The Year of Traveling Beautifully pt.1

The Year of Traveling Beautifully pt.1



Today is my Birthday, my "New Year" if you will , I like to take the time to reflect on the last 365 days and to say hello the the next 365.

2018 was an incredible travel year for me and for that I am MOST grateful.I know a "REAL blogger" would have written and documented along the way but hey, I was busy being an entrepreneur, wife ,mother, sister and friend.I realize many REAL bloggers wear all of those hats as well but I just couldn't seem to get it all done and write too.I will work on that.

Back to what was one of my best travel years ever.... the first half of 2018 brought the California trip.I visited California once before(quick LA visit) and on that trip, realized I would like to see more! I had the opportunity to join a friend in Palm Springs so I jumped on the chance. Of course I wanted to make it as much of an adventure as possible, so I flew into LA, picked up my rented Mercedes (it was LA after all) paid a visit to the fashion district, made a few purchases for the shop and proceeded to drive to Palm Springs.It was an incredible drive out of the city through the mountains and into the desert.My very gracious hostess had accommodations for us at The La Quinta Resort (a Waldorf Astoria property) in Palm Springs! It is a beautiful property with a lot of history, a phenomenal golf course and OH the pools!! The views, the foliage , everything about the grounds of this property was AMAZING. I highly recommend a stay at The La Quinta if you get out west!

My stay in Palm Springs included some time hiking in the desert, shopping, dining and a visit to the Palm Springs Art Museum for a fantastic Warhol exhibit.

I hiked at The Whitewater Preserve near Joshua Tree.This is a great facility especially if you are going solo like me. I adore solitude and you can find it hiking in the desert, that's for sure. It's a magical place that you have to experience to truly understand, but I found myself thinking about Jesus' time in the desert, how Moses & David both spent time in the desert , and all that the word and place DESERT represent.

It was beautiful.



The Palm Springs shopping was great! Shops filled with vintage, mid century ,modern...you name it.From high end to consignment there is something for everyone.Some of my favorites were The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five this is a well put together collective of brands that has a great variety of merchandise from housewares to rock and roll vintage t-shirts! Christopher Kennedy (named for the fabulous designer and author himself) was another favorite where the staff was so friendly and knowledgeable and the merchandise was perfection from Christophers own impressive collections to other fun house and bar ware to our own local maker Liz Martins, The Charleston Weekender Turkish towels! Another fun stop was SHAG the store, where you can find the fun art of SHAG that depicts a time gone by perfectly and colorfully! Of course you can go out from downtown and find a bevy of respected high end retailers, but for some fun, truly Palm Springs shopping I recommend these fun shops along Canyon Drive where some of the people watching is as fascinating as the merchandise!



To be honest my friend and I called this the Cheese Plate tour of California and enjoyed making our own from the nearby Trader Joes and enjoyed some from room service too! But of course I couldn't come to California without having some MEXICAN! So I called my friend Gayle who lives in Palm Desert and we met for Mexican and margaritas at a restaurant she recommended. Cafe Casuelas did not disappoint!! Oh my stars was this food good!! The live music was perfect!!Picture a talented guy on a HARP strumming out "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" lol

It was just what I needed and expected from a Mexican restaurant this close to Mexico!

Any time I travel I check the local museums to find out what special exhibit may be available during my stay and fortunate for me , The Palm Springs Art Museum had a great Warhol exhibit that included a very entertaining and knowledgeable docent that even dressed in character as Warhol himself!!

Travel....the only thing you buy that makes you richer!! Stay tuned as I run through Santa Monica, New York,Charleston,Hilton Head and PARIS.
#travel #PalmSprings #women #blog #solotravel #art #shopping

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