GO AHEAD, TAP THAT CLASS
GO AHEAD, TAP THAT CLASS
Palm Springs is known for its mid-century vibe, and it can be found everywhere! From the cars some people drove to the architecture of personal homes and buildings throughout the city to the colors and hotel decor, mid-century modern is oozing from Palm Springs, California.
Palm Springs is located in the Sonoran Desert, which equates to hot, dry air and, on average, 300 days of sunshine. Well, we visited during the other 65 days because it rained almost every day we were there. BUMMER!
We decided to take a quick weekend trip to Palm Springs to enjoy the sunshine (ugh) and do some major shopping, which didn’t disappoint. We will talk about it below in more detail.
Accommodations: This trip would be quick, so I used my credit card points from my Chase Sapphire Reserved card for our hotel. Based on the points available, we decided to stay at Margaritaville. It was located a block off Palm Canyon Drive, considered the downtown or main drag of Palm Springs. The hotel is located at one end of the downtown area, so depending on where you are going, it might be a long walk, BUT the hotel offers FREE bikes to explore the city.
The hotel consists of multiple buildings that surround the pool area. The pool area is large, with lots of loungers. Numerous fire pits are going at night, and you can buy s’more kits in the lobby store.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the spa. Hopefully, we can check it out next time.
TIP: They LOVE dogs here. Not only are they allowed in almost every part of the hotel (other than the pool area and restaurant – they are allowed in the Let’s Chill bar), but the spa offers a pampered pooch package. It sounds adorable, with three different packages starting at $115.
We recommend this hotel for your visit; however, if you want an authentic Palm Springs experience, consider one of the many mid-century modern – more funky – motels throughout the city. NOTE: At the time of this writing, there is a nightly “resort fee” of $40 per night on top of the nightly r00m rate. This fee supposedly covers WiFi, the pools, gym, room refrigerator, Keurig, and the “free” bikes. We were disappointed with the additional fee as these are standard features in many other hotels. Margaritaville, don’t be so cheap. If needed, build the price into the hotel room fee.
Our dearest BOUJEE friends, check out this outlet mall if you only do one thing in Palm Springs! We know what you are thinking, “I am traveling to Palm Springs to an outlet mall. That seems lame.” But it isn’t!
This outlet mall is the BOUJEE-est with stores such as:
♥ Christian Louboutin (the only outlet in the USA)
♥ Gucci
♥ Burberry
♥ Alexander McQueen
♥ Fendi
♥ Mackage
and so many more!!
TIP: If you only want to visit the more luxury BOUJEE stores, we suggest parking in the EAST parking ramp.
The Gucci store was huge and included a full-price section for in-season items. Most of the items in the store were from last season, but I don’t stay on top of Gucci that much to know what this season or previous season is.
I didn’t buy anything at Gucci. However, I still think about a pair of sneakers I should have purchased. There was so much stuff in the store that I had to walk around multiple times because I kept missing stuff.
There is security outside of the building, and they count the number of people entering/leaving, so there could be a line outside during the busy season.
I was looking forward to visiting the Christian Louboutin store. It was my first stop when we arrived, and we were the first in line. Check out the picture – you can’t even window shop as you wait in line because they cover the window with shades.
The store was beautiful and had both female and male shoes and bags! Again, I had to walk around the store multiple times to explore my options. Although you were in the outlet store, all the staff were so helpful and treated you with respect.
I bought a pair of khaki sneakers, which are so cute and timeless….but like my other Christian Louboutin sneakers, they are uncomfortable!
TIP: Ask the sales associate to look up everything in your size on their handheld device. It makes shopping so much easier, AND they often have stuff in the backroom that they haven’t put on the floor yet.
In addition to the more BOUJEE stores, I did some shopping at what some view as less BOUJEE, such as Lululemon, Kate Spade, and Tory Burch. I ended up with a cute leather khaki backpack at Kate Spade and a couple of tops from Lulu.
There are tons of stores here, and I highly recommend spending an entire day exploring it. TIP: If you are traveling with the opposite sex, send him to the golf course for the day. You can easily take an Uber from Palm Springs to the outlet mall. The only downfall is that you must carry your bags the entire day if you don’t have a car.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tram looks fantastic. It looks impressive because we could not go up to the top due to electrical issues. We waited over two hours for the car to return to the terminal, but it was stuck halfway between the terminal and the top. I am so THANKFUL I wasn’t in that tram!
This must be a spot where California residents go to experience snow because there were a lot of young kids dressed in their winter best who had brought along their sleds. As a Minnesota native, it was adorable to see their excitement.
The experience looks cool, and I hope we will check it out again next time we are back in Palm Springs (to go shopping).
TIP: Make reservations online before when you want to visit. If you don’t make reservations, you will be waiting a few hours, and there isn’t much to do as you wait.
There is a cost for parking and free bus rides to the terminal. However, it takes a while, and the lines can be long waiting. It even takes a long time to get to a parking lot, so keep that in mind when you visit the tram. Please plan for more time than you think you will need.
A trip anywhere away from Rudy means I have to bring home a present (let’s be honest, presents) for him. Cold Nose Warm Heart is THE CUTEST dog store in Palm Springs!
I love finding unique things for Rudy that I can’t find at a typical pet store back home. When I visited Portland, I found some great dog food, “seasoning,” that Rudy loved. I had bought the Pork version in Portland, so I purchased the Chicken version this time. Rudy refuses to eat his food until I put a little “love” on it, which is what I call it when I feed him each morning.
I am a huge Friends TV show fan, so the stuffed animal of Monica wearing the turkey was too cute, and I had to have it. Unfortunately, it didn’t last even a day before the sunglasses and hat were ripped off. Dang dog! Rudy wasn’t a massive fan of the wavy bacon, but who knows, it may become his favorite toy in a few weeks. You never know with him!
Cheeky’s was recommended to us by a BEING BOUJEE follower, and it was THE BEST breakfast spot! Where else can you get a bacon flight – you read that right – A BACON FLIGHT! It was amazing!
Cheeky’s is a small restaurant with the majority of its seating outdoors. During the hot months, many fans are ready to cool you off. We happened to be there during the rainy time, so they had patio heaters keeping us warm.
TIP: Cheeky’s doesn’t take reservations, so be ready to put in your name and walk down the street to get a coffee while you wait.
1501 Uptown Gastropub is an excellent pub within walking distance from Margaritaville Resort, where we stayed for this trip. I loosely use the term “pub” because it is more BOUJEE than a hole-in-the-wall pub.
The menu has a lot of options; there is an outdoor patio, and the seating at the bar is ample. If you are like us, we enjoy sitting at the bar and talking with strangers.
If you are traveling with four or more people, we encourage you to get reservations in advance because it was even busy on a Sunday night when we visited.
La Quinta Brewing Company is a cute microbrewery located on the busy part of Palm Canyon Drive that is a must-visit. Many great beer options are on tap, and live music can often be found here to enjoy!
You aren’t coming here for the atmosphere, as it is a pretty basic brewery, but still a fun spot for a happy-hour beverage.
El Patrón prepares everything fresh daily- including their homemade tortillas – and everything is delicious! Then again, I just had cheese quesadillas, and I don’t think they are too challenging to make, but there is still something about a restaurant making them that makes them taste extra good!
El Patrón is on a happening corner of Palm Canyon Drive. There is ample outdoor seating and often live music to keep you entertained.
It’s a great spot to enjoy the beautiful outdoor weather in Palm Springs!
LeAnn is a mentor and the ultimate BOUJEE glamour gal. When she left daily drudgery behind in favor of following her own personal path to joy, she made a promise to herself that she would help others do the same. All she’s ever wanted is to do is stay healthy, live her best life and give back to others by introducing them to their inner BOUJEE.
