I am really enjoying practicing my photography with my new macro lens.  I can’t believe the detail that comes out with a close up of a plant.  The picture above I particularly love.  This is a red flowering succulent called Callistemon.  From a distance it is not very distinctive but up close it is a whole different story.  I continue to be in awe of the bougainvilleas which come in an array of colours and oleander is abundant in the verges along the highways.  

I am very intrigued by the different styles of landscaping which is very low maintenance and consistent throughout the area we are staying in.  Obviously most of the plants are native to the area with ideal growing conditions.  There are many different succulents, cacti and ornamental grasses.

Some of the accommodations that I booked before our road trip were through expedia.ca and Airbnb.  One of the downsides to this, even with reading the reviews, is you never really know quite what you are getting.  Case in point, our first hotel in Indio (literally on the wrong side of the tracks) was right by the railway tracks with trains constantly coming through.  Thank goodness it was only a one night stay and I was able to cancel any further bookings in this vicinity.  We were very fortunate though with our Airbnb which ended up being a lovely rancher in a newly gated community in North Indio with a separate self contained unit.   I highly recommend Airbnb’s.  They are very reasonable and the hosts provide a wealth of information on the area, local attractions and amenities.   Talking of Airbnb’s, if you are thinking of coming to the Okanagan this year for your vacation and are looking for a quiet area to stay, check out the Fintry Delta Guest House located half an hour out of Kelowna next to Fintry Provincial Park. (https://www.facebook.com/fintrydeltaguesthouse).  

Next stop Indian Wells and then on to San Diego with a few celebrations along the way.