Michelle Obama visits Coachella Valley

An airplane that Michelle Obama has used during previous trips is parked at Palm Springs International Airport, an indication the First Lady is still in the Coachella Valley on Monday.

A serial number on the plane's base matches up with a plane she's used in the past. Its tail carries a United States flag logo that is typically found on planes used by American dignitaries.

There also is still a noticeable law enforcement presence in and outside Thunderbird Heights, the Rancho Mirage gated community where Michelle Obama and her husband, President Barack Obama, have stayed during other visits to the Coachella Valley.

Michelle Obama made the excursion to the Coachella Valley during a trip to Los Angeles for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.

Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Robyn Flores confirmed her agency assisted the California Highway Patrol when Michelle Obama arrived in the area Friday. But it wasn't until hours after the Special Olympics kicked off Saturday night that people reportedly saw Obama's motorcade in the desert.

Flores didn't know where Obama was staying or if she was still in the area. Unlike previous visits involving her husband, this one was unannounced and occurred without fanfare.

Rancho Mirage leaders on Monday said they were unaware Obama was in town, but residents reported seeing a motorcade moving through the city on Saturday night.

Specifics were not immediately available when The Desert Sun contacted a White House representative for additional details on the First Lady's visit to the desert. It's her second in a little more than a year and could add more fuel to rumors that the power couple may ultimately move to the Coachella Valley.

Michelle Obama last visited the Coachella Valley in June 2014, when she joined her husband for a weekend getaway that sparked rumors they were house hunting in the area. During that trip, the president gave the commencement address at the University of California, Irvine.

During his previous trips, Barack Obama stayed at the Thunderbird Heights home of interior designer Michael Smith, who is friends with Michelle Obama. He's done work at the White House and Sunnylands visitor center in Rancho Mirage.

White House staff traditionally announced whenever President Obama was on the move during his local visits. But if people were seeing Michelle Obama's motorcade Saturday night, then nothing was said about where she was heading.

Rancho Mirage resident Cody Graham, 25, said he was jogging near Frank Sinatra and Da Vall drives about 11 p.m. when he saw a motorcade.

"It was like a convoy of vehicles," he said. "I want to say 30 vehicles, all in a row escorting something with sirens."

Two California Highway Patrol officers blocked Da Vall and Graham lost sight of the motorcade.

All seemed somewhat normal throughout Rancho Mirage on Sunday, though a few law enforcement vehicles were seen at and near Thunderbird Heights. It remained unclear how she arrived and Palm Springs Air Museum staff, who are ordered to clear the tarmac whenever President Obama flies in, said they were not alerted to Michelle Obama's arrival.

President Obama has been to the Coachella Valley five times - three times for leisure and twice for business.

In June 2013, he and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for a high-profile summit. Then in February 2014, he talked over dinner with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Barack Obama's last visit was on June 20.

While here for about 28 hours, the president golfed at the Sunnylands estate and at Porcupine Creek, the private estate of billionaire Larry Ellison.

The Desert Sun is interested in interviewing local residents who may have seen Michelle Obama or her motorcade around the Coachella Valley. Please contact the reporter at colin.atagi@desertsun.com if you'd like to share your story.