One of Damon's friends from high school is an artist living on the East coast and planned to show in the annual art exhibit during Modernism Week. It so happened that his mother was celebrating a milestone birthday so he rallied a bunch of family and friends to hang out in PS for the weekend. Since we were just there a few
months ago we had spec'ed out a few hotels that looked interesting. The one we absolutely fell in love with is Korakia. It's a Mediterranean inspired oasis featuring a rock water wall with San Jacinto as the back drop, infinity pool, fire pits and torches all around and casually designed and appointed cabanas. The place is magical and designed to encourage you to forget about your regular life and enjoy tranquility at least for a few days. There are no phones or televisions - in other words, no distractions. Just as Deetjen's is our sanctuary in coastal Big Sur we've found our special everafter place in the desert.With just the right amount of service, homemade breakfast is served in the courtyard each morning, Morrocan mint tea and skewers of fresh fruit in the afternoon, capped off in the evening by chunks of delicious chocolate left in your room. Agatha, the TWENTY FIVE ! year old cat and resident mascot, is a soothing element in this serene environment enjoying the sunny poolside or cozy daybeds along with the guests. One night before dinner we curled up with blankets and lanterns and watched a classic movie under the stars. One morning after breakfast we took the bikes available for guests and toured through town before slinking into the pool for the rest of the afternoon. They host retreats as well and I can't imagine a more wonderful experience. Can't wait to come back!
Here's how we spent our 4 day weekend:
Just west of PS lies the sprawl of Desert Premium Outlets. I'm not much of a shopper but we decided to stop by since we we'd never been before plus we had arrived in the vicinity too early to check in at Korakia. All the luxury brands are represented - Prada, Dolce, Versace, Burberry - so it was fun to peruse and fantasize. For dinner we LOVE Matchbox. The food is positively delicious whether it's the cherry glazed pork chop or halibut fish and chips or simply an artisan pizza. It's right in the heart of PS and will never disappoint, unless they are closed which I learned they are only open for dinner.
Our friends were staying at the Viceroy so we joined them poolside for lunch on Saturday and then spent the afternoon relaxing at one of 2 pools at Korakia. The sun sinks behind the mountain earlier in the Tennis Club section of PS before anywhere else especially in winter so the mint tea was a wonderful way to warm up before a little glass of whiskey fireside later in the evening. Our friend had planned a BBQ at the house he rented so we had a wonderful evening with old friends reminiscing and having a gay ol' time.
There are zillions (slight exaggeration) of hiking trails in the PS area to suit all fitness levels. The one we opted for on Sunday morning was the rigorous Museum Trail. It's 2 miles, much of it rock climbing, with a 900 ft elevation gain. From the ridge line you can look out over the whole valley. It is gorgeous and so invigorating. After a little rest we headed out to the convention center to take in some cultcha. I prefer edgier art than most of that displayed at this show, however there were a few things I fell in love with. Each of them in the tens of thousands of dollars :( Afterward we celebrated Damon's birthday at Spencer's. The atmosphere is modern and lively, the food is delicious and perhaps, had it not been one of the last reservations of the night, the service would have been palatable as well. However, we felt as though we'd overstayed our welcome when they were dragging out the vacuum cleaner and we hadn't ordered dessert yet. It may deserve a second chance since the wine list is decent and the food was above average. Looks like a very nice place for brunch. Our room at Korakia had a little courtyard as did the adjacent room so we met the wonderful couple staying next to us. We decided to meet up with them later at Hunter's, a gay nightclub. Although it was Sunday night on a holiday weekend (usually the best night to party) the club was thin with patrons but the dancing and people watching is always good.
Three days passed in the desert leaves you lazy and lingering. We really needed to get out of town but there was an open air art faire and of course all the vintage furniture shops and bric-a-brac on North 111 called to us. We toured the eco-friendly pre-fab house daydreaming of the time when we'll settle on a cool piece of dirt in central coast and erect a tilt up house and raise goats. I guess that's another post. Tradition mandates that when leaving Palm Springs we have to hit up Hadley's for a banana date shake putting a sweet end to another delightful weekend in PS.
