Some days you just need a weekend off, a reason to get away and a reason to do nothing. This past weekend was one of those weekends. I’ve been feeling the daily grind of life and was craving an adventure and a weekend escape – two of my favorite things. Dave and I decided Palm Springs seemed like a sure bet so we booked a hotel, packed our bags and away we went.

Palm Springs is a desert oasis. Boasting nearly 120 degrees in the summer, it’s a place that thrives in the winter, fall and spring. We were going at a perfect time. Early spring meant that the sun was out, the days were long and the temperatures maxed out at 80-83 degrees. The thriving city sits in the middle of the desert about 3 hours inland from Santa Barbara. It’s an easy of enough drive for us and well worth the escape.

We awoke before the sun and headed southeast. Driving the coast as the sun was rising on a new day, I again couldn’t help but feel grateful for the opportunity to live in such a paradise. We were lucky to live where we lived and I never wanted to forget that.

Along the freeway, we spotted a classic California roadside attraction: the big dinosaurs of Cabazon. They have been featured in many movies and are famous for their ridiculous size and attraction. We of course, pulled over to have some fun with the roadside attraction.

Continuing east, we drove to Palm Springs for our weekend. Of course, I made us pull over at the welcome to Palm Springs sign so I could get a photo in front of it. Were you even there without a picture welcoming you?! Just kidding..

Dave is convinced one of these days I will suddenly decide to like starting sandwiches so he selected a sandwich spot for lunch. I kept him amused by ordering a basic grilled cheese and only eating the edges like a young child would. “Baby steps” is, I’m sure, what he was thinking about the whole thing. After our quick lunch we strolled the streets of Palm Springs before heading to the hotel to unpack for the weekend.

You could not get me to the pool quick enough. I was ready to lounge with my book, order drinks and spend the weekend doing nothing. “The human world is a mess – life under the sea is better than anything they’ve got up there!” is what I kept telling Dave, quoting The Little Mermaid while alluding to the actual reality this world faces. I was ready to just turn everything off for the weekend and just be.

Which is exactly what we did. We spent the next two days, becoming victims to the sun’s vicious rays, eating too many flatbreads, reading a book or two, taking laps in the pool and toasting our escape with yummy cocktails and drinks.

Palm Springs – you may have just become one of my favorite winter escapes.

Cheers ‘till next time