Girls' Trip!

 

My BFF of 35 years turned 40 this past winter. We needed a girls trip to celebrate! Something nice enough to fit the occasion, but something reasonable enough since we all have a lot going on at home. Palm Springs, CA was the winner. The five of my best and longest girlfriends loaded up in the van and road tripped.

 

I am a true believer of itineraries. I make one for essentially every trip I go on. Even if you end up not following it to a T, it at least gives you some ideas if you're looking for something to do. If something else comes up, great. So of course, I had a rough plan for this trip too.

 

The Area

We stayed at The Saguaro Palm Springs, a hip hotel near the downtown area. It was one of the few hotels that allowed all 5 of us to share a room.

 

The hotel worked for the short trip. 

 

After getting settled, we went out exploring. We used Lyft to get to the downtown Palm Springs area, off Palm Canyon Dr. We went between Christmas and New Years, which is a BUSY time for the area. If you want to get into any good restaurant, you need reservations. The area has a lot of options, shopping, and some sights to explore as well.

 

While I'm not the crooner myself, the birthday girl certainly is so we found some karaoke at a tiki bar after dinner and shopping. It's odd how many tiki bars are in this area, but I think Tonga Hut was the best. It had an awesome atmosphere and we all had fun with the karaoke. The bartender for whatever reason hated us, but we still had a great night.

Joshua Tree

The next day, we headed to Joshua Tree National Park. On our way there, we stopped at Windmill Market. It's a small market with some of the best sandwiches! We picked a few up to eat at the Park. Now, Joshua Tree deserves it's own trip and own post. But, we barely dipped our toes in it. We drove in, spent a little time exploring and climbing around, and then were out. It really deserves a whole trip of it's own.

We entered at the park's west entrance, accessed from Yucca Valley.

Park your car at any interesting stop, get out, and explore a bit.

 

We had other things to do though, so it was a short in and out for us. 

 

Hot Springs

Our next stop was Azure Palm Hot Springs. It was one of the few hot springs we could find day passes for. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

 

We were given lockers, a robe, and slippers for the day. We changed into our suits and headed out back, the star of the show. They had beautifully manicured grounds with an amazing view of Big Bear mountain. 

The best part was the handful of private soaking tubs. They were popular, so you had to keep an eye on them and not be afraid to join a person or two. The tubs had the best view and were very relaxing. 

 

The resort also had a large pool and large hot tub, so there was always enough room for everyone without feeling crowded. 

 

There was also this interesting Reflexology Walk. It was a little path lined with pebbles that would massage your feet as you walked through the warm water.  

 

I think a favorite of most of us was the Himalayan Salt Room. It's not included in a day pass, but it really is a cool experience. And if you ask the right people, they might just sneak you in.  

 

The idea is to lay quietly on top of these mats which are laying over Himalayan salt. You breathe in the salt for about 15 minutes, of which they claim has wide ranging benefits.  

 

After you're done, you head to their Desert Ice Room for 5 minutes which is meant to close up your pores and increase circulation.

 

It was a fun experience and I would absolutely recommend it if you're in the area. I'd even look into staying here. 

 

To end the trip, we again headed to the downtown area for dinner and a drink. 

I think Palm Springs makes a great girls or couples trip. Joshua Tree needs a trip of it's own to really explore it, but you can do a quick trip in like us to just get a taste.