Palm Desert: Day 4 - Departure

 

On departure day I like to keep things simple, and this one is slightly different than my previous travels. Today is a rest day for exercise. I’ll grab breakfast and a coffee at six thirty, and then kill time reading blogs and the latest news before I get ready to check out. I’m shooting for a departure time of no later than nine thirty so I can miss rush hour traffic.

When I arrive home, doing laundry is the least of my concerns. My brother is out of the hospital, but I can’t visit him until the middle of next week at the earliest. My sister is doing okay, but she’s not in the best of shape either. It was 86 degrees in San Diego on Thursday. I hope my wine bottles survived that brief brush with heat. I’ll know for sure when I open a bottle of red this weekend.

I really enjoyed my Palm Desert experience. I wrote two chapters for my novel and had enough time to satisfy my epicurean desires. Eight4Nine and Tommy Bahama are great places to go when you want to impress your friends, while the French Corner Cafe gives you that unique Parisian experience nine time zones away. You get what you pay for in all three places, and I won’t hesitate to dine there again.

I also found time this morning to write a draft for my thoughts on the book The Millionaire Next Door. I may publish that as soon as Sunday morning.

My hotel wasn’t perfect, but there’s always a work around for everything. Internet access didn’t work at 5pm for some odd reason, but I was always out of my room at that hour so it didn’t matter. Someone stole a 15 pound dumbbell from the fitness center, but that was more humorous than an inconvenience. I was pleased with SpringHill Suites Palm Desert and I may stay here again in November.

I like Palm Desert’s laid back atmosphere. If I move away from San Diego, I’d have to give this region serious consideration. Palm Springs is literally twenty minutes away assuming there’s no heavy traffic on Highway 111, and there’s plenty of good restaurants here waiting for my wallet. Per Redfin, there’s plenty of affordable housing available but it will likely be accompanied with an HOA fee that’s as high as Snoop Dogg. There’s always a catch!

I learned a few things the past few days…

Highway 60 is the preferred route to get here. If I had taken the eastbound on ramp from the 215 in the Moreno Valley area I would’ve arrived a lot earlier than I did on Tuesday. I shall take westbound 60 from the 10 when I reach Beaumont. If my return trip is smooth sailing I may arrive home in about 2.5 hours.

“Resort casual” isn’t just a dress code. It’s a way of life for men out here whether they’re gay, straight or bisexual like me. I don’t mind dressing up in a button down shirt and slacks, but if I can get away with a printed shirt, shorts and boat shoes I’d prefer to wear that every day. 

I didn’t mention this in my Tommy Bahama post, but I met a handful of age appropriate women at the bar that were in town on “girl’s trips” without their husbands. If you don't know that that implies, then boy do I have some stories from my early to mid twenties to educate you on the topic. Ara ara!

I’m going to miss this place, but I’m not saying goodbye. November is only seven months and a day away…