Culture Archives - Page 6 of 21

Let’s Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 18, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Alyna Rei

In the month of May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, like most memorial months, began in Congress. House Joint Resolution 540, proposed by Rep. Frank Horton of New York in 1977, declared the first ten days of May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week (asianpacificheritage.gov). Senator Daniel Inouye presented Senate Joint Measure 72, a similar resolution, the same year (asianpacificheritage.gov). Because neither of these resolutions passed, Rep. Horton sponsored House Joint Resolution 1007 in June 1978 to “proclaim a week” during the first ten days in May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week” (asianpacificheritage.gov). On October 5, President Jimmy Carter signed this joint resolution (asianpacificheritage.gov).

Presidents issued annual proclamations honoring Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week over the next decade, until Congress approved Public Law in 1990, extending the celebration to a month. It was President George H.W. Bush who signed the bill extending Asian American Heritage Week to a month (apsva.us). Then, in 1992, Congress established a law designating May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month each year.

The month of May is designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to honor the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

There are many activities that you can do to celebrate this special month. But here are three of my favorites to do with a group of people or even by yourself (verywellfamily.com).

Book Clubs–Learning about Asian culture is best when you read from Asian authors. A few favorites are Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, and way more.

Interactive maps--Interactive maps are a great icebreaker activity. The National Park Service hosts interactive opportunities to visit the “stories of ordinary and extraordinary Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders preserved in our nation’s parks, memorials, and historic sites” (nps.gov). And, teambuilders.com offers activities that highlight the different countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the ties we have to them.

Watching a movie–This one can be great for any family and for the people that want to learn about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. If you log onto your streaming sites, you’ll see several Asian-American/Pacific Islander movies and series recommended. Movies that I like are mostly Disney movies. These would include Turning Red, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Raya and The Last Dragon, and the short Bao.

Oliver’s Ranking For Every Star Wars Movie

May 11, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Due to the fact that this month we celebrated May-the-4th-Be-With-You Day (AKA Star Wars Day), I’m ranking every main-story Star Wars movie: ninth being the worst and first being the best. I’m leaving out some other movies that aren’t main series like The Clone Wars, Solo: A Star Wars Story, etc.

Spoiler Alert: In Oliver’s rationale as to his rankings, he drops in some details as to how the movies climax and resolve. But, in the words of Luke Sonderman, if you haven’t already seen a Star Wars movie, you’re probably not going to go out and see one now.

Number 9:

The Rise of Skywalker

This movie was terrible; it has a horrible ending for a great trilogy that Star Wars was. To me this movie seemed boring. The lightsaber skills were appalling; the main villain (Palpatine) being brought back also wasn’t good because it’s like they bring him back every single movie; and he miraculously survives everything when he should’ve been dead a long time ago. It was so bad even Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 52% (rottentomatoes.com).

Number 8:

The Last Jedi

Do I even need to explain? This movie was BAD. The movie felt awfully long; some scenes even seemed unnecessary. Luke Skywalker acting like a coward? Really? All the past Star Wars movies worked to make Luke look like a leader, a legend perhaps. But in this movie, tossing the lightsaber and… milking an alien? That just throws everything else to the bin. Also, Snoke being killed right away although the movie makes him look super powerful is just absurd. Pretty much nothing works in this movie. The only reason this is above The Rise of Skywalker is because it has a higher score in Rotten Tomatoes; it scored a 91% from official critics and 42% from the audience.

Number 7:

The Force Awakens

This movie is… well boring. Easily one of the least creative. For people who watched this movie before any other Star Wars film, it may seem wonderful. But it lazily recycles old ideas like blowing up a star base, being in a sand world, etc…. There was some good acting. The death of Han Solo was heartbreaking, and the mistakes were not as severe as in The Last Jedi or in The Rise of Skywalker, so this movie is just a meh, and takes the seventh spot.

Number 6:

Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones is the series Episode 2. It definitely has more romance than any other Star Wars film. We can see how Anakin starts taking a liking for the dark side. There is some character development, etc. This movie is definitely not the worst, but the other movies are better.

Number 5:

The Phantom Menace

The Phantom Menace is the first episode of Star Wars. In this movie we get introduced to Qui-Gon Jinn, who finds Anakin. This movie has some really good parts in it. Like the lightsaber duels, acting, and the racing scene. This movie has gotten a lot of criticism for being too “childish.” People say the characters are too exaggerated or the racing scene is a bit ridiculous. But, in my opinion, the movie is still good.

Number 4:

Return Of The Jedi

Here we see the true dedication of the hero. George Lucas develops this movie fantastically. After Vader saves Luke, you can see how there’s still an Anakin inside of Vader. Although Palpatine doesn’t die (Palpatine is revived in the movies that follow), this heroic act of Vader makes the movie so much better. Apart from that, the opening scene–with the plan to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt and how Han Solo gets unfrozen–was epic. This movie is an art piece and barely comes behind number three.

Number 3:

A New Hope

This movie is easily one of my favorites. It’s a must watch from the Star Wars series; the movie takes the hero on a journey, as Princess Leia requests Obi-Wan’s help. The acting is brilliant; the plot is exciting; the movie is fun, as we go from place to place trying to save Princess Leia, the actors fit perfectly to their roles; the effects are amazing, like the CGI of the Star of Death is great, and the design of the lightsabers are really awesome; everything about this movie works. Easily one of the best.

Number 2:

The Empire Strikes Back

Arguably one of the best films of all time, The Empire Strikes Back. This movie makes the hero work; Luke Skywalker loses his hand, and the lightsaber; he doesn’t beat Darth Vader, and the “I am your father” line from Darth Vader is an absolute classic. Also, the addition of Yoda to the cast is great. It makes the movie so much more mysterious and interesting as he pours his wisdom into Luke. This movie is a must watch, and every aspect of it works and makes it feel more and more exciting.

Number 1:

Revenge of the Sith

Although some may disagree, this movie is in my opinion the best Star Wars movie. It was sad how Annakin had turned to the dark side and become Darth Vader, and how he tried to kill everyone that he loved. The fighting scenes were absolutely amazing, as the lightsaber animations were on point, and the CGI was great throughout the movie. Obi-Wan trying to convince Anakin to come back to the Force was so heartbreaking with the classic line, “You were the chosen one. It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!” In this quote Obi-Wan tells Anakin how disappointed he is in him for betraying the Jedi. This movie made almost everything work; it was brilliantly executed, and the acting was amazing.

Now, remember these are only opinions. Everyone can have their favorite movies. If you want to disagree, leave your opinion in the comments!

Things to do in the UAE

May 10, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sienna Price, World Traveller

I have been to the UAE (The United Arab Emirates) two times now, and the first time (when I was ten) I did not love it. We stayed on the Palm Islands which are man made and a rip off with overpriced hotels. If you stay in the Palm, be expected to pay $40 for an average burger and $10 for a can of Coke. We went to the Aquaventure water park which was fun, but it only fills one of your days. The thing about the Palm is that it’s on an island connected by a bridge, so it’s hard to get anywhere off the island.

Over Spring Break, I travelled to the UAE again.This trip was a lot better despite the sixteen-hour flight time from LAX. We stayed in Ajman, which is an emirati around forty minutes drive from Dubai. The only downside to Ajman is that you need to rent a car to get around. You can get taxis, but it would cost a lot to get to the places you want to go. Most of the tourists in the UAE are European. There are a lot of British and Russian people. The common tourist goes places like the Burj Khalifa and the Souks. But this trip we thought of doing something a little different. The first couple days of my trip were full of sleeping and swimming. The jetlag was not fun with a twelve-hour time difference.

On the fourth day of our trip, my dad and I drove up to Ras Al-Khaimah. Ras Al-Khaimah is the emirati next to Ajman but Ras Al-Khaimah is mainly desert driving where you see lots of wild camels and tons of sand. But we drove to Ras Al-Khaimah to do the longest zipline in the world, Jebel Jais Flight. I thought it would be a good idea to do the longest zipline in the world with two hours sleep. Jais Flight is 2.83km long. I went down at 150 kmph for three minutes headfirst lying on my stomach down the side of a mountain 1,680 metres above the ground. First, I get altitude sickness; second, again, I had two hours sleep, so going down the side of that mountain… let’s just say my breakfast did not stay down! The zipline is definitely not for the fainthearted, but I would do it again, just maybe next time with more sleep under my belt.

We decided to do a Bedouin experience, where you get a taste of Arabian culture. It was fun. We rode camels, and I sand boarded down the dunes. One thing that was a little strange was that they were filming a Bollywood film, so I am now an extra in a Bollywood film that I don’t even know the name of! But it was cool to see the dancers and actors. Apparently the lead was famous, and everyone there wanted his picture. I googled him after and he has been in tons of Bollywood films.

Finally you can’t go to the UAE and not go to a water park, so we went to Wild Wadi at the Burj Al Arab. It’s not as big as the Aquaventure water park, but I prefer this one because it’s less crowded and you can get on a lot more slides.

Travel well, and do your homework on the plane.

Thank you!

The Tea Club Revival

May 4, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Levi Kassinove, Tea Club Founding Member

Two years ago, the former 8th grader Remi Benomar had the idea of starting a middle-school Tea Club. He pitched the idea to me during a Wednesday assembly meeting in the MPR. We talked at length about our visions for the Tea Club and how it would evolve in the future; we dreamt up Tea Club meetings where we would have tastings and discussions of flavor notes. It would be a place where people come together and have peaceful conversations. It wouldn’t just be about the tea, but rather the community. Immediately after hearing his idea, I knew we had something great.

Mr. Killeen (now the Tea Club advisor) loved the idea and, fortunately, so did the middle school. We had the former Science room completely filled on the first meeting. Around 30 kids were showing up for these weekly tea parties at lunch. Overnight, it became one of the most popular clubs in middle school. We had multiple varieties of tea, including spiced chai, hibiscus, and green tea. Members were to pick their tea at their leisure and add honey if they so desired. Some brought their own mugs, such as Indy Behr, and others used the mugs generously provided by Mr. Killeen, who also provided the tea. The club was a thriving community, but, unfortunately, it had some issues. For instance, moderation was extremely difficult with our large member count. Dozens of kids were in a single room, each with a cup of near boiling water. Spills and burns were inevitable especially with the shaky plastic tables we had. When Covid hit, the Tea Club disappeared into the shadows and was largely forgotten, save for a few of us who drank tea over Google Meets in its memory. By the time we were allowed to come back to school, the Tea Club was gone.

Nowadays, a handful of middle schoolers still meet every week behind the gym to drink tea. But it’s known as an informal gathering rather than an official Tea Club meeting. So I’m revamping it. It’ll be the same aesthetic meeting place (behind the gym, mountains in the background), same core idea, but our methods will be slightly different. For instance, instead of having a fixed set of regular teas, we will have one type of tea available per week. The tea will change every week–a tea of the week, if you will. This way, the general discussion will be geared more towards the specific tea rather than normal lunch talk. The previous tea club was more club than tea, and now we want to put more emphasis on the tea. We will have fewer members, but in turn we will have higher quality teas. We will introduce members to the world of teas, from normal green, to matcha, to hibiscus, to oolong, and even to blends carefully curated by tea enthusiasts. It will be a place where people can discuss flavor notes and ultimately bond over tea, just like Remi’s vision all those years ago. This time, it’s without the chaos of a large group. It’ll have a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, unlike the rowdy type that seems to be an inherent part of middle-school groups. It’ll be a tight-knit family of 16 high school students that come together every Tuesday to enjoy tea. Our debut was yesterday, Tuesday, May 4, at lunch behind the gym. The next meeting is next Tuesday the 11th. If you want to make friends and explore the wondrous world of tea, you can stilll sign up for the club. But, there are only 16 slots!

Sign up at this poster at Mr. Winter’s door. (Poster by Cole Robinson)

Comedy Tonight at PVS

May 3, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Comedy tonight was a theater show where students at PVS performed multiple plays that aimed to bring a smile to whomever was watching. The PVS theater classes prepared for over a month for this show. The show played Wednesday, April 6th, Thursday the 7th, and Friday the 8th. Some plays or songs that were part of the show included the beginning scene of the Wizard of Oz, Pure Imagination, Good Morning Baltimore, The Gold Rush, The Cat in the Hat and so much more!

I have interviewed students who acted in the play compilation.

I asked them what role they played and if they enjoyed it.

“In Comedy Tonight I was one of the MC speakers, and I was also the Pawn Shop Man/Frankie in Gold Rush, written by Oliver, Tal and Zander. I did really enjoy both of these parts, especially Frankie in Gold Rush.”
Sherwin Hemmati

“I was part of the opening quartet, Jeff in Gold Rush, Tin Man in Wizard of Oz and solo singing ‘My Favorite Things.’ I really enjoyed all of them.”
Tal Maruvada

“I was part of the sonnets and of the MC. I didn’t really like doing the sonnets, but I liked doing the MC.”
Michael Pete

The Production Team’s Perspective:

As part of the Production Team, I was helping in lights and was stage manager. I’d say this was a really successful play because we got laughs from the audience, everyone remembered their lines, and the production team made few errors.

Fellow Production Team member Kayliee Augustine-Sails agrees:

“I’m part of the lights, and I think it went well. The actors did their job.”

I have also interviewed members of the audience:

“My favorite part of the play was Good Morning Baltimore. But everything else was good, too.”
Timothy Reed

“I liked Comedy Tonight, but it took a long time to finish. My favorite play was Gold Rush.”
Donavan Knott

*Gold Rush* actors in this scene include, from left to right, Oliver Martinez, Zander Eaton, Tal Maruvada, and Sherwin Hemmati.

Lastly, here are a few words from our director Mr. Hilbert:

“I liked how we had different types of comedy. The acting was good; the singing was good. I’m really proud of all the actors.”
Mr. Hilbert

Comedy Tonight was an amazing experience, hopefully we see more people in future plays. Like . . . High School Musical! PVS’s next production, High School Musical, premieres next week, May 10th and plays through the 13th. Get your tickets now with Ms. Greer at the Middle-School Desk.

Everything That Happened at the Oscars

April 14, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Lilah Nick

By now you have probably heard about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock over a joke involving Jada Pinkett Smith looking like G.I. Jane. You’ve probably also heard that Will Smith went on to win Best Actor for King Richard. I have watched the video of The Slap at least 20 times. It’s all my family and friends could talk about the next day. Despite this crazy interaction between Smith and Rock, so many other things happened at this year’s Oscars–from outlandish outfits to the first deaf man to win Best Supporting Actor.

Best of the Red Carpet

Let’s start with the beginning of the night, the Red Carpet. So many beautiful gowns and tuxedos were worn–but also some really bad ones that make you question, “Who’s idea was that?” We’ll start with the best of the night.

Lena Waithe

Lena Waithe wore a neutral tone suit. It was my favorite suit presented on the Red Carpet. It looks so good on her. It’s classy, looks amazing, and isn’t just a plain black tux.

Lily James

Lily James, who you may know from playing Pamela Anderson in the new show Pam and Tommy, wore one of my favorite dresses on the red carpet. It’s so beautiful, elegant, and looks incredible on her. I love all the embroidery and the added train in the back.

The Worst

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart, nominated for best actress for her performance in Diana, was wearing Chanel. I totally get that her outfit was much more than a fashion statement, but it definitely could have been . . . better. I don’t think she should have worn shorts for a red carpet event. The jacket would have been classier with a pair of pants. Her hair is also not my favorite. I just don’t like it. The deep side part is not in right now. It’s not 2012 anymore.

Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer, one of the hosts of the Oscars, was wearing Oscar de la Renta. Whoever decided she was going to wear this seriously did her dirty. I hate the bow; it’s so unnecessary, and it could be so much better for being The Oscars. This looks like something that’s sold at Macy’s for six year olds. Her dress also received a lot of backlash on Twitter. People were calling it “Hideous,” “God awful,” “so ugly,” and “unnecessary.”

Firsts

Ariana Debose won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and was the first openly queer woman of color to win.
Troy Kotsur won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and was the first deaf man to win an Oscar.
CODA was the first movie from a streaming platform to have debuted at Sundance to win an Oscar.

The Jokes

After The Slap, everyone stopped making the kind of jokes that might have made things less awkward. Everyone was waiting for someone to get on stage and make a joke to release the tension in the room. Amy Schumer finally came back out and relieved that tension, but it was about an hour after the incident. She came out and said, “There’s like… a different vibe in here,” and there was a roar of laughter.

There was absolutely no way that everyone would have forgotten about The Slap. But, more jokes to ease the tension would have made watching the rest of the Oscars more comfortable.

On that note, there were a few jokes that worked. These from co-host Amy Schumer:

“I’m Amy Schumer or as they know me in Hollywood, ‘Melissa McCarthy said no.'”
Independent

“After years of Hollywood ignoring women’s stories, we finally got a movie about the Williams sisters’… dad.”
Independent

The Festivals are Coming…

April 6, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Luke Sonderman

Finally, after a three-year hiatus, Coachella Music and Arts Festival is returning to the Coachella Valley from April 15-24. The lineup has been released, and the wristbands are being sent out. So let’s talk about what this year’s Coachella will look like.

Lineup:

This year’s headliners are Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Kanye West (who has pulled out–his replacement just announced; get ready for Swedish House Mafia x The Weeknd). Personally, I don’t like any of the headliners, but I know that they are very popular right now and a lot of people are hyped to see Harry Styles perform songs from his new album that is coming out in May.

I am looking forward to seeing the Skeggs, Wallows, Surf Curse, Phoebe Bridgers (to see what the hype is all about), and Current Joys.

Tickets:

Right now Coachella tickets are EXPENSIVE!!! Although they are advertised as $450 for a General Admission ticket, after taxes and fees, the total ends up at around $620. I decided to also buy a shuttle pass (which is a shuttle that drives back and forth from different locations across the desert to the festival), and it ended up costing me around $110 after taxes and fees.

Masks and Vaccinations:

Originally, Coachella was going to require either proof of vaccination or a negative test result to enter the festival, but recently they changed that rule due to newer California Covid-19 regulations. Since I am going on the second weekend, I will probably wear a mask since there is so much dust at the polo grounds after the Weekend One-ers stomp through the grass, but you aren’t required to wear masks.

Stagecoach Festival:

Every year I enjoy going to Stagecoach Festival, which occurs the week after Coachella. Stagecoach is a much more laid-back festival with lots of country and classic rock. The tickets are cheaper than Coachella, but there are less stages set up. If it is your first time going to a music festival, I recommend going to Stagecoach.

Stagecoach Lineup:

This year’s stagecoach headliners are Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Combs. I am not the craziest country fan, but I am super excited to see the underliner, The Black Crowes–if I end up going to Stagecoach this year.

If you live in the Coachella Valley and have never been to one of the famous festivals at the Polo Grounds, you are living under a rock. Go have some fun at Coachella or Stagecoach. You can still get tickets. Maybe you’ll see me there!

Meet Dora from Ukraine

March 31, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Ani Madanyan, Trilinguist

This Dora is neither cartoon nor explorer. She is a Ukrainian high-school student to whom Ani has been teaching English online for six months. Dora remains in Ukraine, despite the war. Let Ani tell you about her connection to one of the hottest places currently on the planet.

I’ve been teaching Dora through the Engin Program which is a “non-profit organization that pairs Ukrainian students with English-speaking peers for free online conversation practice and cross-cultural connection.” The Ukrainian students typically are aged 13-22, and the English-speaking volunteers range between 14-25 (enginprogram.org). The Engin Program helps you pick students that you share interests with. For example, Dora and I both dance, both LOVE to read, and we’re almost the same age. The only difference we have is that she loves cats and I like dogs.

Dora lives in Myrhorod, of central Ukraine. She’s 14 years old, and she hasn’t gone to in-person school for three years due to the Coronavirus, now the war. She lives with her mother in an apartment building while her father lives in a small village in Ukraine, and he’s one of the rare people who lives in a house. Dora’s brother lives in America, and he traveled here all by himself when he was 17. Dora misses her brother so much, and she hasn’t seen him since she was a little kid. The main reason she’s learning English is to come to America and reunite with her brother.

Ani Madanyan online with her Ukrainian student Dora.

As we all know, there’s a war currently going on in the Ukraine.

How is Dora dealing with this?

Thankfully, Myrhorod is silent. The only alarming thing that happens is Dora hears sirens, which means that something is flying towards their town. But, so far she’s found that after 15 minutes, the sirens stop, and this means that there is no longer danger nearby. Dora has relatives in Kharkiv, and they got fired upon at night. Her relatives have been in bomb shelters ever since. A month into the war, Dora and her mother heard sirens that didn’t stop. They went to the bomb shelter, but then the sirens stopped once again. One night, they went to her father’s house in the tiny village, and they stayed there for a couple nights until Myrhorod was safe again. On March 17, 2022, Dora started distance learning again. Right now, Dora is very safe and her town is silent most of the time, and she finally went out with her friends for the first time. I’ve sent Dora packages of American foods, toys for her cat, etc. But, due to the war, I’m not sure she received them.

I learned about the Engin Program through senior Isabella Goetschel. I’m so grateful that she introduced me to this organization because if it weren’t for her I would have never met Dora. I recommend you volunteer and give Ukrainian children an opportunity to learn English while expanding your own horizons. Too often, we take our language and America’s peace for granted.

Campaign for the Use of “Dodgy”

March 9, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

As someone who has lived with a British mother for my entire life, a lot of English phrases are more than familiar to me and I forget they are not commonly used in the States. Personally, I think some of these words from “across the pond” are fun to say, and I hope after reading this some of you integrate them into your daily life. – Jesse Denyer

By Sienna Price

Since I have moved to America, I have noticed I have said many words and phrases people just don’t understand. I have a mix of words and phrases from living in Thailand, England, and New Zealand. At least a couple of times a week, I have to explain what something I said means, and I have found it very annoying.

One thing that most people use everyday is a hair bobble. Until I moved to America, I just assumed that a hair bobble was called a hair bobble. One of my American friends told me it was a “hair tie.” I have asked at least ten people what they call this (holding up a hair bobble), and they have all responded with “hair tie.” I personally think hair bobble is fun to say, so I continue to say it.

Another word that I love saying (it’s probably my favorite word) is “dodgy.” Every time I say this word, everyone turns around and stares at me. Every time I have to explain what It means. Dodgy is a really popular word in England. All my family members use it, and all my friends in England use it. Dodgy means dishonest or unreliable, potentially dangerous or of low quality. For example, that person looks dodgy. I personally think dodgy should be used more often in America.

When I first moved to New Zealand, I got invited to my friend’s house to swim. The message sent to my Mom was to bring your “togs.” My family had no idea what togs were. Later we found out that it means bathing suit. Another unusual word they use in New Zealand is jandals, which means flip flops.

Of course there are the commonly known words that get lost in American translation: like we call fries “chips” in England, and what you call chips we call “crisps.” People in America say “cookie,” and in England we say “biscuit.” Americans say check under the “hood”; British say “bonnet.” Americans say the luggage is in the “trunk”; British say “boot.” In England we say “rubbish” or “garbage,” but in America you say “trash.” There are many different words with the same meaning.

My accent is mixed British, American, and Kiwi. Sometimes I say trash; sometimes I say rubbish. It’s hard to pin down my accent. Sometimes I sound very British, and then sometimes . . . I sound American.

Why Coachella Valley is the Perfect Vacation Spot

March 9, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Locals Ani Madanyan and Oliver Martinez

Ani moved to Palm Springs two years ago. She considers herself a local now. But, she started out as a tourist. She’s been coming to the Coachella Valley since she was little. Hence, she knows good touristy spots. Beyond the hotel rooms and swimming in the shallow, heated pools, she knows we all love an adventure. Blogger Oliver embraces more the comforts of home, but he’s got recommendations of places to take desert visitors.

Ani Recommends The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is a fast journey into the mountains that will take you out of the desert heat. Mount San Jacinto, which towers above Palm Springs, is 10,000 feet above sea level (planetware.com). The Tramway has the world’s largest rotating aerial tram cars. It’s definitely exciting to go from the scorching hot pool to snow on a mountain within one half-hour tram ride. The views are spectacular, even a little scary. The Tram, built in Chino Canyon, has been around a while. Its inaugural ride was way back in September 1963.

Photo Source: visitgreaterpalmsprings.com

Oliver Recommends staying at home. He says it’s a great place to go.

But, if you must get out, go visit the windmills. The windmills are a great part of Palm Springs, and you can’t miss them. According to planetware.com, the Banning Pass is one of the windiest places on earth. It is harsh, but picturesque. The windmills make for dramatic photos as sunset.

Ani also recommends local hiking.

Hike to a waterfall! How fun is that? I personally love to go on hikes because I know that there is a pot of gold at the end of it (the pot of gold is the waterfall). The Indian Canyons, which are at the south end of Palm Springs, are the perfect place to go hiking.

Palm Canyon is a fifteen-mile-long canyon full of waterfalls and the famous palm trees–the indigenous Washingtonia. There’s also the Andreas Canyon. You can drive directly into the canyon and grab a table by the water. “It’s a great place for picnicking,” says Ms. Zachik. The canyons are also known for having lovely birds all around. People often go bird watching. It’s also a beautiful place to see animals such as deer, snakes, and all other sorts of animals. “The hawks up there are really cool,” Ms. Zachik adds.

Lastly, we have Tahquitz Canyon. This Indian Canyons is located all the way up Ramon Road when you drive toward the mountain. At the end of the designated hike, there is a 60-foot-tall waterfall. There are guides, theaters showing documentaries about the canyon, and artifact displays. Adult admission costs $12.50 per person, while an entrance fee of $6 applies for each child. Kids 5 and younger and active military members can visit for free (planetware.com).

Oliver’s final recommendation is The Living Desert.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens has plenty of animals from all over the world! There are giraffes, mountain lions, zebras, cheetahs, wild dogs, and a lot more! There are also lights at certain times of the year, and it makes the whole place look even more beautiful. “Glow in the Park” occurs from March 27 to April 29, 6:30-10:00 p.m. The Living Desert is a great place for families with a lot of attractions for everyone. You can even get married there.

What are you waiting for? Invite friends and family to the Coachella Valley! Tell them to bring bathing suits because even though it’s March, it’s always pool time!

« Previous Page
1
…
4
5
6
7
8
…
21
Next Page »