Palm Springs.

Chris and I headed to Palm Springs for four days this week.  Such an amazing little city; from the heat, to the mountains, to the perfectly preserved sixties architecture, to the colors everywhere, to the views, to the……everything.  We had an amazing time and I think I could get excited about going back to California just about anyday!

I'm addicted to searching the travel sites for deals at unique hotels…..the Saguaro did not disappoint.  It's a remodeled Holiday Inn from long ago and it's just so pretty!

We drove up to Joshua Tree National Park for the morning one day.  My parents made sure we always stopped at any National Park we were within a few hours of growing up and thankfully Chris is on-board with that plan too.  It's probably the most breath-taking national park I've been in yet.  The rocks look like they're from a movie set, the views are perfection, the trails are easy to maneuver, and the landscape is my favorite…...

On our last night we had dinner reservations at a really nice place, but at the last minute I asked Chris if he'd ever heard of this weird place in the desert about ninety minutes from our hotel called Salvation Mountain.  He laughed and said, 'Yeah--oddly enough--I noticed that the creator of it died about a month ago and pictures of it were all over Instagram.  It looks crazy."

"Wanna go?" I asked.

I knew it was in the middle of no-where.  According to Yelp, it was indeed crazy, kind of scary to drive to, in the middle of no-where (mmmm….horror movie nowhere), and basically into Mexico, but not-to-be-missed if you had it in you.  It's being heralded as the largest outdoor folk-art installation in America and with the recent death of the artist, various groups are trying hard to find ways to preserve it.

We cancelled our reservations, got food at a drive-thru and headed out. Such a fun adventure!  When we made it to border patrol we knew it was true….it was out there.   As we were getting closer we were sure we'd missed it……we hadn't passed another car for miles on a two lane road out into the desert and then…..we came upon random groupings of trailers, bombed out buildings, meandering locals, stray animals, and a small little sign that indicated we were at least in the right "city." We drove a little more.  Chris looked at me with that look that said, "Dude….we need to turn around."

And then, around a bend there it was.  This incredible fifty foot man-made adobe clay mountain painted the most vibrant colors rising out of the most desolate desert.

The artist, Leonard Knight, built this as a tribute to God.  It is painted with Bible verses, flowers, a yellow brick road, and trees.  He built little grottos and a maze of rooms off to one side that are full of  relics and pictures.  

Currently, you can climb all over it.  However, I'm guessing that if it gets more popular that will end, sadly.  It's pretty slippery, made of clay and straw, and it's a mystery what actually makes the "mountain."  

There are a few trailers camped at the site that I assume are people who are now taking care of Leonard's work.  They use donated paint (they encourage you to bring a gallon out there with you) and make repairs as needed.  We didn't see any of them while we were there--but I could hear them talking--and I assume making sure that this work of art was being treated with care.

If you're ever anywhere near Palm Springs and you appreciate folk art and off-the-beaten-path destinations this is a must-do….no matter what your beliefs are.  It's an amazing piece of America with an incredible air of mystery about it.

I'm so thankful for a husband that likes to do crazy stuff like this.  Heading out to see it ranks right up there with some of the most fun we've had together.

Thanks for such a fun week Palm Springs!  You know how to have a good time!