i had heard franklin was a darling town about 20 minutes outside of nashville that was not to be missed. it is where most of the country singers choose to reside. and i can completely see why. main street was lined with beautiful brick buildings on either side. there are a variety of boutiques to browse and a good number of restaurants. b and i loved wandering the streets and browsing the home decor shops. i think i fell more and more in love with this town with every step down main street.
the main street area reminded me a little of palo alto but definitely more southern and old fashioned. with all the vintage shops around it almost felt like we had traveled back in time. you could feel the slower pace mentality of those around us and everyone was extremely friendly. boy, was it beautiful.
i think there was a beautiful brick church on every block. it made my heart so happy. we also went to the factory at franklin , which is a couple miles before you hit downtown. the factory had a great selection of antiques. i loved perusing the shops and dreaming about what furniture we would fill our home with if we lived in franklin. i have never seen such a grand selection.
oh and besides the country singers, guess who else lives in franklin. dave ramsey!
dave ramsey is a financial advisor that hosts his own radio show and has written countless books. b listens to him religiously. dave ramsey is to b as lisa vanderpump (real housewives of beverly hills) is to me. it was incredibly exciting to even think about seeing him in person.
dave hosts his show throughout the week at his office in franklin. we were hoping to catch a show but, unfortunately good old dave was out of town. and b was very bummed. but we decided to make the best of it and still go to his office for a free cookie (best cookies of my life — thanks martha!) and see what it would have been like to watch him live. we ended up running into the director of the video portion of the show and he offered b a tour of the studio. b got to sit in dave’s chair and press the button dave uses to hang up on people! he was on cloud 9. we learned some secrets of the show and couldn’t be more thankful for the lovely director who was so friendly to notice us gazing through the window. it was definitely one of the highlights of b’s trip. he even claimed it may have been better than seeing dave in person because he sat in dave’s seat and for a second felt like dave ramsey.
i was so happy b was so happy. b then insisted we search for dave’s house. we found it on google but it looked like it was located in a gated community. we were a little apprehensive about driving all the way there if we would just be turned away but trekked on. and to our luck, the gate was open due to contruction! we were able to enter the stunning community and lust after each and every home. dave lives next door to leann rimes so you can imagine how beautiful every home was (and realtively affordable when you think of the cost of the homes in the bay area). below is dave’s home located on the highest hill overlooking all of franklin.
franklin was so lovely and i am so glad we made the trip out there. i think if we were to really move to nashville, that is the town we would hope to live in. it would be a hard decision because i really really love nashville too but the family oriented living in franklin is so enticing.
until next time, franklin!
so i know you may be sick of hearing about nashville but i only have two more posts. i swear.
and technically this ice cream gem i am about to share with you was founded in columbus, ohio. so we’re good?
jeni’s splendid ice cream is just that. it is splendid. the flavors are unparalleled and i love the consistency. we went here on a whim in east nashville because the shop itself looked so darling. then they said there was no limit on tasting so i tried almost every single flavor. and let me tell you, it was so hard to decide on just two in my cone! there were so many fun holiday flavors like sweet potato with torched marshmallows, buttercup pumpkin, and middle west whisky egg nog. then there were their signature flavors like salty carmel, savannah buttermint, sweet cream biscuits with peach jam and goat cheese with red cherries. yes i tried all these flavors and more. and yes i loved every singly one of them. jeni’s is that delicious.
and now to the good part, jeni’s splendid ice cream has shops available in charleston, atlanta, nashville, new york city, chicago and columbus. but wait it gets better, many whole foods and specialty markets sell jenny’s ice cream by the pint. i just went to their website and found out that about 10 grocery shops fairly close to me sell jeni’s. it is a miracle! i plan on picking up a pint tomorrow night & will let you know how the selection is.
oh & since i was there for forever sampling, i got to talking to the sales associate and she mentioned that a jeni’s shop will be coming to la! hope the next stop on their list is silicon valley. i am crossing my fingers.
although 36 hours is nowhere near long enough to spend in music city, i have put together a city guide of the best things to do, eat and see while exploring nashville.
nashville’s southern hospitality, acclaimed country music, green hills and shrimp & grits stole a piece of my heart. i advise all those in love with southern states to take a trip there.
DAY 1
4pm: drinks + bowling at pinewood social (downtown) – after a long flight to the capital of the volunteer state, there is no better way to get your blood pumping and your body energized then heading over to pinewood social for bowling and drinks (great mocktail options since i do not drink alcohol). pinewood social has six reclaimed wood lanes from an old bowl o’ rama in indiana. bowling ain’t your thing? well not to worry. pinewood social also offers billiards and karaoke! this adult style playground is not to be missed. b and i love to bowl and play pool so this was the perfect activity for us to do while it was pouring outside. if i lived in nashville, i think it would be a dream to rent the space and host a party. pinewood social has such a great atmosphere.
7pm: dinner at husk (downtown) – husk’s first location was in charleston and they have since opened a second location in nashville. i love love love charleston. it is one of my all time favorite cities in the states so hearing that this restaurant was associated to charleston, i had to try it. husk is located in a home on a hill away from the hubbub of broadway street. their motto is “a celebration of southern ingredients” and it was a celebration indeed! husk has a farm to table ever changing menu and offers slight twists on good old fashioned southern dishes. b and i really enjoyed the shrimp and grits. husk topped the dish with an egg yolk which i especially loved. their whole menu sounded amazing. i just wish i had a spare stomach and bank account to try it all!
9pm: live music & line dancing at wild horse saloon (downtown) – you cannot go to music city and not listen to live music on broadway street! and you especially cannot not go to the wild horse saloon. wild horse is located in the heart of downtown and one block down from broadway street (broadway street is the reason they call the city nashvegas i think. there are musicians lining the sidewalks and you feel a little like cattle walking by. and i am sure it never truly sleeps). wild horse saloon is a great place to take in the city and its’ musicians. they offer live performances most nights and the crowd is always enthusiastic. this place is huge and offers entertainment for people of all ages. b and i enjoyed line dancing the night away to the live music (wild horse offers line dance lessons on fridays every hour or so). i just wish i had some cowboy boots now…
do note, wild horse saloon has a $6 cover charge.
DAY 2
9am: breakfast at fido (west side) – you know your favorite coffee shop that serves great breakfast too? that’s fido in nashville. fido offers a variety of different breakfast sandwiches, french toast, pancakes and scrambles. it has all the basics and then some. i am not usually a lover of wheat pancakes but was told by one of the employees that i had to try them. i was sure happy i did. they were some of the best pancakes i have ever had. fido offers bananas and blueberries to be baked into your pancakes which i am sure is delicious but i had to stick to the original for my first time. the bagles were soft, the portions were generous and the prices were moderate. fido is one of those places where you hope to be a regular because you could get used to eating their assortment of breakfast items every day. their hot chocolate was also a winner! oh fido, i need to come back for you and try the sweet potato french toast. yummmmm
11am: tour the grand ole opry (east side) – you have to take a tour of the grand ole opry while in music city. that’s like going to la and not seeing the chinese theater. so much history! this is where many country music super stars have performed and countless tv shows and movies have been shot. it is where legends and contemporary chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass, folk and gospel come together. it is a place where country musicians hope to be welcomed as a member someday.
the tour is about a hour long and blake shelton narrates about half of it (on a video screen, don’t get your hopes up). i really enjoyed seeing all the different dressing rooms (including the one where juliette and rayna met for the first time on nashville) and standing on the stage where so many i admire have preformed. i hope to see a show in the grand ole opry next time around but for now learning the history of the famous venue will do.
1pm: lunch at the farm house (downtown) – it may be a little daunting finding parking in this neck of the woods but once you sit down at the farm house all your worries will subside and your mouth will be watering. the farm house offers all the classic southern dishes. we enjoyed a pork bbq sandwich, white cheddar mac + cheese, brussel sprouts with bacon and apple cake. my mouth is watering just thinking about it all. i am sometimes weary of having bacon in my dishes because it is usually not cooked enough. i did request the bacon to be extra crispy and farm house delivered. literally best brussel sprouts of my life. are they still considered healthy if they are smothered in bacon?
every dish was extremely flavorful. i think i may have even liked the apple cake more than apple pie! i need their recipe asap. my compliments to the chef at farm house.
2:30pm: take a walk around bicentennial capitol mall state park & the parthenon (downtown) – the bicentennial capitol mall state park offers many monuments to gaze at and history to read. it also offers a beautiful view of the capitol building. b and i loved walking around and learning more about the roots of this great state. we then had to check out the parthenon. i mean who knew there was a replica of the ancient greek parthenon in the great state of nashville? i sure didn’t. i have not been to greece yet so not sure how it compares but i will say it is huge! it was a little hard to decide what angle to take pictures from because it was so large. i enjoyed walking along the side of the parthenon and gazing at it from a distance by the lake. nashville is beautiful!
7pm: dinner at etch (downtown) – now circle back to where you parked for the farm house and this time eat at its’ neighbor restaurant, etch. etch was my favorite meal of the whole trip. boy was it a treat. i loved reading over the menu and envisioning how each entree would taste. the waiter said it best when he said, ” the chef at etch does not do traditional well. she always has to give each dish a little flare.” and i guess i prefer the flare! we enjoyed the octopus & shrimp bruschetta (b does not love octopus and was completely scarfing down this appetizer), cobia, lamb and a chocolate pretzel bar. my taste buds were dancing with every bite in my mouth. i wish i could go back today and experience this meal all over again. obviously i love everything in this guide but if you were to pick just one place to eat, please make it be etch.
9pm: live music at the bluebird cafe (west side) – if etch was my favorite eatery, blue bird was my absolute favorite thing to do. okay so let me give you a little background on the bluebird cafe for those of you who don’t watch nashville. the bluebird is a small cafe located in a busy strip mall. but don’t let that fool you because this is where garth brooks and t swift (to name two, there are many more) were discovered! can you believe that? the bluebird is supposed to be like a recording studio were talking and videos are not permitted.
there are 20 tables and 10 bar seats available to be reserved. so you can see this place is tiny. i woke up early two days in a row a week prior to our trip in hopes to reserve seats. but to my dismay, tickets sold out in 15 minutes! maybe it was a fluke but i couldn’t believe it. i couldn’t let that stop me though. the bluebird offers 14 church pew seats on a first come first serve basis. we got to the cafe around 7:30pm for the 9pm show and there was already quite a line for the standby seats. i was getting a little worried but knew we had to try (note it was rainy outside where we were waiting ah). we waited in line for 1.5 hours and had amazing luck. we were able to snag seats at a table because people who had reserved the seats had ended up not showing up. thank the heavens.
we listened to james slatter, jimmy robbins and jon nite perform for almost two hours. it may have been my favorite concert to date (to be fair, i have been to less than 10 ha). these three went around in a circle introducing their songs and what inspired them. there were grammy nominated songs played and songs cut by garth brooks and blake shelton. it was incredible to hear the story behind the song and get a glimpse of the talent behind the big name stars. it really made me fall in love with country music. i always liked it but now i love it. my heart was so full hearing these musicians sing.
**do note, it is $12/person entrance fee + each person person must order one item off the menu. i indulged in a slice of lemon cake and b opted for chips & salsa.
DAY 3
9am: breakfast at marche(east side) – this european style cafe serves up some great breakfast dishes and freshly made pastries. i loved the croissant french toast. the flakiness of the bread combined with the sweet maple syrup was the perfect match. and when i said marche offers freshly made pastries i mean they have an onsite pastry chef who bakes all the delicious croissants, scones, muffins and cookies you see in the back of the store. take one of these heavenly items to go because their entree portions are so large you will not have room to eat it at the table!
11am: walk around gaylord resort(east side) – this resort is huge! there are many conferences hosted there because it is almost like a mini city. it reminded me of vegas style resorts but without the heavy smoke and with more natural lighting and greenery (which i prefer). i loved the architecture on the inside of the resort. it felt like you could have been at a plantation or in down town charleston all at the same time. i also loved all the little shops. it was a sight to see.
**you can of course stay on site so you get to experience this lovely place every time you head to your room but it fills up rather quickly and the prices vary.
before i dive into best things to do, eat and see in music city, i wanted to take a step back and let you know why i fell in love with this city over a mere 4 days. like if it were an option with our jobs right now, b and i really may be on the next flight to nashville and here is why.
1. the people. i have never had so many people come up and talk to me out of the blue. sure it was a little small talk but it just felt right. i felt so welcomed. some locals would give us tips and others would make little jokes to us as they walked by. nashville has that community feel and southern hospitality trait down pat. it makes me want to do better and get to know those around me (whether it be in the grocery store or the park or at a coffee shop). the locals were also proud of where they were from and their southern roots.
2. the culture. i love the boots, the lingo (ya’ll), the church on every corner (beautiful churches), the food, the energy and the die hard country music. i read a quote somewhere in downtown nashville that said something like country music is not solely about the artist or the melody but it is about the way you feel. i love that. some people are logical and have profound thoughts. i feel every thing. country music makes me feel alive, happy and grateful. country music is the soul of nashville.
3. the weather. four seasons but fairly mild four seasons. i love the fall leaves and the rain while we were there. then the sun came out the last day and it was glorious. it is not california but i really enjoyed the variety.
4. the faith. these are god loving people and i love how proud they are of this knowledge. i feel sometimes like it is looked down upon to talk about religion in california but in tennessee it is always talked about! most all little boutiques we went into had quotes about faith or god or heaven. there is also a beautiful stone church on every block. nashvillians wear their faith on their sleeve and i love that about them (no matter if they belong to my church or another church).
5. the greenery. b and i read that it is estimated to rain about 50% of every day in nashville, which equates to beautiful lush landscape. driving on any free way we saw rolling green hills. coming from a california drought, it was a nice change of pace.
i loved most everything about the capital of tennessee. and maybe i fall in love too quickly but nashville showed me a different way of living. a simpler way of living.
to kick off this fall season, b and i headed down to watsonville. watsonville is a small rural town located in santa cruz county (about 20 miles south east of santa cruz). There are a number of orchards to choose from but after careful research, we decided on gizdich ranch. gizdich ranch offers four different types of apples and still allows you to pick from their strawberry fields. we started off the summer by picking strawberries so the only way to end it for us was picking apples. there was quite a few people there which made parking a little bit of a headache. we were also probably the only adults there without kids (oh well, kids at heart). we walked up and down the orchard, scouring the property for the crème de la crème of apples (one of the workers was nice enough to give us a little tutorial about the different types and why each type would be desired over the other). b was all about the red delicious (even though he kept saying they were not as nearly as tall and proportionate as they are in the store). I was all about the golden delicious. both are the sweetest of the 4 varieties to choose from. who would have guessed?
gizdich ranch charges you $1.40/ pound and provides a bucket for your use during the picking process. we did not even think of bringing a bag. whoops.
gizdich ranch also has a café/bakery/grocery store on site that offers lunch, pies, already picked apples (but where is the fun in that?) and apple juice. we arrived at the café (after picking the best apples there were in the orchard) around 1pm and it was packed. The line was estimated to be about one hour which my stomach could not handle. so we opted for some fresh apple juice available at the store nearby and picked up some authentic mexican food in town (you know it is authentic when they call your number in spanish). i really really wish I would have been able to try a slice of apple pie but i guess it means we have something to look forward to next time. and we will be sure to arrive early. the store next door offers frozen pies but i have heard they do not taste as good.
i plan on making apple crumble with our freshly picked apples so stay tuned for a recipe!
i love cheese. not your typical monterey jack and sharp cheddar (although i do love those too). i love brie and camembert and blue and goat oh my.
lately, b and i have been up to our eye balls in cheese. we literally make a cheese plate 4 times a week. we are enjoying learning about the art of pairing each cheese.
when i mean pair i mean deciding which fruit spread tastes best with each cheese, drizzling honey on our blue cheese and narrowing down the perfect olives to get that creamy and salty combo. oh my goodness i could go on and on. b gave me this book for my birthday. it has taught us about the different types of cheese and what to look for when selecting cheeses. so basically we are becoming a little obsessed…
but it’s good to have hobbies, right?
a couple weeks ago, b decided we had to go on a cheese tour so we could apply our new found knowledge. and when you live a hour or so south of sonoma county why not? it is not only wine country, it is cheese country! b researched all the local factories and read reviews. We narrowed it down to three based on location, variety, how well known it is and which cheeses we were most interested in tasting (believe it or not you can have too much cheese in one day).
marin french cheese(petaluma) – this was our first stop on our self guided tour. marin french cheese is a great little spot located in the rolling hills of petaluma. their factory is basically in the middle of nowhere (and there is no gps available so plan ahead — we got lost for a little bit ha) but that may be the beauty of it. it is secluded, large and there is a lake out front where you can enjoy your cheese. marin french cheese specializes in brie. there were different flavors as well as creaminess available. we sampled them all but decided to purchase the original. marin french cheese did not provide samples of a triple creme brie or we would have been swayed to go the creamier route. the shop also provides over priced baguettes ($5/baguette–what a joke) and scrumptious chocolates. I had to try the chocolate and peanut butter bar (my favorite combo) and it was fabulous. next time, we will bring our own baguette and drinks so we can enjoy our cheese by the lake.
cowgirl creamery(point reyes) – we have been to the cowgirl creamery shop before at the ferry building in sf and loved it, so we knew we had to make a stop at the mothership. the cowgirl creamery factory in point reyes is where they make all their famous red hawk cheese (love red hawk). you could actually see the cheese ripening in their kitchen when you entered the factory. we tried nearly every cheese available. the ones that stood out and we purchased were a wasabi goat cheese , shepherdista bleeding california and goat gouda. we also tasted (and purchased) some of the best blue cheese of our life. it was called bay blue. bay blue has the perfect amount of flavor and is extremely soft for blue (with softness comes heartache though. we were told the blue would only last a week so we better eat it quickly). the thing i love most about cowgirl creamery is they not only produce wonderful cheeses but they also have a variety of other high end cheeses that are both locally and internationally made. Their sales associates are also extremely knowledgeable and taught us the proper way to store our cheese once we have cut into it (give you a hint, it is not in a plastic baggy).
nicasio valley cheese company (point reyes) – nicasio valley cheese company was the last stop on our tour so maybe we were too full of cheese or maybe we had too high of expectations but i would not return (luckily it was a short 10 min drive from cowgirl creamery and on our way home). they offered 5 different kinds of cheese varying in milk and firmness. nothing really jumped out at me. the store owners were lovely though and described to us the process of creating their signature cheeses. we did end up buying a jar of olives but no cheese. maybe we are getting to be cheese snobs? b thinks so. he says he can’t even buy cheese at trader joes anymore because the selection is awful ha. insert crying emoji. #firstworldproblems.
this cheese tour was fabulous. i hope we are able to head up north again soon to discover more local cheese factories. for now we will continue to savor all the delectable cheese we purchased that day.
what is your favorite cheese? what is a hobby you are getting into these days?
casa latina is a healthy (relatively) latin american cafe located on a busy street in downtown berkley (less than 15 min drive from the horse races). i knew upon arrival that this place would be a tasty and authentic lunch. i think i have a sixth sense when it comes to these things;)
from their baked goods to their home brewed coffee (i am not a coffee drinker myself but everyone in front of us was ordering the horchata latte and could not stop raving about it) to their scrumptious tamales and everything in between. this place has it all. not to mention their urban chic decor, friendly staff and on point pricing. casa latina alone made me rethink the east bay. we have only been up to the east bay a handful of times and tend to favor traveling to san francisco because everyone always told us east bay was a little more run down. granted there are some shady areas of oakland but, there are some amazing not to be missed gems as well.
b and i decided to try a carne asada taco, chicken taco, chicken tamale and rice pudding. every item was incredibly flavorful and filling. i had not had a tamale in years but knew i had to try it again and was so glad i did! both the chicken and steak were lean just the way i like it. every bite was better than the last. do note, the hot sauce is pretty darn hot!
i used to make rice pudding all the time a couple years ago because i loved it so. i have burnt a couple pots making it so was forced to save my pans and put an end to my rice pudding days. when i saw this large cup of rice pudding in the window, i knew i had to have it. no matter how full i was. it was delicious and the perfect ratio of milk to rice. i also loved the added cinnamon on top. makes me want to bring this sweet treat back to my kitchen (don’t know if my love handles can afford it too often though ha).
can’t wait to head back to casa latina during fall to indulge in their mexican hot chocolate along with more of the bakery goodies. i also hear their nachos are mind blowing. until next time, casa latina!
on saturday, b and i decided to venture up north to spend the day exploring berkley and attend the golden gate fields horse races. b and i had never been to any sort of horse race before so we were quite excited and intrigued to see how we would fare.
golden gate fields is located fairly close to the downtown area of berkley. it is right on the water with some gorgeous views of the bay. the first race began at 1:45pm and we arrived just in time to catch a glimpse of the horses and make our bets. my strategy was based purely on the name and attractiveness of the horse. with names like majestic moment and over achiever why wouldn’t you pick them?
let me tell you a secret… never base it on those two attributes alone.. you will not win. sadly.
b decided to focus on probabilities and how rambunctious the horse was. if the horse was going against their trainers’ orders he knew it would be a good pick. this strategy helped him win three races in a row. i couldn’t believe it.
one time his horse was clearly in third place but at the last second snuck ahead of the other two competitors and took the title by a nose. a nose! my horse’s nose!
can you believe that? we did come out on top with no help of me of course.
it was a lovely afternoon and a great learning experience. i would love to go again with a big group and dress in our southern best. b on the other hand has vowed we can never go again because he needs to keep his perfect score. we will see…
golden gate fields is expansive and not that many people were there for it being the second racing weekend of the season. but not to worry that only meant better seats for us.
sadly, i did not see extravagant hats. guess that means we need to head to kentucky for the real horse racing experience! b is sure to keep his winning streak there.
admission is $5/person with $5 for parking.
or you can go on a sunday and pay $1/person with $1/parking. sounds like a pretty great deal to me!
palm springs is the most perfect desert town located two hours south east of la. its’ mid century modern architecture makes my heart swoon. there are a great variety of upscale and cheap eateries as well as many hikes for you to explore the mountains. i have loved this city since i was little. we visited it every summer for about 5 years and always right around my birthday. i can vividly remember the water slides, unlimited root beer (to stay hydrated of course) and cool ac when you first step into your hotel room. we used to stay at the westin (primarily for the kid friendly water slide and day camp), but this year decided on the marriott (both are located in palm desert, which is a short 15 min drive from the heart of palm springs). palm springs will always hold a special place in my heart.
DAY 1
7:00pm dinner at trio (downtown palm springs) – trio’s diverse menu and trendy atmosphere left me knowing i had picked the perfect place for my birthday dinner (two birthday groups and a bachelorette party surrounding us also knew it was the place to celebrate). their slogan is “where palm springs eats” and i can completely see why. the water misters surrounding the building and posh decor even made eating in 100 degree sound desirable. trio even decorated our table with confetti in honor of my birthday. that combined with bread upon arrival instantly won them a couple extra brownie points. although trio may not seem like the most kid friendly place, the wait staff would tell you otherwise. our waiter was sure to keep the bread coming and brought my nephew’s entree with the starter salads. my sister was very thankful and impressed with how attentive he was to kids’ needs.
we ordered coconut shrimp, beet salad, tomato salad, lamb shank, seared ahi and red snapper. every entree was superb. my family could not stop complimenting each of their dishes. we were very full and thought about skipping dessert but, just as we were about to tell our waiter, he brought out a giant strawberry cupcake. it was a great ending to a divine meal.
8:30pm walk around downtown (downtown palm springs) – this is the best time of day in palm springs, when the sun is setting and temperatures lower to the 80s. It is a delight to roam s. palm canyon drive with the warm breeze in your hair. trio is located about half a mile north of the downtown area so you may want to drive down to the center and explore from there. there are many furniture stores, galleries (including palm springs art museum), restaurants, souvenir and dessert shops to peruse. It is a quaint street and not much is offered once you stray a block off of palm canyon drive. do take a gander at the plaza theater where the fabulous follies’ show used to take place. it is a everlasting piece of history in palm springs.
9:30pm grab a shake at great shakes- now that you have walked off a little of your dinner you must try a shake at great shakes. their shop is located in the heart of s.palm canyon dr. i love the variety and richness of the shakes. great shakes uses homemade ice-cream, mini donuts, fudge, whipped cream and marshmallows when constructing each respective shake. i had to try the s’more shake. look at those perfectly browned marshmallows! yummmmm
DAY 2
9:30am shopping at just fabulous (palm springs) – head to north palm canyon dr. for fabulous shopping at just fabulous. it is a charming shop with books, cards, calendars, stationary, music and art work. it would be easy to lose your self for hours in the unique treasures just fabulous has in stock.
10:30am brunch at norma’s (parker palm springs) – oh my goodness, words cannot even begin to describe how fabulous brunch is at norma’s, but i will try! norma’s is located inside the iconic parker palm springs (you know the hotel that was designed by jonathon adler?). from the moment i stepped through the large orange doors i knew why this hotel was so beloved (by celebrities and locals alike — the pool security told me richard gere comes to stay often). norma’s is located in the back corner of the lobby. its’ bright colors and mod decor made my hear skip a beat. then came the menu. oh that menu was so expansive. every item made my mouth water. we decided to try the donuts, very berry brioche french toast, waz-za, artychocked benedict and a custom omelette. everything was cooked to perfection. i especially loved the lemon curd that topped the donut holes and artychocked benedict. norma’s serves a classic benedict in the heart of the artichoke. how smart is that? you may remember my obsession with perfectly poached eggs and norma’s didn’t disappoint.
12:00pm walk the grounds of parker palm springs – you must walk the grounds of the parker palm springs while you are there. their lemonade stand, bocce ball courts and croquet set up is delightful. we walked around the hotel with my sister and parents who couldn’t get enough of the architecture and colors. we all plan to stay there the next time we are in palm springs. every corner you turn has another picturesque scene.
1:00pm relax by the pool – and now it is time to bask in the pool during the hottest portion of the day. there is really no other way to enjoy the city at this time. we brought floaties and good books and plopped down at the pool for a couple hours. this is the perfect way to digest the heavy brunch and prepare your pallet for what is to come. side note… i am now halfway through a hundred summers and it is hard to put it down. it is a light story about love, friendship and life decisions. i can’t wait to give you a review once i finish!
3:30pm juice break at fresh juice bar - maybe my vacations revolve too much around food but, i can’t help it. i feel like a big part of experiencing a new city is indulging in the food ( as well as the sights). but around this point in the afternoon when i am completely exhausted from the heat, i need a little pick me up. fresh juice bar was the perfect place. it is located in the downtown area of palm desert (many shops such as kate spade and jcrew were located nearby if you are in the shopping mood. cabazon outlets are another great place to shop, which are about 30 min from palm desert). fresh juice bar puts a lot of emphasis on pitaya instead of acai in their bowls. supposedly it has a lot more health benefits. i tried the pitaya tropical bowl and was a little disappointed. i felt like it is was less flavorful than the acai bowls i am used to. next time i will stick to what i know and love. my parents tried their juices — zinger and immunity rocket. both were quite tasty and fresh. it was the perfect boost to get us through the second half of the day.
8:00pm dinner at fresh agave mexican bar & grill – b actually picked out this place and i think my whole family was praising his choice by the end of the meal. sometimes the heart (and the stomach) just want some good old fashioned mexican food. we called two minutes before leaving the hotel to tell them that we had a big party with two high chairs. to our surprise, the table was already set upon our arrival. the service just kept getting better from there. chips and salsa were immediately brought to the table, which was hard not to devour. upon request (and an added fee) your server will make homemade guacamole right in front of you. that is how you know you are in a great mexican restaurant. the menu was extensive with authentic and americanized mexican cuisine. i chose a beef tostada and b decided on flautas de pollo. the portions were large and all entrees were served with rice and beans. some of the best beans i have had might i add. we held off on dessert this time around ( i know a rarity) because we still had more mississippi mud cake back at the hotel. and nothing can beat that.
DAY 3
9:30am palm springs aerial tramway- confession… we did not head to the tramway this time because we were there for so short and we had two kids with us that don’t love the car. it is about 40 min each way from palm desert. i do hear it is spectacular though and hope we are able to experience it the next time we are in the area. for those of you who don’t know what this is, people board a tram for steep 10 minute ride to take in the views of chino canyon. you are at an elevation of 8,516 ft by the end of the ride and are able to take in some pretty spectacular views. there are some great hikes at the top as well as camping grounds near by. the first tram ride begins at 10am and costs about $24/person. i also hear it is a must see/do because you escape the heat for a little while. have any of you guys ever ridden the tram? is it worth it?
12:00pm grab a date shake for the road at hadley’s orchard - our last stop in palm springs was hadley’s orchard. hadley’s is famous for their date shakes. i have had about 3 date shakes in my life but trust me when i say it is famous for a reason. the chunks of dates that come slurping through my straw were perfect. it is a very sweet and refershing date shake. i loved having a little piece of palm springs with me for part of the drive home (very long drive so i needed some relief).
there were a few places i did not have a chance to check out (mainly because they were on summer break) that i hope to experience next time: cheeky’s(downtown palm springs) – for brunch las casuelas terraza (palm springs) – for lunch, try to sit outside crave(downtown palm springs) – dessert bar that offers happy hour.. need i say more? copley’s(palm springs) – this was my first choice for my birthday dinner, but glad we ended up with trio workshop kitchen + bar- would be a fun dinner spot (didn’t look kid friendly)
and if you are chomping at the bit to go to palm springs now, don’t forget to check out my packing guide for more palm springs advice!
what are you favorite things to do, eat and see in palm springs?
