California Dreamin’ Tour – Day 7

Well, we changed course (again) so we didn’t make it to the Mojave Desert (dang). Instead, we decided to drive through Palm Springs, just to see what it looked like. I expected it to be ugly, flat, and hot, but it was only hot. The setting was a surprisingly beautiful study in contrasts – stark, rugged mountains surrounding the lush and luxurious oasis of Palm Springs. My other motive for driving to Palm Springs was to see the Rivera Resort, which the locals call the “Riv,” and the resort operator calls the “Legendary Rivera Resort and Spa.”'

I wanted to check it out because when I was a kid I watched lots of “I Love Lucy” and they were always talking about going to the Rivera in Palm Springs. It was a favorite Hollywood celebrity hideout during the late 50’s and early 60’s, and the place to see and be seen. So we found our way to the resort, and it was uniquely fabulous. We simply had to stay the night, and the entire 24 hours we were there we felt like celebrities ourselves! The vibe was so retro-chic. I kept expecting to spot Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe at the pool.

Understandably, the triple-digit summer heat slows their business to a crawl, so we got a poolside suite for $97!!They said that our same room rents for more than $450 a night in the fall and winter! We loved, loved, loved it! Sadly, we’re headed back to Texas (reality, work, etc.), but with loads of wonderful vacation memories!

California Dreamin’ – Day 6

Wow! What a day! Big Sur, the Monterey Aquarium, no hot water at the Super 8 (more on that later)!  No matter how many times I make the Highway1 drive through the Big Sur, I am struck speechless at its beauty – well, obviously not completely speechless, but words do seem inadequate. Around every bend is a staggering view that restores your faith in just about everything.  

Couple of recommendations: Make the drive on a weekday, and not during the peak tourist season (duh). Make the drive from North to South so that the passenger in the car has the best views. That way you also end the drive somewhere other than hyper-expensive Monterey/Carmel. Super 8 charged us $220 for a room, we had no hot water, and they could have cared less.

I’ve been to the Monterey Aquarium before too, but it was even more mind-blowing, this visit. The jellyfish and seahorse exhibits were new and mesmerizing. Since we wanted to get on the road early, we went just as the aquarium was opening at 9:30 am, which turned out to be a stroke of luck. When we left, there was a very long line of impatient children and cranky parents waiting to get in – so go early!

We decided to cut our trip a little short (ran out of money), so instead of going on to San Francisco, which we’ve done a few times, we turned towards Highway 5 back to the LA area to spend the night and again, luck was with us. We found a very nice motel room, $87 with hot water, in of all places, Pasedena! Turns out, downtown Pasedena is trés cool. We had the nicest dinner at a popular little trattoria, Mi Piace, then slept like babies and arose to a virtually empty Sunday morning freeway. Next stop? Hmmmm. Not sure….

SueAnn