WHO  •  WHAT  •  WHERE

In The Desert Cities of Coachella Valley

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Coachella Valley 
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Coachella Valley is composed of nine cities; Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, Coachella and various unincorporated communities. The total permanent population numbers 180,000, with a seasonal rise to approximately 240,000.

Some History Highlights of Coachella Valley:

Early maps show the area as Conchella, the Spanish word for seashell. Local lore explains the change in the name from Conchella to Coachella as a mistake made by the map-makers.

Photo by Crystle Photography

Activities:

There are so many things to do in the desert.  One favorite is a hot-air balloon ride.  This slideshow is of a balloon landing.

Photos by Crystle Photography

Local Events:

Coachella Valley During World War II

Photo courtesy of Coachella Valley Historical Society

The US Army chose a desert area east of Indio for a training program to prepare troops for action in the African desert.  This photo shows officers participating in a ceremony at Camp Young in 1942. (General Patton, Colonels Pickering, Busch and Muller, and Captain Copeland.)

HITS Horse Shows In The Sun begin their 2010 winter horse shows in Thermal from January 26 - March 14, 2010.

Photo from The Periscope 2004

Jacqueline Cochran

"At the time of her death (in Indio, California) on August 9, 1980, Jacqueline Cochran held more speed, altitude and distance records than any other pilot, male or female, in aviation history.  Her career spanned forty years, from the Golden Age of the 1930s as a racing pilot, through the turbulent years of World War II as founder and head of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program, into the jet age, when she became the first female pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound.  She was a 14 time winner of the Harmon trophy for outstanding female pilot of the year and was accorded numerous other awards and honors in addition to the trophies she won with her flying skills."

(National Air and Space Museum exhibit in her honor at the Smithsonian Institution in 1981.)
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In 1904 under Swingle's direction, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began an experimental date garden on leased land 2 miles east of Mecca in Coachella Valley. This first station was established in cooperation with the California Agricultural Experiment Station, but from the beginning it was operated by the federal government.

Dates in the Coachella Valley:

For the first 3 years Bernard Johnson, whose property was adjacent, was employed to look after the planting and care of offshoots in the new station.

Photo from the cover of The 2006 Periscope

McCallum Theatre

STOMP: Jan 22 - 24
Lily Tomlin: Jan 29 - 31
Neil Sedaka: Feb 5 - 6
Bill Cosby: Feb 15
Avenue Q: Mar 5 - 7
Kathy Griffin: Mar 9 - 10

11/29/2007

10/26/2007

1/8/2008

5/10/2006

4/10/2006

9/22/2007

9/15/2007

Highlighting the Sunsets of Coachella Valley

Wherever you go, there are beautiful sunsets.  However, Crystle Smith with Crystle Photography & Web Design has grown very partial to the desert sky, day or night.  Below are a few shots taken in the last few years.  You can see these and more sunset photography by visiting her website.

Photos by Crystle Photography ©

Desert Sunsets in the Coachella Valley