I got a sunburn at the airport

Just after Christmas, I decided that since a long weekend was going to fall right after my 30th birthday, I should take advantage and go away for three days. Naturally, I decided to go somewhere warmer than where I live (given that it's winter in Alberta, that kept just about anywhere open). Since I live by myself and can't afford a butler, I also decided to go somewhere nice, where I would be taken care of and even a little pampered.

Somehow, I ended up going to the Palm Springs area. I know it's supposed to be a place for retirees and golfers, but the climate there in February is fantastic, and there are some really nice resorts, with really nice spas. Plus, I happened to be checking out flight prices on a day when they were 1/2 price, so I just had to book it.

Deciding where to stay here was harder than deciding to come here in the first place, but I ended up going all out, staying at a four-star resort with one of the top 100 spas in the world (according to one list). Not that I'm usually slumming it when I travel, but I consider it a treat if I'm not staying in a dorm room. This place though, is fantastic. I think my room is as big as my apartment back home.


Getting to Palm Springs
I was out celebrating my birthday the night before I flew out, so even though it wasn't a wild party, it was a late enough flight that leaving home at 5am was painful. But my flight left at sunrise, and it was a gorgeous one over the Rockies. I had a connection in Vancouver (but at 1/2 price, I'm not complaining) where there was less snow, but it was gray and mucky. Flying south from there, there were some mountain tops peeking through the clouds over Washington and Oregon, and then clear skies over Nevada. We even had views of Las Vegas and Lake Mead, and I could almost make out where the Grand Canyon was. Then we turned west, flying just north of the Salton Sea and into the Coachella Valley and heat. Glorious sunshine and heat.

The first afternoon
After a 30 minute cab ride to my resort, I checked in and then went exploring. I sat down at the outdoor café amidst the pools, and ordered the most amazing spinach salad I've ever had in my life. It had soft, crumbly feta, carmelized onions, fresh California dates, and a balsamic vinaigrette. It was so good, I've had one every day since!

In the late afternoon I headed over to the spa to chill out for an hour or so before my hot stone massage. It was amazing, but it was also the end of my day. I went back to my hotel room and went to bed. I'm not a good sleeper, but I've had such good sleeps here.

Poolside
This morning I staked out my spot at the pool around 9am. I hadn't planned to spend the whole day there, but it got so busy if I left I never would have found another chair later. It was a hot day--hotter than it's been in Palm Springs for a while. I think I heard the high was 86F, which is about 28 or 29C. Yay! Armed with sunscreen, my iPod, some reading material and a supply of crushed ice and water, I spent a happy day people watching and relaxing. Never did make it in the pool, but the people-watching was fantastic. My 'favourite' was the Eastern European woman with disproportionate breasts spilling out of the tube top of her bikini. She was walking laps around the pool while talking on her cell phone. The bikini was tied together in a knot in the back because the clasp wasn't strong enough to hold her in. She bulged out over the top so that it looked like she had two pairs of breasts. The front was the most alarming though. A brass ring held the fabric together in the front, and the cleavage behind it looked like a vortex!

Towards the end of the afternoon, some people on the grass behind me were smoking. It wasn't pleasant, but then by some miraculous glitch of technology, the sprinklers came on, and they got a little wet. Wet enough to leave. So I got a nice breeze off the sprinklers and clean air.

The thing about sitting by the pool all day is that it is really exhausting. So I had another early night and fantastic sleep.

The Living Desert
I decided that as tempting as it was to spend my entire vacation by the pool, I really should get out and see what the Coachella Valley has to offer. So I spent this morning at The Living Desert. The desert part was good--peaceful and beautiful whit good chance for photos. I saw hummingbirds and a few butterflies. Then I walked through some of the wilderness area. At some parts, I couldn't see anyone else ahead or behind. It was spooky to be alone in the desert. If I'd had better shoes, I would have walked the full five mile loop up into the mountains and back.

By the time I got to the African section I was hungry. Stepping into that section of the park was like stepping into a zoo (hmmm, maybe too literal an analogy). The wild animals running around were actually families with screaming kids, strollers, and slow grandparents. I was wishing I had done the full hike instead.

After being packed into the butterfly tent with kids trying to touch the butterflies, I went to grab lunch at the Meerkat Cafe. It was packed. I walked in the door and right back out. The African animals weren't as interesting as the desert plants, but I still watched for a bit. My last chance for lunch was the other cafe near the entrance. I didn't even make it in the door, because the grease smell was too overpowering. The gift shop was disappointing, so I headed back to the resort for a spinach salad.

6:54am
There's a ridge of purple clouds in the east whose edges have been turned to gold. Beneath them, beams of sunlight are flooding the valley. Everywhere across the sky, the faint pink stains of first light are being replaced by golden light. It's too cloudy for the light to steal between the tops of the tallest palm trees like they did two days ago. I've watched three sunrises from my hotel room, and this is the last.

Palm Springs Airport
I've been listening to the saga of Peter something-or-other from Texas. It started with an announcement that a black Mercedes was illegally parked, and ended with the announcement directly to Peter that he had been cited, and his car towed.

This airport is way too small for the volume of people here this time of year, and there's not enough places to get food. But it's open air, and I'm already passed through security etc, but I'm sitting outside on a grassy knoll!

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