It’s our last day in Palm Springs, and though the weather hasn’t been blazing hot, it’s been quite perfect for our purposes.

There are inherent risks in traveling with avid golfers like my husband and our good friends Dave and Vi Nick to a golfing universe like Palm Springs. Did I mention avid? The last time I swung a club was probably three or four years ago. I didn’t think it was appropriate to break that particular fast on a nice course with people who actually like the game. I fully intend to try it again some time, but perhaps at home, where the green fees are more in keeping with my level of aptitude.

But the great news is that in spite of this area’s reputation for golf, golf and golf. There is another way to get into this desert. The real desert, without watered greens and manicured lawns; the desert of spiky thorns and dusty rocks and rough ground.

So. My husband, bless him a thousand times, did the golf thing with the Nicks, but then picked a day to come out with me on a short hike to Tahquitz Canyon. Actually, our original plan had been to do a much longer hike outside of the town of Mecca, but after driving there, we discovered the road to the hiking area closed. I’m guessing the canal was washed out from earlier flooding.

The good news out of that little sojourn was I ate the best burrito of my life in a little strip mall in Mecca. I wish I had written down the name of that hole-in-the-wall cafe, but perhaps it’s best to just remember the taste.

But all that driving meant that we had now used up some of our time before we had to pick up the golfers.  Luckily we had our book of hikes (120 Great Hikes In and Near Palm Springs by Philip Ferranti with Hank Koenig).

We took Hwy 111 back from Mecca , driving past the endless strip malls on offer. It’s hard to find a focused center in any of this, though Palm Desert and Palm Springs seem to have more of a there, there.

We finally reached Mesquite Road to the Tahquitz Canyon where the book assured us we’d have a great hike in short order.  It was true. We saw this incredible tree with its unfortunate scars of all the people determined to leave their names behind. There was this lovely waterfall before the trail looped back. It was a short, but pretty hike, and left us enough time to sit and have a capuccino before picking up our friends.

What’s not to like?