Week-long vacations are great, but our family ends up doing a lot of quick, one- or two-night trips. With work and school schedules, it’s difficult to carve out 7-10 days to travel. We would rather go on a quick road trip than not go at all, which has lead us to explore places like Houston and Seattle in just a few short days.
Our trip to Palm Springs was no different. We spent a mere 24-hours in the Coachella Valley. Here’s how we made the most of our time exploring the area:
Day 1: Morning
We hit the road and drove from Las Vegas to Palm Springs in about 4.5 hours. We stayed at the Renaissance Esmeralda, which is located in Indian Wells.
Day 1: Afternoon
We arrived at the Renaissance Esmeralda, and I immediately knew I’d picked the right hotel. The grounds were immaculate, and I loved seeing lots of colorful, blooming flowers in the middle of winter. (Believe it or not, Las Vegas gets pretty cold in the winter. The Coachella Valley is consistently warmer than Southern Nevada.)
The resort is absolutely beautiful: airy and light and luxurious. Although our assigned room had a balcony, we upgraded to a pool-view room for an additional fee. It was worth it. This is the view we enjoyed from our room:
After we arrived at our room, it took about 30 seconds for five-year-old E. to see the pool from the balcony and decide that she wanted to join the fun. Although it was late afternoon by this point and starting to get a little chilly in the shade, the pool was heated and didn’t feel too bad. Besides, there isn’t much that can deter a kid from swimming.
E. and her dad went swimming while I sat poolside and had a drink. Eventually the sun set, and we decided to call it a day and get ready for dinner.
Day 1: Evening
I hadn’t scoped out any restaurants prior to our arrival, so we did the “drive around and look for a place to eat” routine that night. We headed to Palm Desert, the town just west of Indian Wells. We drove through the little downtown area filled with shops (most of which were closed for the day) and restaurants. We decided on an Italian restaurant and enjoyed some pasta before finding a frozen yogurt shop and then heading back to the hotel.
Day 2: Morning
Another hotel guest had mentioned to me that the breakfast place at the Renaissance Esmeralda was pretty good, so we decided to give it a try. I’m so glad we did! The breakfast buffet was outstanding and included a juice bar, omelete station, waffles, and fresh fruit. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was a great spot to discuss our plans for the day.
After breakfast, we took a quick walk around the resort grounds and then gathered our things and checked-out. Afterall, we had some exploring to do!
Day 2: Afternoon
Our main objective before heading home was to explore the Living Desert. This is a zoo that features desert animals from around the world. We saw everything from giraffes to panthers. We also enjoyed a camel ride, for an additional fee. It was worth the money for one lap around the camel enclosure.
Living Desert was really the highlight of our trip. We don’t have a real zoo here in Las Vegas. It’s strange to think that something that was a staple from my own childhood is more of a rare occasion for E. We need to get her to a zoo more often even if it requires a drive to San Diego or elsewhere.
After our visit to the Living Desert, we began to make our way home…kind of. We stopped for lunch on our way out of town in downtown Palm Springs. We decided to try Maracas Cantina. I ordered something there I’d never eaten before: a mango salsa and brie quesadilla. It was just as delicious, of course. (How could it not be? Brie is the best!) After we ate, we walked around, checked out some of the stars along the sidewalk, and then drove back to Las Vegas.
I hope our travels will take us back to Palm Springs again. This isn’t the most kid-friendly place we’ve visited, but Living Desert is certainly worth a visit, and the city is filled with resort-style accomodations that are great for families.
