Where do you go in Joshua Tree when you’re not in the mood for the National Park experience? We opted for Noah Purifoy’s old place. Down a dirt road, on the left. We saw it before we were there. Are those commodes towering in the air? we wondered. Yes indeed. Porcelain monuments to the private…
It is a given that when researching information about a particular topic, one discovery often leads to another. Such is the case when we recently wrote about the T Cross K Ranch in Mission Creek Preserve, just down the road from Desert Hot Springs, California. Cabot Yerxa’s name kept popping up in old newspapers. An…
Pasadena, California.The young girl sat in the garden, listening, as her grandfather, a self-made millionaire, told of floating above the Earth in hot air balloons, supplying intelligence on Rebel forces to the Union Soldiers standing below. Grandfather was Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, scientist and inventor. His influence on the world was notable indeed, and…
“The Gubler family has loved and grown orchids for three generations. Swiss citizen, Hans Gubler, who grew up in a family-owned orchid-growing business, came to America on a Missouri Botanical Gardens scholarship in 1918. He returned to Sweden but emigrated to Temple City, California, in the mid-1950s. Hans bought the Landers nursery in 1975.” ~06…
Update: We are honored to announce that our story about the former T Cross K Ranch (currently Mission Creek Preserve) is featured in the Fall 2025 Issue No. 33 of The Riverside County Chronicles published by the Riverside County Heritage Association. Many thanks to Steve Lech, author, historian and president of the association. Drive north…
Update 2025: Coyote Hole, the historic petroglyph site just outside Joshua Tree National Park, is not open to the public for casual visits. However, the Native American Land Conservancy (NALC), which manages the site, offers special guided experiences for the public. These include: Coyote Hole Experience –(TBA) a two‑hour guided walk to view native plants…
There once was a time at least 2,000 years ago, when the only voices heard in the desert below San Jacinto were those of the Cahuilla people. At a time when the Roman Empire ruled over most of Europe and the Middle East, the Cahuillas lived here in relative peace. The Romans are gone, of…
The fearless explorers walk along the trail. Quiet. Ever on the lookout for desert flora and fauna. Suddenly, as they round the bend, they come face-to-face with a world of beauty in the guise of the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium, just down the street from a good cup of espresso on Palm Canyon Drive….
Update, December 20, 2024: Congrats to Pappy and Harriet’s! “Knitting Factory Entertainment CEO Morgan Margolis and his partners have prevailed in a long-running dispute with the defendants, securing control of Pappy + Harriet’s in Pioneertown near Joshua Tree, and winning millions in damages. After a multi-week jury trial, the jury unanimously found in favor of…
Update 2021: Fellow former child actor, Paul Petersen, started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover Crawford’s medical costs. Johnny Crawford died in a personal care home in Los Angeles on April 29, 2021, at age 75, after contracting Covid-19 pneumonia which exacerbated his Alzheimer’s disease. Rest easy, cowboy. We are proud to have called you our…