Corner View: Holiday

The husband and I went to Desert Hot Springs, to Hope Springs, on New Year's Day for a long weekend/ mini-holiday.

I LOVE Hope Springs & I've blogged about it before: the clean, spare rooms, the 3 natural hot spring fed pools, the landscaping, the awesome masseuse Anica (sp?) Chloe the manager's cool outfits and amazing free continental breakfast spreads.

Day two we went to Palm Springs. After our phenomenal massages that we had earlier that day at Hope Springs, we were starving. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally found a place to park, then we proceeded to eat what turned out to be one of the worst meals I've ever had, with some of the worst service I've ever had. It was so bad, that it was almost comical. T & I were laughing (it beat crying) because we couldn't believe how hungry we were, and how bad this place was!

I won't mention the name of the place, because I'm trying to be nice.

I want to like Palm Springs. I really do. But every time I go there, I'm either aggravated (at the traffic) or a little disappointed (in the food, the thrifting...ok but not great, overpriced) , or both. Palm Springs, maybe it's not you, maybe it's me (but I don't think so)?

One highlight of PS was making it briefly to Bon Vivant. Recommended by HBT. Beautiful store!

Another was revisiting Melvyn's piano bar. On both visits to this establishment, T & I were by far the youngest patrons in the place. It's sort of like being a cultural anthropologist when one drinks there: observing the funny but wasted bartender, and the older Palm Springs ladies in all their plastic surgery and jewels. The first time we went there, an elderly woman, wearing a fur coat (remember-this is the desert) and one gigantic diamond earring asked me to dance with her. It was an odd, David Lynch-ian moment, and very Melvyn's.

I also have to admit, the weather is pretty in PS, and the mid-century architecture around town can't be beat.

I always look forward to going to PS, but end up feeling like I can't wait to leave. I guess I prefer my desert visits to be a little more wild and rustic, like Joshua Tree or quiet and laid back - like Hope Springs.

To each his own!

Take a holiday tour around the world here. Happy New Year CV-er's!