Palm Springs Hotel Tour

On my to-do list for the Coachella weekend was exploring some of Palm Spring's most beautiful hotels.  

During my March trip we managed to carve out some time to have drinks at The Viceroy so when Bridgette and I returned for Coachella I knew we had to go back.  The poolside dining area at The Viceroy is absolutely gorgeous - if I could choose a perfect backyard decor it would be an exact replica of it. Perfect for brunch or for evening drinks it is a wonderful place to kick back and enjoy the tasty offerings.  Some of the delicious drinks we enjoyed on our first visit: the Signature Margarita, the Viceroy Sunset, the Classic Mojito, and the Moscow Mule.  The drinks were absolutely sublime - mine was the Signature Margarita and with it's fantastic mix of tequila, St Germain elder flower liqueur, lime, and orange juice it is a perfect warm weather drink.  When Bridgette and I went for brunch we shared two phenomenal breakfasts: the Wild Mushroom Frittata and the French Toast.  I cannot even begin to describe how delicious the french toast was.  Yum!

Love the decor

Pool

Beautiful koi pond

Mmmmm french toast

Double mmmm, wild mushroom frittata

On the last day of our Coachella getaway Bridgette and I rented a car so that we could check out the other hotels on the list.  First up was The Ace.  Home of many Coachella parties during the weekend, the hotel was still very very busy the day after the festival ended.  The Ace is definitely one of the more relaxed of the hotels we visited with a mellow hipster vibe.  

After stopping by The Ace we drove over to The Saguaro, a colourful and modern hotel designed by architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat.  Believe it or not, the interior is just as vibrant as the exterior!

We wrapped up the day with my favourite of all the hotels - The Parker.  The grounds of The Parker remind me of a beautiful hybrid of The Secret Garden and Alice in Wonderland.  There is a croquet course, a lemonade stand, flowers, pools, everything you could imagine.  Some day I will stay at The Parker and it will be amazing!

Care for a relaxing afternoon laying out on a hammock?

My delish salad!

 

A Note to My Parents

Since today is Mother's Day and Father's Day is just around the corner I wanted to take a moment to shout out my amazing parents.  I may be biased but I really do think that I am an extraordinarily lucky girl and was blessed with the greatest parents in the world.  My parents are warm, funny, smart, capable, kind, loving, wonderful people.  They welcome people into their lives with open hearts and truly value their families and friendships.  They have taught me that working hard is always the best option and that finding something that helps you relax and unwind at the end of the day is invaluable.  This blog serves that purpose for me - I take photos and write because I need an outlet, a way to relax my mind after a long day at the office.  

Perhaps the most amazing gift my parents have given me is the love of travel and of exploring other countries.  The lessons I have learnt while traveling with my parents are ones that will guide me throughout my life.

While I may not say it enough I certainly wouldn't be the person I am today without the constant and unwavering love and support of my parents.  I am so grateful for everything that they have done and continue to do for me.

Thanks Mom and Dad - I love you both very much!

xo R  

Cinque Terre - one of the amazing places I have visited with my folks

We Take a Break from Coachella posts...

to share yet another amazing Palm Springs sign.

Hope everyone had an amazing weekend!

Coachella Part 2

Ten Things I Learnt at Coachella 2012

1.  While it is usually nice and warm in the desert it does rain sometimes.  This results in the use of scarves as sweaters, huddling for warmth, the purchase of concert t-shirts, and lining up for half an hour for coffee.

2.  I am completely in love with ferris wheels (as evidenced below).

3.  Coachella is definitely one of the most well run music festivals around.  It is a well oiled machine!

4.  Taking a shuttle bus to the grounds is a fantastic way to get pumped up for the day ahead.  They are also a great place to get some shut eye on the way home.

5.  Dancing comes in many forms.  Some hilarious, some adorable, some impressive, all appropriate for Coachella.

6.  Bringing a re-fillable water bottle and filling up at the water stations is both a sound financial decision and a great way to stay hydrated throughout the day.

7.  The most beautiful time of day at the grounds is when the sun is setting.

8.  Expect anything!  I bet you didn't think you would ever see Tupac on stage with Snoop again, did you?

9.  A small cross body purse will be your best friend if you are a woman.

10.  I LOVE COACHELLA!!!!!!

Coachella Part 1

I am going to go out on a limb here and assume that everyone has heard of Coachella... As one of the biggest music festivals of the year Coachella's reputation precedes it.  While it is known as a hipster paradise, going to Coachella was for me much more about checking out some great musical acts and getting out into the sunshine.  I had dreamt about going for years and I can't even begin to tell you all how much fun I had.

I will post more about the festival in a couple of days but wanted to share a couple photos today to brighten up what has been a dreary, rainy Vancouver day.

Weekend in Victoria

Last weekend I spent three amazing days in my hometown.  I spent the weekend catching up with friends, going for walks by the water, and visiting my two favourite people in the world.  I took the ferry over and then lucked out with a Harbour Air seat sale and was able to fly home.  If you get the chance be sure to take the seaplane from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria - on a nice day there is no better way to travel.  Having grown up in Victoria I have to admit that I am surely a bit biased when I say that it is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world.   But, don't take my word for it - judge for yourself...

A little context for that last photo: 

When I was a kid my Papa had a trick kite quite like the one in the photo.  We would always spend Spring Break together as a family and he would bring it with him to fly in the windy Washington sky.  I remember as a kid thinking that kite was the coolest thing.  One thing to understand about my Papa is that he was born with what our family calls the 'fun gene'.  Simply put, this means that he was able to find the fun in just about anything.  He even once took my cousins and I on a Magical Mystery Trip to the dump.  Now, taking 3 kids to the city dump doesn't sound like fun to most people but my Papa turned that trip into one of the most amazing days of my childhood.  It was never about what he was doing but how much fun he could have doing it.  

I've been thinking a lot about that lately, about how some people are able to find the joy in even the most mundane tasks and how we should all aspire to be a little bit more like that.  I for one am guilty of getting so bogged down with obligations and responsibilities that I forget how lucky and blessed I am.  I need to get back in touch with my fun gene and that is exactly what I am going to do!

Have a great (and fun!) weekend - no matter what you are doing :)

R