Sweet Desert Treat: The Coachella Valley Date Gardens
In a splendid display of wishful thinking and clever engineering, the Coachella Valley has grown into a rich agricultural region, known internationally for grapefruit, figs, and grapes -- and dates. Entrepreneurs, fascinated with Arabian lore and fueled by the Sahara-like conditions of the desert around Indio, planted these date palm groves in the 1920s. Launched with a few parent trees imported from the Middle East, the groves now produce 95% of the world's date crop.
Farmers hand-pollinate the trees, and the resulting fruit is bundled in wind-protective paper while still on the tree, which makes an odd sight indeed. You'll see them along Highway 111 through Indio, locally known as the "Date Highway."
The most picturesque place in the valley to sample dates is Oasis Date Gardens, 59111 Hwy. 111 (tel. 800/827-8017 or 760/399-5665), started in 1912 with nine Moroccan trees and now one of the nation's largest commercial date groves. It's a 40-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs -- but there's a lot to do here. Picnic tables dot an inviting lawn, videos illustrate the history and art of date cultivation, and there's a cool palm arboretum and cactus exhibit. Many varieties of dates are laid out for free tasting. Oasis also sells date shakes, ice cream, date pie by the slice, homemade chili and sandwiches, and gourmet food gifts from all over the Southwest. Open daily (except Dec 25) from 8am to 5pm.
