Palm Springs

Lediya and I spent this past weekend at Palm Springs. It was a combination get-away for Lediya's 30th birthday on the 18th and some rest and relaxation before the upcoming busy week with Lediya's mom's transplant surgery. The desert isn't too hot at this time of the year and plus, we wanted to get some shopping done at the Cabazon Outlets!

We left Lakewood late Friday night and didn't arrive at our hotel until 11 p.m. Our hotel was pretty nice and had lots of amenities for the price (third-largest pool in Palm Springs, newly remodeled rooms, free breakfast, and Wi-Fi). The Caliente Tropics was also centrally located to where we wanted to go in Palm Springs.

On Saturday, after a quick breakfast, we drove about three miles south to the Indian Canyons, a trio of desert canyons that the Agua Caliente Indians called home. The Indians and the vegetation fluorished here despite the extreme desert heat due mainly to the stream that comes from the mountains above. We hiked a mile or so and saw waterfalls and gushing streams. After the canyons, we went back to the hotel to nap and swim at the pool in the afternoon. Well worth the $8 admission fee.

For dinner, we drove 10 miles to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, where for $30 each, we received a lift from the famous tramway and dinner was also provided. The ride to the top, which is the gateway to Mount San Jacinto State Park, took about 10 minutes aboard the rotating tram. The views were spectacular, especially in the twilight hours. This is also a great place to escape the desert heat, because temperatures at the top are usually 30 degrees cooler. We also ate a hearty dinner up there while enjoying the views below.

Sunday morning, we woke up fairly early and swam a few laps. Went to a quick brunch after that and then drove over to Cabazon, where we shopped for a couple of hours. I also picked up a new Coach bag for Lediya at the outlet store. I also picked up a new pair of running shoes, saving myself $70 over retail. Great deal!

All in all, it was a fun weekend. We were able to balance some outdoor activity with some R&R, and also some shopping. Not a bad getaway, less than two hours from Lakewood.

Check out more pictures of our Palm Springs weekend here.