FIVE GRAND DAYS — The Weekly Opine

Sunrise on one of the lovely days spent in Southern California. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

It’s true

Most everyone has heard the refrain, “it’s not the heat it’s the humidity.” Or someone you know insists 100-degree temperatures in the Southwest are not that bad because it is dry heat. My response has always been 100 degrees is 100 degrees – hot no matter the location.

As sometimes is the case – this time it was the case – I was proven wrong during a just completed sojourn to Rancho Mirage, California.

Upon announcing I was going to the California desert, reactions ranged from delight to surprise to “are you crazy?” Unbeknownst to me, June is apparently when the Palm Springs area heats up for the summer, with the temperature sometimes rising above 110 degrees.

A week prior to our trip, the forecast suggested temps would range between 105 to 110 degrees. In the days before we went on our journey, I began to literally sweat. The thought of being stuck indoors in air conditioning, during a 5-day/5-night vacation, was enough to make me think twice.

However, I chatted with my sister, who spent time in Arizona when she was a flight attendant. Sis said I would be surprised how doable triple-digit temperatures are (when accompanied by low humidity). So, I recharged my excitement. After all, one of the reasons for the trip was to celebrate my sweetheart’s birthday!

Upon arriving in Palm Springs, California, the weather app on my phone presented an intimidating forecast for our destination - Rancho Mirage. Was the trip a mistake? Nah! (Photo credit The Weather Channel screenshot)

When we landed in Palm Springs last Wednesday, the temperature approached 100 degrees. By the time we secured our rental car and arrived at our lunch destination, a vegan-friendly restaurant named Palm Green Café, it was 105 degrees. After a delicious lunch we decided to – gulp – take a walk.

To our surprise, it was a pleasant walk. There is no denying 105 degrees is hot. And there was little shade to buffer us from an overdose of sun-fueled vitamin D. Yet, we were barely sweating. Had we been in the Midwest, in 90-degree weather with 70% humidity, we would have been drenched.

(This week on Tuesday, at home, I sat on my patio writing this blog. Around 11:30 a.m. the temperature was 83 degrees with 58% humidity. It felt worse than Palm Springs’ 105 degrees with 10% humidity.)

Miro’s in Palm Springs was the perfect place to celebrate my sweetheart’s birthday…sitting outdoors. (Photo credit Bethanny A.)

Stroke of luck

Due to the lingering pandemic, restaurants at our resort were closed. So, after lunch on arrival day Wednesday, we went shopping and loaded up on groceries and supplies. We decided to make breakfast each day in our 1-bedroom villa, eating on our semi-secluded patio. (Our villa also included a washer and dryer which influenced how much we packed for the trip.)

Other than Wednesday evening, when we grilled scallops, shrimp, and vegetables at our resort villa, the remainder of the vacation we ate dinner at eateries.

It turned out to be a foodie’s paradise (not that we are foodies). Thursday was a fun dinner at La Brasserie in La Quinta, with friends of Bethanny. Friday dinner was at Las Casuelas Nuevas in Rancho Mirage, with my family. Dinner on Saturday was at Miro’s in Palm Springs. Sunday dinner was at Café des Beaux Arts in Palm Desert. (We were also seated at the ideal table at each restaurant.)

Mikael Healey threw down last Saturday night at Melvyn’s at the Ingleside Inn. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Saturday was the special day of the trip. After spending most of the day at the pool/cabana, we savored Bethanny’s birthday dinner at Miro’s and then drove to Melvyn’s lounge, located in the legendary, landmark Ingleside Inn. Melvyn’s music director, Mikael Healey, worked magic on the piano while singing audience requests. Healey asked audience members where they were from and, upon hearing we were visiting from Chicago, immediately launched into Sinatra’s “My Kind of Town,” sans request.

Closed resort restaurants really did not matter, other than there was no poolside service so ordering margaritas and pina coladas was impossible. However, dining in various enclaves allowed us to see more of the area and taste culinary variety – vegan, French, Mexican, Hungarian, and French again. The food was excellent.

Family matters

Friday was also special. I got to see my niece, nephew, and their families, all of whom drove up from San Diego. It had been several years so it was an overdue reunion, and I was thrilled to introduce them to Bethanny. We had a wonderful time, hanging out at our poolside cabana, soaking up the cool water of the pool, and taking rides down the waterslide. Dinner at Las Casuelas Nuevas was fabulous.

Hanging with family outside our cabana. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Friday night, after saying goodbye to my family, we drove into downtown Palm Springs and walked among the bustling night scene, before heading back to the Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas in Rancho Mirage. On a separate evening, we drove into the foothills, stopping to view the stars and not-too-distant Palm Springs stretching out below us.

Open houses

Our visit to Sunnylands Center and Gardens was thoroughly enjoyable. The outdoors tour of the property was fortuitous (indoors house tours are still suspended). After last weekend, outdoors tours are closed until fall so our timing was opportune. The combination of landscaping, architecture, and sculptures made for a visual delight. Plus, the constant backdrop of mountains made it more stunning.

Sunnylands has hosted eight U.S. presidents (Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, H.W. Bush, Clinton, W. Bush, and Obama) as well as powerful foreign dignitaries.

The story of Sunnylands’ magnolia tree, a gift from President Nixon, originated with President Andrew Jackson, who planted a magnolia tree at his home in Tennessee. A cutting of Jackson’s magnolia tree was planted at the White House. Nixon then brought a cutting of the White House magnolia tree to Sunnylands where it was planted and still thrives today.

One of many beautiful pieces of art at Sunnylands. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

The history of Sunnylands, built and developed by taste-makers Walter Annenberg, who founded TV Guide magazine, and his wife Leonore, is inspirational, as is the non-partisan philanthropy of the Annenberg estate. Our guide permitted us to glimpse through windows at the house to see some of the incomparable art and interior design collection amassed by the Annenberg’s.

On Sunday, we took a spectacular drive up Highway 74 into the mountains (tickets to the rotating air tram were sold out for weeks). In a surprise twist, we decided to check out two open houses. The first house was a fixer upper ranch – tantamount to a “before” photo – with sweeping views and huge potential. The second home, also a ranch, was like the “after” photo. Recently refurbished from “the studs out,” it was elegant and included a 1-bedroom cottage next to the immaculately designed backyard pool area.

During lunch at the Daily Grill in Palm Desert I was served the biggest salad I have ever seen (or eaten). The downside was the restaurant wanted $14 to substitute salmon for chicken. I politely declined.

The flight from Chicago to Palm Springs was smooth sailing. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Time to fly

As readers of this blog know, I’ve been seduced by rail travel; seven overnight train trips during the nearly five years since departing McDonald’s corporate. Amtrak has ferried me round-trip to D.C., New York, Miami Beach (twice), L.A., Dallas, and Pittsburgh. Until last Wednesday’s flight to Palm Springs, I had not been on an airplane since September 2015.

We could not have customized a better flight to Palm Springs. Smooth as a baby’s cheeks. On the way home, we flew a small jet from Palm Springs to Phoenix. A magnificent 787 Dreamliner carried us on the 3-hour flight from Phoenix to Chicago. Briefly, we encountered choppy air but the 787 is a big bird so the effect was minimal. The movie “Late Night” provided fun entertainment on the ride home.

Reflecting on the trip after arriving home, we agreed it was a vacation loaded with highlights; and we would gladly do it again.

Here are a few more photos that capture the “flavor” of our wonderful time in Southern California.

The view sitting on our patio at the Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Nothing says vacation more than palm trees and a pool. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

The city of Palm Desert is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Sunnylands Visitors Center. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

The magnolia tree. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Bethanny’s birthday dinner was delightful. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Due to outrageous rental car rates, I initially made arrangements to drive a U-Haul truck like this one as our vacation vehicle. Rates finally came down so I rented a Toyota Corolla. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Editors note: During the next month, I will be participating in a community project with the garden group I am a member of and will take a few weeks off from blogging. The garden walk is our biggest annual event and requires my undivided attention, in order to fulfill my role as chair of the marketing/publicity committee. Look for The Weekly Opine on the other side of the July 4th holiday.