A Palm Springs Weekend Getaway

Arnold Palmer once said "don't go to Palm Springs unless you're building a golf course". Well, I would imagine that this is not everyone's primary motive, but Palm Springs in the heat of August is where the people of LA escape to on the weekend. So when in Rome...

Coming from Joshua Tree, we decided that it was time for some real relaxation and we ended up spending the rest of the afternoon bobbing around and having refreshing drinks by the pool. The pool deck overlooked the mountains and a golf course, so it was incredibly picturesque for the sunset. Then, we headed off to a nearby restaurant called So.Pa at the L'Horizon Hotel and Spa, and this experience really screamed "off-season" to us. I had made our reservation weeks in advance and when we arrived, there were two other parties seated. I'm not complaining though! The ambiance was serene, minimalist, with a lush plant wall on one border, and stone fountains at each entrance. Something we had never experienced before was the misters that were strung across the entirely outdoor restaurant like patio lights and functioned as a way to cut the heat.

So.Pa's greenery was accented by giant old fashioned light bulbs that provided a warm and flickery ambiance.

For our second day in Palm Springs, we planned to hike to a 60-foot waterfall in Tahquitz Canyon, situated on the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation. During the more popular times of the year, a park ranger guides three hikes throughout the day, but since traffic is slow in August, we embarked on this trail on our own at 8AM. Unfortunately, we learned that the waterfall was dry, but we did see tiny frogs that had covered themselves in mud to keep their skin moist. The hike took about two hours and we immediately went to the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium, home of the world's first and only cactarium!

Moorten's is a 1-acre property that was artfully landscaped into a walking trail of over 3,000 varieties of cacti, succulents, yuccas, and other desert natives. It was particularly special because one of the giant agaves had a towering bloom, which is how the plant spreads its seed before dying. The site also boasted an impressive plant shop (presumably cuttings of their healthy cacti), a giant tortoise and doves, and their prized cactarium. The cactarium, much like a little greenhouse, is home to many rare plants and was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Enjoying the garden took about an hour, and then we were off to the famous aerial tram.

The process of boarding the aerial tram was much like how one waits to get on an amusement park ride. First, you are shuttled in an open-air bus to the main station, you wait in line with your ticket, take a photo in front of a green screen, and then stand in a waiting area alongside many other giddy passengers. Most visitors are tourists, but we noticed quite a few rock climbers who had brought their equipment to scale the rocks. The Aerial Tram is the largest rotating tram in the world and the ride lasts about 12 minutes while passing through five biomes, transporting visitors from Coachella Valley to the top of San Jacinto Peak. At the top, the temperature was a comfortable 67 degrees which was a refreshing change from the heat. The scape was reminiscent of Northern California or Oregon to me, and it really blew my mind that just below our feet (some miles down) was an environment so different. We hiked a loop at San Jacinto State Park that featured five nooks, each opening up to beautiful views of the valley (hint: nook 3 is the best, and you might as well turn around after that one). After a jam-packed morning, we relaxed by the pool and then headed into Downtown Palm Springs for dinner. All in all, I loved Palm Springs for a chance to slow down in this world and really soak in our vacation!

As one may imagine, going up on the Aerial Tram was pretty steep! Below are the views of Coachella Valley.

A kind stranger offered to take this photo for us at nook 3 as we sat on the edge.