The Subtle Allure of Palm Springs

Palm Springs is hot hot hot!


Topping 100 degrees for over half the year, Palm Springs is known as a retirement paradise for the elite golf, and senior community. A well known tennis resort destination, the beautiful weather affords some of the biggest tournaments to visit the city. The upcoming BNP Paribas Open Mar 6 - 17 is a huge annual draw for tennis pros and spectators from all over the world.

Great restaurants and bars, live music, and fabulous shopping invite tourism of all kinds.
Palm Springs has some of the best resale and consignment shops I have ever visited.



Coachella is the new young draw, but this golf destination has been drawing the elite wealthy to this desert city for decades. The music hype has become a trendy reason to bring yet, even more money into this community...and, Good on them.

This year, April 12-21 the trendy desert music festival brings headliners like Ariana Grande and Childish Gambino, both young icons in their own right, for two weekends of woodstock-like shenanigans.
I am not a hater and any reason to listen to live music, in the sun, have some cocktails, or whatever makes your kitty purr is a reason to dance like no one is watching even when the whole world is doing exactly just that.




As a popular snow bird destination, the winter temperatures are easy on the joints, and the soul. Pool temps are comfortable year round and I believe anytime the sun out is bikini weather. Let's do this.

Desert heat and mountain landscapes line the upscale communities. Pool life is an integral part of the Palm Springs lifestyle.

One of my favorite warm weather retreats, what I love most about Palm Springs is the effort to seem casual and low key while surrounded by the elite rich and famous.

The golf and tennis clubs outnumber all other entertainment establishments in the city.
The cost of hotels here also out-price  any hotel in the country, competitive with New York and Los Angeles.
One of my favorite stays is the Hilton Doubletree golf resort. It is pet friendly, has a fantastic pool area and spectacular golfing for the price. One of the more reasonable resorts in the area and if you are a Hilton Honors member, you can use points for this booking and utilize all the Honors benefits during your stay. I always need the complimentary water, and who doesn't love the famous Doubletree cookie?

AirBnb's are plentiful and accessible to travelers providing access to the upscale lifestyle and quiet neighborhoods of Palm Springs, and many times less expensive than a hotel or resort. Why rent a room when you can have the whole house?


The AirBnb I chose was landscaped beautifully, with an inviting pool as the centerpiece.  Fire-pits accessorize the outdoor entertainment area and provide a sexy backdrop for nights outdoors by the pool. The designer payed special attention to keeping the decor aligned with the Palm Springs aesthetic yet still remaining contemporary and clean. This is always my favorite option when traveling to Palm Springs.
Indian Wells Private Retreat available for rent, year round.

Vogue

Checking out the cover of the March issue of Vogue, which features our First Lady Michelle Obama, made me so proud to see what this election year is doing across the board for people of color, and women in our country. Politics and fashion go hand in hand - sounds crazy, but look at the trends.
But to see not only a beautiful brown face, but a body that isn't a stick figure, on the cover of Vogue is wonderful.
Even though the average size of American women is a 12, we never see that on the cover of the iconic fashion magazines. Michelle Obama is thin compared to most of America but you wouldn't know it from the historically famous models who always grace the covers.

This cover reminds me of the poem by Maya Angelou:

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Maya Angelou

So, to all the Phenomenal Women in my life, WE are represented on the cover of next month's Vogue magazine.