogs were chosen because they’ve been at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter for a long time. They were flown to the Humane Society of Redmond, OR, Hope’s Haven near Salem OR and Oregon Dog Rescue.
It’s hard to believe that the Oregon shelters are running short on dogs available for adoption, when our Palm Springs Valley here has such an overpopulation of dogs needing homes. The Oregon shelters have successful spay and neuter, fostering and adoption programs – and this frees up space for more rescues to come in.
Tanya Petrovna, board member of the Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, says that the number of animals in our local shelters needs to be reduced and that the humane solution is to transfer the animals to a better situation.
The pilot, Yehuda Netanel, says that his canine passengers travel well. The flight to Oregon would take about three hours, and he said that eventually, the dogs lay down and go to sleep.
The volunteers were hoping to transport 17 dogs yesterday, but there just wasn’t enough room on the plane. Three of the dogs had to go back to the shelter in Palm Springs.
Heartbreaking. Hopefully these dogs will find homes soon !!!
Kudos to these wonderful volunteers who give of their time, money and heart to help protect and preserve the lives of animals. Our hats are off to you !!!
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PALM SPRINGS – Well, we knew it was coming . . . the extreme heat, that is. That time in the summer when we’re biting at the bit for fall to come, when the temperature gets up over 110, then 115 . . . if you’re a Desert Dweller, you know the routine. Power outages or blackouts, as they are also called, can happen this time of year when the demand for electricity strains the system.
Yesterday, Southern California Edison sounded an alarm by asking its customers to turn up their thermostats . . . especially at night. And IID (Imperial Irrigation District), which serves La Quinta, Indio and Coachella, said yesterday that it was just 25 megawatts short of hitting maximum capacity at 3:30pm.
When the temperatures here in our valley turn into a heat wave lasting several days or more, people use more electricity around the clock. If the equipment doesn’t get the chance to rest, that’s when problems can begin.
Here’s what you can do if an outage occurs:
- Open the fridge and freezer only when necessary
- Turn off and unplug any electrical equipment that’s not being used
- Take advantage of “Cool Centers” – find list of locations at www.sce.com/coolcenters
- Instead of using candles, use flashlights. Candles are a fire hazard
- Have an emergency plan for anyone in your home who’s dependent on electric-powered medical equipment – a back-up power source or somewhere to relocate to
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The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was constructed in rugged Chino Canyon on the north side of Palm Springs as the dream of a young electrical engineer named Francis Crocker. He wanted to “go up there where it’s nice and cool” – what a concept !! This was in 1935, and there were many setbacks over the years which stymied his project, even though enthusiasm was high. Finally, in 1963, Crocker’s dream became a reality and more than 12 million people have been transported up those majestic mountains overlooking the Palm Springs Valley.
If you live full time in the valley here, round about this time of summer, it’s just HOT, plain stinkin’ HOT. And you find yourself wanting some relief from the intense heat (and this summer, the humidity too). Maybe you don’t have the time to drive up to Idyllwild or down to the coast to get your relief fix . . . so just a day trip up the Tram is the perfect Stay-cation.
The temperature differential between the valley floor and the top of the Tram is about 30 degrees. And if there’s a little wind up there, you might even want to bring along a light sweater or jacket since Desert Rats like us have thin blood and get chilled. But what a pleasure to have to put on a wrap on a day when it’s 105 degrees down below, but a chill 75 degrees up above. Yippeeee !!!
Tickets for the day are $23.95 for adults, $16.95 for children (ages 3-12) and $21.95 for seniors (62+). Year passes and Summer passes are also available. It’s a cheap way to rock your world for a day, from desert to alpine in one quick trip up the Tram. Take a picnic, bring a chair and binoculars for birdwatching or a good book to read, take a hike or have a sumptuous meal at the Peaks Restaurant or the Pines Cafe. Make a day of it, or even an evening.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is truly of of the Wonders of the World and certainly one of the Palm Springs Valley’s most popular and sensational attractions.
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Palm Desert – Our desert has gained notoriety from Palm Springs’ annual event of Modernism Week. People flock to our area from all over the country and the world to participate. Palm Desert has at least two local entities that will be tying into Modernism Week, so it may for the first time become a sponsor of the event to the tune of $5,000.
Marrakesh Country Club, Sandpiper and the Palm Springs Art Museum – Palm Desert branch all have plans to be involved in next year’s 8th annual Modernism Week scheduled for Feb. 14-23. Marrakesh has scheduled its inaugural Designer Showcase, showing off its Hollywood Regency-style homes designed by renowned architect John Elgin Woolf. The Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert is also planning activities tied into the event and Sandpiper will be hosting home tours and possibly an El Paseo event involving art galleries.
As some of Palm Desert’s hotels and resorts see an increase in bookings during Modernism Week, involvement of these Palm Desert entities can only serve to bring more people in to Palm Desert and increase its visibility during this typically Palm Springs focused event.
Perhaps one day, all of the Desert Cities will have some type of involvement in this increasingly popular event. And it’s all good.
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It’s Friday the 13th in Palm Springs and everywhere else, such a funny superstition. And there’s always good and not so good news about real estate, foreclosures, short sales, market conditions, etc. to report . . . but let’s lighten up and talk about something fun that will be occurring in the night sky this weekend.
Three of the brightest objects in the night sky will appear close together just before dawn Sunday, a Palm Springs astronomer reports . A grouping of the crescent moon, Jupiter and Venus will be visible together at about 4am in our Palm Springs Valley.
Venus will appear below and to the right of the moon and will be the brightest . . . look low in the east-northeast sky. Jupiter will be visible close above the moon and Venus.
Our skies in the Palm Springs Valley have been filled with clouds over the past few days, but the National Weather Service is predicting the these cloudy conditions will mostly clear up on Saturday night.
If you don’t mind getting up early on Sunday morning (remember, you can go back to bed after you’ve checked out the sky), these celestial sightings should be quite interesting to see . . . so set your alarm for early Sunday morning, stumble outside and take in the glory of our heavens here in this desert paradise.
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Seems that tourists are keeping in step with Global Warming . . . as Palm Springs hotel operators have noted elevated growth for the months of May and June, when tourism typically tapers off. What used to considered “off-season” around here is looking more and more like “on-season.”
The city has worked on creating partnerships with Germany and the UK . . . and it’s paid off, as more and more tourists from those two countries have been visiting Palm Springs during the summer months.
A Viceroy Hotel representative has commented that weekend traffic has been strong at their hotel, especially drive-in traffic. Also, a strong international representation has been noticed, particularly from the UK.
Recent data released from the city of Palm Springs shows that the number of visitors to Palm Springs last summer was up 25% from the previous year 2010. Since last year at this time, tourists have spent $15.1 million in Palm Springs and are projected to spend about $3 million more than that in this next year. And that’s no small potatoes!
These tourism dollars are being spent in the obvious places such as restaurants, resorts and hotels . . . and also at one of Palm Springs’ most iconic destinations – the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which sees a lot of activity from locals trying to escape the heat (at this moment, it’s 80.8 degrees at the top and it’s 113 degrees in Palm Springs).
Besides being popular with Europeans, Palm Springs is also attracting tourists from south of the equator, such as Australia, where it is winter right now.
It’s a beautiful thing, that the summer heat we locals complain about and dread is another man’s paradise. Go figure.
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Some say that we have “Beverly Hills” right here in our very own Coachella Valley. It is the community of Old Las Palmas and it is one of Palm Springs’ oldest neighborhoods. Once a citrus grove, this historic neighborhood was developed in the 1920s by a father and son, Alvah and Harold Hicks.
Old Las Palmas gained the distinction of Coachella Valley’s “Beverly Hills” as this community has the highest number of celebrity owned homes in Palm Springs. Some of the rich and famous associated with the area are Kirk Douglas, Donna Reed, Lily Tomlin, Liberace, Sidney Sheldon and George Randolph Hearst, to name a few.
Old Las Palmas is comprised of over 300 homes with large lots and well-manicured homes. It is bordered on the west by the San Jacinto Mountains and North Via Monte Vista; on the east by North Palm Canyon Drive; on the north by West Stevens Road and on the south by West Alejo Road.
The neighborhood mixes the old with the new and all the homes are bound by their rich history. The homes in Old Las Palmas are more accurately distinguished as estates, rather than just homes. One of the largest estates in the community is situated on a 4 acre parcel.
The architectural styles featured in Old Las Palmas range from Spanish to Colonial to Palm Springs Modern. Many of the estates are gated, with lush landscaping and swimming pools. The community is tucked close enough to the mountains so as to be shielded from the winds and fabulous views are afforded.
Old Las Palmas is part of Palm Springs Neighborhood Organization Program, and the close knit residents work together in organized beautification and security committees.
Another cool feature about this iconic neighborhood is its ultra convenient location within walking distance of downtown Palm Springs, with its many restaurants, shops, art galleries and other attractions.
It’s worth it to take a little drive around this interesting part of Palm Springs and take in the interesting architecture and lifestyle harkening back to those golden Hollywood days. “Beverly Hills” indeed . . .
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Not to fear . . . despite budget restraints in the cities that make up our Palm Springs Valley here, there will still be fireworks to top off your Independence Day celebration !!!
On the east end of the valley, in La Quinta, there will be a Parade of Lights tomorrow at 6pm, with fireworks starting at 9pm. Both will be held at the La Quinta Community Center Park at 77-865 Avenida Montezuma, La Quinta. The events are free; for more info, call 760-777-7035
In mid-valley at Palm Desert, there will be live music starting at 7:30pm with fireworks following at dark – at Palm Desert Civic Center Park, 73-510 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert. The events are free; for more info, call 760-346-0611, ext. 416
On the west end in Palm Springs, there are fireworks scheduled at 9:15pm at the Palm Springs Stadium at 1901 E. Baristo Rd., Palm Springs. For more info, call 760-323-8272
Everyone have a fun and safe Fourth of July !!!
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Palm Springs real estate rocks on!
The historic Colony Hotel in Palm Springs, built in 1936 has just been purchased by an investment group. Is this a new trend? Yes. Rents are going up, people are staying local (meaning not flying as much) and our Hotel room market here in the desert remains in high demand. Palm Springs IS a resort area.
The Colony is purchased by Investment group!
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