The Palm Springs of Washignton.

 Long weekend! You know what that means: time for Little Fox to pack his bags and hit the road. This time, the destination was Yakima, Washington.  A place I had heard about but had never properly explored. So, with the roommates in tow (apparently they were coming too), we headed east for a few days of adventure, sunshine, and whatever trouble a curious little fox could find.

First up on my Yakima adventure, I spotted a sign making a rather bold claim: “Best Ice in Town.”

Well, excuse me? That is a serious statement, and naturally, Little Fox needed to know more. Was this really the best ice in Yakima? Or was someone just feeling a little too confident about their frozen water?

After a quick Volksmarch around town to stretch my little fox legs, it was time to get out of Yakima and into the mountains. 

The trees along the trail were tall and majestic, reaching way up into the sky. They sure made this little fox feel small, but in a pretty darn awesome way. 

Finally, we made it to Cramer Lake! After all that hiking, I was pretty happy to see the water—and maybe even happier to take a little break.

The reviews mentioned that a bear had been spotted at the lake about a week earlier. Hmm… could it have been my pal Sandy stopping by? 

Time to head back to town! A local winery in an Art Deco building was having free live music that evening. Well, you know this fox loves two things: a good deal and Art Deco! So naturally, I was ready to check it out.

Except… the roommates “forgot” to bring me along.

Forgot?! Hmph. I’m not saying I’m keeping score, but Little Fox definitely remembers these things.

I mean for goodness sake, check out this lobby?

After the roommates’ classic little blunder of leaving me behind, they decided they better make it up to me. Their solution? Take Little Fox on a quintessential Yakima hike. Well, I suppose that’s one way to get back in my good graces.

The desert calls, and I must go! There’s something about Yakima’s dry, open landscape that makes this little fox feel right at home. In fact, I’m starting to think Yakima earned their nickname as the Palm Springs of Washington. 

 Just with fewer palm trees and a whole lot more sagebrush. Add sunshine, desert-like scenery, mountains, and a laid-back vibe, and I’d say Yakima has definitely earned the nickname.

A side trip to Palm Springs, PioneerTown, and a big date farm.

 The park is a cool place.  No doubt about that but today I am off to see what the nearby (relatively speaking) town of Palm Springs can offer.

First stop: Shields Date Farm.  Okay, it's not in Palm Springs but pretty darn close.  Shields is in Indio, CA about 20 minutes east. 

Let's go!

The date farm has a manicured garden, a cafe, and I heard that if I am a well behaved fox I might get a treat. 

The garden was closed today due to the wind. 

The staff didn't want anyone to get hurt.

Let's explore inside.  Perhaps there is something for me?  Oh man, a 24 ounce (only size) date milkshake.  All for me right?  Right?

This is the life. 

My roommates decided to take me to see a temporary art exhibit called Desert X.  Desert X only happens in February, March and April in the Palm Springs area.  First up: A tiny home to represent the urban sprawl that was Southern California experienced after WWII.

A few miles away a maze made out of reed mats to simulate the challenges immigrants face navigating in a new country.  
Reed mats were used in honor of the native peoples who lived in this area before it was "settled"

Next up is one titled "What lies behind these walls" to simulate the different layers of peoples lives and cultures.

Remember the wind at the date farm?  It followed us for two days.  This art installation was on top of a hill and so windy. My right paw is catching the wind nicely.

Time for lunch.  What's on the menu?

Vegan, yes vegan, Cuban Sandwich and a nice big salad. 

Now that I have more energy in my body time to explore Pioneer Town.

In 1946, Pioneertown was founded by a group of Hollywood investors with dreams of creating a living movie set — an 1870's frontier town with facades for filming and interiors open to the public.  

People still live in Pioneertown and periodically they still film.  I think they did a truck commercial and a Cindy Lauper video.  

One more stop.   Oh, this looks promising.  It's not Sunday but the Mexican place has an all you can eat buffet in the morning.  

My roommates mentioned we were only here for drinks.   This margarita looks like a refreshing drink for a little fox.