It occurred to me that you folks out there in Iowa who are making plans for a visit to the Desert in the next few months, more particularly the Coachella Valley, may want to be prepared with a little history of the area and an itinerary of things to see and do. One of the things I can certainly recommend is an excursion that will bring you up close and personal with our bountiful Colorado Desert Flora and Fauna.
But being situated in Iowa as you are, the local library probably doesn’t carry a wide selection of books related to the Coachella Valley. So, to get you started and make your research efforts easier, I have come up with a list of books you might find of interesting. All of these books may be obtained from Sunbelt Publications, San Diego, CA. Their web address is www.sunbeltpub.com; the prices are from their listing. Some you may obtain from their original publisher, or online new and used from places like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. You might want to compare prices between sites, so just take the link I give you as one reference.
COACHELLA VALLEY HIKING GUIDE 7.95
JOHN FLEMING
NATURE TRAILS PRESS
25 day hikes around Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, illustrated with photos; Includes location, mileage, round trip time and elevation gain. PUB DATE 1/96
COLORADO DESERT WILDFLOWERS 12.95
JON STEWART
JON STEWART PHOTOGRAPHY
The Colorado Desert of southern California boasts many of the same wildflowers found in Arizona’s Sonora Desert. Discover 100 flowers illustrated in beautiful color plates.
PUB DATE 3/93
DESERT LORE OF SOUTHERN CA 14.95
CHORAL PEPPER
SUNBELT PUBLICATIONS
Renowned western writer Choral Pepper evokes the mystery and magic of Southern California’s desert, spinning tales of lost mines, Indian myths, legendary characters, strange natural features, and fabled treasure ships. Fully updated and revised.
PUB DATE 2/99
DESERT PALM OASIS ACTIVITY BOOK 6.95
DICK RUEHRWEIN
NATURE TRAILS PRESS
A children’s activity book published for the Palm Springs Desert Museum. It is Appropriate for the following desert areas: Anza-Borrego, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and the canyons near Palm Springs.
DESERT PALM OASIS 16.95
JIM CORNETT
NATURE TRAILS PRESS
This colorful soft cover book focuses on the fan palms of the Desert Oasis, discussing their history, characteristics, use by Native Americans, insect pests, and more; Excellent color photographs.
PALM SPRINGS: CALIFORNIA’S DESERT GEM 21.95
REN NAVEZ
WESTCLIFFE PUBLISHERS
The sparse, complex, and unforgiving beauty of the southern California desert forms the dramatic backdrop to this photographic meditation on Palm Springs and its surrounding landscapes. PUB DATE 12/05
PALM SPRINGS BABYLON 16.95
RAY MUNGO
ST. MARTIN’S PRESS
Sizzling stories from the playground of the stars; I guess this qualifies as natural wild life? PUB DATE 1/93
PALM SPRINGS LEGENDS 17.95
GREG NIEMANN
SUNBELT PUBLICATIONS
Palm Springs has a history as unique as its residents. From the original Cahuilla inhabitants of the area, to the settlers who where drawn to the therapeutic waters of its hot springs, with this book you will get to know the stories that made Palm Springs famous. PUB DATE 10/05
PALM SPRINGS MODERN 50.00
ADELE CYGELMAN
ST. MARTIN’S PRESS
This book examines the impact that architects and designers have had on the desert oasis, primarily from the 1940s to the 1960s. PUB DATE 4/99
PALM SPRINGS OASIS 19.95
GREG LAWSON
SUNBELT PUBLICATIONS
An elegant display of beautiful Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Showcases breathtaking sights at every elevation, from enchanting spring-fed canyons to brilliant desert flowers. Text is in English, Spanish, French and German. PUB DATE 2/90
PALM SPRINGS WEEKEND 40.00
ALAN HESS
CHRONICLE BOOKS
Experience the stunning architecture and design of a mid-century oasis in this 180-page collection which features 260 color and black & white photographs. PUB DATE 4/01
PATH OF THE BIGHORN 40.00
EDITOR
BIGHORN INSTITUTE
Path of the Bighorn is the story of the creation of the public art project of the same name. The story is told through text and more than 400 color plates of the sculptures.
PUB DATE 10/04
PEAKS, PALMS AND PICNICS 15.95
LINDA PYLE
TRAIL WISDOM
Day journeys in the mountains and deserts of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley of southern California. Written in a narrative style, this book highlights natural history and western lore, and includes scenic picnic locations and simple recipes for the trail.
PUB DATE 2/02 (No review to offer, but his is a book that I got at a local thrift shop.)
TRAIL MAP SAN JACINTO WILDERNESS 8.95
TOM HARRISON CO
This detailed topographic map will help backpackers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts enjoy their visit to the San Jacinto Wilderness area. PUB DATE 2/96
I was acquainted with two of the authors listed above, Choral Pepper and Jim Cornett, but haven’t seen them in decades.
The last time I ran into Choral was at some social function and she was telling us that she had just received a PhD. Now I don’t know whether this was obtained mail order from a magazine ad, whether it was honorary, or whether she had just completed her thesis and had been conferred a legitimate degree. But it didn’t matter, because we amused ourselves and irritated her the rest of the evening by humming commercial jingles referring to her as Dr. Pepper.
Jim Cornett was employed as a Wildlife Biologist by the Palm Springs Desert Museum, before it changed over to strictly a fine art museum. Jim prepared many of the biological review components of environmental impact reports and documents the consulting firm I worked for produced. He was a really nice guy and at times I got a glimpse of how the natural environment looked through his eyes. Although, I haven’t seen it I imagine his book will be very well researched and informative as were his other writings.