As I mentioned (and as you probably know), 2020 has been a slow year in travel. However, I didn’t want the adventures to stop, so I asked my bestie if she wanted to do a quick mini get away to Palm Springs. We decided to do a trip from Sunday-Tuesday, where we would WFH (work from hotel) during the day. In retrospect, a weekend trip probably would have made more sense given that we wanted to explore, and it was tough to do that during the work day. Anyway, we made the best of it, and I decided to blog and vlog about it! Here is a quick Palm Springs Girl Guide on where to stay, what to do, and how to relax –especially during a pandemic!
PALM SPRINGS GIRL GUIDE: WHERE TO STAY
We stayed at the cutest, aesthetically pleasing hotel called Les Cactus. It recently opened and you can tell a lot of thought went behind every detail. I’m not kidding – every corner of this hotel is just so cute! The theme was a combination of Parisian meets boho. Every morning they have continental breakfast, and I swear the croissants are the best I have had–so buttery and crispy! We spent most of Monday/Tuesday working and hanging out at the pool. The wifi is super good and it honestly was a very nice and aesthetic change of scenery. They also offer relaxing massages, so make sure to book ahead! Additionally, I saw their cleaning crew constantly wiping the common areas down and the best part is that everyone wore masks!
PALM SPRINGS GIRL GUIDE: WHAT TO DO
Sunday was our only day to explore so we packed in quite a bit and kept it pretty low key on Monday/Tuesday.
First, we went to the Cabazon Outlet Mall since Elisa wanted to check out the Gucci store. Unfortunately, the lines were insane to get into the store and it just didn’t make sense to spend at least an hour waiting. If you do decide to go, make sure to go early! Instead we drove 3 miles to the Cabazon dinosaurs and took the stereotypical dinosaur photos! It was pretty hot, so we didn’t hang out there for too long, but it’s worth a quick stop.
We also fit in the Moorten Botanical Gardens, which costs $5 per person to go inside. It was 110 degrees Fahrenheit and we honestly didn’t last here too long. We headed to the greenhouse, snapped some pics, and left.
Honestly, Palm Springs is just a colorful city and a great place to walk around (when it’s not boiling hot).
PALM SPRINGS GIRL GUIDE: WHERE TO EAT/ DRINK
We had lunch at Azucar which is located in the La Serena Villas. They have only outdoor seating and the menus are all available through a bar code. This initially shocked me since I had not seen this feature before but apparently it’s V common in this pandemic world we live in. The menu was pretty limited but we did enjoy the beef sliders and a yummy watermelon salad. Elisa ordered a refreshing margarita and I ordered a virgin margarita which was surprisingly satisfying!
We also went to Sands Hotel & Spa for dinner. While the hotel is super aesthetically pleasing, the food is pretty mediocre. I suggest ordering their charcuterie board and a couple of drinks. The hotel itself is gorgeous so make sure to come during the day so you can take some cute, iphone only photos!
Lastly, we had dinner at the Parker Hotel. This place is also a photo opportunity dream and just super cute in general! Elisa and I split the steak fajitas and treated ourselves to their homemade pies for dessert! I also got a yummy margarita and Elisa splurged on a $27 glass of wine!
All in all, we had a blast changing up the scenery while getting to still work and relax. In this world we live in where work from home has become the norm, I highly recommend doing a fun getaway where you don’t have to take PTO but also don’t have to be stuck at home! Also, all the places we did visit had really good Covid-19 protocol rules in place. The only time I took off my mask was honestly to eat or take photos! Hope you enjoyed this fun Palm Springs Girl Guide!
