Th "G" Spot

Somehow I got wind that it was going to be a glorious hot weekend out in the desert so I got the idea to spend Thanksgiving weekend in Palm Springs. Of course we do just about everything willy nilly so I started calling around on Tuesday for rooms on Thursday through Sunday. Unexpectedly, everything even remotely close to town for a reasonable rate was booked. I guess people would rather forgo the family drama and give thanks in a more unconventional way. I gave up after calling every boutique hotel in town. On Friday afternoon I was depressed and not looking forward to a slew of chores staring me down at home so we packed our bathing suits and took off, come what may. I figured it'd be a nice road trip even if we had to turn around and come home. Lo and behold, things have changed and there's room at the inn. I'm starting to feel like Jesus, or at least lucky.

The desert is so alluring to me with its dramatic landscape and starry skies I forget that unless you have your own party (which is difficult to rally when you do everything spontaneously) it's dead boring. Palm Springs is literally the G spot - geriatrics and gays galore. Forget impromptu pool side parties. So you end up frying yourself to a crisp in the sun and then going to bed when the sun goes down. Well almost. There are fantastic hiking trails, biking paths and plenty of shopping. It's the mid-century modern furniture and design mecca. We thoroughly enjoyed the restaurants: amazing wood-fired artisan pizzas at Matchbox, grass-fed Venison and farmer's market menu at Zin, and cool cocktails and affordable bites at Lulu. I can effuse with certainty that THE BEST COCKTAIL in recent history is the zintini, made with vodka, cucumber and pineapple juices, topped with mint sprigs and a twist. Yum!

Fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and a warm (half-baked!) friendly staff define The Chase as a low-key, unpretentious alternative to some of the other hotels in the desirable Tennis Club neighborhood - eh hum, The Viceroy. The location is unbeatable if you want to walk downtown and the mountain vistas are incredible shielding the beautiful pool from typical desert winds, although in winter the sun disappears behind them around 3:30 pm.

While not the raucous destination as some other desert towns there's something rejuvenating about this melanoma oasis what with the blistering sun and cool cocktails that always hits the spot. ;)