Don Q Outdoors: An annual winter escape to Southern California

On Feb. 12, Sal and Catali Quilici of Dayton and Elaine and I traveled by two convoying vehicles on U.S. 395 from Carson City to Lone Pine, Calif., which was the half-way point to our final destination of La Quinta.
It was our annual winter escape to Southern California.

The four of us had been invited to join Don and Norma Reasons of Carson City for several days at one of their friend’s home, located across from the ninth green at the PGA West – Stadium Golf Course in La Quinta.

It was the third consecutive year that we had been invited to visit them, it was a great chance to temporarily escape the winter weather of Western Nevada, and we had unhesitatingly accepted their generous offer.

In Lone Pine we had an awesome Chinese dinner at the Merry Go Round restaurant and then spent the night at the very comfortable Dow Villa Motel.
If you travel on U.S. 395 I highly recommend both businesses, the staffs are very friendly and helpful, and the food and accommodations are very good.

The next morning we had coffee and great pastries at the Alabama Hills Bakery, and then began the remainder of the long drive to La Quinta.
We continued south and our journey was uneventful until we reached Kramer Junction; and then boy oh boy, the trip changed in a hurry.

All of a sudden, we were in high speed, heavy truck and car traffic in both directions. And, it got progressively worse as we made our way from U.S. 395 onto I-15, then from I-15 to I-215, from I-215 to I-10, from I-10 to Jefferson Street in La Quinta, and then to our final destination.

The worse part was when we reached the Cajun Pass area on I-10.

We were traveling in strong winds, torrential rain and dense clouds with very limited visibility and heavy, high speed traffic. Yipes, I’ll remember that particular part of our trip for a long, long time!

We arrived at the Reasons’ home in La Quinta shortly after 1:00 p.m. and our epic two-day “flight” from Carson City winter weather was finally over.
Yahoo! The four “Snow Birds” had landed safe and sound!

Wow! What a change from Carson City: The lawns were lush green, all kinds and colors of flowers were blooming, the fruit trees had grapefruit, lemons, oranges, tangerines and tangelos, people were walking around in shorts and golfers were out on the course.

That afternoon, from the bar area of our host’s vacation home, the six of us watched golfers try to hit a dog-leg-right around a small lake to the 9th green.

Many of the “duffers” (I counted five of them) splashed their golf balls into that huge water trap with accompanying very nasty language, as we munched on appetizers and enjoyed cocktails before dinner.

It was a relaxed ending to an interesting day for four travelers.

The next morning, after a leisurely breakfast, while the three ladies soaked up the sunshine out on the patio, the three men jumped into a golf cart and we went hunting for fruit to pick off the trees along the nearby streets.
When we returned to the house, there were big, happy grins on our faces as we had boxes and bags of mind-boggling sized grapefruits and large lemons, plus oranges and tangelos picked off those neighborhood trees.

Geez, once we started picking the fruit, it was almost impossible to stop.
On Thursday morning, Elaine and I left the Reasons’ home and drove the few short miles from La Quinta to Indio to spend four days visiting with my cousin Lorraine and her husband Bob Scholes of Dayton.

Sal and Catali remained behind at the Reasons for four more days before they returned home to Dayton.

The Scholes had flown in their private plane to Indio to stay until mid-April, at their California home, which is located on the 16th tee at Heritage Palms Golf Course in Indio.

On Friday, the four of us took a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which runs from the valley floor to the top of the mountain above Palm Springs. It had snowed up there, several days earlier, and the ride up and down was spectacular as we traveled high over the snow-covered landscape.
Saturday was a lazy day of just enjoying the warm sunshine while sitting on the patio and watching many golfers tee off from the 16th green.

Then on Sund
ay, Elaine and I left early and drove through almost non-existent traffic all the way back home to Carson City (500 miles!).
Sigh, our annual trek to Southern California was over for another year.
It was a “ton of fun” but sadly all good things must come to an end.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can’t tell you what Elaine and I did with all of the fruit we brought back from Southern California.
If he grins and says, “They made up ‘Care Packages’ of grapefruit, lemons, oranges and tangerines for close friends and neighbors,” he might have been a recipient of one of those gift packages.

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Photo Captions

Photo No. 01:
Looking across the swimming pool and the lake to the 9th green of the PGA West – Stadium Golf Course in La Quinta, Calif.
Photo by Don Quilici

Photo No. 02:
An egret carefully sneaking up on a minnow for its lunch at the water hazard on the 9th green.
Photo by Elaine Quilici

Photo No. 03:
Watching a threesome tee off at the 16th tee at Heritage Palms Golf Course in Indio, Calif.
Photo by Don Quilici

Photo No. 04:
The 16th fairway as seen from the back patio of Bob and Lorraine Scholes’ winter home in Indio.
Photo by Don Quilici

Photo No. 05:
Artichokes growing in a large Ocean Mist Farms produce field in Thermo, Calif.
Photo by Don Quilici

Photo No. 06:
A huge Ocean Mist Farms spinach field in Thermo.
Photo by Don Quilici

Photo No. 07:
Lemons on a lemon tree on a residential street in La Quinta.
Photo by Don Quilici

Photo No. 08:
Don Quilici of Carson City holds a grapefruit and a lemon that were picked off of trees along the residential streets.
Photo by Elaine Quilici