Tag: desert

Miramonte Resort and Spa : Desert Escape

“I have always loved the desert. One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence, something throbs, and gleams…”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

We headed out to Indian Wells on a Saturday afternoon. It had been a hectic morning, and the sun was blazing, the traffic, late star, hectic morning made for a grumpy crew. The short 2-hour ride from OC felt longer.

When we arrived at Miramonte Indian Wells Resort and Spa, bathed in the familiar desert heat, we switched to vacation mode. Lying at the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains, Miramonte immediately puts one in a relaxed state. All around the property are bougainvillea flowers, fragrant citrus trees, olive trees and… We stayed at one of the newly-renovated villas and found the accommodations absolutely perfect.

The resort has three swimming pools with cabanas, luxury lounge chairs, and daybeds. Since it was 114 degrees, we made sure we had a cabana. They even had a movie (E.T.) showing by the pool! It was part of their summer promo called “Starlight Sip and Swim,” which includes cabana rentals, a new poolside menu, and cocktails!

When the kids took a break from the movie and pool, they headed out to the lawn to play giant connect-four, Jenga, ladder ball and other outdoor lawn games.

Later they would discover a function room in the main building, near the reception, which has been converted into a game room. It was just some old school pinball machines and Pac-Man but my boys were all over it!

I met with Chef Paul Hancock, who showed me his garden and excitedly shared the dishes he made with the herbs and produce grown right there on the property. There are two restaurants at Miramonte: Citrus and Palm and The Tavern at Citrus and Palm.

THE WELL SPA
Perhaps the thing I looked forward to the most at Miramonte was a visit to their award-winning Well Spa.

The Well Spa is right next to the pool and has its own building. It has nine indoor treatment rooms and three outdoor relaxation spaces. It has a home-y feel that made me feel, well, at home. I experienced a Tailor Made massage that began with a stone that said “Trust.” My therapist was cool and very skilled. I was so relaxed.

Some of their signature treatments are the Himalayan Salt Stone Mineral Massage and Rain Massage. They also have an array of facial, waxing and nail services as well as other body treatments. One other thing I hope to experience in the future is a Body Canvas Party! Imagine painting you and your partner or girlfriends with therapeutic and colorful muds on the body, ending with a relaxing massage! Sounds like fun and definitely, a reason to come back.

If you’re looking for a relaxing escape to the desert, consider Miramonte Resort and Spa in Indian Wells. Learn more at miramonteresort.com Just under 2 hours from Orange County, Miramonte Resort and Spa in Indian Wells is an ideal staycation location for the family and it’s pet-friendly too!

DISCLOSURE:
I paid discounted media rates for my stay at Miramonte Resort and Spa.

August 13, 2018
#TravelTuesday: Twentynine Palms Gateway to Joshua Tree National Park

Heading east into the desert provides a quick escape for our family. The past two summers we’ve gone to Palm Springs and enjoyed the comfort of a resort hotel. This time, I thought, we ought to try something new. Located less than 140 miles from Orange County, CA, that’s about a 2.5 hour drive, the City of Twenty-Nine Palms is a literal oasis in the desert. I had never been nor did I know anyone who had but the brochures assured me there would be lots to do – it was after all, the Gateway to Joshua Tree National Park.

When you’re traveling with family, it is important to find a place that can “entertain” every member of the family. For us, with a teen and tween son, our challenge was to find a place that would provide enough interest even without digital devices. I was determined to make this weekend be an unplugged experience. We embarked on our excursion on the last Saturday before the last week of school. It was to be my older son’s last week of middle school. I had it in my mind to have an EPIC weekend.

The drive to the desert is calming. Twentynine Palms, here we come.

We drove down the familiar CA-60 E freeway and passed the windmills that often signaled how close we were to Palm Springs and just kept going. The sun shone bright and it got warmer as we headed to 29 Palms. Before long, we spotted the Joshua Trees, straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, along the highway. Then came the funky art pieces and curious shops along the road.

We stopped at a homey and kind of rundown diner called “Carousel Café.” The people were friendly and the serving portions were large. We were hungry and did not want to stop at some fast food joint. Our 29 Palms adventure began here.

Must’ve been so hungry that I didn’t take a photo of the round building that was the Carousel Café. But I did take this pic of fried chicken.

The City of Twentynine Palms, California, in the southern Mojave Desert, is the home of Joshua Tree National Park Headquarters and Oasis Visitor Center. The North Entrance to the park is located 3.25 just miles up the hill from the Headquarters. We were staying at the quaint 29 Palms Inn, not too far from that entrance.

After lunch, we headed to 29 Palms Inn, where we would be staying for the night.

29 Palms Inn

We stayed at the West End Cottage, a 1950s cottage with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, a fireplace and a piano! It felt like the place one could spend time to paint or write a novel.

I was told the West End Cottage was always in demand. It’s perfect for families. 2 Bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. It’s dog-friendly too.

I’d forgotten that you could plat the piano, Mom, said my older son.

Next door to the cottage is the 29 Palms Creative Center and Gallery. You can drop in to paint pottery or take an art class.

With some time to kill before heading out to Joshua Tree National Park, my kids opted to paint a ceramic dog and a ceramic snake.

The artist-owner of the gallery, Gretchen, is the daughter of 29 Palm Inn proprietor Jane Smith. Gretchen was cool. We chatted about the vibrant art scene in 29 Palms and she handed me 2 literary journals! A literary journal, wow I hadn’t seen one of those since college.

We hit the pool to cool off – it was a blazing 104 degrees by then, and we decided on an early dinner at the inn’s restaurant.

After dinner, we headed out to Joshua Tree National Park around 6pm, as suggested by Ms. Pat Flanagan, the resident naturalist guide at 29 Palms Inn.

Ms. Pat was right! It was the perfect time to visit – as the sun slowly set on the Mojave Dessert.

As twilight turned to night, we headed out and stopped at Sky’s the Limit Observatory. They were having a special event unveiling new sculptures and there was a band performing in the middle of the desert, as we awaited nightfall. The sky just seemed endless and it wasn’t too long before we peered through the volunteers’ telescopes carefully set up in different places so that we could view the stars. We saw Saturn and its moons, and Jupiter. It was amazing.

Sky's the limit. Non-profit Observatory in the middle of the #desert #29palms @29palmsinn

A photo posted by Marcie Taylor (@marcietaylor) on Jun 14, 2015 at 8:15am PDT

We did it – packed an entire unplugged adventure in one day. We slept soundly at the West End Cottage and got up early enough to partake of the complimentary breakfast at the 29 Palms Inn library/office. We then met with Ms. Pat, who would take us on a guided nature walk around the premises. It was an informative morning and a great way to learn more about the Inn and Twentynine Palms.

Naturalist Pat Flanagan told us all about fault lines, geography and history.

This boathouse is part of 29 Palms history. Jane’s family actually lived in it for a time.

All too soon it was time to leave. Our unplugged weekend was a success. We cannot wait to go back and stay at the 29 Palms Inn again. Maybe I’ll even get started on that great American novel…

The stillness of the desert. That is until @timoteo5000 calls the boys #joshuatree

A video posted by Marcie Taylor (@marcietaylor) on Jun 14, 2015 at 5:46am PDT

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29 Palms Inn is at 73950 Inn Avenue, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277. For more information, visit 29palmsinn.com

You can learn more about visiting Joshua Tree National Park here.

June 30, 2015
Hot Staycation Idea: Palm Springs!

It was one of those spur of the moment trips to escape routine, especially upon realizing summer vacation’s almost over and you haven’t taken a vacation with the family yet. Living in Southern California, we are fortunate that we enjoy an “endless summer” at least weather-wise and can enjoy a “staycation” when we choose.

There is something about packing your bags even for just an overnighter and staying in a hotel. So that’s what we did. The choice was between Vegas (reasonable hotel rates) or Palm Springs (shorter drive)and we chose the latter.

The drive from Orange County is under 2 hours and as soon as we see the windmills, we know we are close.

I always marvel at these giants, especially after seeing a documentary about wind farming. As it turns out, there are now more than 15,000 wind turbines in California producing enough power to meet the needs of about one million people. (fun fact!)

We have an hour to kill before we can check into Omni Rancho Las Palmas so we head to downtown Palm Springs for lunch. It is a quaint town with its own celebrity star walk. Knowing that the Rat Pack and other stars of yesteryear used to relax in this desert town makes me wonder how they could always look so elegant in the scorching heat.

The 26 foot tall sculpture of the actress is called “Forever Marilyn” by artist Seward Johnson. It is located at Palm Canyon & Tahquitz Canyon Way in the heart of downtown Palm Springs.

After a nice lunch at of nachos and street tacos at Maracas Cantina on Palm Canyon Drive, we head out to Omni Rancho Las Palmas – the best family-friendly resort in the desert (actually, its in Rancho Mirage).

Best cure for a heat wave? A cold drink and the Lazy River. I read a book while my boys hit the water slides and go around the lazy river multiple times. Now THIS is a vacation. No agendas, no plans. Just living in the moment.

The next day, after a morning at the Lazy River, we head back to the OC. It is way over 100 degrees and we’re wondering what were we thinking? But over a satisfying lunch at another retro diner “Elmer’s,” we talk about the fun one-day vacation we just had.

September 8, 2013