Short Move and Salton Sea, Thursday, March 28, 2013

This morning Tom called Caliente Springs Resort in Desert Hot Springs to check if we could get an RV site there for the next 4 nights.  We were in luck.  A little after 9:30am Tom squeezed out of the campsite at Happy Traveler RV Park in Palm Springs and I in the Jeep and we were on our way to Caliente Springs Resort.  It was a short move, 15 miles, and we were there in less then a half hour.  We were glad that we had made the move.  Compared to Happy Travelers, Caliente Springs has nice campsites that accommodate the motorhome and the Jeep- no need to park on the roadway, the slideouts are not up against the hedges that formed the boundaries between sites.  The best part is the cost as we pay for 2 nights what one night cost us at Happy Travelers since this is a Passport America Park and the discount is honored for all 4 nights.  And did I mention that this is indeed a resort with beautiful landscaping, a huge swimming pool/spa including a mineral springs spa and a full schedule of activities. 
After lunch we decided to drive to Salton Sea.  On the way, we came to Coachella Valley Reserve and stopped.  This was an interesting reserve that is an oasis on the San Andreas fault.  Tall Fan Palms are growing here.  Along the fault line water bubbles up.  A board walk allows visitors to walk along the fault line among the tall palms where it is noticeably cooler.  There are other trails through the reserve that we did not take as we wanted to move on toward Salton Sea.
Salton Sea is California's largest lake at 35 miles long, 15 miles wide and 227 feet below sea level.  It has no outlet so what flows in, including agricultural runoff, stays in the lake.  The lake is a state recreation area with campgrounds situated around it and almost limitless fishing.  Tilapia fish are the most abundant according to information we were told at the Visitor's Center.  Migrating birds are in this area during the winter months drawn here by the food source, the fish.  Over the years the salinity of the lake has increased which has affected the types of fish that can survive here and will eventually affect the birds.  The state is attempting a restoration program for the lake.