Palm Desert: Day 1

Either Google Maps lied to me, or I deceived myself. I'm guessing it's the latter. 

When I checked online for the easiest route to my hotel, I thought I would arrive in Palm Desert in about 2.5 hours and miss rush hour traffic. It actually took me 3.75 hours. I'm now convinced whoever said Detroit was a living hell has never driven northbound on the 215 between Murietta and Interstate 10.

The only room I could book at my preferred hotel has an extra bed, and the bathroom's pretty nice too.

The journey here taught me a few lessons. Miku's AC is perfect for keeping a bottle of wine nearly refrigerator cold for nearly four hours. The same goes for this beloved Mountain Mix that I'll snack on during my stay.

The Doritos? I had no choice but to buy them at a Redlands gas station. Yours truly thought it would be a great idea to hydrate myself for the drive, but once I got stuck in traffic my bladder had other plans! In exchange for using the restroom I was obligated to purchase something, so now I have Doritos to jack up my sodium intake.

I'm so thankful that Spo was very understanding when I explained my dilemma. I'm here to tell y'all that if you thought he was a wonderful man on his blog he's even better in person. We had dinner at Eight4Nine and if you're ever in Palm Springs you must eat here. 

I don't remember what Spo had offhand, but I had baked bucheron for the appetizer, grilled Scottish salmon for the meal and a glass of chenin blanc that really surprised me with its spicy demeanor. I picked up the tab for both of us and we had a wonderful time.

Spo also showed me the Shag art gallery, the place that has the framed print he wants to take home. I don't blame him. If I had the empty space on one of my walls I could easily lose a few Gs in that place!

My first day here was a smashing success. It doesn't look like I'll be able to see Spo again during my stay but I'm already warming up to the idea of visiting Palm Springs again toward the end of the year. I imagine the weather would be quite agreeable sometime after Halloween.