Palm Springs Virtual Office

Trip date: September 2021

I had just returned from Palm Springs when the pandemic hit in March 2020.  By the fall of 2021 I had only flown one other time and was missing my annual sun-cation. I was also missing tan lines as the pandemic had really put a damper on beach vacations! So I booked my 2nd flight during COVID, packed my bikini and my laptop, and headed south to work remote for a week. 

I actually didn't realize until I was headed to the airport that it was September 11th, and the 20th anniversary of 9/11. There was absolutely no one in the Clear/Precheck TSA area which was quite eerie. And a lot of folks on the flight were visibly anxious with the anniversary and the pandemic. So a relaxing flight it was not!

It was crazy hot when we landed and I was very happy to get into my rental car and blast the A/C. The townhouse I had rented was just 1 mile from downtown, in a gated community, and had a private enclosed courtyard with pool & hot tub. I would not have to be around anyone I didn't want to be around.

Inside was a big kitchen/dining room, comfy sectional, big screen tv complete with Roku and a gorgeous fireplace. And upstairs was a bedroom loft and a covered balcony area that looked down on the pool. As I wasn't planning on going out much, this space was absolutely perfect!

I headed to Jensen's grocery and did a big shop to stock up my place for the week. Then back to the townhouse for some rosé in the pool with a floatie. It was 108F so no need to pay for the pool to be heated!! When I finally got out of the pool I had a lovely night in the A/C and a delicious roast chicken dinner thanks to the grocery store deli.

Originally I had planned on heading out each morning for a walk through the various neighborhoods like I normally do. I had even bookmarked a couple of new-to-me hikes. But it was just way too hot to be out during the day with the temps above 100F every day (& one day 110F!). So every single day I got in the pool with my morning coffee and read on my kindle. Then I spent the afternoon working, while taking pool and book breaks. When it cooled off in the evenings I had a quick hot tub before making dinner and watching movies. It was heaven and my tan lines were back!

I did go out a few times to places requiring proof of vaccination. My friend Nathan, who lives there, and I headed to local fave Bootlegger Tiki one evening for pre dinner drinks. When it is hot, nothing cools like a tiki drink (or two)! It had been a few years since I had been and it was still just as good. 

That evening we had dinner at Sandfish Sushi which I had wanted to go to for quite awhile. It was absolutely fantastic! We ordered way to much food, and I had a few now-rare Japanese whiskeys, which are my faves! Service was fantastic and the restaurant is gorg. I'd highly recommend!

Another night Nathan and I had drinks at PSAir, a little cocktail bar hidden in the back of a local wine/liquor shop. My brother had sent me a few photos the last time he had been in town so I was looking forward to checking it out.

As the name hints, this speakeasy is all airline themed. You sit in what looks to be a plane's fuselage complete with first class leather airline seats. A screen shows aircraft taking off and landing while servers bring you "First Class Nuts" and "Paper Plane" cocktails. 

It's cheeky and silly and absolutely fun. We even ran into one of Nathan's friends there who is a flight attendant! Very meta!

For dinner we headed to the bar at Mr. Lyons for big prime rib steaks. An excellent evening!

Another evening a friend who also happened to be in town invited me to dinner and drinks at Workshop Kitchen. It had been years since I'd been and it was still great! We chose to sit outside on their large patio which was lovely albeit a bit warm!

And one afternoon a couple of friends and I braved the heat and had a lovely lunch at El Patio, which I hadn't been to before. The restaurant has a big outside patio, shaded by a huge tree and complete with misters. Our lunch was soooo good! I highly recommend the mezcalita and the shrimp ceviche! Delicious!!

I was just absolutely loving my little condo and was very sad when I had to think about packing up to head home. I had a morning flight on my last day which made sense as my checkout was in the morning too. But I was so bummed thinking about it the day before so I sent the host a note asking if there was any way I could stay all day and take a later flight home. Bingo! 5pm check out for an additional $40 and $98 for the evening flight on Alaska into Seattle. 

I spent the entire day in the pool with my book, going inside to do some work in the A/C from time to time. At 4pm I got cleaned up and packed up and left my sweet little private townhouse. Quite a different PS trip than in years past, but exactly what I needed!

All Palm Springs photos here. 

Hot and Cold; Palm Springs

Trip dates: September 2019 & February 2020

The annual trip to Palm Springs recently got even better as friends Nathan and Nathan bought a lovely home in the Sunrise Park area of town. And they graciously offered Gail and I each our own guest bedroom!

I used a companion fare on Alaska Air for the two of us and signed us both up for upgrades if available. I was upgraded to First Class and Gail was upgraded to Premium. I mean, not the worse thing to happen but I did think it was a little strange that they split us up even though I booked us together. Free mimosas are free mimosas though!

Nathan picked us up in his very cool Tesla and we headed to the adorable Holiday House for lunch. We sat outside on their patio which is lovely but it was hot. Like 108F hot! They have a small but well thought out menu, the food is very good, great drinks, and the design is awesome. It was my first time here and I really enjoyed it!

Did I mention how hot it was? We finished lunch and headed to Nathan's. While Gail and I got changed for a swim Nathan put icy drinks outside each of our doors. Now where else are you going to find service like that? ❣️

We spent the entire day in the pool with cold drinks and wine. Our friend Jerrell was also in town so he joined too. It was entirely too hot to do anything except for swim, order pizza, and get drunk. Sometimes it is just the simple things!

The next day five of us had a delicious brunch at Wexler's Deli. I always look forward to stopping here, usually for lunch, but brunch was excellent also!

It was another scorcher of a day so we headed down E Arenas Road and settled on Chill Bar for some day drinking in the a/c. Turns out they were having gaybingo hosted by the lovely drag queen Sabryna. We had so much fun! Lot's of daubbing, free shots (also turns out that is the flavor when I asked, haha!), and Gail, Nathan, and I coming up as winners. We even got a free afternoon strip show from one of the guys who was going to be dancing that night! I believe this is a weekly Saturday event if you are interested!

Nextdoor at the Blackbook we had some surprisingly good bar snacks and a few more drinks. Cuz Saturday. I think this is one of the nicer bars on Arenas if you are looking for a good spot that isn't super crazy.

We stopped into Paul Bar that evening to meet some other friends. This was my second visit and I still think they have the best cocktails in town. Great vibe here. 

Sunday Funday! We spent the entire day in the pool except to leave for lunch and dinner. Lunch was at Trio which has a very good menu of classic American sandwiches and salads. Dinner was at Tropicale which I know is a beloved local spot, but I find the food to be really mediocre. It was my 2nd time dining here and I don't really need to go back again! haha! Jerrell and I did have some nice nightcaps at the bar though.

Before the boys dropped us off at the airport the next day Jerrell invited us all for lunch at Farm. This spot is absolutely adorable! I somehow didn't get any photos but check out their website. We had a lovely lunch here, my first time!

And then our quick and HOT weekend in PS was over. Gail and I had Premium Class seats home which is always good for a couple of free glasses of wine. 

It was a great time with our friends but I think I have decided that September is a bit too toasty for me in the desert! Which is why I jumped at the chance to meet Gail at Nathan and Nathan's again in February for a long weekend!

I had just gotten my Alaska Air Lounge pass so was excited to relax with a mimosa before the flight in the gorgeous space at N Gates at SeaTac.

As everyone was working when my flight arrived I grabbed an Uber to... can you guess... Wexler's Deli for lunch! Seriously, I love this place!

Gail met me when her meetings were done and after lunch we walked next door to the liquor store to stock up the Nathan's house. 

Besides hanging in the pool, which Nathan so nicely heated all warm and toasty, we had a chance to check out a few new/new to me places, and hit up a couple of repeats.

It was warm during the day but got pretty chilly that night when we went to Rooster & Pig for dinner. Luckily they now have a bar next door with indoor seating where you can wait for your table. 

Rooster & Pig has been around for a while but each time I had tried to go the wait was ridiculous. So I was super happy to have a cocktail in the bar and then finally get to enjoy their fabulous Vietnamese food. I loved it, as does most of the town.

Having really liked Blackbook on the last trip, we stopped in after dinner for a nightcap outside on the patio. Still a great spot.

One night Nathan was in the mood for tiki drinks so we headed to The Reef inside the Caliente Tropics hotel. There were four of us as Gail's friend Robin drove up from San Diego. This is such a fun and kitschy place! The hotel has been around since 1964 and the bar has changed names over time. 

The menu is very long and filled with traditional tiki drinks. Unfortunately all of the ones ordered were a bit sweet and not very well balanced. Could have been an off night as the spot gets good reviews from some tiki fans I know of.

Next up was dinner at 533 Viet Fusion. Full disclosure, one of the Nathan's works there. We all loved our food, and the space, and we didn't get (too) much special treatment! The menu is mainly Vietnamese with some fusion influences, all the flavors were great and I'd go back for sure.

We finished up the night with cocktails at Seymour's which I absolutely love. It's such a dim, sexy little hidden bar behind Mr. Lyons. I'm surprised that a lot of locals still don't know about it!

The next day was a bit cooler so Nathan, Gail, Robin, and I decided to take a nice long walk into town and have brunch at the Holiday House. Delicious breakfast tacos, lovely morning cocktails, what's not to love about this super chic spot?

Next we headed over to check out the Instagram worthy Azucar located in the gorgeous La Serena Villas. I would love to stay here one day, it's a 21+ resort and the rooms look amazing. It's also $$$$. But the bar and restaurant are easily accessible even if you aren't a hotel guest. 

We grabbed seats on their fun rooftop patio and had some tasty spicy margaritas and snacks. The weather was really getting stormy so we cut our visit short, but this is a great spot, I'd love to try lunch or dinner here next time. 

On the way home we detoured into a new-ish cheese shop, On The Mark. Great selection of cheese, wine, paté, etc. Great for loading up on bougie snacks, and the staff was super helpful also.

That night we had our (now traditional?) Oscar evening of nachos and martinis while debating dresses and winning movies. So fun!

When I found out my food-writer friend Leslie was in town we decided to meet and check out another newish spot; Tac/Quila. 

This is a great spot with very good cocktails and food, including battered avocado bites! The space was fun and there was even a nice indoor fire for chilly evenings.

With temperatures on this trip being much cooler than the last visit, I resumed my morning walks around the neighborhoods. Exploring Sunrise Park, Deepwell Estates, and The Movie Colony never get old. I even had to wear a jacket a few times!

Gail and I spotted quite a few historical markers around Movie Colony, including Twin Palms which was Sinatra's estate.

So one Palm Springs trip ended up being a bit too hot. The next a tad to cool. Hopefully this damn pandemic will soon be over and I can plan a "just right" visit!

September Palm Springs photos here.

February Palm Springs photos here. 

Palm Springs Living

Trip date: February 2019

It's a story on repeat, each winter I look to get some pool and sun time in Palm Springs. This year my friend Gail and I rented a really cute little house in the Racquet Club Estates area from Vacation Palm Springs. They even gave me a repeat customer discount since a group I use to go down with had rented from them repeatedly.

We used a companion fare discount on Alaska Air and were upgraded to Premium. Gotta love a couple free mimosa's on the flight down. We picked up our rental car from Hertz where there was zero line. Everyone was in the Avis/Dollar line and it was crazy long! Note to self.

First stop was lunch at Wexler's Deli at the Arrive Hotel. OMG. Sooooo good. The potato salad is amazing! And my sandwich was big enough that I had the other 1/2 the next day!

On to grocery and wine shopping. We used my membership at World Market and saved $80 on our wine! And that included 3 magnums of rosé! Free to sign up and we noticed that they were carrying some good stuff now!

That evening we had a great time at Counter Reformation at The Parker. This cool speakeasy is focused on pouring wine from around the world. And the small bites like caviar and quail egg in a toast round, were delicious! The tin ceiling is low, the room is dimly lit, and the place was packed. Good thing I had made reservations!

On the way out we stopped for a nightcap at the super cute and super tiny Mini Bar located in the lobby. It's adorable but my martini was shaken within an inch of its life and they were using pretty subpar gin.

Gail is just like me in that she loves to go for a morning walk, so we headed out the next day to explore our neighborhood. I've seen this mountain range so many times over the years, but this was the first time I saw so much snow on it!

We stopped in a few open houses, checked out the cute homes of Racquet Club Estates, and I even saw my first roadrunner!

Back home we opened some rosé and hit the sun loungers and pool. Gail's friend Robin drove up from San Diego and we had a great afternoon. That night we made a huge tray of nachos and watched the Oscars. Our house had a cute outdoor living room with a fireplace so we moved out there when the awards were over.

The next day was Monday and a work day for both Gail and me. Unfortunately I realized as I went to set up my laptop that I had forgotten my charger! So a pleasant drive to the Apple store in Palm Desert, and $80 later, I was back in action. I did notice how cute the El Paseo shopping street was, so I've added that to my list of things to check out. And I stopped at In-N-Out burger for lunch which is always a win for me!

Finally, back home it was time to get some work done before my friend Aaron drove up for the night from Los Angeles!

The 3 of us went to the newly opened Del Rey bar at the Villa Palm Springs Hotel for drinks and dinner. The hotel and the bar are super cool. Dinner and drinks were just ok. But I'd go again for the vibe (and would order something basic).

We dropped a sleepy Gail off at home and headed to another new spot, Paul Bar. I had passed the strip mall this place is located in earlier in the day and thought it looked sketchy. Then Aaron mentioned there was a bar and he'd like to check it out! Well the parking lot is a bit sketch but the bar inside is lovely! As were the drinks. I'm definitely going here again!

The next morning Gail, Aaron, and I headed out to check out one of the exhibits for Desert X. The huge fluorescent box by Sterling Ruby was startling sitting in the middle of the beige-toned desert. And the color felt like it was soaking right into us. Very cool!

We then continued on to Joshua Tree. I was super excited as I had never been and this was my 7th time down to the area! We entered through the main entrance in Twentynine Palms and drove through the cool and eerie landscape.

We were headed to the Barker Dam Trail for a short hike, but made a few stops to scramble around on the boulders, including Skull Rock.

The hike on the Barker loop is mainly flat and quite easy. We checked out the petroglyphs, read some of the markers which describe the resident plants, and made our way to the dam. Pictures really don't do this area justice. It was stunning!

We stopped at Wexler's Deli again on the way home, because it is just that good!

Aaron headed back to LA that night while Gail and I checked out the new restaurant 4 Saints in the Kimpton. It's an absolutely beautiful resto and bar on the rooftop of the new hotel (which also looks beautiful). Our food was all great but it was also expensive AF. Bread will set you back $10!

The next morning we went for a walk around Deepwell Estates where we went into another open house, saw another road runner, and went past the house that William Holden use to own. Do you know that Holden died from falling on a side table while drunk and cracking his head open? Gail does!

The rest of the day was spent working, swimming, drinking rosé, and hanging in the hot tub. Glorious!

Our friend Nathan happened to arrive in town for a job interview so the 3 of us had an early dinner at Birba. The entire restaurant is pretty much outside and the pizzas were delicious! Another place I can't wait to go back to!

The next morning's walk was thru the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood. So many cool old houses which once belonged to the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Katherine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracey. That is one hell of a block party!

Work, work, work. Pool, pool, pool.

Nathan came over after his interviews and we tried to go to Rooster & the Pig for dinner but the wait was crazy. Next time. Nathan took us to his favorite place, The Tropicale. It's kitschy, festive, and very gay. Super fun! Food was fine.

Our last morning we worked and packed before heading to the offices of Vacation Palm Springs. Although we really liked our house, they had not turned our pool heat on for the first 2 days and had not returned any of my calls or emails requesting to be refunded for that. When I showed up at the office and spoke to the manager he apologized profusely and refunded us $600 for our troubles! $$$

My uncle John drove up from the LA area to have lunch with Gail and I at Fisherman's Market.  That was super nice, and our fish tacos were great!

Gail and I sent him off with a ton of groceries from our house. We tend to over shop!

One last walk, this time thru the Twin Palms neighborhood where we saw this incredible cloud formation!

We were upgraded to First Class on Alaska on our way home which was just the cherry on top of this great week in the desert!


All photos from Palm Springs here.