Traveling with my gurls, I’m talking about my sisterfriends, is one of my greatest joys. So when my homegirl Akilah suggested a Labor Day weekend jaunt to Palm Springs, I was immediately on board. Though it was our first time as New Yorkers in Los Angeles we had our sister, Linda, a local California girl on deck to give us some protips.
It’s a quick drive from Los Angeles, about an hour and a half. But we took a detour to the Yucca Valley for adult naptime and spiritual connecting at the Integratron.
ready to bathe in sound
One of the best ways to come down from deep chakra work is to do a little vintage shopping…obviously. The End is a dope stop: it has a wide collection of clothing, accessories and homegoods at reasonable prices, along with friendly staff. The owner was in there hanging out with her bestie who made the flirty turquoise batik jumper I bought. Such goddess vibes in there!
desert thrifting
After a healthy and refreshing meal at Ma Rouge Coffee House, one corner west of The End, we got out of the desert heat and headed to Palm Springs. The drive was about 4o minutes and for most of it, us two East Coasters were fascinated by the wind turbines. There’s lots of reasons for this but namely that you don’t get this kind of scenery road tripping down I-95.
One of several photos I took of the wind turbines,
aka “the windmills”!
We arrived at the Avalon Hotel in Palm Springs just in time for a sunset dip in one of their three pools and two jacuzzis. Life’s hard decisions. We chose the pool with no people 🙂
Stuntin’ in my sunglasses from The End
We took our time to hit the streets and thankfully the Avalon is centrally located right by Palm Canyon Drive, the main drag. So we were close to all of the bars, restaurants and shops, in addition to the Rite-Aid which is critical. But let me acknowledge, the nightlife was not exactly what I expected. Kinda had a Jersey shore-ish vibe but less rowdy with less meatheads. Linda, our Palm Springs guide and general foodie, had seen good reviews for Bar so we headed there. We could also be immediately seated there without reservations. The drinks were on point and the DJ was jammin’. I tried a “beer cocktail” called the “Working Title” which was mezcal, lime, grapefruit, and beer. It was delicious and was made well because none of the flavors overpowered the others. Akilah tried the cocktails which were just as nicely done. Her favorite was the “Naked & Famous” with mezcal, Aperol, yellow chartruese and lime. The food was okay but I got introduced to bacon-wrapped blue cheese filled dates. I am forever changed.
Coachella Valley, where Palm Springs lies, is apparently known for their dates. Fun fact: 90% of the world’s dates are grown there. I don’t remember ever enjoying dates so much but I have a new appreciation for their humble sweetness.
The next morning we headed out for brunch at Farm but arrived around 11:30 and were told that we’d have to wait two hours because they were booked. Duly noted, make reservations on Labor Day weekend in Palm Springs! Amateur mistakes amongst seasoned travelers. But Chelsea, the incredibly sweet and helpful hostess, told us to check in with her the next morning so she can get us a table. So that’s what we did and it was worth it. More on that to come…
On our slow walk back to the hotel to eat there, we noticed a lot of bachelorette parties out in the streets. I was impressed at their functionality before noon but when you’re hungover you’ll get it together for food (and/or more alcohol). I loved this frisky crew’s t-shirts.
cheers bitches
We were getting hot and hangry at this point but then we shuffled past this beacon of neon:
Coachella Valley staple
When in Rome, right? We were intrigued so stepped into Palm Springs Fudge and Chocolates. It’s a smorgasboard of sweets with numerous flavors of fudge, sour gummy anything, and for the freaks, jars of body frosting. Linda and I kept it simple and shared a date shake for our pre-brunch appetizer. It was the truth — just creamy enough and just date-y enough.
Our brunch at the hotel was cool but nothing particularly memorable. That’s okay because our sights were on pooltime. We lolligagged too long because most of the chairs at the pool were taken. Note to self: people get up early and lock down their pool locations. It’s really too hot in the desert at 105 degrees to do anything else outside. Quickly, we got some chairs together near the DJ and cooled off with other folks in the pool. No one was particularly friendly or unfriendly but everyone was definitely trying to look cute.
us looking cute
After an afternoon of poolside day drinking and wading, it was time to refuel. So we got spruced up and made our way to El Jefe, a restaurant and tequila/mezcal bar away from the main strip, housed at The Saguaro Hotel.
from the lobby…Ken looking like a bro
Definitely enjoyed the food and drinks here so highly recommend this spot. It was also pretty low key which was a welcome reprieve from the busy tourist action of Palm Canyon Drive. I didn’t like their beer cocktail here (the Tipsy Cactus) but their watermelon margaritas were superb. And the waitress was very kind to switch it for me. As an entree I had a vegan dish, the grilled cauliflower steak to follow more bacon-wrapped blue cheese filled dates. The ones at El Jefe were even better by the way. The ladies had carne asada tacos which were solid, along with some roasted corn with butter, mayo, queso cojita and paprika.
tequila time
But the meal highlight for all of us was the churros with chocolate and caramel sauce and salted caramel ice cream. It’s a worth a trip here just for this dessert. Churros were served warm and had the right amount of crunch and doughiness. Heavenly. And enough for the three of us to share.
Linda with the foodie photo skills
Desert sun + alcohol + full bellies + age = in the bed by 10 watching House Hunters International reruns and hating on gentrification.
We woke up early to check out, determined to make brunch at the Farm. It was bittersweet that it was already time to head back to Los Angeles but we were in good spirits after a solid night of rest.
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
Our buddy Chelsea at the Farm hooked us up with the best table in the house, in the middle of the patio under a beautiful canopy surrounded by flowers and other lucky diners. The restaurant itself is set away from the street in its own hidden garden. The Southern French inspiration is both in the decor and the food.
it’s completely hidden from the street!
The menu had so many mouth-watering options that I was struggling to decide. But I went with watermelon mimosas over their acclaimed bloody mary with bacon and Saumon espinard (smoked salmon, spinach, creme fraiche, sunny side egg) crepe over the omelette. I can make eggs at home. Linda had the “Poulet a la creme” crepe with chicken, mushrooms, creme fraiche, herbs and white wine which was magnifique. Akilah had a breakfast croissant egg, bacon and cheese sandwich. We were all very happy and very quiet during the meal.
One of the things we appreciated most is that everything was farm to table, and thus homemade including the bread and the jams. They brought us out extra strawberry jam and french bread because we were so hype about it. This is part of why I love California so hard. Fresh strawberries for much of the year.
life-changing
With happy bellies, we began our journey back to the City of Angels. But there was one very important stop we had to make.
our big adventure
The Cabazon Dinosaurs are a notable roadside attraction that’s significantly more fun than sitting in traffic on the 10. Children of the 80’s best remember these dinosaurs from the movie “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” so these massive dinosaur statues appease thousands of inner children (and actual children) each year. We didn’t go to the paid part but instead just took a photo with the Brontosaurus and got photobombed the 3-story tall T-Rex.
every squad needs a T-Rex
After our dinosaur detour, we got back on the road. Leaving Palm Springs midday was a wise move because we only hit minimal traffic close to Palm Springs and the dinosaurs. Otherwise it was pretty smooth sailing with the ladies and Anderson .Paak on the stereo.
My first trip to Palm Springs was full of laughter and lessons. Practically speaking, I learned that reservations are pretty important on a holiday weekend (duh) and the pool is where it’s at. But on the wonderwomxn tip, I’m grateful for adventures with my gurls. Time away from the grind meant a lot of insightful and hilarious conversations about sex, success and self-worth, all with love at the root. It allows you to separate from the mundane and challenges the instincts, it solidifies bonds. Traveling with your sistren allows for us to be reflections of each other’s greatness.
So pick a place, scoop up your homies and hit the road…