Palm Springs, CA

78 degrees on January 18th!

Arrived in Palm Springs, CA today and was greeted by clear blue skies and 78 degree weather!  I’m so in heaven! Immediately my mood improved and I felt incredibly happy.  It’s been raining continuously in Seattle forever!  I just wish my family was here to enjoy the weather as well.

I took some time to walk through downtown and just enjoyed the warmth of the sun shining down on me.  After grabbing a quick bite to eat I headed out to my hotel – Morongo Resort Casino.  As I’m driving down the road I can’t help but notice billboard after billboard enticing me to visit Desert Hills Premium Outlet mall.  Considering I had several hours to kill before checking in I took the bait and wandered through the outlet plaza in search of I’m not sure what.

Designer Store Extravaganza

It’s definitely a great outdoor mall.  Most of the stores are designer stores and despite being an outlet, the prices are still designer prices.  They do have an Uggs outlet store which had great prices on their boots and slip-ons.  I wonder who thought that there was a market for Uggs in the desert?  Couldn’t figure that one out.  Coach had a great sale on all purses, bags, and wallets, plus an extra 20% off of your entire purchase.   I wonder if they do that everyday for the newbies like me who feel compelled to make a purchase so we don’t miss out?  I may go back tomorrow to test my theory.

I’m not sure how I feel about my hotel and maybe this is how the exits are outside the city, but the exit was awkward.  I had to go through two roundabouts and the entry was not clear.  It just felt like bad feng shui.  I’ll check it out tomorrow, but my first impression is that there is not a clearly defined entrance if you aren’t valet parking. From the parking lot you must walk a distance to the so-called hotel entrance.

I don’t like hotels that don’t have a reception area for the registration. Instead, I entered into the casino and registration was off to the side of the slot machines, so as I stood in line I soaked up all the second hand smoke.  By the time I got to my room I was annoyed and smelled like an ashtray.

In all fairness, though, my room is spacious and well adorned.  The bathroom is large and features a great walk in shower stall with seating area.  The king size bed is comfortable as are the pillows.  The computer desk is awkwardly arranged and not intended for the business traveler.  I’m sure the target hotel guest is someone who is there to gamble rather than work which explains why there are no dedicated outlets at the desk for my computer and phone.  One of my major pet peeves. But, I’ll live.

The highlight for hotel dining was the 360 Restaurant on the top floor.  I met some friends for dinner and several of us ordered the $35 happy hour special — filet mignon, salad, and dessert.  The steak was cooked to perfection and the serving of mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus was just right. All in all it was a delicious meal for the price.

The absolute highlight of my short trip was definitely outdoor dining at Al Dente on N. Palm Canyon Drive.  I had some time to spare before my flight and Al Dente was the perfect selection.  The olive tepanade with bread slices was superb.  I ordered the linguine pomodore e basilico. Delicioso!  I don’t know how something so simple can exude such a multitude of fresh tomato flavors, but they did it quite well.  I’ve yet to find such a place in Seattle, but then again I haven’t looked too.  Besides, it would be hard to match the experience of dining outside on the patio surrounded by sun and warmth.

Though it was a quick trip, the weather was perfect and  just what I needed to reinvigorate my soul!