For a very special friend, nearly 20 women from around the nation gathered together to celebrate an upcoming wedding. Eighteen Floridians, Chicagoans, New Yorkers, and newly-made Californians all made their way to Palm Springs, California for this bachelorette's weekend in the sun.
We rented two Airbnbs in Palm Springs, right around the block from each other. Each house had a pool, pool floats, a view of the mountains, and bikes which were perfect for quick trips to each house. We rode our bikes around the neighborhood, enjoying the mountain view, the cacti garden front lawns, and the quintessentially mid-century modern architecture.
One of the days, we visited Joshua Tree National Park for a quick hike. While we weren't interested in getting lost in the desert, we did enjoy losing cell service and barely finding our way out after an hour long hike. One of our cars got separated from the group, and ended up off-roading on a dirt access road. Thankfully, they made it back to a main road and in range of some cell towers to find their way back to the Airbnb.
The terrain of Joshua Tree National Park, and Palm Springs in general, reminds me of the desert neighborhoods in The Sims. Mountains, cacti, desert foliage, all of the ingredients perfect for an alien abduction. Is there where the term "far out" originated from in the 70's? I wouldn't be surprised.
We spent plenty of hours under the sun (or in the shade) by the pool drinking cocktails and BBQing. The fabulous thing about living with a bunch of incredible women for the weekend? There was no shortage of good meals in the house. There was plenty of fresh fruit, healthy salads and sides, and amazing grilled salmon. It was great to have a vacation where healthy food was a priority, rather than junky snack items.
Just before sunset one evening, we went to what I would describe as an art installation in the mountains. It's called the Mirage House and it reflects the beauty of Palm Springs, inside and out. One side would reflect the mountain back at you, and the other side would reflect the sun going down behind you.
One of my favorite adventures was taking the tramway up the mountain. It was a huge tram car that spun around, so you could get 360 degree views of the mountains above and the canyon below. It's the largest rotating tram car in the world! At the highest tram station, it was around 50 degrees, while down in the desert it was a gorgeous 80 degree day. There were even some areas of the mountain that the snow had yet to melt - in May!
We explored the highest that we could go, taking a mild hike around the trees and rocks. There was a restaurant and a bar at the top tram station, so we enjoyed a late lunch and a few drinks while enjoying the expansive view of the valley below.
We didn't want to leave. Once we got back to the parking lot, we looked up at the mountains for a while, enjoying their beauty as they looked back down at us.
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