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. ...all of Pyle's trips include tidbits of history, lore and an easy recipe that thematically matches each adventure. -- The Desert Sun, Jamie Lee Pricer A delicious read--explains where to go for a hike while telling compelling stories about what you see. -- The Desert Sun, Lukas Velush Delicious Hiking! A wonderful, innovative hiking guidebook! As a hiker and Palm Springs resident, it's a joy to read.... -- Eileen Stern, Desert Women's Counsel Extremely well written. Describes in detail every single trail you can go on. A great sales tool for the desert. -- V.J. Hume KWXY radio, Palm Springs We love it! We ...have a permanent copy in the guest house and extra copies to give friends.... -- Ken and Elly Encinas, Blanks Color Imaging, Inc AUTHOR PAIRS HIKES AND TRAIL-TESTED RECIPES At a time when so many books are highly specialized, it’s exciting to find one that brings together two activities that go together, hiking and picnicking, in one easy to carry and use paperback. With dozens of routes for journeys, Peaks, Palms, and Picnics solves the nagging question of visitors to this diverse region—with so many places to choose from, where do I begin? And the delicious recipes answer the other question of what to bring to eat along the way (or for a post-trail meal). Written in the narrative style of nineteenth-century travel writers, Peaks, Palms, and Picnics highlights the natural history, history, and western lore along the trailside, pointing out sites that might otherwise be easy to miss. With subjects that range from manhunts to mountain lions and from rock art to ghost stories, the book is like taking a guided tour with a knowledgeable old desert rat. Like trails, hikers come in all shapes, sizes, and ages, and the book has something for everyone—journeys includes routes for easy, moderate, and strenuous hikes. Each of the thirty-three day trips has been hiked by the author and her husband (in their forties), and her Mom and Dad (in their eighties), and the vignettes contain the four hikers’ experiences and their comments on trails, views, obstacles, and worthwhile detours. The delicious and "trail-tested" meal ideas are nearly as far-ranging as the journeys themselves, with recipes for such interestingly named dishes as Stuffed Medjools and Tuna Pan Bagna—not to mention Muffletas! Each journey-chapter tells a little something about an ingredient or cooking method, or gives an historic tidbit behind recipes like short ration cake and Slumgullion. Author Linda Pyle has published numerous articles on desert travel, recipes, and plants, plus an award-winning website. A Minnesota native, Pyle says she thought of the desert as a bleak, arid wasteland, and initially resisted the idea of exploring the Coachella Valley, but soon grew to love its incredible diversity and wealth of history. The author’s black-and-white photographs show some of the beautiful, strange, and unusual places that willing adventurers will see. It is my sincere desire to enhance your experience of the desert. The desert is a transforming place. It is the reason I became a writer. Come and see how the desert will inspire you! Best Regards, Linda McMillin Pyle Peaks, Palms & Picnics is the story of four travelers ages forty to seventy years exploring and picnicking in the mountains and deserts of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley highlighting thirty-three trails for adventure at any age Trails and food shared with family and friends give a deeper meaning to life For each trail there are simple recipes- - light meals in hand for trailside picnics served alfresco on the peaks or under the palms inspired by the first people of Agua Caliente, skilled master-gathers of desert and woodland foods and the nineteenth and early twentieth century pioneers who introduced dates, fruits and vegetables to the Valley Come to the oasis where fan palms flutter, cool and shade See the real desert appear when you step off sidewalks and green grass up to the granite peaks that rise above the city or along sandy desert that stretches out invitingly Trod ancient Native American footpaths step into a Fish Trap under an age-old sea Ride into the old West of the romantic stagecoach days along the Bradshaw Trail join the posse of the last organized manhunt of the West or pound along the lonely journey of the last local Pony Express Rider Fire your imagination along the wilderness paths that were the gateways to the American dream in the Far West Sit beside the enigmatic blue Salton Sea and let the colors of the Painted Canyon and Indian Canyons seep deep inside Experience the warm gentle brown of the restoring mountains Observe the light changing on these powerful pyramids