It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the Palm Desert area. We’re lucky enough to come down once a year for a work trip, but this time our travels were purely for fun and sun. Mid- February in Oregon is a whole lot of overcast and drizzly. So when we landed at the Palm Springs International Airport, the 80+ degree weather hitting us was a warm, welcome. It didn’t take us long to shed our layers for swim suits and flip flops.
Air Force One was parked on the tarmac when we arrived. President Obama was in town for a few days before a Peace Summit. What better way to get into a “peaceful state of Mind”, eh? We also ran into Vinnie Jones and Tom Welling at Arnold Palmers. They weren’t nearly as thrilled as we were that we spotted them. (No pictures of the movie stars, although Evan gave them every opportunity, bless his heart).
Our goals this trip were to branch out from our usual range of restaurants and sights and find new favorites and treasures. We’d gotten pretty stuck in our same old routine, so this would be a good change. Since this was such a quick trip (Wednesday to Sunday), we eschewed some old faithfuls (like Joshua Tree National Park and some local trails) and spent most of the time in the pool (James and I).
(Little James, doing his best to not hate the water. He made great progress!)
and on the green (Evan)…
(on the links at the La Quinta “Mountain Course”)
My mama and I had reservations at the La Quinta Spa (Thanks to the recommendation of a dear friend, Kattie Zielinski, for letting us know about this place). An afternoon of pure relaxation and restoration was planned, and the spa did not disappoint. We both had a 50 min. Hydra facial . Oh glory be! We could both tell immediately the difference in our skin. My aesthetician, Sally was excellent. My face was visibly firmer and poreless. Even now, 3 days later, I still can tell the difference. The spa is set up for R&R. The outdoor space has a fountain that can double as a chilled soaking pool, and reclining chairs dot the perfectly manicured lawn. We didn’t take advantage of the hot tub (due to the already 80 degree weather), but that was also an option. I’d highly recommend it, if you’ve got the time.
(she can’t stop working…)
(mama, sampling the 80 degree foot soak/Jacuzzi)
Besides being there with my favorite people, and all the glorious sunlight, the plethora of flowers was nuts! The planted/manicured blooms smelled enchanting with all the heat, but the dear little desert flowers, just eking their way in the rocky world were just perfect. At night swarms of bats dip and dive on the warm air, doves coo, roadrunners listen and coyotes cry. It’s hauntingly desolate and beautiful all at once. The red mountains against the cornflower blue sky are the most beautiful color combination. I can’t describe it and pictures just don’t do it justice. My recommendation would be to come down and see for yourself as soon as you can, You won’t regret it.
Cheers to the next adventure! xo-JO
