Life in the desert. The sentence seems almost oxymoronic, yet as fantastical as they seem, oasis’ are a real thing. Caused by fault lines running through the desert, leading to springs of water emerging where they are least expected. And as we know, where there is water, there is usually life. I was about to leave the Indio area, having spent the last few days there revisiting Joshua Tree and expanding my understanding of other cultures at the annual Cabazon Powwow. My plan was to head north, into the snowy midwest as winter started to tighten its grip, but first, I wanted to stop and see one of these Oasis, and I was told the perfect place to go was only thirty minutes away.
Driving through the desert sometimes seems so desolate. Tumbleweeds roll across the road, some so big I need to swerve out of the way to avoid plowing into them. The dry hills seem endless as minutes feel like hours and everything I can see blends into one never ending field of dirt. I take a turn onto a dirt road and the drab browns and grays meld together. All of the sudden, small specks of green start to grow and get bigger and bigger. The closer I get, I realize these are the palms I am looking for.
After parking, and as I hike up to these massive trees, I feel the energy of life start to grow around me. The sound of birds chirping starts to fill my ears, merging with the splashing sound of them jumping around in the waters around the trees. Squirrels grab big blue berries off the branches and run off, disappearing off to who knows where. I walk around for an hour or so, laughing to myself about how dead the world felt just a mile away. Eventually, I get back to my car and the sun is starting to set so I decide that it’s time to leave.
As I drove away, and the sun set over the Salton Sea, the sky decided to put on a show. The oranges and pinks mixed with blues and purples, covering the world into the distant horizon. The reflections off of the lake were especially epic, playing tricks with my mind and making the world seem completely endless. “Where am I?” I gleefully thought to myself as I pulled over to get some shots. Moments like these have the power to change an atmosphere into something one can’t really comprehend unless experienced. I say and watched the colors fade, and felt absolutely transcendent. “On to the next.” I whispered to myself as I drove away.
Closest Supercharger Indio Ca 30.6 mi
42100 Jackson St, Indio, CA 92203
Dos Palmas/San Andreas Oasis
Mecca, CA 92254
