09/05/09

Out of a whim and determination to do something new, I arrived Palm Springs, California, around noon alone for a four day desert vacation.  From the sight of the plane, it’s mountains with only rocks and no trees.  However, all of a sudden, a city out of nowhere emerged with trees, houses etc.  What a marvelous undertaking people have done to this desert! 

First stop is Hotel SPA& Casino, where a nice SPA lunch was served, with a one hour mineral bath to follow, from sauna, steam room, aromatic room to merge myself into the natural hot spring water, let the whole body relax in the water.  On top of this, a 50 min massage was given with lavender oil.  Feeling content, I was going to head to my hotel, Miramonte Resort.  While I was a bit disappointed by the expensive cab fee, the doorman informed me of a bus line that takes me to my hotel.  Thrilled by the information, I walked in the city built in the desert, wondering where the bus stop is.  I may only have taken buses a couple of times during my five year stay in New York.  After half an hour when finally sitting on the bus, I felt so proud of myself – traveling alone and riding a one-and-a-half hour bus to the hotel (I might be one of the few first time visitors who did this – I was never brave enough to try before).

Miramonte resort is located at the famous Indian Wells, at which a tennis tournament is held every March.  This is also the only place where you can see springs on the street surrounded by desert.  The resort does not meet my expectation but still nice.  All I need now is just some quiet reading time, with some wonderful SPA services and occasional dipping into the pool!  Maybe I will also ride a bicycle around the neighborhood.  It has been more than ten years since I last rode a bicycle and broke me arm!  Yeah, I did not normally use brakes back then…  Is that why I still can’t drive a car?  A correlation?