Hotel Hopping in Palm Springs

We went to Palm Springs. We drove all night following two concerts and arrived around 8am and pulled into the Parker Hotel valet but declared ourselves unpresentable for brunch. After changing in the car, we approached the valet a second time and then stepped through the front doors of the Parker and took a slight jump back in time based on the surrounding decor. We dined at Norma's, sitting on her colorful patio beneath heat lamps, and the restaurant boasted breakfast all day, which is a tell-tale sign of an excellent establishment. We dined and the smartest of us ordered mimosas (ahem) and we split courses and stole bites from one another's plates and all claimed to have ordered best.

Following brunch, we roamed the grounds and pretended to be guests. We passed our villa, we passed a retired celeb's villa, we practiced our golf swing and showcased our casual chess skill. We discovered hammocks and almost did not leave.

We only left for the promise of a pool and the Ace Hotel welcomed us in without ordeal or cost and we scored poolside chairs and ordered drinks with a kick. We met the sun for the first time in many months because San Francisco stays pretty grey and we took in the view of a cerulean pool set in the palm-ridden desert set against a mountainous backdrop that featured snow-kissed peaks. We were poolside in January, but the dry air and the hot tub kept us warm.

We reluctantly left for the grocery store and then our little rented house in town. In one day, we made ourselves quite at home in three separate settings, and I think given the chance, we could all stay longer and be truly happy here.