It was a spur of the moment , I decided to pack my bags and go on a solitary vacation for my 24th birthday. Aish was going to live the most adventurous and spectacular moments of her life! I frantically searched for places. Deepa (my roomie) pointed 'Palm Springs'. Humongous peaks, beautiful palm trees, rustic desert landscape, strolling in the valley, mild 24/7 massage spa accelerated my propensity towards this place.
It was 12 July 2014, about 5:00 am in the morning. Aish was really excited about travelling and especially checking things off her bucket list. The take off from Tucson runways are always exciting! Massive mountains , conspicuous cacti - I lost myself gazing the beauty of Tucson. That was not the first time I was flying from Tucson. But, every time I did, it was special and spectacular!
As we approached Palm Springs, I saw the massive desert city sheltered by San Bernardino, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains. A thought flashed and Sky Diving made its debut! The plan was simple - I'm going to get crazy and seize the moment for next three days in my life and Sky diving seemed to be a perfect addition.
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| View from the Top |
As I was delving into my thoughts, the pilot announced that we will be on ground in a few minutes. As the plane descended, I could see the bright desert landscape. We landed and my Day 1 begins here:
Day 1 : I reached Palm Springs mountain resort which was close to the downtown. I unpacked and was all set to ride the world's largest rotating tram (http://www.pstramway.com/). Everytime the tram rotated and inched the slope, there was a wave of excitement. We were all strangers, but we joined hands to happily feel the adventure! The valley was breathtaking and at the end of our 10 minute ride, I was at the second highest point in Southern California, San Jacinto mountains.
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| The tram cables |
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| The Tram! |
Day 2 : That was one moment! Skydiving @ Perris Valley. The airplane, 'Shark' was ready to ascend. I humbly agree, it was not a fearless moment. But, the excitement surpassed the fear! We reached 12,500 feet and it was our turn to jump. My brain paused; My heart mellifluously spoke; Life was happening right there! I moved with wind , just like a bird. The aerodynamic lift, thrust from the parachute, and the gorgeous view of the valley from the mid air invoked the puerile memories of watching Disney movies. Indeed, my 24th birthday was a fairy tale.
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Tandem Jump @ Perris
A sense of accomplishment and confidence sprung in my heart. The city had much more to delight me. As we drove back to Palm Springs from Perris, I could vividly see the LA smog. The smog thickened as we approached Loma Linda. I could see for myself why chemists loved California smog! I was charmed too!
Day 3 : Nothing beats a refreshing spa massage after two days of adventures! It was a hard moment to bid adieu to the city which stood with a mighty valor , yet humbled before its audience with its mesmerizing beauty!
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