Whenever we are in the area, we always try to go to the desert City of Palm Springs. It is one of our favorite towns and we especially like to go on Thursday nights. Every Thursday night they shut down a large chunk of the main drag (Palm Canyon Drive) and the traffic is replaced by more than 200 booths. Food, produce, art, hand crafted goods, live music and just about anything else you can think of. There are a ton of restaurants on that stretch of road as well. They call it the Palm Springs VillageFest. Call it what every you like, it's the best regularly held street fair I've ever been to. Regular to the tune of 20 years. Every Thursday (except Thanksgiving) 110 Degrees or 40 degrees. It's going to be there.
A few weeks ago we went there and were surprised to see this huge statue as we walked up. We were behind it, but there was no doubt about who it was. Like I've said many times before... Only in the desert!
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I swear that I was going to post something relating to Joshua Tree National Park. Something off the beaten path. Well, until I ran into these photos on my camera, I was... You know how I am about desert oddities!
My next post will have ancient petroglyphs and pictographs in it. Some that are easily accessible, but seen by a minuscule percentage of people visiting the park.
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such a naughty sculpture it is :)
ReplyDeleteThat was a surprising find Pat, such an iconic sculpture.. Is the original in Hollywood ? The markets sound excellent, its nice when you can rely on something being there like that.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn is alive and well! What a fun time it sounds like~
ReplyDeleteOdd statue for the middle of the desert, but as you said, anything goes.
ReplyDeleteso cute. and very iconic. :)
ReplyDeleteWell now, that's larger than life! Great shots, too!
ReplyDeleteWOW! She is a lot taller than I thought!
ReplyDeleteWow. Lol Definitely not something I would expect to see in Palm Springs.
ReplyDeleteNaughty --but OH SO Marilyn!!!! Bet that was a shock when you first saw it….
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Palm Springs. That sounds like a great street fair… Wow!
Hugs,
Betsy
LOL! Been to that 'street fair'. .... We spent a couple of winters in Desert Hot Springs...bunch of us used to go in on Thursdays once or twice a month.
ReplyDeleteWe were disappointed to learn that the Palm Springs Follies is (or has) closing (we are old, we loved it!). I guess they want to give the City a younger image -- suppose you can't blame them.
Oh my. What a historic statue. Nice find.
ReplyDeleteAll the years I lived in California and I never went to Palm Springs. Now you've whet my interest.
ReplyDeleteHaha!!! That was my reaction too when i saw her looming above Palm Springs!!! Unfortunately...I didn't stop to take the pics like you did...these are fabulous!!!!
ReplyDeleteDEZMOND - Yes it is!
ReplyDeletePerthDailyPhoto - I think the statue came out of Chicago and has traveled around a bit. It will stay in Palm Springs though. Ms. Monroe was part of the cities early history.
Shelly - She is indeed! I was happy to see her there.
Alex - That is so true! We are out in the desert for a couple more weeks right now and hope to go into Palm Springs. Not to see Ms. Monroe, but to eat and go to the street fair.
TexWisGirl - I think "iconic" hits it right on the head.
Ms A - MUCH larger than life! Thanks Ms A...
Brian - I know! I had no idea...
Baby Sister - Well, next time you go there, you can expect to see it!
ReplyDeleteBetsy Adams - HA! You are so right Betsy. The Marilyn statue doesn't even scratch the surface of this great town.
Sallie FTL - Finally! Somebody who has been there. Yep, the Follies just had their final performance. The city is younger than it used to be. Still a great place though.
Lady Lilith - Thanks! Also, thanks for stopping in and commenting.
#1Nana - That's too bad. Palm Springs is a most interesting place with a ton of history.
TheChieftess - Thanks Kathryn! We were actually just going to the street fair, see her was a total bonus.
Marilyn was never that buffed. Looks like a guy posed for that statue.
ReplyDeleteWonderful surprise, isn't it? ;)
ReplyDeleteLove the sculpture and you got amazing shots!
Léia
How nice photos, a beautiful tribute to Marilyn, beautiful sculpture!
ReplyDeleteOh, Pat! Of course you had to post this! It made me laugh that the first photo was from behind. Marilynn still embodies the je ne sais quois of Hollywood/rich-and-famous.
ReplyDeleteAh - the wonderful and distracting Marilyn! Nice shots.
ReplyDeletePat, I enjoyed this post! A little bit surprising to find this stature in the Palm Springs,
ReplyDeleteYou took fantastic pictures of Marilyn. You were very creative!!!!
Such an iconic image translated to a sculpture, cool!
ReplyDeleteThe phrase 'what the what?!' comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteHaha, what a bizarre statue.
Wow! Now that is something else...
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I'd like to introduce her to "Big Tex" from the Texas State Fair. :-)
ReplyDeleteStrangely, as far as I can remember I've only been to Palm Springs once.
It's funny that you got that view when you first saw Marilyn. I never saw that statue. It's fun.
ReplyDeleteBe well, Pat.
xoRobyn
That's quite the imposing statue! It's a fun set of photos.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many of these iconic sculpture of Monroe are in this country? This is a fine one and looks pretty den good. Can’t wait for your next post.
ReplyDeleteKaren Jones Gowen - You are right! I also don't think was anywhere near 30 feet tall! Is this comment from Utah or Central America?
ReplyDeleteCezar and Leia - I sure was a surprise! Thank you Leia.
Leovi - I was very surprised to see it.
Rosemary Nickerson - You are right! I just had to. She was also a major person in Palm Springs.
ladyfi - Just as much now as back in the day. Thanks!
Kaya - I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the nice words.
Wayne - It was pretty iconic all right! Especially from the angle I approached her from.
ReplyDeleteTS Hendrik - That phrase and some others also. It would be more bizarre in most other places. You wouldn't believe the list of celebrities who call, or have called this area their home. Including Norma Jean.
Nat - Yep! Not something you see every day.
James - Maybe they'd hit it off ans start a string of giant humans. It's too bad you didn't get to know the place. There is NO place like it in the country.
Robyn - That is just how my life is! I think it/she has been there for about a year.
Al - Thanks Al! Something you just have to stop and take some photos of and then find out the story.
genie - This is the only one! It was traveling from city to city, but Palm Springs must have made a deal with the artist. Thanks Genie!
What a wonderfully fun statue. Definitely makes me smile
ReplyDeleteShe looked quite in ecstasy and provocative!
ReplyDeleteThe flying skirt image of MM is a classic - strange to think she would be considered fat by modern day Hollywood standards!!
ReplyDeleteWater in my neck of the woods needs a wetsuit - well I do anyway - 3/4 length job - but I am also considering a very thin hood to ward of "cold head syndrome" and keep off the sunburn.
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
NOT only in the desert, LOL! Marilyn visited us in Chicago in 2011-2012, resulting in this surreal moment as she was deconstructed in preparation to join you in California!
ReplyDeletehttp://media.nj.com/star-ledger/photo/2012/05/10986849-standard.jpg
Mynx - It was pretty cool! I'm glad it's going to stay there.
ReplyDeleteIcy BC - Yes she did!
Stewart M - I was thinking they should have been blowing air up to add to the scene. I think my wet suit wearing days are over.
Lethe - I read that it was in Chicago. I bet it was surreal to watch her being taken apart in pieces. Thanks for link and for the comment!
Love the way you worked the subject. Black and white and color, close-up and in context of the various backgrounds. I especially like the composition, angle, and color isolated against the black sky of the second image.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was how cheesy looking! It belongs in Vegas! LOL.
ReplyDeleteStickup Artist - Thanks so much! I appreciate the nice words.
ReplyDeleteSally - It may be a bit cheesy, but the town really loves her!
Marilyn was always bigger than life, wasn't she?
ReplyDeleteOh Gawd, I hate it.
ReplyDeleteBet it's the same silly goose that did this one in San Diego (but I do love Palm Springs).
http://kfmb.images.worldnow.com/images/21224122_SA.jpg
Have you ever visited the Andreas Canyon gun club? Built in 1925? it's something special (at least from the outside)
Wow, fantastic surprise you got there. Greetings.
ReplyDeletewow, love that sculpture! it's fun! definitely not something i'd expect to see there.
ReplyDeletebut as you said-anything goes!
:))