Alright yall. If you’ve been following along in the last month, you know that I literally spent zero seconds to go on summer vacation after I was done with the school year…what can I say, I was ready to get the hell out of town after a year of UCLA! Last month, the fiance asked what I wanted for my birthday. My first answer was someone to write my papers for me, (jokes) and when that was shot down, I said take me to Palm Springs right after my last final exam so I can just collapse by a pool somewhere. So that is just what we did!
Our first stop was the Ace Hotel and Swim Club. I have been dying to stay at this oh so trendy and scene-y hotel for a while now, as I am constantly seeing it on people’s Instagram feeds. The decor is uber boho and mid-century cool. It kind of feels like you’re staying at Urban Outfitters, if they had a hotel, but in the best way. After a long drive, we popped in for a cocktail in the Amigo Room to kick things off. Their Watermelon Margarita is quite delicious!
The bed was hella comfy, the mini bar was the most stocked and amazing that I have ever experienced, and there was even a classic rock station playing on the radio when we walked into our room. Nice touch, Ace. If you’re into swimming, this is the place for you. They have two pools, one large one in front that has a DJ and feels like spring break during the weekends, and another smaller, quieter pool on the other side of the property for all those searching for some quiet time. One great thing about the Ace is their pools are open until 2am, which as far as I know is pretty unusual for a hotel pool, but really awesome because it is still swelteringly hot in Palm Springs even in the middle of the night.
After getting settled in, we went in search of some sustenance. I did some quick research on Yelp and found this spot called Ruben and Ozzy’s that got rave reviews and wasn’t too expensive. Our bartender at the Amigo Room verified that this place was legit and that the fish tacos were to die for. I was sold, so we headed over. If you’re in search of some cheap but delicious eats in a non-touristy setting, try this place out. The fish tacos really are amazing!
After dinner, we walked over to the the street fair they hold in downtown Palm Springs every Thursday night. It isn’t huge, but there’s tons of vendors selling everything from art, jewelry, vintage, candles, and so much more. I scored an adorable basket bag for $5 and a really cute belt from Guatemala.
The next morning, mellow yoga was definitely in order. The Ace has classes on the weekends and its amazing! Just one of the many perks of staying there.
Breakfast was in order after yoga. We kept it simple and ate at the diner inside the Ace. I got the largest piece of avocado toast I’ve ever seen and it was soooo delicious.
As promised, here’s one of my looks that I wore on our trip. This matching set is from Tobi and I am so obsessed with it! Obviously, you have to wear a palm pring in Palm Springs, right?
After spending some time at the pool, we decided to do a little exploring. I had been dying to check out the Parker Palm Springs because the photos from this hotel are literally everything. Specifically, I wanted to visit the lemonade bar they have there, but apparently you can’t go there unless you are staying at the hotel, which is a huge bummer, but a plus for the people staying there because it keeps things nice and secluded. In any case, I snapped a couple photos because this hotel is interior design #goals:
Much to my fiance’s chagrin, I made him take pictures of me outside of the Parker because, well, I didn’t go all the way to Palm Springs without getting a pic at this iconic spot. I mean, hello!
One brilliant thing I did on this trip was I rented some gorgeous dresses to wear while on my trip from Rent the Runway. In case you don’t know about Rent the Runway, you need to. They have literally saved my life on so many occassions when I was like wtf am I gonna wear to ______?! One great thing is you can have your Rent the Runway selects sent straight to your hotel, so you can pack less! I didn’t pack less, but, I’m just saying, its an option! 😉 If you’re interested in trying out my brilliant travel hack or want something fabulous to wear to whatever event you have coming up, you can get $30 off your next order by following this link.
Dress: c/o Rent the Runway- Kate Spade/ Hat: Topshop, Similar/ Earrings: Danielle Stevens Jewelry/ Handbag: Forever 21/ Shoes: Forever 21 sold out, similar
Later that evening, we headed over to Birba for dinner. This spot was highly recommended by a couple friends of mine, and it did not dissapoint. I made a reservation a couple days in advance and even then I almost didn’t get a spot, so make sure if you want to visit this delicious Italian joint that you think ahead! I’m also fairly certain that I was sitting next to the actress Lily James at the bar while we waited for our table, which was pretty cool because I’m kind of a huge Downton Abbey fan.
After dinner, we went in search of cocktails and found a familiar face, if you will. The Tonga Hut is a longtime favorite bar in the San Fernando Valley where Nate and I live, so I was pretty surprised to see a Tonga Hut in Palm Springs, but apparently they are owned by the same people. I don’t know about you, but I do love a good tiki drink, and the Tonga Hut is the best for that. I tried the “Kraken the Dole Whip,” which indeed tastes just like Dole Whip, and the Tiki-Tastic, which is not only delicious, but its served in a coconut and the bartender lights it on fire before he serves it to you…pretty epic in my opinion!
The next day, we checked out of the Ace and into the V Hotel, which is actually right down the street from the Ace Hotel. The V is a brand newish hotel, newish in the sense that it was previously an older motel that just got a majorly chic facelift. The V is a totally different scene from the Ace, it is much more chill and relaxing and the decor is definitely sleek and modern.
On our last full day in Palm Springs, we decided to knock out some sight-seeing. Honestly, sight-seeing is pretty difficult when it is 120 degrees outside. I pretty much just got to a place where I just accepted the fact that I had sweat just dripping down my face at all times. That was especially true at the Moorten Botanical Garden. As my fiance so aptly pointed out, its not so much a botanical garden as it is a collection of a bunch of different cacti. I myself am quite into cacti, so I was definitely into it.
Here’s another look I wore on my trip. I am so obsessed with this gingham romper and have been wearing it constantly. Shop it here!
Nate had his heart set on visiting the Palm Springs Air Museum, so we check that out next. I mean, after all the photos I made him take of me, it was the least I could do to let him geek out on some old war planes. I will admit, I found it pretty cool too. They have all sorts of US planes from WWII, the Korean War, Cold War, and the Vietnam War to check out, as well as tons of memorabilia. We even got to go on a tour of a WWII bomber which was pretty awesome.
I also may have found my dream car…just sayin…
After the air museum, it was back to the hotel to clean up and get ready for the evening. My last must do was taking pictures in front of this door because you know what, I can be a real basic B sometimes and I’m not afraid to admit it. I wonder what the people who live in this house think about the fact that fashion bloggers everywhere flock to their front yard while in Palm Springs to take photos in front of their door. Also, PS can I please have this house?!
This gorgeous Parker dress was yet another of my Rent the Runway orders. I absolutely love the embroidery on this, it really makes it feel special. I wanted to keep this dress so badly because its just so perfect for summer! Shop this dress here!
One thing that everyone suggested we do was take the gondola up to the top of the mountains and take in the view. This was such a cool experience and I really think it was my favorite thing we did in Palm Springs. The tickets up cost about $25, but the cool thing is that you can go up early in the day and hike, if that’s your thing. The temperature at the summit is about 20 degrees cooler than down below, so you will definitely get a reprieve from the sweltering heat.
The trip up in this gondola is so trippy. The floor rotates 360 degrees as the gondola ascends to make sure that everyone aboard gets the full view at some point.
There’s a fine dining restaurant at the top as well as a bar and some more casual food options. We had reservations at a restaurant later that evening so we grabbed a little snack and some pinot noir…in a can. It was surpringly good in case you were wondering!
Needless to say, the view up there is amazing. It was super romantic to take the trek up there while the sun was setting. If you’re in Palm Springs, you just have to do this.
After coming down from the mountain, we grabbed dinner at Justin, which is a bomb new restaurant in Cathedral City, which is not really all that far outside of Palm Springs. Definitely check them out if you’re in the area. I loved that the chef came out and talked to us at several points during our meal, which was so cool to get to talk to him about his food.
The next day, we had to head home, but not without checking out a couple more spots first. Obviously, breakfast was in order, so we headed over to Cheeky’s which came highly recommended…it is so popular in fact that we waited about 45 minutes for a table, but it was worth it because they have a bacon flight! Also, their brunch is just bomb.com. Your vacation hangover will thank you if you go here the morning after.
After brunch, Nate was ready to get out of the heat and back home, but I had my sights set on one more destination: The Mirage house. Its this art installation that has been up since Coachella, but is so cool to go see. This house is completely covered inside and out in mirrors, and reflects the beautiful desert landscape around it. It won’t take you long to check out, but its definitely worth seeing!
Well, that rounds up my Palm Springs Post! If you made it this far, congrats, that was super long winded! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and if you go to Palm Springs regularly, let me know what I missed out on that I need to try next time!
Special Thanks to the Ace Hotel for hosting us on our stay!
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