More retail therapy in the Coachella Valley today

Off today into the Palm springs area for more retail therapy. First to Ross Dress for Less, then onto J.C. Penney and the Westfield Mall, where we continued to find some stuff we absolutely couldn't do without!!!

Ate in the food court there, and then went over to Shields Date Plantation at the edge of Indio where we watched their film about how they cultivate, pollinate and harvest their dates, very labour intensive indeed.

Who knew that people have to pollinate the female trees by hand using powder puff type of things. And that the trees don't yield their first crops for about 15 years or so. Interesting. They also need a huge amount of water, but yet are damaged by rain.
The dates are wrapped in protetive bags while they are still young and ripening on the trees. The trees have to be stripped of their protective and lethal thorns, too.

Shields maintains that the Coachella Valley produces 95% of the dates grown in the US. The Medjool dates are the big fat sweet ones that we enjoy, but other dates are used for different purposes, and Shields himself pioneered the development of date flakes to be used in sundaes and other confections. Sue had a date shake, they have a kind of soda fountain like you would have found in the 50s or so. Very fun.

Their gift shop had some dates to try, Shields himself cultivated some new kinds of dates, calling them brunettes and blondes.

Once we had finished there we went over to Agua Caliente Casino, where we introduced Sue and Jen to a new life of crime. That is, we showed them how to play the penny slots. We all promptly lost very small amounts of money, then checked out their gift shop for deals, and after that went to the delicious prime rib buffet.

Jen treated us all, it was very good. They have Mexican, American, Oriental and Italian Food, and a dessert buffet to die for.

The wind came up as we were coming home, the temp this afternoon was 90, but on the drive home around 7 PM it dropped down to 70 or so, and the wind buffeted the truck.

All in all another full day for the four of us. Sad that the girls have to leave on Friday, and then we'll roll on out of Desert Hot Springs and our winter hideout on Saturday, heading northwards. Groan indeed.