palm springs memorial day trip

I don't know why we don't take day trips out to Palm Springs more often.  We had so much fun yesterday!  Palm Springs is only a one hour drive away from our house which is just long enough to feel like we are getting away, but short enough to be tolerated by the kids.  My parents came along for the day as we visited friends and did some hiking up on the San Jacinto mountains.  It was the perfect Memorial Day excursion. 

Lyla standing outside our friends' house looking very "palm springs". 

Darla (Lyla's friend for the day who was visiting from LA).

Running around the house like wild children.

After a nice long day of hanging with our friends and checking out their new house, we headed to the palm springs aerial tram.  The 10 minute ride took us up the cliffs of Chino Canyon to an elevation of 8500 feet.  From the top you see an excellent view of the Coachella Valley.  It is normally about 30 degrees cooler up at the top, so we packed for cold weather.  It's odd to bundle up in the parking lot when it's 90 degrees outside!  We were also prepared to do some light hiking.

Here we go!  Ready for a nature walk.

One of our plans for the day included seeing the memorial day "flower drop" at the Palm Springs Air Museum, but we missed it.  I think we were too far away or just arrived a bit too late.  Maybe next year!  Here's a little bit of information about the flower drop in case you are curious:

The 14th Annual Memorial Day Flower Drop
Palm Springs Air Museum, 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA

"This year’s Flower Drop will again feature the Missing Man Formation by T-34s and the Heat Wave Jazz Band. Forest Lawn Memorial Park returns as the Sponsor of the 3,000 carnations that will drop from a vintage World War II era aircraft. Palm Springs Air Museum’s original Chief Pilot Jim Dale (JD) will pilot the vintage aircraft dropping the flowers. Festival festivities schedule: 10:00 am until 12 noon - KNEWS Radio live remote; 10 am and throughout the day - BiPlane Stearman Rides for sale ... 1:00 pm - T-34 Missing Man Formation Flight Exhibition followed by the Flower Drop of 3,000 red and white carnations. The flower drop honors and memorializes all veterans who lost their life defending the US. The white carnations are in honor of those who fought in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. The red carnations are in honor of those who died in more recent conflicts including the Persian Gulf, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan."