Palm Springs Weekend

Highlights of this past weekend in Palm Springs (some pictured above, some not):
1. Reading Blood, Bones, and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton, while nursing a Blood Orange Caipirinha, poolside at the beautiful Ace Hotel.
2. Spending three hours walking the boulevard – popping in and out of shops (bakellite heaven), stopping by Melvyn’s for champagne and finally landing at Las Casuelas Terraza for a classic Palm Springs meal that somehow satisfies despite its mediocrity.
3. I will never get over the plentiful bougenvilla that thrives in the desert. Running into the deep red/pink flowers at every turn absolutely confirms the advice bestowed upon me by a knowledgeable gardener – to get bougenvilla to flower, you have to starve it of water.
4. Relaxing with Alex de Cordoba, my main squeeze, for two full days.
5. A delicious breakfast a Cheeky’s, a spot I’ve never been to but always wanted to try and definitely lived up to all the hype. We split the Custard Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Maple Sage Sausage and Deb’s Cheddar Scone and the Buttermilk & Fresh Corn Pancakes & Bacon. Great coffee too.
6. On the way out of town (and on the way to the Marni outlet) we hit up Hadley’s Fruit Orchards for date shakes, which was the thing to do in 60s and 70s. As can be imagined, the shakes were truly great and a perfectly nostalgic ending to a weekend in the desert.