Palm Springs 2014


We've been back from Palm Springs since Saturday afternoon and I've been catching up in the office and family.


How is it...
that when you go away for one week...
there are two weeks to prepare to go...
and a good week to catch up when you get home.


We stayed a night in Vancouver at the airport on Friday night before our early flight to Palm Springs. 


I am so sorry I didn't have my camera out to take a picture of Elmer and Judy when they met us at the airport.  Their smiling faces made us feel happy to be on holidays and the feeling never left during our stay with them. 

I must have really been relaxing because taking photos was not a priority as much as enjoying the moments.   I will share a few because I want to remember how wonderful the week was.


Palm trees are the most welcoming sight and most pleasing to my senses after feeling the warmth of the sunshine.


Sunday morning we drove out to Neuvo and visited the Olive Grove Church where Ellen's brother Steve Bagdanov is the pastor.  If you want to feel welcomed in a church while you are visiting Palm Springs...go there.



Elmer and Judy and Terry and I, picked up Scot and Kathy in our rental car.

After church, we drove to Idyllwild for lunch.
It was chilly there and we were happy to find a great little restaurant called Gastrognome.

We enjoyed such a great day together with friends.


I had my land books and my kindle books and every once in awhile I would forget which one I was supposed to be reading and carried on again when I was on dry land.  
I realized that moving between two books is not a lot different than watching one TV show after another. 



Don't you love this view out the patio where we ate breakfast every morning. 
We spent hours chatting and laughing while we shared meals. 

Some days we ate in and shared the cooking and other days we enjoyed some of the great restaurants in town.


This was our lunch routine by the pool. 

We didn't eat such a big platter of nachos everyday.
Really!


Elmer and Terry were happy to take us to the outlet malls one day.
Judy and I shopped while they kept the packages and read. 


In the afternoons we took the double inner tubes down the lazy river. 
I am not sure exactly what I expected...
but nothing I imagined came close to the pleasure of reading while being floated around under the sun and shade.


Every evening we played games.

We love Rook and were happy to find that Elmer and Judy do too. 


Did I mention we loved the lazy river?


We mostly even kept our books dry.


One morning we visited the Coachella Valley Preserve where the Andreas Fault runs through.  



When we got back to our hotel we checked to see if there had been any tremors of note.  


On our last evening there...
the moon came up over the mountains and we stopped the car to see it and take pictures.


We left those lovely palm trees behind and came home in time to take in the  beautiful leaves blowing around.

We've now been to Palm Springs more than once and feel pretty sure that we will love to visit again.

Vacations with great friends...
is a good thing. 

all for now...

Comments

  1. What a lovely vacation! Oh to be some place warm in the next few months. :) The lazy river looks wonderfully relaxing.

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  2. I know what you mean about preparing to leave and then catching up when you return! I have never quite mastered that without frenzy! Your vacation with Elmer and Judy sounds just wonderful and so nice that you could meet up with Kathy and Scot too. The lazy river is perfect! You sure did well at the Rook game Lovella!! We love that game too and it was a favourite when I was growing up. Wish we could have been there to play a 6 handed game with you. Palm Springs needs to go on our bucket list!

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  3. Our time in the desert came and went so quickly...but the memories live on! I'm smiling here as I think back on our trip to Nuevo...and the cozy restaurant we found on the mountaintop after the service...and the one book that got a 'little wet' in the lazy river...and all the 'single axle' trucks on the roads in Palm Springs...and playing Rook at every opportunity...and laughing a lot. Oh...and eating a lot. Good times. So glad you joined us!

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  4. Making memories while eating, reading, playing and laughing...wonderful. Love those chalkboard signs at my brother's church...and the girls posing next to one!

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  5. Looks like such a relaxing, fun time. I figured that Elmer and Judy were floating down the river and am delighted to learn that you and Terry were, too.

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  6. Sounds like a great time. I could really get into reading while floating down the lazy river!

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  7. I finally saw a picture of reading a book while floating down the river. That always sounds so intriguing, when Judy talks about it!
    I'm so happy you had such a good time, even if it was short! I can see why you posted the Rook score!

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  8. Well it is so lovely to see some of my blogging acquaintances from the north enjoying our Southern California sunshine! I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves.

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  9. That looks like such a great holiday including all my favourite things - friends, good food, games, reading & swimming. And how cool that you went to Ellen's brother's church. Glad you had such a good time!

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  10. Who would not have a good time with Judy and Elmer. I was smiling at your big plate of Natchos. They make excellent tour guides. Way to go on Rook. That's my favorite winter game...I'm sure Ellen would of love to of accompanied you to her brother's church. Memories that will last a life time.

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  11. What fun! I feel honored that I had a few moments of time, where I could visit Palm Springs with the four of you. The conversations, the shopping, the Rook...oh, I love Rook, the nachos, the floating...all so much fun and so therapeutic, for you all, and believe it or not, therapeutic for me too:) Thanks so much for sharing with us.
    Was that score of yours, an indication of all the game scores???

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  12. Wow! That looks wonderful! Especially when we have snow on the ground!! What fun to go with good friends!! Hope you can get adjusted back to normal life! Time to get organized for the holidays, isn't it?! Of course we have Thanksgiving first -- all of Michael's family are coming which is a first and we are very excited to have them! It will be a crowd of about 27 or so! I'm hard at work on my lists and prep. :) Rachel is LOVING high school (today is the Physics Class egg launch :) ) and the rest of us are plodding along with homeschool. Have a good week!

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  13. Your holiday had all the important things - good friendships, good food, and fun times. So happy for you.

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  14. Palm Springs has been on our bucket list. After reading your lovely post, i am more than ready to pack my bags. It also takes a lot of prep time for us to travel and unwind upon returning home. Such a quaint church. May I ask where you stayed?

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  15. I, too, am curious and inspired by your lovely post - a lazy river for those of us who are 1. older than 40 something and 2. bigger than what feels good to be in a bathing suit - but in PS, it works! I will keep your church in mind, for certain. And if you care to share - I would like to know where you stayed. All in time before the Thxgiving USA travel rush. I'm surprised you didn't fly out of BLI just over the border - but YVR is nice too.

    ... and yes, you are right - 2 wks to get ready and 1 day at the least to rest at home after all that rushing around and travel anxiety ; )

    PS - what are you baking now? we visit away for Christmas so I got out my little box of décor today to sort it out --- some very cute handknit tiny sox *my mum made them - and mini lights we put on some twiggy branches in a vintage "silver" hotel ice bucket filled with a heavy rock and some "oasis" wet floral foam.

    thank you take care on this chilly windy day here at the coast.

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  16. This looks like a wonderful vacation and a lovely resort, Lovella. How nice to share time with Judy and Elmer! Floating on the river while reading looks soo relaxing and fun!

    Enjoy a blessed and joyous Christmas season with your family!

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