18/09/2013:
We had to get up earlier that Wednesday morning, as it was time to hit the road. We had no idea of where to go, but we would figure it out! We took a quick shower and started packing, also ordered breakfast to the room before we had to get going. We failed to see the Hollywood sign yesterday, as we drove wrong, so we decided to have another try before leaving L.A.. Around 11AM, in a fully packed car containing our luggage, water and snacks which we bought in the dollar store the previous evening, Michael and I looked at each other fake-worryingly as we were literally homeless now! LOL :) The only thing we knew was that we had to reach Las Vegas by Friday 20/09 as we booked accommodation there till Sunday 22/09, meaning we had two days to spare... Oh, what to do?? First things first, we went on a mission to find us a good place to see the famous sign!
We found some directions on our GPS towards Lake Hollywood park, but we didn't have the updated version, so we were lost again! We ended up driving into a girls only camp where we asked directions to Ranger Tom, who was so friendly and helpful! He gave us a paper map where he indicated some good spots for us! We thanked Ranger Tom for his help and made our way to one of these places. After some searching we finally found quiet a good location with an amazing view on the Hollywood sign! We took the usual touristy pictures and continued our journey to somewhere... We hadn't decided yet... So I browsed on the internet for some places to visit and if it was on the way to Vegas. We finally made a decision and we would go to Palm Springs!
Once on the highway, it was already around 5PM, we got stuck in some famous L.A. traffic... Luckily it didn't take too long before we were well on our way towards Palm Springs. We ended up driving through so beautiful desert landscapes! We immediately felt a sensation of freedom, not being stuck in a packed and busy city, just us and nature, such an amazing feeling. Again I had an urge of euphoria bubbling up inside of me, it even made me a bit emotional too! I guess you'll have to find out for yourself to understand what I mean! After taking in all the beauty for a while, Michael asked me: "Baby, where are you taking me?! We've been driving in the desert for ages!" :) Just at that moment our GPS indicated that we were almost at our destination. We couldn't believe our eyes, as if it were a Fata Morgana, just a few minutes ago we were still in a desert and now we were in the midst of an oasis with palm trees!
Slowly we were making our way through the main street while on the lookout for a nice place to stay for the night, it was so difficult to decide, as there were so many resorts/hotels to choose from! Finally we picked one which looked decent, Ivy Palm Resort, but we got much more in return than we expected! The lady at the reception was so friendly, she asked the usual questions: "Where are you from? Where are you heading to?..." We told her that we were going to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, so she gave us some suggestions of places to visit in that area. She also told us that it was actually not the season to be in Palm Springs, as it was too hot! This was so true, as we got out of the car around 8PM and it was still tremendously warm! As it was not the season, the resort didn't have so many booking, so she gave us a poolside room for the price of a standard one! After all the administration, we took all the stuff from the car and found ourselves in a super clean place with a wonderful king-size bed! Just outside our doorstep we saw one of the two pools and it looked like a little paradise with its beautiful flowers and palms trees... This was the best place we've had so far! After freshening ourselves up, we went on the hunt for food! The sweet receptionist also provided us a map from the town, which contained one main road with all the restaurants and bars. A short drive near downtown Palm Springs, we found a cozy Italian place called Al Dente with amazing service and delicious food. During our meal we discussed what we would do the following day, and because we wanted to chill, we decided to book an extra night! After that wonderful dinner, we went for a drive around the main roads and stopped at 7/11 to buy some drinks which we would consume at our hotel. We returned to our accommodation and went straight to the reception to extend our stay. Once everything was arranged we just had our beer and enjoyed the rest of the evening in a relaxing manner.
19/09/2013:
After much needed sleep and waking up in that amazing bed, it felt as if I was reborn! I creeped on Michael a bit, as he was still asleep, then made my way to the shower to start the day. When I got out of the bathroom, Michael also woke up and prepared himself. Once we were ready we had a look at the breakfast buffet, as our stay also included continental breakfast, but it was nothing special to be honest! Our plan for that day was to enjoy the pools we had at our disposal, as it was so hot! We also would try to find a supermarket to find food to enjoy at the hotel for dinner, instead of going to a restaurant... We preferred to keep our budget mainly for Las Vegas!
Our aim for the day was to relax, tan, swim and enjoy! And we did just that! We tanned and swam, but around 1PM we got hungry and drove downtown to find some place to have a quick bite. We ended up eating at Ruby's Diner, which wasn't bad at all! After lunch we drove to the nearest Ralphs Grocery Store to buy food for dinner, snacks, drinks and SPF50 sunblock! We made sure we returned as soon as possible so we could jump in the refreshing water. Once back at the hotel, we chilled poolside, had fun swimming and drowning each other! :) At sunset we ate our dinner which we bought at Ralphs and enjoyed some more beers. As we had a long drive the following day, we went to bed at a decent hour, preparing ourselves for our next adventure... We had fun in our oasis, it was so different from anything we've ever seen and we really recommend staying in that desert town if you want to unwind!
Relaxing, this word pretty much summed-up our whole stay at Palm Springs, as we wanted to be well rested for Las Vegas! But that story is for next week!
This is the end of Part V, stay tuned for Part VI where you will read about our adventures in Sin City! If you enjoyed reading this, go on and subscribe to the blog! Until next week!
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