Often times when I talk to people about Palm Springs, a frequent question is "Is that anywhere near all those windmills? There is an enormous windmill farm with thousands of them lined up along the corridor of the 10 Freeway, nestled between the two major mountain ranges. The path of the two mountains link the hot desert climate to the westerly Pacific Ocean, creating a vacuum of sorts, where the rising hot air pulls cooler air from the coast. Like magic, there is perfect supply of wind flowing back East, into the desert. The windmills dot the mountainside and passageway. We decided to take a closer look at the windmills and drove up into the hills for a better vantage. We stumbled on one of the Indian grounds, where I snapped this photo at the entrance. If you look carefully, to the right of the face, there is a little sign that reads "KEEP OUT...Yeah You", which I found amusing. We dutifully obeyed the sign and decided we would see the windmills more closely from a different location. Following are a series of photos I took, I hope you enjoy them!
above: I like the clouds in the sky here.
above: I was up high on the hill looking down onto the floor of the valley when I took this one.
above: looking west, toward LA
above: You can see the railroad tracks on the right. I like the contrasts here
above: A hazy sunset behind the many windmills. It was a beautiful way to end the day.
-Rick Rockhill
