Explore: Palm Springs

Palm Springs holds a very special place in my heart. The energy, the art, and the people creating beautiful things in the desert drew me in. In fact, Will and I got married there in 2015 at the Ace Hotel and Beach Club.

We haven’t been since our wedding, so I thought it was the perfect time to revisit the magic for my birthday. As always, Palm Springs did not disappoint.

We stayed at the Infusion Beach Club which is one of the newest hotels in the area. Much like many of the hotels in this area, instead of tearing down an old hotel, the owners decided to use an existing space and make it their own.

They’re currently in their soft opening, but we are loving the direction that they’re going in. The rooms are spacious and have very mid-century vibes with dark tones and vintage finds. They also do fun events throughout the day like a 5 PM happy hour and evening movies poolside.

The downtown area has changed significantly with a few big box stores coming in, but that didn’t stop from doing one of my favorite activities in Palm Springs: vintage shopping! The Frippery is a gorgeous and well curated boutique that has all your brightly colored kaftan and loose boho dress needs at an attainable price point. It was hard to pick one piece, but I found a colorful geometric two piece set that I’m so excited to wear once  warmer weather hits.

Another spot we hit up was Iconic Atomic which has been rated as one of the best shops to go to in the area. They have a wide array of clothing for men and women. Will was looking at suit jacket, but sadly passed since we had limited space in our luggage. The also have a huge array of vintage wedding dresses. I told Will that if we were to renew our vows, I’m picking a dress from Iconic.

There’s also a ton of choices for food and drinks. A few traditional spots for us include: Shanghai Reds (Anthony Bourdain once said this place has the best fish tacos), King’s Highway at the Ace Hotel for brunch, and Jake’s for their ahi tuna wrap. We also went to Sherman’s Deli and Bakery for a slice of cake. Note: they’re massive so definitely share. Their San Jacinto cake is a chocolate lover’s heaven. We also went there again for lunch the following day because I was really craving a pastrami sandwich, matzoh ball soup, and latkes.

 

My pre-birthday dinner was at Mr. Parker at The Parker Palm Springs Hotel. Their vegetable risotto was lovely and the ambiance was high end cheeky (and extra af) as designed by the great Jonathan Adler. We walked through the grounds afterwards and were amazed by the hedge maze and all the hidden spaces. You really felt like you were in a different world.

For coffee, Ernest Coffee and Koffi were definite hits with the group. Koffi is a local chain with several shops in the area. Ernest is on the same strip as Iconic Atomic and also shares a space with Bootleggers, a tiki bar we went to twice during our trip. It’s a small space, but their drinks are legit. The bartenders are knowledgeable and are happy to cater to your needs.

For my actual birthday brunch, we went to the Pink Cabana at The Sands Hotel and Spa in Indian Wells, about 20 minutes outside of Palm Springs. If you’re a fan of pink and plants like I am, then this is a dream space for you. It’s a smaller resort that packs a beautiful punch with its Mediterranean inspired tiling and design. My goal is to have a weekend stay here, sit poolside all day, and have a steady flow of their matcha almond lattes.

And, of course, no trip to Palm Springs would be complete without a trip to Moorten’s Botanical Garden. It’s a beautiful cactus garden, and definitely a steal at only 5 bucks to enter. Their cactarium is quite famous and has been featured many times over on Instagram.

Overall, this trip came at a right time for me. I’m feeling refreshed and ready to for the new year. Check out the rest of our photos below! We’ll be posting our Joshua Tree trip next.