One of best things about living in L.A. is getting out of L.A.. All the quiet canyons in the world can't make up for the bustling energy of America's second largest city.
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| up and away |
We escaped to Palm Springs! The Palms Springs Tramway sweeps you off the hot desert floor to the snowy peaks of the San Jacinto mountains. In ten minutes, we went from the low desert to 8,300 feet above sea level! With a 360 degree view and a tram that spins on the way up, it was breathtaking. And kind of terrifying.
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| How is this OK??? |
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| Yeaaaa...what if a cable snapped? |
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| different ecosystem at the top of the San Jacinto mountains |
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| in thin air |
We stayed at the
Renaissance Esmeralda resort. While the place was teeming with children
(which is hideous), it was gorgeous. It featured three pools, a bar in the middle of those three pools, waterfalls, an outdoor movie theatre in the sand, a gym, a spa, restaurants, boutiques and more.
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| one of the countless outdoor lounges, open all night & fire included |
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| Cava, aglow in midcentury modern style - de rigueur in Palm Springs |
It's also home to
Stir Lounge, a hopping nightclub. Girls in spandex dresses and 4-inch heels passed by one night, all perfumed and bejeweled. I was covered in aloe from a day in the sun, wet hair and a hoodie. They looked great, but I couldn't be bothered. I wanted to sink into my hotel bed, watch HBO and eat my Peanut Butter Cups. It's not like I missed out on anything. I live in L.A.
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| in the lap of luxury |
In fact, it seemed L.A. came to us! We dined in two different restaurants owned by Clint Eastwood. Well, he's a partial owner, but once you hear Clint Eastwood, all other names become white noise. He
is the man. We dined at the
Hog's Breath Inn and Jackalope Ranch. They sound like dusty watering holes, but both were in fact plush and modern. The Hog's Breath Inn twinkled with delicate glassware and candles, which were seamlessly juxtaposed with murals from
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
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| The Good, The Bad and The Delicious |
The Jackalope Ranch was a whimsical Western-themed hideaway, with stone slab interiors, piano bar and serious meat.
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| If Clint thinks this is cool, so do I! |
It was a great trip, but like most, was too short. One needs a week at minimum to decompress from Los Angeles. So I stalled on the way home, going on my usual Palm Springs shopping spree, where the vintage is unbelievable. I scored a Japanese kimono-like shirt, seventies party dresses and a new Bandolino top. Not bad!
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| Dirty Harry martini and a chocolatini |
And if you're
really stalling on your drive back to L.A., stop at
Cinemas Palme d'Or, which features quality and independent films, serves beer and gives an air-conditioned respite from the heat. I like it because the
Palme d'Or is the most prestigious award given to films at the
Cannes Film Festival. Good name. Good times.
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| One for the road - strawberry was the best |
