Palm Springs

My favorite little getaway!

The sweet aura of relaxation as you pass through the windmills into the quiet streets of Palm Springs was something that was missing from my life for far too long. I have been putting in a lot of hours at the restaurant and needed some R&R. After a quick search, I found that this Monday through Wednesday getaway was during the off season and prices were very reasonable! We splurged a bit for the Kimpton Rowan Hotel right in downtown because the price was right and the pictures of the rooftop pool looked too perfect.

My boyfriend and his younger brother were my travel companions on this trip, which is always fun. We all get along quite well, and I knew plenty of fun was about to be had. We left around 12:30 from South Orange County and made our way an hour and a half through the desert. We rotated the aux, and had some laughs at our throwback jams.

The Kimpton Rowan is in the heart of downtown and was very easy to find. A tiny valet station greeted us, got our bags, gave us a ticket and we were on our way! The lobby was absolutely stunning. High ceilings, mid-century modern furniture, and a craft bar tucked in the corner. I could already feel the tension being released from my shoulders as I looked around at our new home for the next 48 hours.

The reception desk was to our right as we entered and two very handsome men in very tailored shirts were there to greet us. [ I think they use a modeling agency to staff their hotel because everyone we encountered was gorgeous. Maybe it was the cocktails, who knows.] The kind gentleman explained the facilities, happy hours, locations/ hours of the various restaurants on property, and a few other details. THEY HAVE A COMPLIMENTARY WINE AND BEER HOUR EVERYDAY. I was now convinced this place was heaven.

We found the elevators and made our way up to our room. We were met by an immaculately clean and well designed room. Two queen beds with white, fluffy linens, a blue geometric backsplash behind the beds, and a gorgeous marble top table with rose- gold hairpin legs were the first things that caught my eye. The barn door with frosted glass leading into the bathroom was a great feature, and the black tile in the bathroom was just my taste! Now usually I would have just thrown on my bathing suit and the robe from the room and headed up to the pool for the next forever, but we were starving! We could see our favorite deli from the window in our room and it was beckoning us like a siren to Odysseus. We were powerless against it.

My boyfriend and I discovered Sherman’s Deli during one of our first trips to Palm Springs together. Now it is a staple of each visit. It is a step back into time, but absolutely perfect. There is nothing fancy about this place, in fact, you get a sense of homely comfort when you walk in. It is exactly like the places our grandparents took us to growing up. There is an ever-enticing dessert counter as you walk in. Now, my boyfriend has one of the biggest sweet tooths I have ever seen. So, when we walk into a place where all of the most delicious looking cakes, pies, and eclairs are staring at us from the get go, his willpower is already lost, and we are definitely finishing with a piece of sweet sugary something after our meal.

I had been craving a Rueben sandwich for a few days, and it seemed all too perfect a place to indulge in one. Since the desserts were still fresh on our minds I figured it best that my boyfriend and I split the behemoth that was about to come out. Best choice ever. It was everything I had been wanting. We finished the meal with a slice of chocolate dome cake. The smooth chocolate and the fluffy buttercream were simply divine. The perfect way to finish our time at our favorite deli.

After we got our fix we headed back to our hotel. We were greeted with an iced tea bar, which was most refreshing after walking in 105-degree weather - even if it was for a brief five minutes. We relaxed in the room for a bit and then headed down for FREE WINE AND BEER HAPPY HOUR! Now I am never one to hold onto my wallet very tightly while on vacation, but there is something about complimentary alcohol that just makes me happy. I felt valued as a guest, and oh so fancy among the beautiful décor. The sauvignon blanc was delightfully crisp and exactly what I needed to start my full relaxation mode. We stayed there for a few rounds and then headed up to the rooftop pool.

As I walked out the doors onto the patio, I was in full vacation mode. We found a large lounge area under a fan, threw our stuff down and got in the water. It was bliss. We enjoyed some happy hour margaritas and watched the sunset over the mountains. The sky grew a beautiful dusty orange. The silhouette of the mountains around us were a comforting backdrop to our rooftop pool paradise. All was well, and our laughs continued.

We reluctantly left the pool after 4 hours in order to go get some dinner. I looked up a little Mexican food place that had good reviews and within a few blocks. Our server was also named Amy so naturally we became great friends immediately. The margaritas were large, the food was authentic, and the intimate atmosphere of the tiny Mexican food restaurant was enchanting. We then headed to the casino as our nightcap. We lost a few dollars and headed back to our hotel.

The next morning greeted us without any alarms or noises. It was a quiet, gradual awakening to meet the day. My boyfriend is a true testament to dedication and went to the gym while his brother and I relaxed the morning away. He returned from his gladiator training and ordered room service – some of the most perfect French toast we had ever had. We all lounged in bed until our coffee withdrawals kicked in and we needed our fix.

We spent all afternoon at the pool. We dined on French fries and indulged in cocktails. The sun was high, but the shade and fans were plentiful. An ideal Palm Springs afternoon was being played out.

When our hunger became too much we decided to keep the lunchtime sandwich theme going and head to a new place. The Sandwich Spot had the best reviews and was within walking distance. It was tiny and a little tucked away, so I already knew it was going to be delicious. We were not disappointed at all. Great service from the friendly staff and perfect sandwiches were exactly what we were looking for, and exactly what we received. We walked around the boutiques for a bit, got some ice cream, and headed back to our hotel oasis.

We showered our sunscreen off just in time for complimentary wine and beer hour. Our new favorite hour of the day. We got our wine, played some heads up, and decided what we wanted to do for the evening. The manager who was pouring the wine that evening was extremely welcoming and told us the history of the company. He mentioned how their complimentary happy hour was a company tradition. It has always been a way for the staff to get to know their guests, and the owner would relax with patrons after a long day. He also noticed a few shameless selfies that we were taking and gave us some pop sockets! He was a very lovely gentleman, and made us feel right at home.

I have an affinity for tiki bars, and had scoped a few out on our way over. We got ready and headed to the Tonga Hut – within walking distance yet again. As we walked outside the heat greeted us like a welcoming hug. The Tonga Hut was close enough, and the heat made the cocktails sound even better. We went upstairs and were greeted by the friendly staff. We found a corner spot next to a large pile of games! It was dark inside with cliché Polynesian accents all around. I was in love yet again. We ordered three Mai Tai’s and set up Jenga. The Jenga set was an amazing surprise of random graffiti on each piece. Stories of romance, politics, and Drake lyrics were the perfect combination that kept us laughing each turn.

Our Mai Tais were perfectly strong, and more importantly – traditional Trader Vic’s recipe. They were refreshing and smooth which lead to three rounds of research to make sure we really liked them.

The boys played chess, and I was lost among the Mai Tais, décor, and pretending to pay attention to their game. It was another great moment of our getaway. Nine in the evening approached quickly and we knew we needed to find some food. We got some pizza and headed back to our hotel oasis.

The next day greeted us with the sad realization that real life was waiting for us, and our little day of play was over.

We wanted to prolong the inevitable return to mediocrity so we found a breakfast place nearby and headed over. FARM greeted us like a tea party from hipster Alice in Wonderland. It was eclectic, eccentric, and simply comfortable. The menu had us drooling and it was difficult to choose. I got an omelet that I will dream about for some time. The fresh grapefruit mimosa was an impeccable pairing.

We headed back to say goodbye to the Kimpton Rowan. It was everything we needed for a relaxing stay, and so central that we never left a quarter mile radius. The valet had our car out quickly and off we went. Back to real life once again.