Thursday

On Thursday we got up early early early to catch our 5am flight to Dallas, where we had a connecting flight to take us to our final destination: Palm Springs. Seeing the mountains as we flew in was a really cool sight. Thanks to the time change, we arrived around 10 or 11am and had the whole day to explore. We were surprised to find the desert rainy and chilly, which would continue for most of the weekend. We stayed at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage. It was such a treat! It’s also right down the street from where The Obamas were staying! They came into town on Friday and many people were outside of the gated community to show their support and hopefully catch a glimpse of their arrival. Our room opened up onto a patio that over looked one of the many, many golf courses in the desert and rows and rows of palm trees. I wanted so desperately to dive into one of the many pools at the resort, but it was just too cold outside for me. What I loved was the fire pit that was available to lounge around. They also hosted s’mores nights.

Friday

On Friday I started my day with breakfast by the pool. The morning started off warm and sunny, so I was ecstatic to soak up some sun! Next, I decided to check out Palm Desert. My mom’s birthday was that day and I really wanted to bring her back something from Cali. I discovered The Shops on El Paseo online and decided to catch an uber there. As the uber driver dropped me off, she said “this is the Beverly Hills of the desert” and I immediately thought “What am I doing here?!” Luckily I was able to find my mom a gift that didn’t break the bank and that she loved. I also discovered that I loved Palm Desert! It was just breathtakingly beautiful. Once I got back to the hotel in the early afternoon, the rain had started and it was a continual downpour the rest of the day. Nate and I went to downtown Palm Springs for lunch, but did not explore very much. It was surprisingly cold and rainy. Apparently they never get rain like that and desperately needed it. Good for the desert, bad for us tourists craving sunshine.

 

Saturday

We were so lucky to have several hours of warm sunshine before our flight on Saturday. The Palm Springs airport is actually partially outside. Once you go through security, you exit into a courtyard complete with grass, trees, a playground, and many tables and chairs. I was so happy to be able to get some sun before our departure. I was really sad to leave. I definitely felt like we didn’t get enough time for this trip. Until next time SoCal!