I Heart Palm Springs
Palm Springs…what can I say? I love ya.
I got to spend 15 days in PS and it didn’t seem long enough. The first four nights were spent on my own and the rest was with friends. It was great to have others around that I know! My first two nights were spent at the Homewood Suites in Cathedral City. After that, the time was split between two different AirBnbs.
Most days were spent working (outside) with the exception of one day where I took PTO to go to the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament.
I got into playing tennis a handful of years ago. I’m not great, but I enjoy playing and watching. Going to Indian Wells with Mollie was special. Mollie and I met back in 2015 when we were in the same class for the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute. We immediately connected in that program and have been good friends since. We have also played a lot of tennis together over the last few years.
When Mollie reached out to see if I’d be interested in going to the tournament with her this year, it was an easy yes! You never have to sell me on Palm Springs! We had front row seats in Stadium 1 for Thursday night. We got to see the match where Nick Kyrgios was forced to retire from the tournament due to a lingering wrist injury. And then play was suspended so the women’s match did not take place.
Overall we had a great time and learned a lot of lessons for attending future tournaments. It was so great seeing Mollie and we had the best time at our Airbnb. We flew out on the same day but with different destinations.
For the first part of the trip, I was joined by Brad and then later by Matt.
Brad is a great travel buddy and we have been hitting fun spots together for over a decade. We had a lot of fun hanging out, catching up, and our many tours of the establishments on Arenas.
One of our favorite things to do in PS is Bingo on Monday nights at King’s Highway in the Ace Hotel. Bingo is hosted by the fabulous Bella da Ball. They serve food and drinks too so it’s a fun thing to do on a Monday night if you’re in town.
I ate a lot of meals in PS and have so many restaurants I still want to try. A couple highlights from this trip:
Sherman’s: My first time and it didn’t disappoint! They have a great menu, huge portions, and the place is a total vibe. Our waitress, Shorty, was the best!
Fuzion Five: A Vietnamese restaurant with a large menu. It was really good and walkable to the Arenas area!
Clandestino: I had a Saturday night dinner here by myself. I want to try their sister property Tac/Quila as well, but I enjoyed my food and the atmosphere. This is also right near the Arenas area.
One meal I didn't get (again!) was lasagna...my dear friend Amelia is keeping tabs, and I'll make it happen on this trip!
Beer of Choice: the one I had the most was the Even Par IPA by La Quinta Brewing Company out of Palm Desert.
Overall I met some great people and had a lot of fun! Palm Springs felt like the perfect mix of relaxation, adventure, and connection -- and I can't wait to see how it feels in the summer heat. I need to check in out in the heat of the summer to see if it's somewhere I'd still like to consider moving.
Next stops: I’m writing this from Las Vegas again, but will be in SLC, Phoenix, and Des Moines the rest of March. I’ll be back in DSM for work and have tacked on a few extra days.