Dispatch from the Desert: Palm Springs Honeymoon Musings
Friends, it’s Tuesday, and I’m married and have completed my honeymoon. It feels a bit strange to have already checked the boxes of these two major accomplishments in my life, but here we are.
My friend Paloma warned me that the first feeling we would have after completing our wedding was sadness. Not because we were disappointed—and that certainly was not the case; I cannot wait to tell you more about the details that I loved about our wedding—but because it is one of those rare moments in your life where everyone you care about is in the same place. Because we had our wedding at the Madonna Inn, people came in as early as Thursday, and we got to spend a true weekend away with all of our friends in one place.
We were able to have a hangout on Thursday night, a pickleball tournament, a pool party, a welcome party, the entire wedding and getting-ready time, and then Sunday breakfast. We even went to Buffalo Wild Wings after Sunday breakfast so that we could watch some football. Fair warning: Buffalo Wild Wings is not an enjoyable experience when you are deeply hungover and freezing cold.
Our Palm Springs Honeymoon
Our sweet little greenery-drenched bungalow
But our honeymoon was everything that I wanted it to be. We were originally going to take some big trip next year, then we pared it down to Hawaii immediately after the wedding. But then we asked ourselves what we truly wanted out of this experience, and what we realized is that we just wanted to be somewhere warm, in a pool, enjoying great food. When we thought about it that way, Palm Springs was an obvious and almost only option.
Nearly every year, my parents make a pilgrimage to Modernism Week, the most unique architectural, fashion, and design experience that you can possibly partake in. There are fashion shows, there are house tours, and a million things going on that enhance what is already an amazing experience in Palm Springs. We tend to join them to the best of our ability, and when The Parker goes on sale in July, we also make a point to be down south. However, this was a particularly dead time in Palm Springs, as it was right before a lot of Modernism Week events and a little too early for the snowbirds to be there. That made it easy for us to enjoy all of our favorite places and try some new ones.
Once all of our friends had taken their flights back to Portland from the San Luis Obispo County airport, we departed for Palm Springs. I made it about two hours before Conner had to take over driving, but we arrived right around 8:30 p.m. and got settled into the Avalon Hotel and Bungalows, who kindly upgraded us complimentary with our own bungalow. This meant we had our own tiny studio apartment in the Fountain Courtyard to ourselves for the entire week. This included a kitchenette, dining room, living room, and a king-size bed with an ensuite bathroom and a dressing room, which was great for storing all of the jewelry that I brought with me to the wedding and consequently to the honeymoon.
Dining in the Desert
Colony Club’s to-die-for interiors
Not much is open late-night during the offseason in Palm Springs, but thankfully La Bonita's was available for us to grab a quick burrito and Mexican Coke. Sometimes you just want a well-done burrito after a long drive, and this really hit the spot. If you’re ever out and about and need some good homestyle Mexican food, visit Virginia at La Bonita.
The next day we set out to have ourselves a time. We went to the Colony Club for lunch, which is the cutest boutique hotel. Every vignette has been constructed precisely to make you feel like you are in an exclusive luxury hotel—which you are. The restaurant is expertly adorned with the most delicious tile floors and outstanding wallpapering, along with outstanding service and delicious food. Conner got a crispy chicken sandwich that was, I kid you not, the size of his stomach, and I got some absolutely delicious and filling fish tacos. We even saw a young couple who had just gotten engaged touring the facility, but I wasn't brave enough to offer my services.
We went to the Ace Hotel and Swim Club's Kings Highway for dinner, but only after a quick dip in the pool and a nap. I got the Penne alla Vodka and Conner took a turn getting the fish tacos, which he says were some of the best fish tacos he’s ever had. The batter was light and crispy without being flavorless, and the accompaniments were perfectly designed to give you a perfect bite every time. We were a little disappointed that there weren't enough people to do the drag queen bingo that they typically do every Monday, but given we were the only people in the restaurant, it might have been a tough draw.
Tuesday was one of our most important days, as it was our time to enjoy our reservation at Bar Cecil. Typically my parents can’t even get a reservation, and they post up outside of the restaurant waiting for a spot at the bar. Conner ordered the pork chop, my dad’s favorite, and I ordered the Cacio e Pepe, which was absolutely delicious. We started with six oysters and a Gibson, and they very generously gave us each a glass of champagne to celebrate our honeymoon. This came at the end of a very long day of drinking by the pool at Avalon, which offers poolside service through its Chi Chi restaurant. Our favorite thing to order on the menu was a bucket of four Space Age Strawberry Lemonade wine seltzers, and the absolutely to-die-for waffle fries. Ask for extra celery ranch if you ever get the chance to go.
Detours and Hidden Gems
The Pink Cabana at Sands Hotel
On Wednesday, we made our way out to Indian Wells with the hopes of meeting the Date Lady, aka the lady farmer who runs Regulus Farms. Two members of the accessibility team at Workday recommended her outstanding harvest to me, and we drove all the way out to Indio to see what was up. Unfortunately, we were three weeks early for harvest, and so we were unable to get the dates that we were hoping for. Not all was lost though, because Conner got to send a picture of himself in front of his friend's house who he had always promised to visit. Very convenient to have a friend who lives literally across the street from Empire Polo Club if we ever wanted to go to Coachella again (not likely!).
Nonetheless, we were able to visit one of the most beautiful hotels of all time. If somebody could please get married here and ask me to run the show, I would love you forever. The Sands Hotel and Spa is a Moroccan-inspired bright pink hotel in a very unassuming location in a strip mall. Once you’re inside, you can’t help but be wowed by the architecture, the service, and the serenity that you feel being enclosed by the pink walls of the rooms and the hotel. We ate at The Pink Cabana, the on-site restaurant, and enjoyed a salad (at this point we were very much starving for greens!) and some delicious spritzes. They even gave us a tiny flourless chocolate cake to celebrate our honeymoon. The only disadvantage to having a wedding at The Sands is that you have to buy out the entire property, but if you have enough friends and you have enough resources, it is absolutely worth it.
We made our way home, enjoyed another happy hour in the pool with our Chi-Chi service, and called it a night. But not before getting some late-night Taco Bell.
Shopping and Our Favorites
Authentic Evel Knievel jumpsuit for the very ambitious bride.
On Thursday, Conner asked me what I wanted to do, assuming that I was bored laying around the pool. While that wasn't the case, I was excited to go do some vintage shopping. We started at The Market Market, where he spotted a book that features some interior design that my mom put together: Mid-Century Modern Design by Karen Notestein. I was so thrilled to see my mom’s hard work on display in the shop, where we were all able to see some outstanding vintage furniture selections, an authentic Evel Knievel jumpsuit, and we picked out some vintage records for Christmas presents for the family this coming holiday season. I also spotted so much cute vintage bridal and bridal-adjacent wear that I would love to put some brides in someday soon. We also stopped in at Mitchell’s, a classic, where they have so much delicious vintage clothing, especially unique bridal selections for those who are brave enough to broaden the bridal palette beyond whites and creams. Unfortunately, not many other vintage shops were available, given the off-season, but we enjoyed our little trip nonetheless.
That night we went to Boozehounds for dinner, which offers an outstanding menu that focuses primarily on Southern and Filipino cuisines. It’s also a dog-friendly restaurant, so we got to say hi to some puppies while we were missing our own dog and cats back home. We shared a Hamachi Crudo, Ube Focaccia, and Sizzling Shrimp with Chips. The Ube Focaccia tastes more like focaccia than anything; the ube doesn't really come through, but the Hamachi Crudo and the Sizzling Shrimp were both outstanding. After mains, we were treated to a fresh-baked Funfetti cookie in a bourbon milk that nearly put me to sleep it was so good.
On our last full day, we went to one of our favorite places in Palm Springs, The Saguaro. This is another place I would love to organize a wedding at, because it’s such a fun, vibrant place with great menus and great private and semi-public spaces. We bought a pool pass on ResortPass and enjoyed a poolside lounge chair with great poolside service. I think I’ve had more spicy guava margaritas at The Saguaro than any other drink in my life. Conner got a burger, we shared some elote, and also got the chips and roasted salsa. Don’t sleep on the roasted salsa; it is fantastic.
Sashimi platter at Sandfish
And for our last dinner in paradise, we went to Sandfish, one of my favorite sushi places of all time. We got the sashimi selection, a Venue Roll, and shared a couple of apps. The DJ was very enthusiastic all night, blending in "Rack City" with "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch," and it somehow worked. The atmosphere here is laid-back, but serious about the craft, and you will never leave disappointed. We stopped into 1510 Uptown Gastropub to watch the end of a very long Mariners playoff game and then went back to enjoy our last night together in our bungalow.
We’re home now after a long drive and a stop to pick up our dog and take everything my mom drove away with back to our house. But I am so glad we were able to take this time to just be together. Your honeymoon isn’t just about flaunting a great trip on Instagram; it’s about being with your most important person in a place that is meaningful to you—old or new. Conner and I are creatures of habit, so being in our favorite place eating our favorite meals was exactly right for us. I wouldn’t have it any other way.