My third grade teacher, my favorite teacher of all time, taught us the best way to remember how to differentiate between dessert and desert when spelling. Dessert had two SS for “sweet stuff” and desert had on S for “sand.” I love that and I think about it every time I travel onto that dark desert highway on my way to Palm Springs.
I think I smell colitas…
Palm Springs has alway been a sort of Mecca for me. I took some of my first steps here and learned to swim in hotel pools on weekend family vacations. I crushed on that first older boy as a poolside teen and brought my sister here to get away from it all after a bad break-up. It is truly that place where you can drive for an hour or two and feel like you are hundreds of miles away from whatever you want to leave behind, be it job, the bustle of the city, or a heartache. I would even come here for a bit of rest and sun worship to study before finals. The air is still and the sun is intense and it makes for the the ideal setting for mentally checking out.
The mini road trip from LA has it’s share of roadside attractions and the town itself is full of quirkiness, competing with the classy mid century aesthetic. Although I’ve been coming here for decades, I still find something new to gawk at as I drive down Palm Canyon Blvd. These days, I’m finding myself pulling over to snap a picture. When I think of the most Insta-worthy city, Palm Springs is a hands-down winner for it’s size.
What’s your local escape and why do you love it?
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