When visiting Dr. Gundry, it’s just an excuse for me to make a vacation out of it. It is Palm Springs, after all. As some of you may already know, there is a small town just outside PS hosting the most luxurious oasis one never has to leave… La Quinta Resort.
I have written about my first experience at La Quinta here. This time around was more restful and dare-I-say a silly trip with my girlfriends (just watch my IG story in my bio for evidence). Spa treatments, pool time, wedding crashing (gasp!), workouts, shopping, dining out and live music were all on the menu for one blow out Labor Day weekend.
If you haven’t been to La Quinta Resort before, it’s quite a site to see, even if just passing by the property. Its traditional Spanish colonial architecture is breathtaking, with palm trees, citrus trees, and bougainvillea decorating every turn. Aquaducts and fountains fill the air with refreshing water sounds as the desert heat seeps through your skin. There’s something about it…
Desert too hot for you? A property boasting over 40 pools will cool your temp just fine. Too many kids? Just turn the corner to find a lone pool or hang out at the “adult pool” for cocktails and music that will remind you of college days (if you’re circa early 2000s, like me – aging myself, I know!). We met someone out one night, it was the end of his stay and he had no idea about the adult pool the entire time! We laughed, but in all honesty, too bad for him! I must say the adult pool was more of a party during the holiday weekend, but Sunday was an exception, more its typical speed; calm and relaxing.
What’s going to La Quinta without a few spa treatments?! But wait! My friend had recently broken her foot and the spa was at the other end of the property (… and that’s farther than we wanted to walk). What to do?! Call the bellman. Within minutes a golf cart arrives and drives you anywhere you want on the property. It’s so fun too! It kind of became a game for us (“Pepe! Meet us in 5!); we loved it too much!
I tried two treatments this time around and loved them both. The first day, I tried the “Fun in the Sun Vitamin E Repair” (which I needed). It was oh-so-relaxing, which included a sugar scrub, warm water rinse, and sugar butter massage after. It was as lovely as it sounds. Once the treatment ended, a zen state of mind took over. What troubles? What worries? None here. After my treatment, I synced back up with my friends in the little spa courtyard for cold hibiscus tea under refreshing misters in our bathrobes. It just also happens to be entirely relaxing to take in the gorgeous views of the central fountain and surrounding landscape.
Getting “hangry” as us hungry girls normally do, we decided to find a local “hot spot” for dinner. We were dead set on some local fun. With help from the concierge, we found a restaurant with live music at “The Nest”. Undecided if it would be our cup of tea, we risked it. It was packed (I recommend a reservation), but we somehow got a booth in the main dining room. The dinner was fantastic and I ordered a coursed meal, which was a summer special, allowing me to taste a bit of everything. I highly recommend (again). After much-needed girl talk and a glass or two of wine, we headed into the adjacent room for some live music. It was too tempting and just as fun as it sounded through the dining room wall. After a little dancing, we were ready to wrap up and get our beauty sleep. Upon walking out we saw a line wrapping around the building, “… wait, should we leave just yet?!”. We looked at each other questionably but ultimately decided to call it a wrap. Why? La Quinta whispered slleeepp.
What’s nice about La Quinta resort is you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. There are a handful of restaurants, shops, the spa (of course), workout facilities, tennis courts, golf courses, and a golf cart to take you everywhere you need to go. Oh, and don’t forget the live music they have outside every night! It’s truly relaxing to know you don’t have to go anywhere.
After a morning toxin-filled sweat session at the property’s gym, we had a lovely (and filling) breakfast at Twenty6. It’s so hot in Palm Springs that even in the early morning, you are ready for pool time. Although tempted, we decided to head to a local shopping destination on El Paseo (which is a short drive away, about 10 minutes). It’s on the high-end side but had a range of stores to chose from and had many interesting restaurants as well.
Not long after shopping around, we were hungry again and luckily stumbled on Cafe De Beaux Arts, who ended up having the most heavenly Brussels sprout salad… ever! My mouth is dripping just thinking about it. I have to try and recreate it!
We didn’t spend too much time shopping and ended up going back to the resort for our next spa treatment, this time: facials. May I stop for a second here and just say, isn’t vacation such a nice state of mind? I mean, let’s stop shopping so we can make it in time for our spa treatments? Sigh, I wish every day was like that! Anyhow, another golf cart ride and we arrived back at the spa. This time I opted for the La Quinta Signature Facial. Before I tried the Hydra Facial (at my last visit, which is an experience in itself – in a good way!). I wrote about it here. If you are looking for a more traditional facial, I would recommend the Signature. It was luxurious and so needed with the recent stress I had been under. Even though treatments can be expensive, they are worth every penny. I have never once regretted a spa treatment because it seems to pay you back physically, mentally and emotionally ten-fold. It’s nourishing and we don’t have enough of that in our lives.
After much pampering, you guessed it: we were getting “hangry” again. When on El Paseo, I caught glimpse of Maestro’s (an LA steakhouse institution). It had been years and I was still in the pampering state of mind. Maybe we could go, I thought, while we are here. This night, however, we were in the mood to just stay in at La Quinta. We opted for Adobe Grill and sat outside on the veranda to catch some of the live music. It was so relaxing, but once over we were ready for a nightcap elsewhere. Knowing how beautiful the bar inside at “Morgan’s in the Desert” restaurant was (walking distance, not golf cart-justifiable), we strolled over. A cozy leather couch beckoned us in. Two glasses of champagne, beautiful ambiance and a dear friend’s conversation made for a wonderful evening. Were we finished once the bubbles ran dry, however? No. We were too tempted to peek in at the wedding we heard going on next door. Suppressing our laughter, we snuck in. You only live once, right? We didn’t stay long, but did dance to a few songs on the dancefloor! I did get a “Job well done!” from a guest 😉
Next day, we finally felt like we were acclimating to vacation time. Isn’t it funny how it takes a few days for it to finally sink in? Forgetting work, forgetting problems and enjoying what it means to deeply relax. So, we gymed, we ate and we hit the pool again. Now that’s the speed I like.
Knowing Maestro’s was only 10 minutes away for dinner that night, I asked my friend, “Can we go?”, she responded, “Yes, of course, I’ve never been!”. Done deal and I made sure our reservations were for the bar area (guaranteed moody lighting and live music). Later that evening, when we walked in, it was just that. The music wasn’t just good, it was impressive! The female/male duo did everything from Sade (yes, Sade and she did a dang good job) to Phil Collins (you can fill in the same dang good job here too). The food? Amazing, as every Maestro’s always seems to be; American, classic, and delicious.
As always, spending time in the desert is incredibly fun, but when spending time at La Quinta resort, it is extra special. This oasis felt like a heavenly retreat from all of my woes and worries for just a few short days and it certainly did the trick!
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