As we arrived at our Worldmark Condo in Indio, the storm front that had dumped many inches of rain over the previous few days, had moved through, leaving clear blue skies and that big, round, yellow ball. It’s been so long since we had seen the sun, we almost forgot what it is called.
We only have a few days in Indio, but they will be busy meeting friends, visiting The Living Desert and we might even find time to sample the wares of at least 1 craft brewery.
It has been many years since we visited our Worldmark Indio resort, which was still under construction at that time. Fully developed, it is now an amazing resort, with multiple pools, hot tubs, lazy river, playgrounds, duck ponds, sports courts, activities centre, etc.
View from our balcony
The activity centre has numerous activities, which included a fitness walk on our first morning. After 4 days of driving, I was first to sign up, for some exercise in the fresh air. Expecting a short walk around the resort, the participants were pleasantly surprised as we set off through the resort and climbed about 40′ up to the top of the dike, protecting the rear of the resort. With temperatures in the low 70’s we walked for almost 2 hours; along the dike, through the adjacent golf course and then back to the resort along the street. Total elevation gain was about 120′.
Here are some resort photographs.
The first afternoon, we drove down to the Fantasy Springs Casino, meeting a fellow Redwood owner from Ontario, who winters at Borrego Springs. Al drove up to Indio, joining us for lunch at the POM restaurant. Once seated, the couple next to us mentioned we should ask for the special’s menu. It includes soup, plus a 1/2 sandwich & chips (fries) for $5.95. We all ordered different sandwiches, enjoying a fabulous lunch, with the 1/2 sandwich being more than enough. So, if visiting the POM restaurant, don’t forget to request the lunch special’s menu.
The next day we invited a couple from Richmond that we met on a cruise ship about 10 years ago, over for lunch. They only live about 35 miles from us and we had stayed in touch over the years. Haven’t seen them for a few years, so it was perfect we were all in Indio at the same time. Great lunch and spent many hours getting caught up.
While we didn’t have our RV, we definitely had to visit our favourite Indio RV Resort – Indian Waters RV Resort & Cottages. We stopped in to visit the neighbours from our last winter down here in 2013. Don & Alicia have traded in their motorhome for a new Landmark 365 5th wheel. Wow, nice coach. The campground have made some great enhancements, so we are looking forward to signing up for a couple of months next year.
Next on the agenda was La Quinta Old Town, where we enjoyed a pleasant lunch at The Grill on Main, followed by a visit to the La Quinta Brewing Taproom.
La Quinta Brewing Taproom
They have an outdoor patio, so Judi and I sat in the sunshine, people watching and played some scrabble, while I enjoyed a couple of pints – a stout and a big, bold IPA. Great beers, note to self – must return next year.
Departing Indio and heading to Anaheim, we originally planned to take Hwy 74 up over the Santa Rosa Mountains, then down to San Diego. However, our friends from Richmond invited us for lunch, so instead, we checked out The Living Desert, before joining them for lunch.
At The Living Desert, we started with the 15 minute tram journey around the complex, which starts and ends at the 3/4 acre model train exhibit. We then spent about an hour wandering around the enclosures. While no procedures are scheduled on weekends, the animal hospital is amazing. On week days, you can stand behind the glass and observe procedures and/or operations taking place. Next year, we plan to spend a full day, joining some of the many talks scheduled throughout the day.
After lunch and an excellent 3 days in Indio, one of our favourite destinations, we headed for I-10 West, embarking on a voyage through the jungle, also known as LA motorways, bound for Anaheim.
Andy & Judi's Worldwide Travels 