First Annual Girl's Trip!

In March Kelly contributed part of her time share to a girls trip for us three girls.

We went to Palm Springs, Cali which I had been to once before while I was pregnant with Cooper. I was really excited for the trip and only half excited for the destination since I didn't remember there being that much to do. Well was I WRONG! We LOVED it, and have decided to make this an annual girls trip. I would even love it we went back to Palm Springs every year!

It's the perfect location because the weather was great, the drive is easy but we don't really go there for anything else, which makes it special.

We drove my van there on Thursday and got there in time to eat dinner. We checked into the awesome hotel that Kelly got us then ordered pizza and salad from the pool side bar area. The pizza was incredible. We ate it up in our room while playing a rousing game of Beanboozled. (my name for Bohnanza)

The next morning we woke up and hit the streets for some tropical garage sale-ing. This was so much fun to me because we got to really explore the area, chat it up with the locals, and score some fun souvenirs. I just LOVE that I have a mom and sister who feel the same way! I came home with some great finds.

By the time we were done we were starving for lunch and aimlessly drove around looking for a GOOD place to eat. Now, when I travel, I want to eat fabulous food and try new things. Well, I had googled all about the best places to eat in Palm Springs so I could recognize the names, but didn't know how to get to any of them. So we drove around until we spotted a sign for Cheeky's, which was on my list. We had to wait for about 30 or 40 minutes which was how long it took me to agonize over what I should order. I asked every person in line what they recommend and they all came back with the same answer, that everything was incredible. We decided to each order something and split it three ways, which we ended up doing for the rest of the meals on the trip. Some pesto fries, salmon, a fabulous sandwich and a chicken salad later

we were stuffed and ready to walk up and down the street which was lined with fancy shmancy interior decorating shops. My favorite one featured "Juan Antonio" who was like a palm reader for interior design who incredibly accurately described exactly who I am based on the things I had commented on liking in the store. He was wearing loud argyle pants and a electric blue shirt. Loved it.

We also ambled through a fabulous art fair set up in a park where we chatted forever with a purse-selling lady who happens to be from Scottsdale. My next diaper bag has GOT to be from her, I loved them. Across the street is where I tried my first macaroon, which was the ONE thing I was determined to do while I was in Palm Springs. I found it to be sweeter than I had imagined but quite good. We also had Tahitian Vanilla Gellato from the same place that I will someday own a swimming pool full of if I happen to meet a genie.

Saturday we went to Cabazon Outlets which I am sorry to say have lost their luster. The Crate and Barrel outlet is gone, along with many of my other favorite. We did make out like bandits with some great deals stacked with coupons from Harry and David though! We also made a stop at Hadley's where I confirmed my belief that it can't hold a candle to Sheilds date farm, where I am determined to watch the entire movie about the process of date farming someday.

So on the way home from Cabazon my mom declares that she wants to eat something REALLY GOOD. We stop by the In-n-out which honestly had about 40 cars in line for AND didn't fit my mom's desires anyway. So then we drive forever trying to find a decent place to feed my mother. At one point we spotted an Applebee's and pointed it out in desperation to which my mom very excitedly said "WHERE" then just as quickly decided that we should soldier on. Well, by now it's like 8:30pm we're starving and practically lost when my mom points to a sign for "Sherman's" and says "Kacie is that on your list" to which I replied with much surprise and gratitude "YES". So we went to Shermans, the Jewish deli where the food was SO BLAND where my mom ordered some watery soup that I loved while I ordered a egg salad that I loved and my sister got a salad that I loved....I was starving. THEN we each ordered what they are really known for: their incredible deserts. They were about 30 different kinds of intricate desserts with the most surly dessert server ever. My favorite moment was when a tall black man and I were decided on desserts next to each other. The surly server had already dished up a couple for him and was about to get another one when he spotted a blueberry cake that he said "oh I want that kind" to her, she begrudgingly said, "oh you want that instead" and he curtly says to her "don't you instead me, I want BOTH"! We ordered a Bavarian cream thingy, a coconut cake slice and a red velvet slice. They were all super rich and Kelly's Bavarian was the best. My mom and I finished most of it off the next day while she was in the shower :)

So Sunday we went to church were because of our timing and getting lost we ended up attending the most incredible Sunday school class where a lds book author happened to be present followed by sacrament meeting in Spanish. Afterwords we headed to a really fun swap meet / fair thing were we got there just before closing but still all managed to get some great finds! I got a beautiful wreath and a cosmetic train case for traveling which I haggled down from $25 to $16 with a man who barely spoke English. I loved it and had been looking for a makeup case forever. (i haggled the wreath down too)

We then went to an area called the River that was SO beautiful and ate at a place called Aqua Pazzaz, not on the list but still really fabulous. This is a picture of us there eating next to the water which winds through the whole shopping area.

On Monday we did a little more shopping, packed up and ate one last time at a historic mexican food restaurant that had been there. It reminded me of Disneyland and I videoed like every inch of it on the flip. Which is why there are hardly any pictures from this trip, my mom and I documented like every minute of it on her flip so we can be sure to redo the parts we loved!

It was a great trip and I am so grateful to Derek, Reed, Bridget, and whoever else helped watch Cooper so I could take a little break!

Next year I hope to revisit a couple of our favorite restaurants, go back to Sheild's date farm, and ride the tram up the mountain. LOVED this trip! Thanks Kelly and Mom for pitching in on the costs!