Ron's Log

Eureka Dunes To Saline Valley

Story and photos of a solo drive from Eureka Dunes to the springs in Saline Valley via Steele Pass Road while towing a Krawler 459 teardrop trailer.

Remember Those Two Guys From Palm Springs Who Were Busted In Dominica For Public Sex?

Dennis Mayer and John Hart of Palm Springs tell their own story. They were actually on a cruise of De Nile. It's everybody's fault but their own, although they do acknowledge that, yes, they were having totally naked buttsex in full view of the docks on the balcony of their stateroom. The couple suggest, however, that if they were women no one would have objected.

"We were on the privacy of our stateroom balcony as the ship was being moored into port." Not so different from "We were in the privacy of our front yard as the school bus drove by."

The couple finds it hard to believe that other passengers complained "because most passengers on board are doing the same thing we were." The only differences they admit were that this couple did it in full daylight on their balcony while in port and the other people did it in the privacy of their rooms while at sea - but otherwise, the same thing!

"When you pay the kind of money to have a Sky Suite, you have an expectation of some level of privacy." What are those peon dock workers thinking, raising their eyes to look up at the wealthy people who have paid for a Sky Suite?

"Why is one of the largest promoters of gay cruises and events taking folks from the LGBT community to these countries with laws against homosexuals on their books?" Why, when we travel to foreign lands with foreign cultures, is it different from Palm Springs or West Hollywood? What's the point of traveling if things are different from home? Why didn't we do any research before we bought our Sky Suite? Why didn't we get good service when we yelled at the Dominican waiter in English?

New Boston Hostel To Be LEED Certified

The new Boston Hostel which will be opening soon will be the first LEED certified hostel in the U.S. It will be in the historic Dill Building at 19 Stuart Street, a very prime location on the edge of the Theater District, Chinatown and adjacent to Tufts' medical and dental campus. It's a short walk to the Orange Line, Green Line and the Common and only a slightly longer walk to South Station.

The Dill Building photo by Adam.

It will have 468 beds and private bathrooms.

Former TSA "head" Speaks Up

I put "head" in quotes because that's the title the linked articles use for the position. The accurate title is "Administrator" with a capital A.

Nomenclature dealt with, on to the subject: former TSA Administrator Kip Hawley shares his views on the major malfunction that is the Transportation Security Administration. He's got five suggestions:

1. No banned items - "aside from obvious weapons capable of fast, multiple killings—such as guns, toxins and explosive devices."
2. Allow all liquids -

   Existing scanners could allow passengers to carry on any amount of liquid they want, so long as they put it in the gray bins. The scanners have yet to be used in this way because of concern for the large number of false alarms and delays that they could cause. When I left TSA in 2009, the plan was to designate "liquid lanes" where waits might be longer but passengers could board with snow globes, beauty products or booze. That plan is still sitting on someone's desk.

3. Give TSA officers more flexibility and rewards for initiative, and hold them accountable. [Cuz we know that somewhere amongst the legions of TSA officers there's an Officer John McClane just itching to do his best].
4. Eliminate baggage fees - because they encourage people to use carry-on which slows everything down and increases risk.
5. Randomize security - and he doesn't mean to randomize it the way it is now, where the random dark-skinned traveler gets treated differently than the random light-skinned passenger.

But no "Registered Traveler" program:

I had hoped to advance the idea of a Registered Traveler program, but the second that you create a population of travelers who are considered "trusted," that category of fliers moves to the top of al Qaeda's training list, whether they are old, young, white, Asian, military, civilian, male or female. The men who bombed the London Underground in July 2005 would all have been eligible for the Registered Traveler cards we were developing at the time. No realistic amount of prescreening can alleviate this threat when al Qaeda is working to recruit "clean" agents. TSA dropped the idea on my watch—though new versions of it continue to pop up.

How about starting with a very conservative, very limited Registered Traveler program? Maybe airline staff only. If you can't trust them, then we're dead anyway. If that works okay, try adding law enforcement personnel. It's true that terrorists will try to recruit from that pool, but must we believe that Al Qaeda is an irresistible siren?

The day after Kip Hawley's article in the Wall Street Journal, Mercury News, reporting on an interview with Janet Napolitano, said "that minimizing passenger problems while bolstering security wasn't easy because 'we're dealing with the largest, most complex aviation system in the world.'" IOW, "it would be hard."

Over here you will find "The TSA Blog" where Bob Burns and others try to keep us informed about the TSA. You will find stuff like this:

Officers found a can of soup in a Las Vegas passenger's carry-on bag. When told that it couldn't go through because of the liquids rule (it was more than 3.4 ounces), the passenger said they would put the soup in their checked baggage. But when the passenger returned to the checkpoint, officers saw that the passenger had tried to hide the soup in their pants.

Imagine the horror if the passenger seated next to you suddenly produced a can of chicken soup and pointed it at you, or the carnage that would ensue if a can of chicken soup somehow dropped out of the sky from 35,000 feet. We could lose Kansas!

Here's a post about why you have to remove your laptop but not your iPad from your bag for screening. A pattern that you may discover if you read both the posts and the comments on that blog is that the post itself will sound rational, calm and reassuring. The comments will reveal that what Blogger Bob has just told you is not how it's actually done in the field, where the rules seem to change from moment to moment.

Hotel Lautner One Of "Best New Hotels Under $300"

Hotel Lautner has made it on Condé Nast's list of Best New Hotels Under $300. They say it "was designed by a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright." Just some nameless, faceless protégé, I guess. Nobody you'd know. Certainly not John Lautner, of course.

Anyway, they describe the place as "Mad Men in a terrarium." For breakfast they suggest "a delightfully kitsch locals' joint called The Cottage." I suspect this may be the first time The Cottage has made such press.

Tom Kirk Talking About The Whitewater Pathway

The audio recording of CVAG Executive Director Tom Kirk addressing a luncheon of the IES-APA on the subject of the Whitewater Pathway is available here. The IES-APA is the Inland Empire Section of the American Planning Association.

This address was probably a variation on a standard presentation that Mr. Kirk has been giving, so if you've already attended one of those, most of this will probably be familiar.

Mr. Kirk said the idea of the trail is an old idea. It goes back at least to 1972 - but probably pre-dates that. In 2009 the Desert Recreation District and county Parks District did a study of it, looking at three possible routes. He called it the Dangerman study. One route was along the Whitewater River, another along Dillon Road, and a third that followed the Coachella Canal. They assumed that wherever the Whitewater River route came to a golf course, the route would leave the Whitewater River and onto the street system. A Class 1 path is one that is off the street system; Class 2 is a path that is basically a painted bike lane on the street. While along the Whitewater the path in this earlier study would be Class 1 until it came to a golf course, and then it would become Class 2.

That study envisioned a bike path on one levee and an equestrian trail on the other levee. The estimated cost was $36-million to $38-million. That did not include all of the cost for grade separation - the places where arterial bridges go across the river channel. A pathway could go under the roadway, over the roadway, or directly across the roadway (at some version of a crosswalk).

The planners said that project would take 30 to 40 years to build. They planned on local money along with federal and state grants. Maybe a few hundred thousand dollars a year would be invested in its gradual construction.

Mr. Kirk rhetorically asked how the approach would change if we had a lot of money available to construct a major portion of the pathway. He suggested it could be "transformational for the Coachella Valley." A couple of changes were made to the plan. The one we are most familiar with is changing the design to accomodate small electric vehicles (golf carts and neighborhood electric vehicles).

He displayed a graphic showing a cross section of what the pathway might look like. As a bicycle and pedestrian path it would have been (in most places) 12 feet wide with a few feet of buffer on both sides. With electric vehicles the width would be increased to 14 feet, achieved by reducing the width of the buffers.

Mr. Kirk said there still could be an equestrian trail on the opposite levee, but CVAG is not focusing on that now. The proposed bicycle/pedestrian/electric vehicle pathway would be on the right bank, the south levee. It would have a pedestrian trail, probably of decomposed granite, separate from the hard-paved trail for bicycles and electric vehicles. This would be the layout from Palm Springs to Coachella, and up to Desert Hot Springs "if that community wants it." He said "it's a bit complicated to get it to Desert Hot Springs because, of course, the Whitewater River doesn't run through Desert Hot Springs." [Oh, if the only challenges in Desert Hot Springs happened to be the location of geophysical features, life would be so much simpler.]

Another change is a proposed connector into downtown Palm Springs along Tahquitz Creek. There is a trail there now, but it needs improvement.

The biggest cost component to this project is the grade separation. Mr. Kirk cited the bike path along the Santa Ana River as an example of undercrossings wherever a bridge crosses the river. Fred Waring, Cook Street and Frank Sinatra, however, are low water crossings. In those places the pathway would go over the motor vehicle roadway. This grade separation is what makes travel on the pathway competitive [in terms of time] with travel by automobile for short trips (under 5 miles).

He pointed out that bicycles and golf carts already share the same lanes in some places in Coachella Valley.

Electric charging stations may be included on the pathway. He said the charging stations won't add much to the cost. He repeated that it was the grade separation that would be the biggest cost factor.

He cited a figure of $80 million for construction, right-of-way, planning and design. He compared that to the estimated cost for the new Jefferson/I-10 interchange: $55 million. Three years ago that interchange project was estimated at $80 million. He suggested that the interchange will probably cost less, when real bids come in, and he suggested that the cost of the pathway could likewise be lower than $80 million. CVAG's budget this year for infrastructure projects is $80 million.

He finally got to the funding issue. One person in attendance admitted he was not familiar with the Sentinel Power Plant - obviously, he came from some faraway foreign land. Mr. Kirk gave the quickest summary of the power plant and mitigation funds I've heard so far. I will spare you the story, assuming you've heard it all before.

CVAG will be submitting a proposal for up to $40 million of the air quality mitigation money. CVAG has authorized a matching $20 million from its other sources. Prior to this, CVAG has paid for Class 2 pathways when building a major arterial, but it has never paid for a Class 1 pathway. They are talking to other possible sources of funds including the Desert Healthcare District, endowments, and federal and state governments. Mr. Kirk said there isn't much money available from the federal or state governments.

Mr. Kirk said that getting people out of their cars is a known control measure for dealing with air quality. Mobile sources account for 70% of our greenhouse gases [I guess "mobile sources" includes not just motor vehicles, but also cows and other ruminants]. Natural gas vehicles "are nice," but still generate greenhouse gases. Electric cars generate greenhouse gases, depending on the source of their electricity. Bicycling or traveling by foot are the best in terms of greenhouse gases.

Jobs: the standard thing done with air quality funding is to issue an RFP and then go buy a bunch of natural gas vehicles, put emission traps on diesel engines, pave roads, put dust control on dirt lots. "That's all nice and helpful," Mr. Kirk said. "None of it is long term, except maybe paving roads." He loves the idea of converting school buses to an alternative fuel, "but in 10 years or 15 years, those school buses are going to be in Mexico or some other place." They also generate almost no local jobs. Purchasing alternative fuel vehicles generates jobs in Mexico, Korea and Japan. [I need to point out that CNG buses are made in America.]

Construction is the sector of our economy hardest hit by the recession. Building the pathway would me a major, local construction project. Also, it would provide public health benefits. "If you build facilities, they will come," Mr. Kirk said. A lot of people currently drive to a trailhead.

He listed Denver, Portland, and Minneapolis as cities that have built trails to attract "active tourism." Fewer people are coming here to play golf, he said.

CVEP is assisting on an analysis of the economic benefits of the project. Besides the construction jobs, it could raise property values along the pathway. In the Outer Banks of North Carolina a study has been performed on a $6 million bike pathway facility [only $6 million?]. The study estimated the economic benefit to the region to be $60 million/year. Theirs is a tourist economy, as is ours.

The Coachella Valley can't keep relying on golf courses to drive our economy. There are already a lot of golf carts in the valley. That base can be built on.

Mr. Kirk said that very few people show up for any CVAG meetings, unless the meeting is about trails, and then a big crowd turns out.

I've been part of that crowd at least a couple of times. I think the interest among cyclists and hikers is partly generated out of a fear that CVAG decision makers may just not "get it" when it comes to good bike paths or good hiking trails.

He suggested that the pathway could support rickshaws, pedi-cabs or bike-sharing (as has already been done in Boston).

The pathway would be public and free. If you wear shoes when you walk, then that would be your minimum equipment requirement for using the trail.

Much of the trail already exists, but it's discontinuous. At the Adams Street bridge in La Quinta, he said you can see the undercrossings being built today.

Q & A

Q: Long term maintenance?

A: How much and who pays for it. There are two parts to maintenance: 1 - keeping the trail safe and clean. There will be no landscaping on this trail. CVWD likes the pathway as long as it plays by their rules, which means no irrigation. There will be some hardscape. In terms of public safety, the goal is to build a first class facility that's well used, so you don't have vacant segments where there are safety concerns. Keeping the trail busy will keep it safe. 2 - pavement rehab. The long term cost for that maintenance expense should be a CVAG responsibility. There are sources of funding to pay for a pavement management system. Total maintenance costs are estimated at less than $1 million/year. In La Quinta, their 2.6 miles costs about $30,000/year.

Q: Small commercial establishments that could be tied in? San Antonio's Riverwalk has restaurants nearby.

A: Bike sharing is one example. Commercial can be developed where there are vacant properties along the pathway. Indian Wells has suggested a link to Miles Crossing and the Esmerelda. The details will be up to the private sector for commercial development.

Q: A suggestion that businesses could now face the wash. The "North City Specific Plan" (Cathedral City north of the freeway) includes a similar pathway. Creation of a Whitewater Pathway may encourage other entities to include pathways in their plans.

Q: The right-of way exists, so what are the additional right-of-way costs?

A: The right-of-way does not entirely exist. There are 200 property owners along the Whitewater River. The largest ones are the CVWD and the county flood control district. They have easements that the pathway may be able to piggyback on. In other places there are private owners. This is the most complicated part of the designing process.

Q: How many miles of the right-of-way needs to be acquired?

A: "We have not even started the right-of-way acquisition process."

Q: "Six months out of the year this thing isn't going to be used at all." April or May into the fall, it's going to be too hot, the snowbirds will be gone, everyone who uses a golf cart will be gone. Riding a bicycle five miles in July is not an option. Walking is not an option. Lack of usefulness is what has kept this project stifled. The questioner suggested that the $80 million estimate did not include right-of-way acquisition costs nor grade separation costs.

A: The right-of-way and grade separation costs ARE included in the $80 million estimate. Mr. Kirk said look at Minneapolis where their trail system is not usable during the cold months.

[I've never been on the trail system in Minneapolis in winter (and I hope to maintain that record), but my guess is that they actually do use it even when it's "too cold." There was never a day of the year when I didn't see at least some cyclists and pedestrians on the Charles River pathway in Boston (not quite as severe as Minneapolis, but painful enough I assure you). If snow isn't cleared from the pathway then it becomes a cross-county ski and snowshoe path.]

Mr. Kirk continued...saying one should look at our Coachella Valley Class 2 system (bike lanes on the street) in May and June. They're in use. He said he would wonder if someone who thinks that the pathway would be unusable for 6 months is actually in the Coachella Valley during the hot weather months. He said he sees more and more people hiking and biking in the warm months. They tend to move their exercise to the shoulder hours: dawn and dusk. His point is that our tourism competitors are doing pathways in very difficult environments. "Like Portland," he said. [Mild and damp?] Mr. Kirk said he was willing to say that a Whitewater pathway would be under utilized for 2 or 3 months of the year, and he considered that acceptable.

Q: It's no different than golf courses. Very large acreages are devoted to golf in this valley. What's their decline in popularity in the hot months? Tempe has something like the Whitewater pathway.

A: Tucson has a pathway, too. "The Loop" is part of their tourism program. It goes around the city, while here we can build something through the city.

Q: Policing and patrolling costs?

A: CVAG builds and funds roads all the time. Nobody ever asks "what about the extra costs of patrolling a standard arterial?" There will be more people speeding, you'll need more police. But build something for pedestrians and bikes and suddenly those questions erupt.

Less and less of our transportation dollars come from gas tax. More comes from sales tax. Pedestrians and cyclists tend to have higher discretionary incomes than average automobile drivers.

He repeated that he would prefer to build a first class trail that is well used. A cheaper trail that attracts fewer users will more likely become a magnet for trouble.

In Addition

I happened to be seated next to a planner from Beaumont who brought along a giant notebook filled with paper (iPads have not yet reached Beaumont perhaps). He's working on that city's trail system which is already quite well developed, including some segments that are for neighborhood electric vehicles. They've built a regional park for RVs where RVers can park their big vehicles, unload their bicycles and get directly onto the city's pathways. They are building a pathway west to connect to a trail in San Timoteo Canyon.

His focus right now is a pathway that will connect Beaumont's system to Banning's. From there the pass cities intend to continue a pathway eastward to connect in with our proposed Whitewater pathway, maybe traveling along Edison's right-of-way (or is it an easement?). Eventually, we'd be seeing a pathway stretching from Coachella into San Timoteo Canyon. Once you've got that, someone's going to suggest extending it into San Bernardino.

Stepping Up To The World Level...

Not too long ago we all read about TripAdvisor's list of the top 25 relaxation/spa hotels in the United States. A mere eight of those (32%) are in Desert Hot Springs.

But how well do we do when we look at the list of TripAdvisor's top 25 relaxation/spa hotels in the WORLD? There we've got to compete with the Japanese, the Germans, the Italians, people who were doing spas for centuries before Christopher Columbus even took his first bath. Let's see how the national rankings turn out:

• Italy 6
• Germany 3
• USA 3
• Australia 2
• Austria 2
• Dominican Republic 1
• Indonesia 1
• Costa Rica 1
• India 1
• Thailand 1
• Barbados 1
• Canada 1
• Tanzania 1
• Guatemala 1

Just three in the United States: #16 on the list is Bella Monte Hot Springs Resort and Spa here in Desert Hot Springs; #18 is Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Kissimmee, Florida; and #20 is Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa in, of course, Desert Hot Springs. Two in Desert Hot Springs. None in the rest of the Coachella Valley. (Is it time to raise the TOT again?)

Here are the reviews for Bella Monte. This review by megggggg of Santa Monica is fairly typical of the understated praise the spa receives:

"I WANT TO LIVE HERE"
Reviewed March 12, 2012

This place is magic!!! Bella Monte's combination of pristine mineral water pools, spa treatments, cedar sauna, fire pit, immaculate rooms and overall spectacular customer service set in motion an intense relaxation experience that began the moment our party of 5 work-weary gals from Los Angeles set foot on the cool entryway tile and received a warm welcome from one of Bella Monte's friendly staff members. Bella Monte, as some other reviewers note, is located in a residential area, and constructed in such a way that you feel completely secluded and at peace - it's as easy to make the 2 minute walk to a corner store for snacks as it is to forget you're in a world where you have need for anything but a sunscreen and a towel. We arrived with ambitious plans to hike and see the desert sights, but ended up planted poolside the whole time - soaking up the sun, plunging into the three mineral water pools (one large cool pool, 2 smaller & hotter) receiving fantastic massage treatments (try the aromatherapy with Art - amazing!!), watching the sunset by the fire pit, and generally enjoying the blissful break from reality. The grounds are artfully designed so that even if it is busy - which it apparently was during our stay, though you wouldn't have known it - you can find a private spot right next to the mineral pool of your choice. There are plenty of lounge chairs on each level, and a shaded area where the healthful complimentary continental breakfast of homemade crepes, yogurt, granola, coffee and fruit was served - delicious! Our lanai suite was spotless and welcoming - cool tiles, comfortable kind-sized bed, kitchenette, and spacious bathroom with a stand up shower AND jacuzzi tub, so you can enjoy the amazing mineral water in the privacy of your own room. We slept like sun-kissed babies, and woke up never wanting to leave! The closest thing to a negative experience occurred when I went to get some coffee and saw they had run out of mugs, and had to ask for more - which were promptly delivered. I'm serious - that was the worst thing that happened. This place is overall fantastic. Final word - the customer service could not be better. Each and every staff member, especially Tyler, went out of their way to accommodate us, from bringing extra towels and water, to setting up umbrellas when the sun got a bit strong. Their wonderful approach to creating a peaceful, relaxing environment was a huge factor in our experience. We will DEFINITELY be back - and soon!!

Stayed March 2012, traveled with friends

I want to point out that on top of all that, megggggg shopped local, walking to the corner store for snacks.

The reviews of Two Bunch Palms are here. There you'll find several reviews from people who are looking forward to the new owners restoring the quality they remember from years past. And then there's a lot like this from LB_Bunny:

"A truly relaxing oasis"
Reviewed October 16, 2011

I looooove Two Bunch Palms and can't wait to go back. I went as a treat for myself after passing my LCSW exam :) I am so relaxed and recharged it is ridiculous! When I first got there, I was a little puzzled, as I expected something more like the Miramonte in Indian Wells (I've been there and it is very nice, but very different). It is *not* the Miramonte, and I mean that in a good way. It is rustic, outdoorsy and so peaceful. The grotto is beautiful--you can lay about in warm spring waters, gazing up at the palms and eucalyptus trees and just *be*. There are no noisy children (thank you, whoever made this policy), cell phones or loud people talking on them. Just peace and quiet and natural beauty. The place is older, the buildings are made of stone and it looks like a rustic camp. But it is not run down as some have said here--it is just not manicured within an inch of its life. The guests tend to be a little older, more average folks, but everyone seemed pretty friendly. My room was very nice, with a huge, soft bed and the best shower massage ever. And the staff was friendly and helpful--loved my aesthetician, she was a really cool person. She went longer on my facial and made sure I was comfortable throughout. She did not try to sell me expensive bottles of stuff after the facial, which I appreciated. This place has a certain vibe--if you want a place that caters to the botoxed and implanted, it is probably not for you. But if you want beautiful surroundings, quiet and restorative peacefulness, you will love it.

Stayed October 2011, traveled solo

There will be some champagne (California, purchased at Vons, I'm sure) being uncorked tonight in DHS!

Traveling with kids

The report of an intense visit to the area by a couple with two kids, 1st grade and 4th grade. Let me outline:

• Day 1
  • Midday arrival at John Wayne - rented a Tahoe.
  • Drove to Palm Springs and checked out the windmills.
  • In n Out - likes it.
  • Coachella Valley Preserve - nature walk, helpful volunteers.
  • Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs - a little rude service.
• Day 2
  • Joshua Tree N.P. - snow [so we know what day that was].
  • "Cactus Garden" - probably Cholla Garden.
  • "The Arches" - possibly the arch at White Tank.
  • Pioneertown - "I don't recommend that particular side trip- it didn't seem like very much there- just a couple of shops, and ice cream from the freezer."
  • Return to Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs where the room's door lock has totally failed and has to be drilled out!
  • Mexican dinner in P.S.
• Day 3
  • Anza Borrego State Park.
  • Font's Point.
  • Visitors Center - she notices that there were far more restrooms provided in Joshua Tree than in Anza Borrego.
  • Fish Creek.
  • Split Mountain Trail.
  • Not enough time to do the Wind Caves or the Amphitheater.
  • Julian.
  • San Diego - first time, and surprised to see it is close to the mountains.
  • Liberty Station Homewood Suites - she recommends it.
  • Johnny's American at Point Loma for dinner.
• Day 4
  • La Jolla.
  • Seals.
  • Whale watch.
  • Return to the hotel, dinner at Oggi's.
• Day 5
  • San Diego Zoo.
  • Coronado Island, Lowe's, for a conference - this was work for the husband.
  • Walking the beach.
• Day 6
  • Return Tahoe to San Diego airport.
  • Fly home, using a bag of treats ("small packs of skittles, tootsie rolls, lifesavers, blow pops, etc.") to keep kids quiet.

I want to know why all the parents I know with kids about that age look sort of harried and tired almost all the time, while Ms. Laura seems to carry it off like Barbara Billingsley. Is she really onto something with those sugar treats?

Click here to see more tavel reports by Raleigh Laura. I haven't read the others, and maybe she tells us where she lives in one of those other reports.

Two Bunch Palms Resort Sells

The Hollywood Reporter headlines their report on the sale of this legendary resort "(Exclusive)" at 8:27 AM, but the Desert Sun got a story posted only 39 minutes later.

There are 4 buyers: Gidi Cohen [an Israeli Navy Seal at one time!] plus the trio who bought Grauman's Chinese Theatre last year: Steve Markoff, Donald Kushner [producer of TRON, executive producer of TRON: Legacy and on top of all that, a native of Providence, Rhode Island!], and Elie Samaha. The price for Desert Hot Springs' top resort is said to have been under $10 million.

The story of the Al Capone connection which gets repeated in the news stories is totally bogus.

In a verbless sentence the Desert Sun suggests: "A $3 million to $6 million renovation for the resort's 52 rooms and spa facilities that, in Cohen's words, will remain "faithful to the traditions of this peerless gem, but will spare no expense to re-create a destination at the very pinnacle of the lodging and resort industry."

I imagine words like "is planned" or "is anticipated" went forgotten as K. Kaufmann slaved away tirelessly at her keyboard. But she didn't forget to include the requisite slam at DHS, which now is a standard policy at the DS:

Cohen has an ambitious timetable for resort expansion, estimating that construction of new facilities could take place over the next two to three years.

Navigating Desert Hot Springs' permitting process that quickly could be a challenge.

To support her insinuation Ms. Kaufmann vaguely cites something that happened in 1987! I am going out on a limb here to guess that DHS Planning Director Martín Magaña was in middle school (give or take) at the time and cannot be blamed for whatever went down.

DHS Spa Tour 2012

It was a giant crowd at Cabot's for this year's Spa Tour. I don't think you could have squeezed many more in. Nonetheless, things went in an orderly fashion and seemed to be better organized than last year. The buses even started running early. There may have been a pretty heavy load on the buses right at the start, and I know a couple of drivers made some wrong turns on their first time out. I heard some people say they had to wait 15 or 20 minutes after their first spa visit. But after that, things seemed to smooth out quickly. Buses came frequently and none were very crowded.

The evening isn't long enough for me to hit every spa, so I have to pick and choose. Sorry if I missed your favorite:

First stop for me was El Morocco Inn & Spa.

It could be Burning Man!

And then the sun set:

On to the Swiss Health Resort:

Thence to Nurturing Nest, which I'd never visited before.

Head on view of Mt. San Jacinto, right out your front door.

Then to visit Aqua Soleil Hotel & Mineral Water Spa where they have recently completed their long-awaited exterior refurbishment.

Next was Bella Monte Hot Springs Resort & Spa.

Followed by a stop at Living Water Spa (with the Kismet Lodge sign).

Finally coming to Dog Spa Resort.

My complete set of photos from the spa tour is here.