Day Tripping in a Sea of Orchids

Wondering what to do this summer and looking for something new and different? How about free? Tucked away in the high desert town of Landers is a treasure trove of beauty at Gubler Orchids.

They offer free personal tours of the facility - 3 massive green houses filled with thousands and thousands of orchids.

The Gubler family has been growing the exquisite flower for three generations, originally in Switzerland back in 1918.

A son moved the operation to California to chase the American Dream and in 1954 started selling orchids out  of his station wagon. They've come a long way from that station wagon!
Today Chris, grandson of Heir Gubler, continues the legacy, along with his sister, Heidi. Their expertise from three generations of growing orchids is evident as you wander the aisles of the greenhouses in Landers filled with beautiful, phenomenal hybrids.

The family has the Landers location, and farms and greenhouses in other California locations totaling over 155,000 square feet of greenhouses in production. The Landers site is open to the public and free to visit.

 

If you're into growing orchids yourself, the facility has a complete line of orchid essentials, such as orchid food and mixes at bargain prices. Plus, lots of excellent, free advice.



Gubler's also has an Orchid Festival every year. This year it's happening Saturday and Sunday, October 5th & 6th from 10am -5pm each day. You can find out more about Gubler's and directions at www.gublerorchids.com.

Metal Man

One of my favorite artists is Eric Banas. Here he is working at his studio in Joshua Tree.

I tracked him down after seeing his Metal Man sculpture - a magnificent, towering piece - at the Joshua Tree Music Festival last year.He lives and works at his home in Joshua Tree, where his whole family is engaged in artistic endeavors that reflect a love and respect for the environment.

Most of Banas' works are created with recycled and reclaimed materials. His youngest son is also experimenting in the artistic realm with recycled materials, and his oldest son is a musician who killed it on the drums when I was there.His wife, Michele, keeps everything humming on the business side and on their website. Speaking of their website, it's http://www.labonetto.com/. La Bonetto is about a "family concept of working together to create a more balanced way of life." That's what I love about this family. They all embrace artistic expression and strive to live each day with an eye toward innovation, creativity and discovery.
Eric's talent extends beyond any single media or method. Aside from his extensive metal work (including sculptures and fabrications), he paints, makes furniture, designs architectural detail work, and creates beautiful mosaics. One of Eric's metal sculptures is now on display at a Spring Exhibition called "Desert Wildflowers: Kaleidoscope of Colors" at the Twentynine Palms Visitors Center, 73484 29 Palms Hwy, Twentynine Palms. The exhibit runs through May 31.

Check out all of Eric's work at http://www.labonetto.com/.