("Take Me Out To California" by Thomas Karlsson)
♪ Take me out to California ♪
(Raya laughs)
- Ya! (laughs)
(laughing)
- [Group] Cheers!
- Girl's trip. (girls laugh)
(rhythmic drum music)
(girls laugh)
(airplane engine whirring)
- Hey Team Hopscotch,
I am currently soaking up the sun and it feels so good.
I am on a girls trip right now, in the Greater Palm Springs,
who have kindly sponsored this video,
and have challenged us ladies to find our oasis,
by trying different activities you can do in this area.
Now, we're all going to be doing different activities,
so be sure after you watch this video,
to go and check out all the other girls' channels
and their video.
But for now, let's go have some fun.
Girls trip, girls trip!
I don't typically do zoos or aquariums,
I've been to some in the past that have disgusted me,
made me extremely uncomfortable.
The way the animals are living.
The way they're just making money from them,
and they don't really care.
So, I'm very careful when it comes to zoos.
When I read about the Living Desert online,
to me, they stood out because they seem
to really care about the animals, and conservation,
and repopulating endangered or instinct species.
I wanted to know more about them.
I wanted to come.
I wanted to check it out and see for myself firsthand.
And learn and maybe they can change my mind a bit.
So, if you're someone who doesn't typically do zoos
or aquariums as well, join me,
and let's find out what this place is all about.
Behind me, what's happening is a training session.
It's basically building trust between the humans
and the animals.
So if something needs to be taken care of,
like, there needs to be an x-ray for example.
The experience isn't stressful for the animal
because they're used to that interaction
and they could just be better taken care of that way.
You've got a.
Whoa! (girls laughing)
Crazy tongue.
(Kristen squeals and laughs)
So close.
Oh my God, this is so special.
Making a mess.
A success story of conservation efforts is this one,
with the Arabian oryx and they were instinct in the wild.
Living Desert had some, another zoo had some,
they brought them together, they mated,
and the population began to increase.
They went from instinct to endangered to threatened now
in the wild and Living Desert had a huge part in that.
Like, this is what it's all about.
It's about learning about the animals,
appreciating the animals,
teaching people, teaching children,
which is really important and they do that here.
And just protecting, protecting these animals.
Another thing you can do here at the Living Desert
is go on some hikes.
So, there's a one mile hike, a three mile hike
and a five mile hike, and they're are loops around
this beautiful surrounding.
This is like what the Coachella Valley
looked like before all the development.
I warn you though, summer months,
it's probably gonna be closed because it gets hot.
But you can also have a membership here at the Living Desert
for pretty cheap, like under a hundred dollars.
And come on a daily basis, go jogging here,
jog by the animals.
Like, it's pretty nice.
Well, this place was a pleasant surprise.
They're really making a difference,
which has been wonderful to learn about
because it has changed my perception of places like this.
But I always urge you to do your research beforehand,
and only support the ones that
are actually making a difference and care about animals.
Raya, how was your day? - Hey.
- Good. I went up the tram and I sent you a picture.
It's like a totally different world
at the top of the mountain.
Super cool.
And I got there before everyone else,
so I just sat and it was like total silence.
It was amazing.
- [Kristen] Sorelle, what did you do today?
(girls laugh)
(retching sound)
(girls laugh)
- I went and floated in a sensory deprivation tank
for an hour, relaxed, rejuvenated.
It was amazing.
- [Kristen] The life.
(girls laugh)
- [Sorelle] And it's a tough one, someone's gotta do it.
(girls laugh)
- [Kristen] Carrie, what'd you do?
- I went on an electric bike ride to La Quinta.
- [Kristen] What top speed did you go?
- You know,
I went to a six, alright, at one point,
cause I was feeling large and in charge
and I wanted to, you know, have an adventure.
♪ Electric bikes are the future ♪
Oh my god I'm trenching the throttle.
Why is that happening?
Do not pull back on this throttle, lesson learned.
(censor beep sound)
What the.
So, it was actually terrifying, wouldn't recommend.
I'd keep it at a one, two, three at the most.
Six is a bit much.
(peaceful pop music)
- [Kristen] Chamango, I like your Chamango.
- I like your Chamango.
- [Kristen] I totally just got your boobs.
- I like this Chamango.
(peaceful pop music)
(bell rings)
(bowls chiming)
(falling bead sounds)
(metal echo sounds)
(chime bell sounds)
- That was so relaxing,
sound therapy is so incredible.
When you hear the gong or the singing poles,
and your body, just your whole being vibrates
and it can really clear out things
that maybe you didn't even know were inside of you.
It just releases tension and if you let it,
you can reach a state of complete presence and relaxation.
That's why it I chose clarity as my word
because I just wanted to feel clear.
I want a mental space, just to be completely present.
Lately my mind has been all over the place.
Just so many things to think about that I find myself
either in the past or the future and not the present.
And the present is where I'm the most happiest.
(birds chirp)
When I travel, I like to bring a notepad with me
and it's the ones that have no lines on it.
It's completely blank pages
and the reason is because I prefer to sketch,
instead of write journal entries.
I prefer to sketch experiences and what I'm feeling.
And I find it is a great way
to really absorb your surroundings and live in the moment.
I love taking photos, I love taking videos
but there's something so peaceful and meditative
and relaxing to sit
and look at your new surroundings
and just draw, just sketch it out.
Look at the different textures, the different shapes,
the different colors,
the way that things blow in the wind,
the sounds around you even that inspire you.
It's beautiful to spend more time with the palm trees,
instead of just walking by them saying,
"Oh they're beautiful".
But not really like, looking at them
and the way that they're structured,
the way that the trunks are,
the way that the trunks are made up.
They're almost like bricks on house,
the way that they're stacked.
I am so glad that I got back to sketching
because I feel really good right now.
So, so good.
I have now a sketch in my notebook that I can look back on
and remember this moment and how it made me feel.
Completely stress-free
and I really got to know these palm trees.
(lighthearted guitar music)
Ladies, it's our last night and I wanna ask a question.
- It's not.
- [Girl In background] Our last night here,
but not our last night together forever.
- Yeah, that's better.
- [Kristen] What was one thing
that surprised you about Palm Springs?
This is your first time here, right?
- Yeah.
- [Kristen] Yeah, what surprised you, if anything?
- How much there is to do because I did a biplane,
I did a flotation tank, and I did vintage shopping,
which I didn't know was a thing here.
- [Kristen] What was special
- Just kidding.
- [Kristen] about being here with us?
- My favorite thing about being with all of us was one,
the inappropriate conversations
because there was one conversation
that was the best between all of us.
We all kind of, opened up to each other
and that's really cool.
I think when a bunch of ladies are together
and we can kind of, open up our hearts to each other
and just enjoy something about being in the desert,
in the evening, this weather with a little bit of breeze
is like, it's a good situation.
- [Kristen] How different was this adventure
from all the other amazing, crazy adventures you've gone on?
- This was really cool, I actually really liked
that we all did different things
because we were able to go off in the mornings,
do totally different, amazing activities
and then come back for lunch whatever, and just share.
And we all had so much to tell each other.
So, that was really cool,
that we all got to experience really different parts
of Greater Palm Springs,
but then come together and share
and then have the evenings together and stuff.
♪ So take me out to California ♪
♪ Where the sun is always high ♪
♪ Where the streets are paved with gold ♪
♪ And no one never gets old. ♪
♪ I'll be longing for that day ♪
♪ Till you come and take me home. ♪
♪ California, California here I come. ♪
That's the end of the girls trip,
thank you so much for watching.
- Be sure to subscribe to everyone's YouTube channel,
including the Greater Palm Springs' channel.
- And stay tuned to see which challenge
we chose for our chill challenge.
- As well as finding out how you can
win your own oasis experience.
- [Girls] Bye!
("Take Me Out To California")
♪ Take me out, ♪
♪ Take me out. ♪