Desert Dispatch 🎇 Desert Independence

 🌵Desert Independence 🦅

This month, we reflect on the independent nature of desert life. For centuries, people have come here seeking something—silence, reinvention, escape.

In this issue, we honor those who choose the edges: the ones who stay, who roam, who shape their lives in rhythm with the land.
This is Desert Independence—solitary, resilient, and quietly radical.🗞️ Palm Springs Now

🗞️ Palm Springs Now

• Fertility Clinic Bombing Suspect Dies in Custody - Man tied to the May bombing was found dead in federal custody. Read more

• Section 14 Payments Still Delayed - Reparations for displaced Black and Latino families remain unpaid months after approval. Read more

🚡 Tourism & Recreation

• TRIO and Vino Volo Open at PSP - New local dining spots debut as part of the airport’s upgrade. Read more

• Splash House Drops 2025 Lineup - Weekend 1 in August features Diplo, Disco Lines, and more. Read more

• “Born to Chill” Summer Campaign Launches - Tourism board leans into relaxation to draw summer visitors. Read more

🏗️ Development & Infrastructure

• Gene Autry Wind Wall in Progress - A 600-foot windbreak aims to calm desert gusts and shifting sand. Read more

• Airport Expansion Cleared for Takeoff - Palm Springs Airport will add 14 gates and new rental facilities. Read more

• Highway 111 Gets Major Rehab - New paving, sidewalks, and bus pads now under construction. Read more

🎭 Arts & Culture

• ShortFest Shines Light on Global Filmmakers - The international short film fest showcases bold, diverse voices. Read more

• Plaza Theatre to Reopen in December - The 1936 gem is getting a facelift and a fresh arts calendar. Read more

• Sculptures Get New Life at Sunrise Park - Public Arts Commission relocates key installations for better access. Read more

🎇 Celebrating Independence, Desert-Style

Whether you’re planning a full weekend of festivities or savoring a quiet dusk in the shadow of the San Jacintos, we’ve pulled together everything you need for your Coachella Valley 4th of July weekend.

🇺🇸 Where to Watch, Dance, Float & Celebrate

From pool parties to civic park fireworks, here’s your guide to the best of the valley:

• 🎆 Palm Springs POWER Baseball & Fireworks
  Game + sky show = hometown classic
  Details here »

• 💦 Sunrise Park Pool Party
  Splash, music, and fireworks from the water
  Details here »

• 🎶 Palm Desert Celebration at Civic Center Park
  Live music, food trucks, and a 20-minute firework finale
  Details here »

• 🎰 Rancho Mirage at Agua Caliente Casino
  DJs, drinks, and a boom-lit skyline
  Details here »

• 🎡 Coachella Celebration at Bagdouma Park
  Family-focused, with games, vendors, and music
  Details here »

• 🎇 Desert Hot Springs Fireworks on July 5
  A post-holiday encore worth the wait
  Details here »

More Details

✅ Desert Independence Checklist

Pack wisely, stay hydrated, and bring your best independent spirit. Our full checklist is here to help you stay cool and intentional:

• Event tickets ✔

• Sunblock, shades, and wide-brim hat ✔

• Reusable water bottles (plural) ✔

• Blankets, lawn chairs, glow sticks ✔

• Snacks, soul, and sparklers (if safe) ✔

→ Check out the full checklist

However you choose to celebrate, remember this:
In the desert, independence isn’t just a holiday—it’s a way of being.
Choose your own version. Make it yours.

⚾ Desert Power: The Heart of Summer Baseball

⚾ Desert Power Baseball is alive under the stadium lights 🌅
Palm Springs Power Baseball is back — and July is the heart of it 💥

🎶 Live music
🌭 Hot dogs sizzling
🎇 Fireworks on the 4th
🏆 Young athletes grinding it out for the love of the game

No contracts. No hype. Just desert independence and pure summer magic ✨

👉 Read the full story:
⚾ Desert Power: Inside the Summer Heat of Palm Springs Baseball

🎟 Grab your seat. Bring your heart. It’s time to feel the Power.

🤖 🧠AI in the Desert: The Coachella Valley Goes Smart

As Coachella Valley forges its path through the 21st century, a new kind of independence is emerging—powered by intelligent machines. From smart stoplights to voice-powered clinics, AI is beginning to reshape how the desert thinks, moves, and heals.

🏥 Healing Smarter

With a shortage of healthcare professionals, local providers are turning to AI to fill the gap. Desert Oasis Healthcare has begun using AI tools to assist doctors and patients—streamlining workflows, diagnosing conditions faster, and easing the strain on overburdened staff. Learn More ›

🚦 Streets That Think

A regional initiative called CV Sync, led by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, is turning intersections into intelligent systems. Using AI to analyze traffic patterns and adjust lights in real-time, the system is reducing congestion and pollution while making roads safer across nine valley cities. Learn More ›

🏠 AI at Home

Smart homes aren’t just for Silicon Valley anymore. Daisy Coachella Valley offers AI-powered home automation that adapts to how you live—from climate control to lighting and security—bringing high-tech comfort to the high desert. Learn More ›

🌮 Drive-Thru Intelligence

In a twist of fast-food futurism, restaurants like Carl’s Jr., Wendy’s, and Taco Bell are piloting AI-driven ordering systems in Coachella Valley. Voice assistants now take your order, aiming for faster service and fewer mistakes—even if it’s 110 degrees out. Learn More ›

🌞 Building the Future

The valley’s sun-soaked land could position it as a future AI infrastructure hub. Some are envisioning massive solar-powered data centers, though real challenges—like water use and grid capacity—stand in the way. Still, the potential is here. Learn More ›

Desert Independence isn’t just about surviving the heat—it’s about leading in innovation, even when the odds seem arid. If the future is arriving early, it might just stop for a taco in Indio on the way. Learn more.

🎬 Summer at the Movies — Palm Springs Style
From sci-fi cult classics 👽 to glamorous musicals 💃 and Hitchcock suspense 🔍, the Palm Springs Cultural Center has your July lineup ready.

🍿 Cool theater. Classic films. Full vibe.

📅 See the schedule + grab your tickets:
👉 🎬 Film Screenings at Palm Springs Cultural Center

🐏 Independent Icons of the Desert

Meet the Peninsular Bighorn Sheep — masters of the mountain 🧗, survivors of the heat 🌡️, and symbols of the Coachella Valley’s independent heart 💚.

🌵 From cliffside agility to conservation comebacks, their story is one of resilience, beauty, and the fight to stay wild.

📍 Read the full story:
👉 🐏 The Big Horn Sheep of Coachella Valley

📺 Watch an animated video about Bighorn Sheep

🛍️ Markets & Community

Palm Springs VillageFest
Weekly street fair with food, art, and everything in between.
🗓 Thursdays, 7–10 PM
📍 Palm Canyon Drive
🌐 https://villagefest.org/

Certified Farmers Market
Fresh produce, handmade goods, and great coffee.
🗓 Saturdays (PS), Fridays (Rancho Mirage)
🌐 certifiedfarmersmarkets.org

🌤️ Savor the Weather with Jackie Johnson McBride at TheWeatherChef.com

Where meteorology meets the magic of the kitchen, TheWeatherChef.com is the creative home of broadcast meteorologist and culinary storyteller Jackie Johnson McBride. Blending her deep knowledge of weather with a passion for seasonal cooking, Jackie invites readers to cook in rhythm with the skies.

Looking for a light, bright meal that matches the mood of a perfect blue-sky afternoon? Try her Sunny Day Salmon—watch me make it here. It's a delicious example of how Jackie helps us eat with intention and joy, no matter the forecast.

Jackie also joined me for a powerful conversation on Life After News, where we talked about her journey from forecasting to food, and the emotional resilience behind both. You can catch the full episode right here.

The Weather Chef is more than recipes—it’s a philosophy: to live seasonally, eat intuitively, and savor life as it unfolds, one forecast at a time.

💻 Pro-Tip: Book Direct & Save
Planning your next getaway? Skip the middlemen and book directly at oldranchinn.com to unlock the Private Rate — exclusive savings just for our inner circle (that’s you).

✔ Lowest rate guaranteed
✔ No extra fees
✔ Free Parking

📰 Shameless Self-Promotion Alert: Yes, we know — promoting our own thing in our own newsletter is deeply uncool 😎. But here we are anyway…

🎙️ Life After News is our scrappy little podcast about media, reinvention, and what happens when journalists leave the newsroom. Hosted by a has-been (his words!) news executive with just enough charm to get away with it 😉, the show dives into stories from journalists, creators, and other brave souls navigating the what now? of life beyond the newsroom.

🎧 Listen if you like:
• Behind-the-scenes TV gossip 🎥
• Honest convos about change 🔄
• Big ideas, personal pivots, and a little desert dust 🌵

🎧 Listen here

📺 Watch here
Or don’t. But if you do, we’ll pretend to be surprised 😅

🌞 Here’s to More Desert Independence

As the July sun grows stronger, we’re reminded that independence isn’t just an ideal—it’s a daily practice. Out here in the desert, we learn to thrive not by resisting the heat, but by embracing it. Here's to blazing your own trail, trusting your gut, and celebrating the freedom to do things your way. Stay cool, stay bold—and we’ll see you in August.

Jason & Troy, Innkeepers, Founder, Independent Spirits

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