After a multi-year restoration that included amazing upgrades to the original house and to the gorgeous surrounding green grounds—not to mention the construction of an accompanying 17,000-square-foot Visitor Center and newly created gardens with over a mile of meandering paths—the estate is just about ready for its close up.  (Even the delightful mid-century designed, nine-hole golf course has been redone to a tee—pardon the pun!)

Tickets to tour the 25,000-square-foot home will go on sale exclusively at www.sunnylands.org and will be released in two week increments.  Most of the property will be off-limits when it is being used for its intended purpose—to host some of the highest-profile (not to mention most secure) high-level conferences imaginable, fulfilling the Annenberg’s dream of continuing to use their home and property to promote “world peace and international agreement.”

The Visitor’s Center, with some of the grandest gardens and views of the San Jacinto Mountains, will be open to the public for free.  Truth be told, I recently got a sneak peek at this beautiful building and I can’t wait to show it off to every one of my frequently visiting friends.  The house?  That’s another matter.  I’m going to have to wait in line with all the rest of you for that one.  Gladly, my dears, gladly.

I’ve been following it since its early days, when it began as the Modernism Show in 2001.  Rechristened as Modernism Week in 2006, it’s the only happening of its kind in the country, and has been growing ever since, now offering a broad range of activities that showcase design, architecture, art, and culture from the ’40s through the ’60s and beyond.

The opening night cocktail reception takes place at the amazing Arthur Elrod House, designed by John Lautner and built high above South Palm Springs in 1968 and made even more famous by the work of architectural master photographer Julius Schulman.  The next 10 days will be filled with offerings such as films, lectures, architectural tours, educational seminars, and plenty of parties at cool mid-century homes and boutique hotels.  One of the highlights will be the grand unveiling of the newly refurbished Sunnylands (and its accompanying Visitor Center and Gardens) in Rancho Mirage, the estate of former Ambassador Walter Annenberg and his wife, Leonore.  Beg, borrow, and steal to get tix for this one!  www.sunnylands.org

For sheer fun and quirkiness, don’t miss the Airstream and Vintage Trailer show at the Riviera Hotel.  The Palm Springs Convention Center will be the host of the Modernism Show from February 18-20, where all manner of mid-century furniture, art, and furnishings will be available for purchase.  www.dolphinfairs.com/palmsprings

I love this week of fun and fascinating things to do!  Pour yourself a martini and get in the mood for all things mid-century.

March 26 – April 1, 2012

Who’d have thought that Rancho Mirage would ever be known for its water? But in March, water is a primary ingredient in golf history as golf lovers and sports fans are treated to one of professional golf’s most-prestigious and highly-anticipated events, the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club. With the promise of “Instant History, Just Add Water” golf’s FIRST major brings the finest women’s golfers on the planet to the desert for an event that houses some of golf’s most storied and unique traditions. The “instant history” comes by way of the elite female golfers, who catapult their careers to new heights by capturing this highly coveted LPGA major championship. The “water” comes by way of Poppie’s Pond, historically located adjacent to Mission Hill’s 18th green and the site of one of golf’s most anticipated annual traditions – the victory plunge, taken by each Kraft Nabisco Championship winner in their moment of glory. After the champion’s leap, only then does the major champion earn the right to wear the white robe that adorns the victor’s shoulders.

Don’t miss the action as defending champion Stacy Lewis challenges a world-class field of the LPGA’s standout players and rising stars for the right be named golf’s first major champion of 2012. But it’s not all history and water at this fun-filled event. The Kraft Nabisco Championship offers a fun-filled weekend for golfers, sports fans and their entire families, featuring the 18th Green Suite, Legends Club, autograph tent, spectator shopping at the merchandise tent, the famous Dinah Shore statue, and the chance to sample Kraft foods.

Go to www.KNCgolf.com to purchase your tickets.

Other Events To Explore:

My buddy Gusto—a real regular at the restaurant and its full-service premium bar—and I were seated at a primo table in the center of the beautifully lit outdoor dining room.  How better to start a great meal than with a bourbon hot toddy to whisk away the evening’s mild winter chill?  Between the cocktail and the beautifully designed and strategically placed outdoor heaters, we couldn’t have been more comfortable.  And bar manager Michael kept me entertained with a variety of some of his creatively mixed drinks, which include concoctions like “Hello Nancy,” “Chinka,” “Lemongrass Ricky,” and “Gin Lift,” made with house-infused sage Juniper syrup.

All that sipping brought on an appetite.  As we perused the menu—which, by the way, has a wide selection of vegetarian and gluten-free choices—two of Gusto’s friends pulled up at the neighboring table and, before I knew it, we were ordering up a storm.  We started with a beautiful antipasto, the Tricolore Chopped Salad, and the most delectable of them all, soft and creamy Di Stefano Burrata served with eggplant caponata and toast.  I had heard that Birba’s wood-burning oven pizzas were to-die-for, and I was by no means disappointed.  The Egg, Pancetta, Pecorino, Spring Onion combo was delicious and all the other iterations also sounded amazing.  But Birba is about much much more than just pizza.   Gusto’s pals at the adjacent table couldn’t silence their moans while indulging in the braised oxtail entrée.  Our Nonna’s Meatballs were amazing.  And Lamb Scottadito (lamb chop lollipops!) with Cannellini Beans were delicious.

Frankly, I was stuffed.  But not so stuffed I couldn’t have a few bites of the Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart.  Birba truly has it all.  Open from Happy Hour to late into the evening, the small comfortable indoor bar seating, outdoor table service, and spacious banquettes surrounding long firepits have something for everyone.  From cocktails and nibbles, to fine dining and late-night lounging, how could I have missed this place until now?  I definitely need to get out more.

This may be a bit hard to believe, but since I was a teen I’ve been a tried and true lover of all things to do with all kinds of music.  And that’s why “Coachella” is my kind of place.  I’ve been frequenting the festival almost every year since it began back in 1999.  And I’ve seen all the biggies, including Ms. Madonna, Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam, Black Eyed Peas, Bjork, and Duran Duran—not to mention every iteration of rapper known to roam the earth.  But the fun thing about this fest is that there is such an eclectic mix of musicians, from some of the most raucous rock, funkiest punk, and dizzying dance to the hippest hip-hop and rowdiest rap.

2012 brings a new format to the Coachella Festival, spreading out the event to two three-day weekends with an identical lineup of musical groups, which doubles the usual 75,000 fest-frequenter capacity and gives that many more people the opportunity to experience this music and art phenomenon.  Fridays will have The Black Keys, Saturdays boast Radiohead, and Sundays will reunite Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, who haven’t performed together in 20 years.  About 75 more performers and bands will fill out the roster at the multiple-stage venue.

Obtaining tix can be troublesome, so line up early, find a posh place to stay (yes, I’m a bit biased toward my nearby Rancho Mirage resorts!), and come prepared for a fabulous, fun time.

Upcoming Rancho Mirage Events:

Before we blink it’ll be time again for one of the signature events of the city—and one of the biggest tourist draws to the entire Palm Springs Valley.  Running from March 26 through April 1^st, this extravaganza will ensure Rancho Mirage is abuzz with all things lady-golf.  Most of my out of town friends like to stay at the closest resort, the Westin Mission Hills.  www.starwoodhotels.com/westin In between watching rounds and maybe throwing a little soiree or two, they love being pampered with great restaurants and bars and an amazing spa.

And speaking of “Dinah,” there are all kinds of fun parties, pool gatherings, and various other get-togethers geared specifically toward women associated with the Kraft Nabisco.  The promoter, Club Skirts, has a website devoted to all devotees of Dinah.  www.thedinah.com Thousands attend and there’s never a dull moment!

With one golf lesson under my belt I have a newfound appreciation for the athletes who play this sport.  But for me, I think it’s all about watching and having fun with my friends.  Join me at the end of March for the 41^st Annual Kraft Nabisco Championship!

Upcoming Events in Rancho Mirage:

At Sunstone: The Spa at Agua Caliente, the Taking of the Waters pass includes access to the facility’s fitness center, outdoor mineral pools, main swimming pool, steam, sauna, inhalation room, tranquility room, locker room and showers (with robe and slippers, naturally)—not to mention one ten-minute mineral bath session.  This program, offered Monday through Friday (excluding holidays and/or peak business volume), is available for $40 to day guests without treatment ($25 with massage/facial or body treatment), and $35 for hotel guests without treatment ($20 with massage/facial or body treatment).  Weekends/holidays/peak business periods do require purchase of a massage, facial, or body treatment in order to access the TOW program.  In addition, a fitness/pool pass is available (excluding holidays/weekends/peak periods) for $15, which grants admittance to the fitness center, scheduled fitness classes, outdoor mineral pools, and the main swimming pool.  A Spa Day Pass at Sunstone runs $25, and includes steam, sauna, whirlpool, fitness center, and private spa pool.

Over at Rancho Las Palmas’ Spa Las Palmas, the monthly Spa Express Program includes one 50-minute treatment to use anytime, with the same guaranteed low rate to follow each month of your contract.  Use of the fitness center, serenity pool, relaxation rooms, and more is included.  Spa Express bonuses include preferred access to seasonal events such as Spa Under the Stars, as well as 20% off dining at bluEmber, 20% off Spa Boutique purchases, 20% off salon services, and 50% off yoga classes.  A three-month contract runs $119 per month, with six- and 12-month commitments going for $99 and $89 monthly, respectively.

The Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa offers two options within its Resident Recharge Program, which is open to residents as well as visitors.  The Spa Card includes one 50-minute spa treatment per month; unlimited use of the spa facilities, fitness center (open 24 hours), yoga classes, and resort pools; plus 20% discount on golf range fees, meals at Bella Vista or The Den Lobby Lounge, and additional spa treatments.  Pricing is $159 per month, $119 monthly for a three-month contract, $99 monthly for a  six-month contract, or $89 monthly for a 12-month contract.  The Resort Card has all the benefits of the Spa Card minus the one monthly 50-minute spa treatment.  Pricing is $75 monthly, or $65, $55, and $45 monthly for three-, six-, or 12-month contracts, respectively.

So do as I do and as I say.  Rather than treat yourself to a single spa treatment once every blue moon, enlist in one—or all three—of these great staycation deals and get much, much more for your money.  Your body and soul will thank you.

Thankfully the Palm Springs Valley is blessed to have one of the most magnificent tennis facilities—AND tournaments—in the country right down the pike from my place in Rancho Mirage.   The PNB Paribas Open, taking place this year from March 3-18 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is one of the most well-attended tennis events in the world, with finals being played in the fabulous 16,000-seat Main Stadium.  www.bnpparibasopen.com

The tournament and facilities were purchased in 2009 by Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO of Oracle Corp, who also happens to own the spectacular 246-acre Porcupine Creek property in Rancho Mirage.  (And no, sadly, we haven’t met yet—but I’m working on it!)  Recent upgrades to this great tennis garden include additional courts, many with night lights, bringing the total up to 23 hard-surface courts.

Tickets go quickly for the Open, so plan ahead.  There are all kinds of fun packages available for single days, multiple days, or the entire tournament.  And if you’re visiting, don’t forget to give yourself plenty of time to hang out, shop, eat, drink, golf, and enjoy the fabulous resorts in the Palm Springs Valley.

The 23rd annual festival opened on Thursday, January 5th this year and runs through Monday the 16th.  As usual, the opening night movie and after-party sold out quickly, even before the movie (Lasse Hallström’s “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” starring Emily Blunt) was announced.  That’s a real tribute to the talent behind the planning of this affair.  The brainchild of former Palm Springs mayor Sonny Bono, the fest has grown from a handful of movies to this year’s 420 screenings of 187 films from 73 different countries shown at five venues.

Ah, and lest we forget the glitz and glamor, what would a festival be without movie stars?  This year’s gala awards ceremony, with a record 1850 black-tied people in attendance at the Palm Springs Convention Center, was over the top with head-turning talent such as George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, Michelle Williams, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, and Gary Oldman all on hand to either give or receive well-deserved awards.  As a stop on the way to Oscar, you can’t beat that star power!

But let’s not forget that this really is all about movies, and there’s always something for everyone, including dramas, comedies, foreign language films, documentaries, and shorts.  The annually increasing popularity of the Palm Springs International Film Festival is wonderful and brings a welcome verve and vitality—not to mention beaucoup, beaucoup bucks—to my beloved Palm Springs Valley.  Join me next year, won’t you?!

Randall really is one of the best in the biz, and each time I pay him a visit, I surrender and luxuriate, knowing that my face is in good hands.  We begin with Randall analyzing my skin and gently laying on the hot towels that punctuate the treatment throughout.  He then applies cream to my arms, hands, and feet, placing warm mitts and boots on me to heighten the experience and its therapeutic effects.  Next comes massaging my neck, shoulders, and face under steam before cleansing those same areas using a special Clarisonic vibrating brush.  Once my dead skill cells have been exfoliated and debris extracted from my pores, Randall applies tonics and moisturizers to complete the cure, making sure to explain as he goes and answer any of my questions regarding what I’ve just undergone and what I can do at home to take good care of my skin until my next visit.

According to Randall, the dual benefits of a facial—the relaxing aspect, plus the fact that your skin is left looking, feeling, and being healthier—are what make regular visits to professionals like himself so important.  “The health of the skin on our face is very often neglected and ignored yet it can receive the most abuse due to exposure, our lifestyle, and the environment,” he adds.  “Having a facial can equate to taking an oral supplement for the body.

Few imagined when Cliff Henderson bought 1700 acres of desert scrub in 1946 that his vision of a first class shopping street would ever result in the world-renowned collection of shops, restaurants, galleries, and professional and personal service providers that we see today.  Akin to Rodeo Drive or Madison Avenue, El Paseo has something for everyone, and I’m just crazy mad for it!

It would be impossible to name all my faves here, but suffice to say that if you want it, you’ll most likely find it on El Paseo.  From the Saks Fifth Avenue store that anchors The Gardens complex, to the exquisite finery of designer Fe Zandi, you will have no problem finding clothes to suit your every need.  Kate Spade, Robert’s Fine Shoes, and Janie and Jack’s children’s wear might help you round out your family’s wants.

But El Paseo is about far more than apparel.  There’s Hayman & Summers’ outstanding collection of refined outdoor furniture, not to mention a beautifully renovated Pottery Barn.  Between the Sheets has the most amazing selection of linens for the boudoir, and believe me, if baubles are your baby, check out El Paseo Jewelry for rocks that will knock your socks off.  Or Frasca Jewelers, for special one of a kind pieces.  Or the venerable Tiffany.  Need I go on?

Hungry yet?  Fear not, as you are never more than a few steps from dozens of eateries that range from casual (California Pizza Kitchen, The Pastry Swan Bakery’s The Fix) to über excellent (Le Paon, Café des Beaux Arts, Ristorante Mamma Gina), and everything in between.

As much as I love to shop, my tootsies get tired trekking the grand art-filled boulevard.  Thankfully, a handy dandy free golf cart shuttle shows up virtually every few minutes to take me to my next destination!  Now what could be better than that?

Thankfully, The Cheesecake Factory has recognized that, in this era of health consciousness, it was time to offer some alternatives to the huge portions and sometimes not-so-slimming calorie counts that their fabulous food had become known for.  My friends and I were pleasantly surprised to see a whole new section of the menu devoted to “SkinnyLicious.”  Yup!  Lower-cal, smaller portions, and delicious new recipes.  We started with a few apps to test the waters.  The Crispy Crab Bites were the perfect solution to our innate desire for a little fried food!  They totally satisfied.  Mushroom Lettuce Wraps?  We weren’t expecting the full-flavored Shitakes with soy to offer such a mucho macho munch, but they did.  The list of entrees went on and on, with filling and tasty choices like Petite Grilled Tenderloin, Tuscan Chicken, and Herb-Crusted Salmon.  They even have skinny cocktails!  My pal Marcos couldn’t resist the regular menu’s Famous Factory Meatloaf—and we all felt obliged to help him with those delectable mashed potatoes!

Of course no meal at the Factory is complete without its namesake dessert.  Our table shared the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake and the Fresh Banana Cream Cheesecake.  Neither disappointed.  Skinny-what?!

Voted one of the best events in the Palm Springs Valley, the 2011 incarnation included humongous, highly anticipated helium balloons for the second year in a row.  Eat your heart out, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!  Carried by members of the city’s neighborhood organizations, yours truly was asked to join my old pals Don and Woodrow on the parade route as they walked with their group, tethered to a insanely inflated holiday ornament.  And this is where I saw it from a totally different perspective… EVERYONE was smiling!  There were more kids than I have noticed in years, and they couldn’t help but grin at every float and balloon that passed by.

But it’s the lights that make this parade a not-to-be-missed affair.  As a requirement to participate, everything needs to be lit, and even the high school marching bands were bedazzled.  Fire trucks, school busses, a snowplow as big as a school (Diana exaggerate?  Never!), and floats of every size and shape were part of this 19th manifestation of our beloved holiday tradition.

I haven’t missed a single Festival of Lights Parade since the inaugural outing, and I was so happy to be so intimately part of it this year.  Now I can’t wait to see how over-the-top the 20th anniversary spectacle will be.  Join me!  I’m sure you’ll be able to find me in the crowd.  I’ll be the one wearing the lady-lit candy cane-colored socks.

Starting at the Palm Springs Art Museum http://www.psmuseum.org/ inn-walkers are given a map and a flashlight to navigate the nearby blocks where the inns are located.  Let the trek begin!  As many times as I’ve walked the walk, I never tire of seeing the pretty properties and well-appointed rooms.  And I love sharing the experience with friends from all over the Palm Springs Valley.

The inns’ provenances span decades, with some buildings dating back to the early 20th century and others built smack dab in the middle of the mid-century modern era.  Many of the proprietors are on hand to offer enlightenment on the history of their properties, and refreshments are often offered, notably at the Palm Springs Tennis Club/Spenser’s Restaurant.  http://www.palmspringstennisclub.net/ http://www.spencersrestaurant.com/

Don’t miss some of my favorites:  Korakia Pensione http://www.korakia.com/, Orbit In Hotel http://www.orbitin.com/, and the Viceroy Resort Hotel http://www.viceroypalmsprings.com/.

Although I consider this to be a “family fun” affair, I would caution parents about bringing small children who might not be enthralled with the intricacies of architecture and the delights of hospitality design.  You could show them a few to whet their Walk whistles and then maybe head over to the weekly Thursday night Villagefest http://www.palmspringsvillagefest.com/ on Palm Canyon Drive to prevent the bored-babe syndrome!

Great restaurants with special multi-course prix fix meals abound.  You know my affinity for Shame On The Moon http://www.shameonthemoon.com/, and its four- or five-courser with prices ranging from $65 to $85 is a great place to start before possibly moving on to a private party or to one of the resorts.  Likewise for Chef Andres’ four courses at Roy’s, offering delectable Hawaiian Fusion cuisine for $49-85 http://www.roysrestaurant.com/.

Food not that important to you?  Grab a nibble at home or at your hotel, head on over to The Show at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, and rock to the groove of cover-band-extraordinaire “Mrs. Robinson” performing multi-generational hit after hit, with tons of costume changes and music that will have you dancing in the aisles.  Then head over to the casino and play the night away! http://www.hotwatercasino.com/TheShow/.

Rancho Las Palmas has a full roster of New Year’s Eve events, including an early family buffet for $29, a casino-themed adult buffet and ultra lounge for $99, and a five-course dinner with live music and champagne toast in their premiere restaurant, bluEmber, for $125.  http://www.rancholaspalmas.com/

Likewise, Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa invites guests to “Sip, Sup, Swing, and Sizzle” the night away with all kinds of New Year’s options, including its Bella Vista Restaurant’s $125 dinner with premium wine pairings. http://www.westinmissionhills.com/palm-springs-holidays

Those who are looking for a bit of old-style celebration should consider Wally’s Desert Turtle for its six-course spread and five-piece dance band, complete with champagne and sophistication, all for $75-145. http://www.wallys-desert-turtle.com/home.html

Whatever you do and wherever you end up, be smart, be safe, and celebrate like it’s 2012!

Making its debut in November, Rendezvous already has quite the following.  I fell upon it the week after its opening when a client suggested we have a celebratory drink following our final design consultation.  Arriving at cocktail hour, we tucked ourselves into a comfy swirling banquette in the center of the lounge and promptly ordered drinks.  Our server explained that their libation specials that day were from the “Skinny and Sexy” list, with all weighing in at a figure-enhancing 200 calories.  Lo-cal Margaritas, Long Island Ice Teas, and Mojitos piqued our interest, so we ordered away, and never missed a single calorie.  But as tasty as the cocktails were, all we could concentrate on was the gorgeous new space.

Perched on the edge of the casino, Rendezvous’ curvy dark wooden walls, plush polka-dot carpet, and upscale bar and lounge seating give you the air of intimacy without letting you forget that you’re in the center of the betting action.  We sat and marveled at the jellyfish-like hanging lights, and even more so at the breathtaking geometric wooden chandeliers.   Even without the assistance of alcohol they will have your head swirling—in the best possible way.

Generally quiet during the day and busier at happy hour, Rendezvous picks up as the night moves on, especially on the weekend, where it has become one of the Palm Springs Valley’s newest see-and-be-seen scenes.   Meet up with friends old and new.  And don’t be shy about it.  I know I won’t be.

I had dinner there last week with my friends Dana and Hedge.  After a warm greeting by hostess-with-the-mostest Ginger Carter, we were seated at a primo table in the packed dining room.  My companions were surprised to see such a convivial crowd on what they considered a “quiet Wednesday,” and equally amazed that the service was so good in such a busy establishment.  But SOTM fans know what they’re doing, and that involves eating in a place with five-star food at reasonable prices.

The comfortable dining room with adjacent bar is very conducive to intimate dinners, business affairs, or family gatherings, as we saw that night.  But really it’s all about the food and good, friendly, non-intrusive service.  Since main courses come with a choice of house salad or soup of the day, I often overlook the great list of appetizers.  But on this night we decided to split the Steamed Spinach Napoleon with goat cheese and house-made cornmeal crackers.  A great vegetarian option, and totally delish.   But then everything on the menu is totally delish.  Duckling, (ah, those roasted shallots!), Horseradish-crusted Salmon, and the chef’s signature dish, Calf’s Liver, are just the beginning.   And a shared dessert—or two—is always a given!

Shame On The Moon is also a great place for holidays, and I’m planning on being there for New Year’s Eve’s five-courser.  I simply can’t get enough of this place.

Celebrating its 20th year of taking tasty tamales to the masses—160,000 strong this year!—the festival is the ultimate in family fun.  Taking place in downtown Indio on a multi-block square with four entertainment stages offering a wide selection of Latino music and dance, all manner of kid-friendly activities such as bouncy houses and slides, a petting zoo, and a selection of carnival rides for toddlers to totally grown-up kids of all ages, there is something to occupy the imagination of even the most blasé among your brood.

But nothing is more important on this weekend than the main event: tamales.  Amidst the hundreds of booths offering everything from baby tees to fried you-name-it, the scores of tamale vendors from far and wide are the real stars of this affair.  My pal Paul and I started off with two traditional types, splitting in half and sharing a green chile & cheese and a spicy chicken.  Yum on both.  We then moved on to some gourmet fare, skipping the one stuffed with brie and opting for a poblano & corn and a pork & green chile.  After strolling, shopping, and listening to great music (maybe a margarita was consumed!), we opted for one more—a tantalizing beef tamale—before heading back to the car with a churro in hand to end with a sweet finish.

I certainly can’t eat like that every single day, but on my trek toward Tannenbaum, it’s time to treat myself to the tastiest tamales in town at the Indio Tamale Festival.

Situated downtown on the enviable corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Arenas Road, the new eatery is in fact  a sight to behold.  Brilliantly reincarnated by architect David Christian and interior designer Jeffrey Jurasky (with the exquisite assistance of graphic designer Gary Wexler and celebrity photographer Michael Childers), the gargantuan, multi-leveled space is bathed in white, accented with pearlescent tile, and dotted with elegant splashes of bold color.  Sexy indeed…

I consider myself so fortunate to have been among the chosen few graciously invited to one of two pre-opening previews.  Gregarious owner Jerry Keller and his beautiful wife Barbara tablehopped to welcome family and friends.  Executive chef Arturo Casillas and his beloved partner in thyme, the multi-talented Karla, orchestrated the symphony in the kitchen.  And crisply uniformed front-of-house staff—servers in tieless white tuxedo shirts and long white aprons; runners, bussers, and bartenders in tight, white tees emblazoned with LULU’s logo—came and went as if celebrating the umpteenth anniversary of the place.  All the while, a veritable army of supervisors, led by general manager Willie Rhine, made sure everything was letter perfect.
LULU shares its sibling’s vast breakfast-lunch-and-dinner menu, made famous for its bighearted portions of delectable fare at easy-on-the-pocket prices.  With Acqua Pazza breaking its own records year after year, is Lulu’s immediate, raging success anything but a foregone conclusion?  Bon appétit, and long live LULU!

The Palm Springs International Film Festival 2012 is scheduled for January 5-17 2012. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is noted for its emphasis on the best foreign film Oscar contenders, along with top American indies and provocative documentaries. The festival always attracts a dazzling array of stars for special tributes and seminars.

Past years’ Palm Springs International Film Festival honorees included Colin Firth, Robert Duvall, Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Carey Mulligan, and directors Danny Boyle and David O. Russell.

This year will be very special as the 23rd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Octavia Spencer with the Breakthrough Performance Award.  Presented by Cartier, the Awards Gala will be held Saturday, January 7, at the Palm Springs Convention Center.  Hosted by Mary Hart, the Awards Gala will also present awards to previously announced honorees George Clooney, Glenn Close, Michel Hazanavicius and Michelle Williams.

“Octavia Spencer is a consummate actress who seamlessly blends her dramatic and comedic talents, creating performances of uncommon depth,” said Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner.  “As the irascible Minny in The Help, she captures the essence of a woman who deals with life head on, relishing confrontation and serving as a source of courage and humor for those whom she loves. To Octavia Spencer, it is therefore a great honor for the Palm Springs International Film Festival to present the 2011 Breakthrough Performance Award.”

About The Palm Springs International Film Festival

The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 130,000 attendees each year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries.  The Festival is also known for its annual Black Tie Awards Gala, honoring the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Bridges, Danny Boyle, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Colin Firth, Ron Howard, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman and Kate Winslet.

Book your stay for the Palm Springs International Film Festival in nearby Rancho Mirage, CA. The best accommodations in the Palm Springs Valley.

But there comes a time in one’s life when one needs to overcome an irrational fear—and in my case, realize that golf is a social exercise that often involves business deals!  Thankfully, I didn’t need to look much further than my own Rancho Mirage backyard to dive in.  I made haste to the closest course I knew, and within minutes I was at the Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa signing up for my first lesson with the main man, Director of Instruction Barry Clayton.  Barry’s a good guy.  He was thorough and patient (remember, never ever played a single hole, that is if you don’t count putt-putt as a little kid).

Starting me off with tips on gripping the club and taking the proper stance, then teaching me the art of the swing and how to finish up with the follow-through, his instruction helped me actually hit a few balls into the air!  He suggested that I join him and his team either in the mornings or mid-afternoon for their “revitalize” clinics, which concentrate on a different swing every day.  And, frankly, at only $20 a session, it’s a great deal that includes time at the driving range on the beautiful Pete Dye course.

I’m not saying I’ll ever beat Tiger Woods—or any of the sweet little ol’ ladies who play on the course and can drive my socks off—but I am feeling a bit better about getting out there and chipping away at the little white ball.  At least it doesn’t involve eating bugs.

Powwows are traditionally a family meeting.  Over the years they’ve evolved into an opportunity to get together with tribal members from across the USA and Canada—not to mention the chance to participate in a dance and music competition with prizes totaling more than $100,000 in cash.  This makes for fantastic family fun as tribes try to outdo each other when it comes to presenting their colorful outfits, intricate steps, and beautiful—and to my ears, often haunting—music.  Just listen to that drum circle!

This year’s get-together included representatives from 65 tribes and more than 450 participants of all ages, including newborns in fringe-covered diapers!  My favorite part is the Grand Entry, when hundreds of revelers enter the arena in one of the most kaleidoscopic processions you can imagine.  Their spectacular regalia, with its beautiful beading and fanciful feathers, never fails to astound the many who amass each year.

If all this activity makes you work up an appetite, there’s plenty to munch on, including Indian tacos and my favorite, fried flatbread drizzled with honey.  After a bit of shopping at the booths of the myriad vendors who come to win you over with their wonderful wares, I was back to the main arena to watch more dancing and listen to that amazing music.  Make sure you put this one on the calendar and don’t miss the wowwow of the powwow.

Serving lunch and dinner, as well as an extensive “bar-b-que to go” menu, Babe’s specializes in one sure thing: meat!  Its two rib choices are both amazing, but I generally opt for the meatier St. Louis’ over the leaner baby backs (just a personal choice).  Depending on how hungry I am—and whether I can head straight home with leftovers—I’m usually a big proponent of combo platters.  That way I can add short ribs, hot link sausages, tri-tip, or chicken to the mix.  Portions are huge, so plan on sharing starters like the deep-fried green beans or the buttermilk popcorn shrimp, and certainly save room for a dessert that might involve an iron skillet full of brownie overloaded with ice cream!

With a full bar and a beer menu that includes a half dozen site-brewed choices, Babe’s always ensures my friends and I are never less than satisfied with a superior, finger-licking good, gastronomic experience.

I recently met the ever-effervescent Lisa Acosta, the Rancho Las Palmas Director of Catering, at another event at the resort.  She was raving about all the brilliant renovations on the property that had taken place to accommodate weddings and special events.  And as fate would have it, Delilah and Frank’s nuptials happened to be the first to take advantage of them.

Starting with an afternoon ceremony on the Sixth Tee of the West Golf Course, the 200 or so guests were treated to spectacular views of not only the bride and groom—visions in white and black—but of the magnificent mountains that surround our gorgeous Palm Springs Valley.  After a touching exchange of vows, we all meandered to the newly spiffed-up Sunrise Terrace overlooking the Fifth Fairway, where we were treated to a top-shelf cocktail and hors-d’oeuvres hour that included a wide selection of divine delicacies.  As the sun set, we gathered around the gorgeous new fire pit before heading up to dinner.

The main dining event took place under the heavens on the Starlight Terrace.  Warmed to perfection by strategically placed heaters, the much-anticipated meal was the precise perfection I’ve come to expect from Executive Chef Sean O’Connell.  (And there’s never a question that Diane Dodge’s expectations in life are high!)  Who would ever guess that a chef can feed a crowd of 200 and make everyone feel that they were in someone’s home?  O’Connell’s culinary wizardry is never-ending.

I couldn’t be happier for my newlywed friends (and their proud parents), and thank them especially for their superior taste in letting Lisa, Catering Manager Darin Sturgill, and their entire catering crew at Rancho Las Palmas handle every exquisite detail!

Best friend Freddie often comes out from Los Angeles for the occasion, and this year was no exception.  Reluctantly leaving Phalin at home (“I’m 15—and too old for that!”), she brought Farnsworth and Fronkie, who are always game for a fun and interesting outing, especially in the dark.  The event kicks off Thanksgiving weekend and runs most evenings from 6:00-9:00 through New Year’s Eve.

Thousands of miniature lights decorate the grounds in dozens of displays that include geometrics, fantasy, flowers, and every conceivable animal under the sun.  But it goes way beyond luscious lights.  This is the Living Desert, after all, and they know what they’re doing when it comes to entertaining guests of all ages.  Farnie and Fronk were fabulously fascinated by the carousel and camel rides.  Freddie and I were endlessly entertained by the live music, and we all had a ball on the new Holiday Express train ride (no additional charge, which is appreciated by all!).

Santa’s Playland, Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, Prancer’s Playland, and the Wildlife Wonder Shows all kept everyone dazzled and delighted.  Taking a break with heated cider and s’mores around an open fire warmed us on this particularly nippy night, reminding us why we come back year after year.

Day or evening, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is my kind of place.   www.LivingDesert.org

Sam—who was born and raised in the desert, who has practiced the art of massage for almost 13 years, and who has been at Sunstone Spa since its inception in March of 2008—is hands down (pun entirely intended) the best practitioner yours truly has ever encountered.  Here are his five top tips for making your experience with him, or with any other therapist the world over, a mutually rewarding one:

1.  Arrive well before your appointment time—an hour or more prior is not at all uncommon—to allow for check-in plus the enjoyment of the spa’s pampering facilities: dry sauna, steam room, hot tub, quiet relaxation areas, plus all those luxurious (free!) bath and body products like soaps, shampoos, after-shaves, and moisturizing lotions.

2.  Sam recommends a light snack beforehand, but nothing too heavy, “since lying down while filled to capacity may create discomfort during the massage.”

3.  If you’re indulging in more than one treatment, the optimal order is as follows:  scrub or body wrap, then massage, followed by facial, and finally, hair and/or nail treatments.

4.  Don’t forget that you’re allowed to express your preference between a male or female therapist at the time you make your appointment.  “Gender preferences are individualistic,” says Sam.  “If the practitioner is well-trained and well-prepared, this decision is simply preferential.”  Some women feel more at ease with a female therapist, while many men feel apprehensive about being rubbed down by a fellow man.  This is all about you.  Don’t be afraid to push your boundaries (yes, I’m talking to you, guys) but ultimately make the decision that will make you most comfortable.

5.  Never hesitate to ask for what you want and need—even if it means adjusting the massage mid-session.  You and your therapist are co-creating the experience, regardless of his or her agenda.  Don’t feel embarrassed requesting some customization.  “This only makes the ‘dance’ more graceful,” says Sam, “thus enhancing everyone’s experience, including the massage professional’s.”

Hummingbirds zipped through the dewy foliage searching for a first taste of nectar. Yesterday’s light afternoon rain left the palm trees glistening and Mount San Jacinto dusted with snow. Today, blue sky overhead, promised a picture postcard perfect day in paradise. For the first time this fall I tugged grandmother’s quilt up from the end of the bed and over Reba’s slumbering shoulders.

As I lolled in bed thinking about making coffee and listening to Reba’s soft breathing I heard them. But Maggie heard them first.  She popped her head up from a tightly curled ball snuggled right beside my darling. Then in one leap she hurtled from the bed to the window all cat vigilante.  Faint at first and then progressively louder the honk, honk, honk of geese heading south.  Reba, now upright in bed, Maggie on her hind legs stretching up the slider glass, whiskers on high alert, and nose twitching to take in any detection of what was causing the fast approaching cacophony and me scrambling out from under covers. In a flash we were all three out the door peering skyward just in time to see the low flying V arrowed southward.

Right above the boisterous honking and relentless flapping of the snow bird’s wings perfectly expressed our joy in the coming of fall and the most sublime season in Rancho Mirage.

When most performers fear being put out to pasture, the “long-legged lovelies” and the “Follies Gentlemen” parade the stuff they love to strut with pride in Palm Springs, where impresario Riff Markowitz only hires performers over the age of 55.  Yup, these are “seasoned” show guys and gals!  In its 21^st season at the historic Palm Springs Plaza Theatre (which celebrates its 75^th anniversary this year), each player is introduced in aging order, ranging from 58 to 82 years young.  With glittery, feathered costumes that will knock your socks off—and routines that would challenge a dancer of any age—you’ll be dazzled the whole night long.

This blend of Broadway-caliber song and dance and stand-up comedy—Rex the talking dinosaur baby courtesy of ventriloquist Brad Cummings was priceless—plays to packed houses year in and year out, and has allowed audiences to savor a world-class roster of rotating guest stars such as Melba Moore, Peter Marshall, Carol Lawrence, and one of my all-time favorite “Mothers-In-Law,” Kaye Ballard.  On my last visit I was personally serenaded by the divine John Davidson, looking as youthful as ever with his mane of silver locks mere weeks before his 70^th birthday.

Many patrons frequent the Follies every season to enjoy each new show.  It’s always on my list as a “must do” for those who come to visit.  Don’t delay getting tickets, as they often sell out well in advance.   And look for me in the audience, wishing I could dance like that!

There was no other option for me than to call on Jennifer Johnson, the chef extraordinaire who runs a tight ship catering some of the best intimate dinner parties and over-the-top weddings in the Palm Springs Valley.  I stopped over to her great lunch café on 111, where we sat and chose my future soiree’s menu while I munched on an amazing Tuna Melt.  This intimate birthday fete was to be for an even dozen on my condo terrace, and thankfully this was a foodie crowd so we could be a bit more adventurous than the usual (but always delicious) crab cakes that seem to be a staple of catered food.

Jennifer’s food feels far from catered fare.  First off, it’s about as “green” and organic as you can get from a caterer.  But the choices are almost limitless.  Jennifer sent her best staff member to take care of us, a wonderful Southern gentleman named Jackie who did an outstanding job taking care of our every culinary and service need.  We started with passed hors d’oeuvres of Risotto and Fontina Croquettes and Deep-fried Green Olives stuffed with Sausage and Goat Cheese, then moved on to a refreshing salad of Arugula with Caramelized Pears and Toasted Walnuts.  For the main course, Tapenade-Crusted Rack of Lamb (sublime) and an amazing Three-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna (for the non-meat-eaters) were served.  Needless to say, Jennifer’s special Three-Chocolate Mousse Torte was the showstopper that all expected after such an incredible meal.

I love to cook and I love to eat.  Cleaning up, not so much.  So this experience with Jennifer and her crew was a win-win for everyone.  Who knows?  Maybe someday I’ll need her for MY special wedding…  In the meantime, I’ll stick to her for my dinner parties.  And by the way, the guest rooms of my favorite client were done in record time, and look divine.

Although Saturday’s soiree was soaked with rain, many still attended, mostly clustered beneath the huge tent, listening to the music of Matt Marshak as he rifted on his guitar, or huddled under umbrellas as they acknowledged the accomplished artists.  Sunday’s clear skies brought out thousands who meandered through the artists’ tents, admiring art that amazed the masses.  Music was provided by London-native Shilts, who literally had young and old dancing in the aisles to his group’s jazz sounds.

This family-friendly event has something for everyone.  The Rad Hatter helped children (and more than a few adults, including moi) take a common paper grocery bag and turn it into a chapeau masterpiece.  I wore mine all day!  The Historic Preservation Commission, Citizens on Patrol (COPS), Emergency Preparedness Commission, and the Rancho Police and Fire Departments all had a presence amongst the talented vendors.  Oh, and there were adult beverages and plenty of tasty food on offer also.

But ART is the affair of the day, after all, and it was represented in spades.  Sculpture, painting, ceramic, and glass joined jewelry, photography, textiles, and mixed media.  James Hill’s stainless steel sculptures stand out as a highlight, as well as local artist Leslee Adams’ (The Water Color Chef) gorgeous food-themed watercolors.  But kudos to all the artists for exhibiting their beautiful wares on a beautiful day in beautiful Rancho Mirage.

This is the definitely the kind of affair I can get used to, and do, year after year.

What started out 25 years ago as a simple gay pride parade—partly as a way to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and also as a way to fight for visibility and equal rights for the LGBT community in the desert—has turned into a party that invites all to participate.  And participate, they do!  My, how times have changed.

The Pride Parade marching up Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs is by far my favorite part of the weekend.  Toddlers and parents, drag performers and police officers, plus people of every persuasion all blend in perfect harmony to watch an array of civic, religious, and riotous revelers strut their stuff down the street.  The marching bands of Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs High Schools were a huge hit, as were the parade’s finale of cheerleaders—some being thrown almost 20 feet in the air.

The two-day Pride Festival at the Palm Springs Baseball Stadium welcomed thousands to a celebration that included a pair of performance stages with non-stop acts, scores of booths, vendors serving an array of tasty food, and enough people-watching to satisfy even the savviest social observer.  New this year was the Arenas Road Block Party, an over-21 outdoor soiree on Saturday that provided live entertainment, food and beverages under the stars, and access to the fabled Arenas shops, restaurants, and bars.  There’s no doubt this will become an annual affair!

With each passing year Pride in the Palm Springs Valley becomes more inclusive and more of a universal celebration.  Don’t put off making your plans for next November!

Although a number of my favorite haunts—including Shame on the Moon and Roy’s—give their staff Thanksgiving day off, there is a long list of restaurants and resorts that will cater to your gastronomic whims on this autumn holiday devoted to gratitude.

Turkey is obviously the meat of the day, although all venues offer a full range of choices.  Looking to try it deep-fried?  Check out the Diestel Farms’ turkey on the three-course menu at The Steakhouse at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, served from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., in addition to their regular menu.

Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa’s bluEmber will be going all out from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a lavish buffet dining option that begins with iced seafood, an array of salads, charcuterie, and soups, and offers hand-carved ham and turkey, in addition to other main courses.  Desserts are a given.

And for another triple-courser, visit Wally’s Desert Turtle, where you can get not only tasty turkey but duck, roast pork, or tenderloin among other choices from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Rancho Mirage’s Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa adds the smooth jazz sounds of Norm Douglas to their Thanksgiving Feast buffet from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m.  In addition to their herb-brined, slow-roasted Sonoma turkey, offerings include Virginia ham, short ribs (now doesn’t that sound yummy on Thanksgiving?!), and a wide selection of risottos.  Pumpkin pie for dessert?  Yes, please.

As usual, I’m up for anything.  Eat in, go out.  Hmm, what to do?!

1. Head to Bristol Farms on the South east corner of Country Club and Monterey.  In the deli section ask the server to make and cut up into quarters a couple of sandwiches.  Select two salads.  While waiting for the sandwiches and salads have the bakery box a cupcake per person.   In the produce department bag a bunch of grapes and some apples.  Grab 2 bottles water per person, some paper plates, plastic forks and a couple of candy bars on the way to check out.
2. A tablecloth can make a picnic so pinch a couple of towels from the Resort, load them into the trunk of your car along with the vitals and then tell the kids you’re going on an adventure and that they have five minutes to get their electronic gear and their happy attitudes in the back seat.   Hats, sun glasses and tennis shoes required.
3. GPS locate Joshua Tree National Park and during the 45 minute drive from Rancho Mirage let the kids listen to their music or play their electronic games.
4. Once at the park head to Hidden Valley.  Park and take the well-marked one mile loop trail with your kids acting as trail leaders using the Visitor Guide given to you by the Ranger when you entered the park.  At the conclusion of the hike spread out your towels on one of the many picnic tables and chow down.  Porta potties are ubiquitous.
5. Let the kids play until they start to quarrel.  Load them up and head for home.  In five minutes they will be dozing and you’ll be hero of the day!

I often run into Carol Ann Zale, The River’s general manager for the last six years, as she surveys her domain.  “We’re pet-friendly because more and more people like to go places with their animals,” she says.  “Their animals aren’t just family pets, they’re family members.  A lot of people don’t like to leave them behind.”

Mornings tend to be busiest, when people take their sunrise strolls.  “Maybe they wouldn’t even take a walk if they didn’t have their dog to walk,” Carol Ann tells me.  “It’s the buddy system.  We want them here.  And we want them to know we want them here.”

Despite the early morning furry, four-legged rush, pets are present throughout the day and well into the evening.  And Zale is happy to report that there’s never been a problem with people not picking up after their pets.  “The owners take good care of their animals.”  Of course there’s a leash law—dogs must be tethered at all times—and thankfully that’s rarely an issue either.

Carol has come to care for some of her regulars, likening the pets and their owners to other families who routinely visit The River.  “There’s this one Havanese.  Her name is Molly,” says Zale with a  smile.  “She’s been coming here since she was a puppy.  Her parents are seasonal residents and I haven’t seen them yet, but I’m anxious to see her to see how she’s grown in the year.  It’s like first meeting a baby in a carriage, then witnessing their first step, then seeing them in the mall years later.”

“We live in La Quinta but we come here every day,” says Herv McGlashan, referring to himself, his Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Riley, and their quotidian hour-long visit.  “It’s so peaceful here and the people are so friendly.”

Even before becoming a regular, I was given a hearty welcome by manager Jerry, co-worker Terri, and the rest of the hardworking team.  But now, it’s like they can read my mind.  Most often I’m there for just a weekly deluxe wash to keep my beloved vintage Jag looking spiffy.  But after a particularly windy and dusty bout, or a shopping trip that wreaks havoc on the interior, I’ll forego the usual and opt for an Interior Super Clean or an Express Hand Wax.  They also offer a full range of services, including carpet shampooing, convertible dressing, tire dressing, and the best custom detailing around.

This longstanding car wash recently changed hands and was rechristened Rancho Mirage Auto Spa by new local owner John Sellers.  With over 25 years of experience operating a vehicle detailing business in San Bernardino, Jerry was very happy to find a property that would allow him to offer his brand of superior services to customers in the Palm Springs Valley.

My Jag is a bit of a finicky creature and not a big fan of car-washing machines.  He’s always happy as can be when his vents have been blown, his interior shined, and his outside washed and polished—all by hand.  (There are no machines at Rancho Mirage Auto Spa; just humans!)  I’m not sure whom the crew is more prone to please with their affordable and excellent spa services, me or my Jag.  But we both always drive off with a smile.

Celebrators popped in and out of the many surrounding bars and restaurants waiting for the annual costume contest to commence.  And when it did, drag-performer extraordinaire Bella DaBall expertly hosted the soirée as hundreds of revelers—straight and gay, old and young, costumed and not—gathered around the stage and watched the 75 entrants compete for cash and various other prizes.

Participants included every manner of witch and warlock, otherworldly visitors, characters from TV and film, as well as a fair number of fairytale creatures (“Pan” with his magic flute was a particular crowd-pleaser).  A Pan Am pilot and his crew of oh-so-sexy “stewardesses” camped their way through the crowds as we waited for the contest results.  Among the evening’s winners were a pair dressed as newly married Bert and Ernie—complete with matching rings and over-sized California marriage certificate—a gaggle of hot guys dressed as Caesar and his minions, and the best-dressed March Hare and Mad Hatter you’ve ever seen.

This family-friendly affair is not to be missed and I will, without a doubt, be back next year.  I’m already contemplating my costume…  I was thinking maybe I’d present myself as Potter Palma!

Just Fabulous (an emporium of art, books, greeting cards, and gifts at The Corridor in Palm Springs) hosted author Dr. Leo Mallette, an aerospace engineer and faculty member at Pepperdine University who lives with his wife in Irvine and Rancho Mirage.  He has assembled a collection of over 200 photos culled from country clubs, private collections, generous individuals, and the City of Rancho Mirage itself—all of which chronicle our fair municipality from its earliest days, when the area was occupied largely by big horn sheep and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.  These images are the backbone of yet another entry into the vast collection of cities recorded in the “Images of America” series.

I’m sure visitors and residents alike will love seeing history unfold as they peruse page upon page paying homage to date farms and ranchos, the rich and famous, and mere mortals.  The tome is worth it just for the burgeoning residential communities pictured, which have come to be revered in present-day as having been designed in the “mid-century modern” modality.

I love seeing where we’ve been, appreciating the present, and projecting where we’ll go in the future.  A beautiful book like “Rancho Mirage” helps me do that, and gives me high hopes for the future of our beautiful city.

Images of America: Rancho Mirage is available at Barnes and Noble’s bookstores or online at www.barnesandnoble.com

Part of the empire begun on Oahu by James Beard Award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi 23 years ago, the chain of 31 restaurants on the mainland United States, Hawaii, Japan, and Guam is now operated by OSI Restaurant Partners.  The eateries boast “Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine,” where European techniques and Asian gastronomy meet Hawaiian hospitality.

My taste always tends to Roy’s—whose evenings are masterfully orchestrated by Managing Partner Kameron Luyt—for a special celebration, or just as an excuse to make any meal an occasion.  On my last visit, my dining companion started off with a Pepper Melon Margarita, a concoction that scintillatingly pairs jalapenos and watermelon.  Our cocktails were perfect accompaniments for appetizers of Crispy “Kung Pao” Calamari and the most amazing Grilled Szechuan Spiced Pork Ribs that will ever pass your lips.

I eat everything—from “rabbit to rattlesnake,” as I like to say—but for me, fish is the dish of choice at Roy’s.  Yes, the meats are amazing, but I love Chef Partner Charles Andres’ preparations that involve my knowing that what’s on my plate was swimming in the sea mere hours before being put on a plane and flown to the desert for my delight.  Roy’s Trio—a perfect sampling of Hibachi Salmon, Macadamia Nut Mahi Mahi, and Misoyaki Butterfish—did not disappoint on my most recent night.  We paired it with Roy’s Original Hawaiian Blackened Island Ahi and a side order of the Macadamia Nut Pesto Risotto.  Follow our expert lead and you will weep very happy tears.

If you’re still hungry—I never am, but that seldom stops me—there’s a selection of desserts that will blow away your sweet teeth.  The Dark Chocolate Soufflé and the Pineapple Upside Down Cake (with housemade coconut ice cream) were made for each other—and for you.  Aloha!

Born in Playa Del Rey and raised in Big Bear, Jeanine emigrated to the desert following high school graduation.  After six months, due mainly to her love of all things aquatic, she fled to Hawaii, where she became a dolphin trainer—in her words, “an enlightening experience.”

She’s been back in the Valley full-time for five years, the last four of which she’s spent at The Steakhouse.  She was a bartender for three-and-a-half of those before transitioning “to the floor” six months ago.  “My job makes me smile,” she says simply, adding that she believes The Steakhouse offers the best food in the Valley.  “I’ve lost track of how many guest have told me theirs was the best steak they’ve ever had.  That makes my job easy, makes me feel good.”

After more than 25 years in the food and beverage business, Jeanine says she’s proud to work for a tribe that does so much for this Valley—one that runs a very green business and that has a beautiful property and a show-stopping live performance venue to boot.  The fact that she’s never had the privilege of taking care of so many great regulars—people she’s grown to truly care for—is the icing on The Steakhouse’s devilishly delicious chocolate cake.  “Some nights I feel like I got to visit with old friends,” she says.  “That’s as good as it gets.”

The Porcupine Creek property boasts an 18-hole golf course rated 13th best in the Golden State by Golf Digest Magazine, an 18,000 square foot main house, four guest houses, an amphitheater, a clubhouse, and massive swimming pool.  Ellison has just completed adding tennis courts to the estates many amenities.

Forbes Magazine has ranked Larry Ellison as the fifth richest man in the world.  His residency in Rancho Mirage continues the City’s legacy of providing a private retreat for successful leaders.  Here, Walter and Leonore Annenberg built their Sunnylands and entertained U.S. Presidents and European royalty.  Here also is where Gerald and Betty Ford retired and mingled happily with the residents in the grocery stores and on the golf courses.  Frank Sinatra built a home in Rancho Mirage and permanently reserved his favorite tables in the local eateries on Rancho Mirage Restaurant Row from which he’d greet his neighbors and fans.  Larry should fit right in.

The package includes:

• Rates from $140 per night – minimum 2 night stay required
• Complimentary continental breakfast for two
• 20% discount on spa services
• VIP Discount Booklet with savings on top designers and name brands at Desert Hills premium Outlets, featuring over 130 stores near palm Springs
• Here’s the Kook:  Participation in a Golf Cart Parade with a chance to win a return two night stay at The Westin plus golf and spa for two
• For details go to:  Deals Westin Mission Hills Resort

I have no doubt about it – you can win the parade.  Think about it.  Costumes – you got ‘em.  Decorations – yes the garage is full of stuff that will work.  Attitude – well, no one has more.  GO FOR IT!  I’ll be there cheering you on!

The grand-daddy of them all, of course, is the Palm Springs International Film Festival, held every January.  But there are others, including the Palm Springs Film Noir Festival, the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, and Cinema Diverse—The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, which takes place each September.

I feel fortunate to live in an amazingly multi-cultural place like our beautiful desert, where all colors and stripes are equally welcome regardless of age, race, gender, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.  And Cinema Diverse is just one more way to rejoice.  The four-day fest always features a wide range of shorts and features that include world and national premieres as well as recent festival winners.  I’ve been attending with an assortment of friends—a few LGBT, most not—since the event began in 2008, and we always have a blast.  (Don’t even get me started on the daily after-parties!)

I love that ticket sales support two worthy non-profits that greatly benefit our community—the Palm Springs Cultural Center, founded by Ric and Rozene Supple (who own the Camelot Theatres, where the films are screened), and the Human Rights Campaign.  Cinema Diverse 2011 is still going on as I write.  So it’s time to consult my daily planner and go sit in the dark all day to share cinema with a few hundred soon-to-no-longer-be-strangers! Until next time.

These mythic beings—a subspecies of the Wild Sheep of North America—are technically Peninsular Desert Bighorns, and were classified as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1998, after it was discovered that their U.S. population had dwindled drastically from approximately 1200 to only 280.  A mere 21 resided in our own back yard in the Santa Rosa Mountains!

The Bighorn Institute—located a stone’s throw from Rancho Mirage in Palm Desert—is  a non-profit committed to the conservation of worldwide wild sheep via research and education.  Since 1985, the organization has released 98 bighorns into the Santa Rosa Mountains wild.  The local population keeps climbing slowly but surely, with two lambs—one male, one female—born within the Institute’s captive herd last spring.

So much do I care about these creatures that I’ve joined the Institute’s Adopt-a-Bighorn Program.  My $100 annual gift gets me an 8”x10” adoption certificate, a 4”x6” color photo of my lamb (ewe or ram adoption is $150), a bighorn sheep fact sheet, and a subscription to the Institute newsletter The Bighorn.  Visit www.bighorninstitute.org to become a proud papa or mama.

Big, beautiful—and rare.  Aren’t bighorns reminiscent of a Bentley?  No wonder they’re the spot-on symbol of Rancho Mirage!

Dizziness, sweating, and a rash on Cara’s arms and legs gave way to severe nausea.  A newfound allergy?  Food poisoning?  Not wanting to take chances, we immediately headed toward Eisenhower Medical Center’s E.R.

Thankfully, I haven’t spent much time in hospitals or emergency wards.  But if I ever have to, remind me to always be in close proximity to Eisenhower.  This is a facility to be reckoned with.  Beautiful décor thanks to the non-profit hospital’s legion of legendary benefactors.  State-of-the-art equipment.  And a staff of the most wonderfully caring and talented medical professionals you could ever hope to find.  So, Cara’s diagnosis?  Nothing more than too much sun!   Lesson learned.

While we whiled away time in the well-appointed waiting room, Marc and I chatted up an older, wiser couple of part-timers who gave us some very sound advice:  Marc and Cara should take full advantage of one of the most amazing medical facilities in the country and connect with a doctor they could call their own for the extended time they’re in town.  Marc promised to look into it—and he will!

To help Cara over her little bout of too many rays/too little sun block, I dropped off some succulent strawberries with whipped cream the next day.  Thankfully, no allergies.

On September 14, AAP—the AIDS Assistance Program—gathered more than two dozen area restaurants and caterers who offered samples of some of their favorite dishes for a small contribution.  As opposed to other years, there was no entrance fee.  Donation cards were purchased before entering and then punched by volunteers at each food vendor’s booth.  Some tastes could be had for as little as a dollar.  Some went for four.  All were tasty as could be, and well worth the small cost.

Acqua Pazza/LULU, Rio Azul, Johnny Costa’s, Trio, Billy Reed’s, El Mirasol, and the catering operations from both Mission Hills Country Club and Jensen’s Foods were just a few of the providers who donated their goods and services.  There was even a custom pet food vendor—Fresh Fetch—there to represent for the four-legged.    A number of restaurants provided a sweet finish to the evening, but Lappert’s Ice Cream won hands down for the longest line.  And yes, it was worth it!  A cash bar helped lubricate the evening, and it certainly seemed as if a delectable time was had by all.

As we left—fatter but happier—I couldn’t help but smile while walking through the Jackie Lee Houston Plaza next to the convention center.  Having passed away on the day of this event, and having been such a strong supporter of AAP, one of the Palm Springs Valley’s most loving and generous women was surely beaming down on the hundreds who helped make this noble annual fundraiser another smashing success.

Now, let me remind you that in my last quarter-century of traveling to the far reaches of our planet, I’ve encountered some pretty fantastic employees at exclusive adult playgrounds from Cabo San Lucas to French Polynesia.  The fine men and women toiling at the Westin right here in the Palm Springs Valley rank right up there with the best and brightest of them all.

It started, as it should, with my check-in experience, continuing straight through to lunch at Season’s Grill, spa treatments, time spent poolside, dinner at The Den that night, my breakfast at Bella Vista the next morning, and that most dreaded time of the day: check out.  Rarely have I witnessed so many workers so genuinely happy with both their position and their employer.  While each staff member which whom I interacted truly did go above and beyond, a few standouts must be mentioned: longtime Westin Mission Hills massage therapists Debra and Beatriz; The Den staff Laurel, Gabriel, and Tamera; front desk attendant Carol; and Bella Vista breakfast server Luis and supervisor Miki.

Of course, an employee’s great attitude trickles down from the top.  Snowbirds hailing north of the border will be proud to know that the Westin is currently being governed by transplanted Canadian Ross Meredith.  But he’s only served as general manager for a few months.  People like Laurel and Debra have been with the resort for more than a decade, so clearly, there’s a long history of great management at this first-rate property.  Especially in light of the fact that longevity so often equals ennui.  Not at this hot spot.  So carry on, team.  Gold stars for all!

Offer me steam, dry sauna, hot jacuzzi bubbles on my aching back, and I’m there.  When I’m feeling flush, I make it a point to spring for the exquisitely decadent trio of massage, body treatment, and facial.  Yes, there are princely sums attached, but they make me feel like a king.  And I’m well worth it.

One of my preferred local spots is Spa Las Palmas at Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Rancho Mirage.  With its 20,000 square feet, 28 elevated second-floor treatment rooms, well-appointed locker room facilities, and team of superior therapists, it’s no wonder this place has been voted Best of the Valley by Desert Magazine.

The last time I indulged, I spent a half-hour lazing in the steam before Phillip administered an utterly rejuvenating coconut scrub followed by a stress-erasing back, neck, and shoulder massage.  Randall then gave me a refresher facial prior to my being invited to the Spa Courtyard, where I enjoyed a quick dip then a healthful, tasty lunch served poolside.

Spa Las Palmas offers a $30 day pass for one to enjoy the steam, sauna, and hot tub sans treatments.  But by far the best deal is the resort’s Spa Express Program, whereby membership affords not only one 50-minute treatment but discounted rates on subsequent appointments plus unlimited access to gym and locker room facilities.  Contracts of three, six, or 12 months are available for $119, $99, and $89 monthly, respectively.  Check out www.rancholaspalmas.com for more info.

Why?  Because one of the amenities this property provides its patrons is the Holiday Inn Express Hot Pancake Machine, with which guests do-it-themselves, hit a button, wait about 60 seconds, and are treated to two hot, tasty golden griddlecakes to start off their day.  Of course, all the other perks—affordability, an accommodating staff, comfortable rooms (each equipped with microwave, refrigerator, and a great bed), free WiFi and local calls, the fitness and business centers—also help attract Paul and his fellow trade trekkers (during the week) and families (on weekends).  General manager Peter Morales has even partnered with the adjacent Applebee’s (located literally steps away), which functions as the property’s de factor full-service bar and restaurant.  They’ll even fulfill room service orders—and give hotel guests a 10% discount!

It’s no wonder, then, that Paul and other nomads like him have chosen to join Holiday Inn Express’ Priority Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program.  Thanks to the chain’s family of brands, Paul’s points can be redeemed at more than 4,500 hotels worldwide, from Montreal or Mauritius to Buffalo or Bora Bora.  Depending on your (free) membership level, other awesome advantages include guaranteed room availability (at least 72 hours in advance), priority check-in, complimentary upgrades, and extended check-out hours at all Holiday Inn Express locations.  And of course, don’t you dare forget about waking to the welcoming waft of those perfect, palate-pleasing pancakes.

I’ve been known to knock a ball or two over a net on a few occasions, and sometimes there’s nothing better than taking advantage of our tax-dollars-at-work and using one of the four immaculately maintained—and I might mention, seldom used—free, lighted tennis courts.  No sign-up.  Just stroll in and serve.  The last time I played there with pals Pieter and Pat, not to brag, but I pummeled both of them.

Recently, when fabulous friend Freddie was in town, her wee ones Farnsworth and Fronkie insisted on a trip to the park to clamor and climb on the life-size faux fire engine.  As we sat in the shade and sipped our iced green tea, we watched helplessly as the kids, without warning, bolted from the truck and spritzed themselves in the sprinklers…dry clothes be damned!

Although we didn’t make use of the picnic facilities or the basketball and handball courts (or the walking path and fitness circuit, for that matter) we did watch as the Farn and Fronk ran around the wide open spaces long enough to totally tire themselves out—and dry their garments.  Thankfully—as we all know—it’s a dry heat!  And with that, we were off to lunch…

While hanging out at The River, a.k.a. “Downtown Rancho Mirage,” I love to stop into the Tulip Hill Winery’s Tasting Room, especially if I have out-of-towners in tow.  Don’t be fooled.  Its retail look and location may mask the fact that you can hang out there and taste some really great, handcrafted wines that are produced in a state-of-the-art facility on the shores of Clear Lake in Northern California.  This is the only tasting room of Tulip Hill, as well as the only wine tasting room in the valley.

Founded by father-daughter team Budge and Kristi Brown in 2001, this family business has grown steadily as they continue to plant new vines and offer a greater variety of wines.  I’m particularly fond of their reds—big cabs, jammy syrahs, and spicy zins, among them.  Their chards are also interesting, ranging from steely to über-oaky.  And if all this vin-talk is flying right over your head, you’ll benefit from a fun and educational respite in the tasting room.  Bring some friends.  Take your time.  Peruse the shop, which is packed with a wonderful variety of food- and wine-related fare.  And don’t be surprised when you walk out lugging a case—or two, or three.

While shopping ’round Rancho Mirage with my friend Felicia, we had a hankering for all things Thai.  Frankly, there’s no finer food of this persuasion anywhere around.  Celebrating its tenth anniversary at this location, the lunch-and-dinner eatery has been owned and operated for the past four years by executive chef Matthew Creighton and his wife, Irene.  A seamless transition kept the vast majority of the staff, many of whom have been there since the place opened.  Request delightful Dana.

The lunch specials are luscious, and include a choice of soup or salad as a starter; some come with a scrumptious spring roll.  I often opt for a full-size portion so that I can take home the leftovers.  That’s when I don’t dine there, too.  I’ve been known to show up at High Noon only to return at dusk.  “Please, sir, may I have some more?”

The Creightons’ Pad Thai is to die.  The curries (of many colors) and rice dishes are delish.  But being a land-locked seafood lover, I can’t get enough of their Four Star, served with scallops, squid, mussels, and shrimp.  And Spicy Scallops and Shrimp always bring tears of joy to my eyes.  (And writing this is making me hungry!)

If anyone needed even more motivation to make their way to Thai Smile, know that they were voted Best Thai Restaurant for the last four years in a row by readers of The Desert Sun.  Now, make haste, and tell daytime manager Scott or night general manager Supa that disciple Diana Dodge dispatched you!

A little planning ensures that you have what you need but you’re not burdened down with lots of extra weight.  In addition to comfortable hiking shoes, appropriate clothing, a belt (for use as a sling or a tourniquet) and headgear for the season and weather, here’s my list.

This inventory should suffice for a hike of a couple of miles (up to 6) but it’s not appropriate for any day-long or overnight treks.

• 2 liters water – get Tarzan to carry the water in his backpack.  You can put one bottle in your fanny pack.
• Snacks, lunch – we always take peanut and jelly sandwiches on multi-grain bread, Kashi bars and dates.  Yes DATES!  They grow here, are delicious and PACKED with get-up and go power.
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen – smallest container of your favorite brand
• Chap Stick
• Binoculars – I take my tiny opera glasses that Grandmother gave to me.
• Change of socks
• Couple of band aids
• Compass – smallest one you can find
• Whistle
• Cell phone with a well charge battery
• Mini pack of Kleenex for bathroom breaks
• Matches
• A wildlife brochure for identifying the flora and fauna – you can pick one up at The Living Desert, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the Trading Post at Indian Canyons and any bookstore in the Valley.

I use walking sticks.  Rex hates them.  It takes a bit of practice to learn how to use them and how to adjust them when ascending and descending but it’s not brain surgery.  Get a good pair and ask the sales person to give you a quick lesson.  My sticks have built in lights, a tiny compass on the handles and are black and silver – accessories are my thing!

Jennifer registered us at the Rangers Station and then with boyfriend Rob at the back of the pack and Jennifer leading the charge our gang of nine headed out.   The temp in the mid 60’s, crystal clear cobalt vaulted over head.  A perfect picture postcard day.  Indian file we snaked up a gradual incline and soon were overlooking what seemed to be the entire western world.  Stately Jeffery Pines framed the vistas.  In happy groupings we posed for snaps.  Then the tramp began in earnest through stands of White Fir, Pinyon Pine, Big Cone Pine and the magnificent and ubiquities Jeffrey’s.   Jennifer had us stop and stand quietly for a minute, eyes closed to listen to the wind whistle through the tops of the trees.   Then at her urging we sniffed the sun-lit trunk of a Jeffrey taking in the unmistakable scent of butterscotch.  It was a Sunday and we were in paradise.

Steller Jay’s squalled over-head, Ravens road the airstreams, a Western Grey Squirrel scampered up a Jeffrey and scolded us as we pushed through a vast meadow of ferns just touched with a frosts first bite.   Munching peanut butter sandwiches beside a gurgling brook of icy water we pondered this rivulet hurtling towards the valley and within minutes merging with the mysterious aquifer slumbering deep below the desert floor.

Descending to Idyllwild on the precipitous Devils Slide we tightened our laces and braved our yelping feet.  To the left Tahquitz Peak domed 8828 feet above the tree tops. Here, it is said the God of the same name resides and dispenses his wrath on wayward mortals. Could our aching toes be a minor curse?  A rattler slipped across the path and feet forgotten we hustled to the parking lot at Humber Park where a luxury coach awaited to swift us to cold beers and sandwiches at a popular and packed Idyllwild watering hole.  Others at nearby tables munched on their lunches oblivious that our capable crew had conquered the mountain while they had just barely dragged their bones to brunch.

No, I’m not the youngest ball on the beach, but mercifully the usual gang of guys and gals I hang out with in the desert embody the full range of ages, sizes, shapes, colors, and orientations.  Plus, no one is ever out of place at Agua.  Sure, the Friday and Saturday poolside bash skews toward a younger crowd, but in such an exquisite, wide-open space—with lights flashing, music thumping, and a few revelers splish-splashing around—everyone always has a great time.

With easy in-and-out privileges, we went back and forth between the casino floor (slot-loser extraordinaire here!) and the pool deck on the night we visited.  I’m actually surprised how few people found their way into the water.  None of my gang got wet.  We’d just come from dinner at The Steakhouse, and that childhood old wives’ tale about waiting an hour after eating before diving in is hard to shake.  But by the looks of it, those who did take the plunge seemed to be having a ball as they gyrated underwater to the beat of the talented DJ.  Everyone behaved like perfect gentlemen and ladies, with most folks—whether barely clad or buttoned-up—merely mingling, ogling beautiful bodies in bikinis and trunks, cruising, drinking, laughing, and hanging out with friends new and old under the stars.

Last Monday, I joined my gal pal there for a little gambling fun.  Being a much higher roller than I, Marie enjoys the benefits of the Red card—the highest level one can earn in the casino’s Paradise Rewards Club.  So while she went off to try her luck at the Blackjack tables in the high-limit Primrose Room, I made my humble way to the penny slots.  I can only aspire to one day join Marie in her crimson status, but first have to make it to the Gold, Platinum, and Black levels.  I’m working on it slowly but surely…

The Paradise Rewards Club is indeed a smart idea.  I love how you can redeem your points for cash, merchandise, or free play.  Free is always fun!  The more you bet, the better the comps—overnights in the resort’s plush rooms or suites, meals at either Waters Café or The Steakhouse, treatments at Sunstone Spa, and even VIP seats for performances at The Show, a venue Agua bills as “the premier concert theatre in Southern California.”  Good to know:  The point system is interchangeable at both Agua or at Spa Resort Casino, its sister property in Palm Springs.

Until I can flash a Red card of my own, I’ll have to count on the kindness—if not of strangers—of my dear Marie, who has always been more than happy to share her wealth of perks.

As a library-lover for as long as I can remember, I cherish the happy memories of moments when Mother would take me to choose books to borrow.  Each would whisk me away to another world.  As an adult, I now take full advantage of the striking Jeffrey A. Scherer-designed City of Rancho Mirage Public Library in the heart of town.

Opened in 2005, the building boasts quiet-inducing cork floors, walnut and chestnut wood accents, and plenty of natural light, all inside a stunning building clad in glass, Minnesota limestone, and copper.

With well over 100,000 books and recordings—plus enough seating for 160 people—this stunning space often finds me meandering through its many aisles as I pick my poison from among the countless categories, including personal favorites like history, architecture, and self-help as well as biographies and fiction, of course—both classic and pulp.

Besides borrowing books, I love indulging in all the other amenities that the library has to offer.  There is art to be appreciated, cinema to be seen, lectures to listen to, authors to applaud—not to mention intimate classical concerts and dizzying book discussions.  If you want a bit more of a challenge, don’t miss the political pondering.  And if you’ve got kids, you—and they—will love the lively events scheduled, as well as the literary lending for children of all ages.

Open every day save for Sunday, the Rancho Mirage Public Library gives me no excuse to not continue to enrich my days and nights with the help of beloved books.

After whining and complaining a bit too much for my friends Harper and Addison’s liking, they gently threw me into their car and drove me over to the Mattress USA store on 111.  Within minutes I had found my “baby-bear-just-right” mattress, and we were out the door.  But that was just the beginning of the blast we had.  Spying Amici Italian Trattoria right next door, Harp and Addy insisted we celebrate the end of my sleepless nights with a nice midday meal out.

We were surprised by the Friday crowd.  A mixed bag of business people, lunching ladies, and a couple with kids were all chowing down on some of the best Italian food I’ve had in ages.  Truth be told, I’d been here a couple of times before, and always enjoyed it, but for some reason it just hadn’t been on my radar recently.  That quickly changed after this noontime combo of Classic Caesar and Sausage and Pepper Penne.

The owners—Jack, Joe, Wayne, and Scott—are the four amici…amigos…friends.  With disparate second careers that include that of flight attendant, TV personality, and retired accountant, they collaborate on the operation that serves Joe’s mother’s recipes to an adoring crowd for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.

A great wine list accompanies ever-changing menus that highlight freshness, flavor, and fun combinations.   Harper’s Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Beets and Asparagus over Greens was inspired.  And Addison’s Pollo Arrosto (a humongous roasted half-chicken) was to die.  Most of it went home for the next day’s breakfast omelet.

So now I have a new/old favorite place to go when I’m famished but too lazy to cook.  I’ve had to hit the gym a bit more after all that pasta, but it’s well worth it.  Oh, and as for my back?  Much better, thanks for asking.  I swear by my new pillow-top memory-foam king size!

For more fine dining ideas in Rancho Mirage visit, Dine In Rancho Mirage

As any regular knows, Ginger herself is part of the stability of which she speaks.  She’s been with Shame on the Moon since the very beginning, toiling first as a server before being promoted.  She adores greeting habitués and newcomers equally warmly upon arrival, dealing with any issues that may pop up during service, and bidding them a fond farewell upon their departure.  “I’m the first one in and the last one out,” she says.  Which is why she’s worth her (admirable) weight in gold to owner Milan Tojagic, chef Jorge Villabona, and general manager Casey Hedger.

She’s also universally adored by the eatery’s all-male front-of-house staff, most of whom also have considerable longevity with the company.  “We really do have some of the best servers in the Valley,” she boasts.  “Johnny, who’s been with us for 15 years, was voted Best Bartender in the Valley a few years ago.  Several servers have been with us 10-plus years.  Joe, our ‘youngest,’ has been here two years.”

When I wonder what’s kept her in one place so long, Ginger says simply, “I like what I do and I like who I do it for.  It’s about taking care of the guests and my staff.  Simple as that.”  But surely she must be thinking of retirement by now.  “Oh, my God,” she spurts.  “I don’t have enough money to retire!”

So I guess we can all thankfully count on Ginger happily being the “face of the Moon” for the foreseeable future.

“The Director of Fun position is interesting because ‘fun’ encompasses a lot of different things,” says the native Northern Californian.  “Anything to do with the leisure guest, children, families—I do all of that programming.  You kind of need a cape and roller skates, because you’re always running all over the property.”

Lori estimates that 75% of her daily duties revolve around kids.  Just some of the popular programs she oversees include Kidz Nite Out (theme parties away from moms and dads), Kidz Fun Cabana (poolside pottery, airbrush tattoos, and sandy candy-making), and the Westin Kids Club Discovery Room (where those 4-12 learn and play while parents relax and explore the resort).  Even the spa gets in on the action, with Mommy and Me Manicures and Teen Facials.

One of the most popular programs is Kidz in the Kitchen, where children 6-12 join James Beard-honored executive chef Joel Delmond to create Saturday morning pancake breakfasts which they then eat in a VIP section of Bella Vista Restaurant.  “They get their own chef hats, aprons, and little wooden spoons,” says Lori.

For grown-ups, the Director of Fun coordinates such events as Cocktails 101, wine classes, cooking demos, and a spouse program that entertains men and women whose partners are busy with business.  “We want everybody to feel like they don’t have to leave here,” says Lori.  “There’s something for everyone.  And even though it can be crazy, I love having all these balls in the air.”

While it’s only been in existence for a relatively short 10 years, today it’s hard to believe we ever lived without The River.  Its meandering waterfront walkways replete with waterfalls and lush landscaping makes for a soothing setting in which to shop, dine, and be entertained.

Just some of the retail outlets represented include national giants such as Verizon Wireless, Bath & Body Works, Ulta Cosmetics, Optica, and M.A.C., and smaller, more specialized boutiques like Diane’s Beachwear, Hats Unlimited, Cohiba Cigar Lounge, Health Spectrum, and River Nails & Spa.  There’s even a Tulip Hill Winery outpost, the only winery tasting room in the desert.

Come mealtime, choices include behemoth chains P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, The Yard House, Baja Fresh, and The Cheesecake Factory alongside homegrown eateries Acqua Pazza, Papa Mario’s Pizzeria, and Babe’s Bar-B-Que & Brewhouse.

Specialty shops include Starbucks, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and Ben & Jerry’s, while the cinephile in all of us would be lost without Cinemark’s Century Theatre 15 screens.
As for what’s going in to the mammoth space presently occupied by the soon-to-vacate Borders Books and Music, I know but I’m not telling.  Stay tuned…

My friends Pat and Chris from Denver were staying at the Westin Mission Hills last week, and after a day of spa treatments and shopping they invited me over to The Den for one of the bar’s infamous Rasberrytinis.  I hadn’t been there in a spell, and had forgotten what gorgeous views there are of the 18th hole of the Pete Dye Golf Course and beyond.  It was a bit toasty for my taste, so we sat inside and left the terrace to souls heartier than we.

As always, longtime servers Tamera, Gabriel, and Laurel took great care of us.  As hunger set in, we were masterfully slipped dinner menus.  During the off season, the full service restaurant—the beautifully designed Bella Vista—is closed on weekdays.  Thankfully, the bulk of that venue’s menu is available in The Den.  After splitting Easter Shore Crab Cakes, Shredded Pork Mini Tacos, and Braised Beef Short Rib Sliders, Chris and I had the delectable Fire Roasted Angus Beef Filet (with sweet corn and crimini mushrooms) while Pat indulged in the Ricotta-Spinach Ravioli.  Full, fat, and happy, we couldn’t resist one slice of Margo’s Chocolate Mousse Rum Pie.

So, depending on the day you visit, remember that you can dine casually in The Den or more formally in Bella Vista.  Either way, don’t forget to end with that sweet finish that makes the entire evening an event!

A favorite Palm Springs Valley spot in which to indulge in this favored pastime of mine is Rancho Mirage’s own Desert European Motorcars.  I initially encountered the dealership’s committed, expert staff when my beloved Audi required service.  Once that vehicle was replaced by a cherished vintage Jaguar, one of the switch’s perks was knowing I’d be back.

In addition to being factory-authorized to sell Audis and Jags, Desert European offers the following luxury brands: Aston Martin, Bentley, Land Rover, Lotus, Maserati, Porsche, Spyker, and Rolls-Royce.  Fun fact:  Executive manager Gary Whitaker, who has more than a quarter-century of experience in the car industry, was the number-one salesperson in the world for Rolls-Royce and Bentley for a number of years, and has helped Desert European Motorcars achieve the title of top Rolls-Royce and Bentley volume dealer worldwide.

So do as I do and do as I say:  Next time you’re zooming along Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage, stop by and take in the awesome sights at Desert European Motorcars, where for a mere half-mill you can slip into a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé—or at least dream about rolling off the lot with that breathtaking set of wheels.

Phalin (14), Farnsworth (5), and Fronkie (4)—hey, don’t blame me, I didn’t name ’em—found the slip-and-slide lifestyle of RLP’s Splashtopia sensational.  This family-friendly water park of pools, falls, slides (and even a sandy beach for the wee ones) allows everyone a safe, sane way to have fun in the sun.  Just don’t forget the SPF.

With the place chockablock with kids of all ages—yes, moms and dads are welcome to dip much more than a toe in—Freddie and I placed our tushes in the bright yellow inner-tubes and lazed away part of the day in the meandering 425-foot long, somewhat circular “river.”  Meanwhile, the kiddles roamed free, taking turns on the two totally fun hundred-foot-long slides.  Farnie and Fronk frolicked for hours under the free-flowing sprinklers and fountains, but the waterfalls were just a bit too much for their tiny taste.  Lots of lifeguards dutifully watched over all, making sure everyone sported safely.

Thankfully, we didn’t need to move too far for tasty treats that included sandwiches, burgers, wraps, etc.  Grilled shrimp tacos—can you say, “OMG!”?  Adult libations were a given.

All afternoon, the kids kicked up their heels, Phalin flirted, and Freddie and I frittered away the hours catching up and loving the fun the family was having.  At least for that little while, all was right with the world.

To witness a tusker sans tequila, just drive down Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage.   The beast of which I speak resides above the Rancho Super Car Wash.  He—she?—hovers high over the popular full-service enterprise, where hard-working technicians keep my pretty Porsche pristine.

But what’s happened to one of our most loved landmarks?  The pinkness of the people’s prized pachyderm is positively peeling off, showing stripped steel and preventing eastbound traffic from even reading the sign.  A bit bewildered, I placed a call to general manager Jesse Rojo to inquire if and when this elephant will be perked up with a little pink paint.  Thankfully, it will be.  It’s just a matter of time.  Because, of course, nothing is simple.  Aside from the expense (which is mammoth even in the sturdiest of economies), the sign will need to go through major dismantling prior to recoating.  The red, green, and blue neon must be removed, and workers need to ensure that everything is shored up and primed for more hellish heat, scorching sun, and the occasional wind and rain storm before restoration can be concluded.

Ever since it debuted in 1967, this familiar sight has brought a smile to my face—not to mention to that of even the most curmudgeonly in the community.  So here’s to a fancy facelift for Rancho Mirage’s rosy mascot—stat!

When Ford died of natural causes at age 93 on July 8, 2011, the loss was palpable certainly throughout the world.  But nowhere was it felt more acutely than right here in Rancho Mirage and within the walls of the clinic that bears her name.  Ford was BFC’s chairman of the board for 23 years, from its inception until 2005.  Now with her passing, the institution—which boasts more than 90,000 alumni across the globe—is decidedly determined to continue to do her proud.

“Betty Ford Center staff and alumni held a celebration of Mrs. Ford’s life on Thursday, July 21, and will be holding another special tribute celebration to her on September 27,” said CEO John Schwarzlose.  “Mrs. Ford’s vision for the Betty Ford Center has been our cornerstone for 29 years and will continue to be going forward.  The 250 staff at BFC believe the best way to honor the incredible legacy of our founder, Betty Ford, is to continue to offer the highest quality of care for every man and woman who walks into the Center asking for help.”

As a tot, Mother occasionally took me out of the desert and up the mountain to expose me to the bliss of the crisp, clean alpine air, and I’ve loved it ever since.  For me, Jazz in the Pines is a great excuse to cool down, cocktail up, and coo to the sounds of more than 25 solo artists, duos, trios, and bands.  Three days of events open with the Friday night Patrons Dinner Dance and continue through two days and evenings of non-stop music—with everything centered at the charming campus of the Arts Academy, a mere stone’s throw from the heart of Idyllwild.

I’m wont to make a weekend of the whole thing, and the roadside scenery makes the one-hour drive each way well worth it!  If you’d rather just journey there for a day, check out Jazz in the Pines’ website to whittle down which lineup is most appealing.  For all the 411 you’ll need, visit www.idyllwildjazz.com.  And don’t forget to look for me under the parachutes of the Main Stage amphitheater!  I’ll be the one tapping my tootsies.

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA, October 24, 2011 – In an attempt to spread the word far and wide about all it has to offer visitors to the Palm Springs Valley, the City of Rancho Mirage has welcomed two new bloggers to its travel and tourism website, www.RelaxRanchoMirage.com.

The fictitious personalities “Potter Palma” and “Diana Dodge” will contribute a total of three blog posts weekly.  Each blog post will focus on one of the following:

• luxury resorts such as Rancho Las Palmas Resort or Westin Mission Hills
• retail establishments such as Desert European Motorcars (the leading seller of Bentleys nationwide) or those found at shopping and entertainment complex The River
• restaurants such as the enduring Shame on the Moon or the popular Acqua Pazza
• nightlife such as state-of-the-art performance venue The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa
• outdoor activities such as hiking, golf, and tennis
• international events such as The Desert Classic Concours D’Elegance or The Kraft Nabisco Championship.

The two new bloggers will join established personalities “Rex” and “Reba Masterson.”  Rather than writing reviews, all of these bloggers will post entries of approximately 250 words that will be short and sweet features detailing the particulars of their subjects based on the bloggers’ firsthand experiences.  An original image will accompany each blog post.

“Like Rex and Reba, Potter and Diana are locals who love living in Rancho Mirage and who want to share their knowledge and appreciation with readers throughout the world,” says City of Rancho Mirage Marketing Manager Robert Barrett.  “It is our sincere hope that longtime visitors to the Palm Springs Valley—as well as those who have yet to fulfill their dream of traveling here—will become addicted to these bloggers’ musings, returning regularly for updates on all the wonderful, world-class travel and tourism attractions the City of Rancho Mirage has to offer.”

Fans of the website will be able to subscribe to RRS feeds to receive blog updates, and may “like” RelaxRanchoMirage on Facebook or “follow” Rex, Reba, Potter, and Diana on Twitter.

ABOUT THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE
Located in the heart of the Palm Springs Valley, Rancho Mirage offers outstanding accommodations, activities, and events—as well as first-rate dining, nightlife, and retail options—to the modern traveler.

The city is nestled at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, with convenient access to both Palm Springs International Airport (situated less than 12 miles away) and the Southern California freeway system, one of the most extensive transportation networks in the world, via Interstate 10.

ABOUT DIANA DODGE
The love child of a mid-century silver screen legend whose identity has always been kept a mystery, Diana was born in Palm Springs and raised by her single mother, a cocktail waitress at the Palm Springs Racquet Club.  After graduating from Palm Springs High School, Diana fled to Hollywood.  Seeking to follow in her famous father’s footsteps, she dabbled in a series of odd jobs—extra, make-up assistant, receptionist—on various studio lots.  When an unexpected (and surprisingly large) anonymous inheritance came her way, Diana left Tinseltown for extended stays in the South of France, Mykonos, Rio, and Bavaria.  Throughout her globetrotting years, she was wined and dined—not to mention schooled in all the finer things in life—by the crème de la crème of well-to-do eligible bachelors (and more than a few flush, married family men).  Choosing to never accept any of many marriage proposals, she went around the world—twice—before returning home to the peaceful Palm Springs Valley.  Settling in a sumptuous abode in beautiful Rancho Mirage, Diana—a longtime lover of alliteration—now spends her days writing, and donating her time and her fortune to the charitable causes nearest and dearest to her heart.  Most generous of all with her coterie of loved ones, she remains Daddy’s Little Girl to this day—even if no one, not even she, really knows who Daddy ever was.  Diana never asked, and Mother never told, taking the secret to that great big cocktail lounge in the sky.

ABOUT POTTER PALMA
Born in Buenos Aires, the last of five children (oops!) to a Texas High Society mother and a wealthy Argentinean businessman father, bilingual Potter was at an early age shipped off to the best boarding schools in Europe, and summered at various Israeli kibbutzim.  He finally came Stateside to earn a Harvard MBA, but despite his Ivy League education (and over his fiery parents’ strenuous objections), he yielded to his burning desire to travel and joined the ranks of none other than Pan American World Airways as a steward immediately after grad school.  While crisscrossing the globe, he perfected his fluency of three additional languages (French, Italian, and German) and deepened his knowledge of—and appreciation for—food and wine, art and culture, and the most magnificent creature comforts money can buy.  Following Pan Am’s demise, Potter—an avid photographer—continued to journey throughout the world, guiding small groups on exclusive tours of the five continents: trekking through the Himalayas, leading African safaris, or taming crocs Down Under.  Post 9/11, Potter still routinely indulges his passion for an extended transoceanic cruise or long-haul red eye to an outlandish locale, but can be found most days and nights right here in the Palm Springs Valley, where he uses his international savvy to earn a munificent living as a much-in-demand design consultant on everything from home décor and party-planning to art and fashion—all this from his small atelier in a secluded enclave of Rancho Mirage.

By accident I stumbled into the Mother Lode of entertainment for little boys. We headed to The Living Desert thinking that the animals might be a fun distraction. On the way to the Giraffes we strolled by the model trains. BONANZA! Two hours latter we were still ensconced on a bench overlooking the model train display while our little guy took in every detail.

Details abound. The G-Scale Model Train at The Living Desert covers a huge area. There are cities, gold mines, harbors, farms scenes – everything you can imagine – with model trains zipping here, there, and everywhere over the miniature landscape. Elderly gentlemen are on hand repairing tracks and trellises. Our little guy was as fascinated with what they were doing as he was with the trains.

Take my word for it. This is the Palm Springs Valley’s hot ticket for little boys!

Reba

California Fans Palm (Washingtonian Filifera) are indigenous to the desert oases of the U.S. Southwestern deserts.  In good conditions, they can grow to an impressive height and live up to 250 years or more.  They thrive in the sheltered canyons at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains, where their tops can remain dry and their roots moist thanks to the year long run-off of the snow capped peaks nearby.  Hiking under the palms can be a spiritual experience akin to walking around the interior of Chartres Cathedral.  Well I suppose it depends on how you are wired but both experiences work wonders for Reba and me.  When we heard that the Volunteers from The Living Desert were taking their monthly educational hike in the Indian Canyons, we jumped at the chance to join friends and Dave and Sue Valentino, the intrepid leaders of the group. 

Dave and Sue Valentino have been volunteers at The Living Desert for so long that they have been elevated to a kind of emeritus status allowing them to select whatever volunteer task they’d enjoy.  Dave can be found on some days at the entrance to the zoological gardens with one or another of America’s elegant falcons or owls perched magnificently on his arm.  He answers the visitor’s questions, chats with the children and reminds everybody, just by his demeanor, of their personal responsibility to help preserve our natural heritage. 

Sue Valentino heads a group of volunteers at The Living Desert that produces complex hand-crafted three dimensional constructions that are made to entertain and keep the animals stimulated.   Appropriate snacks are often hidden deep inside of the constructions, that once placed in an animal’s enclosure, receive the apt and gleeful attention of the recipient.   Reba and I once observed a zebra at The Living Desert kick the living bejeebers out of what looked to us like a fourth graders California history project.  Now we know. 

It’s startling to discover that a great percentage of the animals at The Living Desert were once owned privately. Of course as they grew from cute and cuddly to large and ferocious their “owners” lost their capability to manage their “pets”. 

Dave and Sue Valentino were waiting for us at the entrance of the Indian Canyons on the day of the hike.  We caravanned to the Trading Post and within minutes we were trail bound.  With Dave in the lead and Sue bringing up the rear twelve of us snaked up the  eastern bank of cliffs above Palm Canyon.  This can be a fifteen mile hike, but today we were committed to a five mile loop that would take us high above the palm filled gorge and then down into the canyon before looping back to the Trading Post.  

We forged a stream listening to Cactus Wrens call to their mates and began the push to the top.  Hawks soared over-head, lizards dove for cover as we hiked up the trail. Grand vistas to the north and east at every turn.  Suddenly we were at the highest point of the trail and the lip of the canyon.  Reba is a bit queasy when standing unprotected at the edge of a precipitous cliff.  Not Dave who’s toes hung out in space as he surveyed where we’d come from and pointed out where we were going.  From the cliffs above, the palms seem to snake down the long canyon that courses from north to south.  On the western side of the canyon, the shear cliffs of the San Jacinto rise 8000 feet to a snow capped summit.  Racing streams can be seen feeding the canyon, and as we sat silently on the cliffs edge, the sound of gurgling icy water could be faintly heard far below us.  

The Indian Canyons in Palm Springs were the original home for the Cahuilla Band of Indians that resided in the canyons in and around Palm Springs for millennia.  By hugging the mountain ranges on the edge of the vast desert, these native people lived in harmony with the harsh environment.  The palm filled canyons provided shade from the scorching summer heat as well as abundant water, wildlife, and plant material to build shelters and feed families.  The Canyons were sacred to the Cahuilla in ancient times and they remain so today. 

Palm Canyon is one of the great hiking destinations in Western North America. The canyon’s indigenous flora and fauna, which the Cahuilla peoples so expertly used, and its prolific California Fan palm tree oasis (Washingtonian filifera), are breathtaking contrasts to the stark, rocky gorges and adjacent barren desert lands.  A hefty fee is charged by the Indians to enter the canyons and it’s just as well.  Those that are not serious about nature’s preservation can play poolside at the resorts in the Palm Springs Valley, leaving the unique pristine silence of the canyons for those that are ready for the experience. 

We descended into the canyon with the temperature dropping with every step. Soon we were under the cover of the Palms, shaded and cool.  Great piles of fronds covered the floor of the narrow canyon.  Blacked palm trunks – scars of past fires – remind intrepid travelers of ancient temples.  Humming birds darted between the trees and in and out of the shadows.  The pathway was damp, and then the stream was visible, gurgling just ahead of us. 

Seated on a tiny beach, with a zephyr rustling the fronds overhead, we munched on our peanut butter sandwiches and fresh Medjool dates thinking about the people that at one time called this place home.  Reba and I drove home in happy silence. We could live anywhere, but are happy to call the California Desert our home. 

REX

The Rancho Mirage APP can be accessed and downloaded to hand-held devices for free by going to http://hotel.runtriz.com/rm/app/web/, by visiting http://www.relaxranchomirage.com/index.php or by downloading it from the iTunes APP store. The APP will work on all smart phones including Samsung, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, iPod Touch and Android.

Special features of the Rancho Mirage APP include:

• DEALS where Rancho Mirage restaurants and shop owners can regularly post and update shopping and dining discounts.
• MY FAVES where APP users can congregate their most often called restaurant and destination contact information.
• STAY where Rancho Mirage resorts can be accessed and booked.
• DINE where all Rancho Mirage restaurants can be researched and dining reservations can be made at the touch of a screen.
• NITE is where THE SHOW’s performance calendar can be accessed.
• LEGEND features the celebrity contributions to our City and provides a ‘fun facts’ information source.
• BUZZ lists well known Rancho Mirage residents ideas of how to enjoy our City.
• SPA, GOLF and SHOP buttons all provide immediate access to related information, phone numbers and links. 

Mapping to all destinations listed by the APP is provided by the touch of a finger. Pretty neat!

REX

Envelope please!

The official Rancho Mirage flower is none other than the Desert Sunflower that carpets vast areas and sets the horizon ablaze with a golden glow.  Popular with the birds and the bees these February through May boomers are a common sight in the California Desert.

Our bird, which is crazy about the Desert Sunflower, is none other than the Cactus Wren.  At 6.4 inches in length the Cactus Wren is the largest bird of its type in the U.S.  It’s distinctive low raspy cha, cha, cha, cha, cha can be heard on hikes and from the patios of our resorts.

The most coveted distinction goes to our largest mammal – drum roll please – the Bighorn Sheep.  In fact we are so enamored of this magnificent desert denizen that we built a multi-million dollar fence to keep them from wandering across Highway 111 and getting clobbered by motorists.  Believe me a Big Horn Sheep can ruin a Bentley.  Since the Big Horn Sheep lends its proud profile to our City logo we take a keen interest in their preservation.  Hard to see this magnificent creature in the wild, but a visit to The Living Desert where there is a small herd that can be seen every day of the week.

REBA

Step into the beautifully designed and luxurious appointed space and you are transported to the far exotic corners of our natural world.  Using a medium format Linhof 6×17 Camera for most of his work, the photographer captures breathtaking moments of transcendent sublimity.  Panoramic images leap off the gallery walls.  Dramatic forms, vivid colors and a focus so sharp that the result is often above the reality that the average human eye can perceive.  Through the brilliance of the photographer’s mastery, Peter Lik’s world vision is delivered to his fans and collectors.

When you are at The River stop in at the Lik Gallery and see what I mean.

REX

The enormous heads of the elegant giants of the African savannas loom overhead – right overhead.  Their amazing necks stretching down – down – down to retrieve a tid-bit of a snack handed out by Living Desert volunteers.  By now your guests are mesmerized; inching forward in a line that gets increasingly quiet as the moment of contact becomes eminent.   Squeezed tightly between thumb and forefingers is a giraffe cookie. Hearts are racing.  Long purple tongues reaching to extended hands and then delicately snatching cookies is closely observed by all.  THEN IT’S YOUR TURN!

Feeding the giraffes at The Living Desert is a not to be missed Palm Springs Valley experience.   One you can have every day at 10AM.

REX

Some elect to take a tram around the park but we wandered the meandering well-marked trails that took us past giraffes, warthogs, zebras, gazelle, leopards and so much more.  Our youngest, a two year old busy boy, was thrilled every step of the way.  And then we came upon the Merry-Go-Round.

Marilyn’s Merry-Go-Round, featuring 30 animals represented at The Living Desert and two chariots for grandmother and grandfather caught our youngster’s eye the minute we rounded a corner at Gecko Gulch. There was no debate – a ride was part of the deal.  So with uncles as guides our little one mounted a cheetah and to the Star Wars theme rode round and round the very picture of joy.

His grandmother, great aunt and uncle watched from the sidelines.  Such unbridled glee, so in the moment was the boy.  He should not know that the elders watching could not help but think of his great grandmother who had passed away only months earlier and that their laughter masked lumps in their throats.

REBA

I rooted for Miss Santa Monica, Desiree Lee Cuchiara who sported a red punk Mohawk type hairdo with black rat tails down the back of her neck.  The “do” perfectly complimented her leopard print form-fitting bustier and hoop skirt ensemble made perfect by black ankle high lace up boots.  The girl had ATTITUDE and a saucy sense of humor.  Of course she lost.  Or did she?

Desiree reminded me what I am most thankful for and have been thankful for since I was a teenager.  I always knew that I didn’t have to be like everybody else to be happy and have a terrific life.  When I went to my high school prom in a little black Breakfast at Tiffany’s dress (I was a fan of Audrey Hepburn) the head of the girl’s athletic program told me I looked like a “slut”.  The coach – poor misguided lady – died of alcoholism in a backwater San Joaquin Valley town and I went on to global life of adventure.  And excuse me, but “slut” was NEVER a word that could even come close to describing me.

From the moment I could think for myself I was headed out of small town USA and away from the kind of thinking that forces American women into the same clothes, cars, houses, hairdos, marriages, churches, political parties and eventually coffins.  So many American women have no idea that “the world is a banquet and most of the poor fools are starving to death”. Ask Auntie Mame, she got it right.

Best just listen to yourself and forget trying to be a Miss America.  Focus instead on being a GODDESS.

REBA

Our beloved son Max is coming home for the weekend.  He and I have worked up an itinerary that will keep the gang hopping.  We plan to hike Tahquitz Canyon, enjoy a Saturday night dinner in the Wine Room at bluEmber at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, visit The Living Desert on Sunday morn to feed the giraffes – you can do it too every day at 10AM.  Midnight slots at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa may yield a jackpot.  The ladies will go on consignment store safaris and the men will play golf and bocce ball with a fierce level of competition and incompetence.  The main event will be at our home on Thanksgiving evening when Reba’s bird emerges from the oven, the sparkling wine will flow and some of Tulip Hill’s best red wines will be consumed along with the savory Lebanese flavored gobbler.  And then on Sunday we will all gather for one last meal – brunch – on the patio of Acqua Pazza at The River.  It’s a fine way to end a weekend, as the food at Acqua Pazza is scrumptious, the lake and fountains surrounding the restaurant sparkle in the morning light and our beautiful mountain stand sentinel in the distance.

From my desk I can see the magnificent Mount San Jacinto as I write this piece.  The clouds that hooded the peak for three day and night have lifted – blue skies now prevail.  An almost full moon hangs just above the summit which is glistening with the first snow of the season.  Magnificent!  I have much to be thankful for.

REX

The Boyers fun-filled three day adventured started with Rancho Mirage Mayor Richard Kite formally presenting the Boyer children with Keys to the City. And then the family was off to check into their luxury accommodations at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa. Afternoon pool fun was followed by a welcome dinner prepared by Executive Chef Joel Delmond at the resorts Bella Vista Restaurant.

Bright and early the next morning the family was off to The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway where they received VIP passes and a complimentary luncheon at Peaks Restaurant overlooking the entire Palm Springs Valley. That evening they dined at Acqua Pazza at The River where restaurant GM Willie Rhines greeted them just as he bid Lindsey Lohan good evening as she scooted out of the restaurant for an early evening beauty treatment next door at Loran Loran.

On Saturday morning the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert opened early so that Boyer family could explore and discover to their hearts content prior to moving on to The Living Desert where they checked out leopards, cheetahs, warthogs, giraffes and the reptiles; which were Chance’s favorite creatures. A guide toured the family around the Zoo and Botanical gardens in a VIP electric vehicle because at noon they were scheduled to enjoy luncheon at bluEmber at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa. Seated on the patio at bluEmber overlooking the 18th green of the golf course Lou and Sherri and the children agreed that Rancho Mirage was a little bit of paradise on earth.

That night Andres Delgado, owner and manager of Las Casuelas Nuevas greeted the family for there final evening meal. Seated on the patio, thousands of twinkling lights sparkling in the trees overhead, Mariachis serenading nearby the Boyer family clicked  glasses, toasted their good fortune, and vowed to make Rancho Mirage their preferred Southern California family get-away destination for years to come.

REX

My friends with children have learned that Rancho Mirage is only 1/2 a tank of gas and a two hour drive from anywhere in So. Cal; an easy trip for little ones. Plus Rancho Mirage resorts are eager to welcome families and often have special offers for discounted dining and two-for-one admissions to our major regional attractions that help to cut expenses and make family get-aways more fun. If you haven’t taken your kids on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway you’ve missed the best E-Ride in California. It’s an 8,500 foot spiraling tram ride straight up granite cliffs to an eagle’s aerie that dangles above the Palm Springs Valley floor – amazing! The Living Desert, Zoo and Botanical Garden features desert animals from around the world. Never have I seen a better giraffe exhibit; get there at 10AM and you and the kids can feed the gentle giants! I know of no another zoo where you are able to get inches away from pacing leopards – thanks to a marvelous glass enclosure.

Family friendly restaurants abound in Rancho Mirage that feature children’s menus. My top suggestion for a great family dinner would be Las Casuelas Nuevas that features great Mexican food, Mariachi music and a fabulous ambience.

REBA

But there she was; an escapee from our Betty Ford Center, Lindsay Lohan? “No no” Willie told us “Once a patient has been at the Clinic for 45 days, and they are progressing, they are allowed to leave the facility for short period of time”. All three of us mothers, with a lifetime of challenging stories to tell about our own children, breathed a sigh of relief. Lindsay Lohan looked fresh, and pretty and happy; just like a mother would want her daughter to look. We watched as she popped in to the Loran Loran Spa next door to the restaurant. A facial, we all agreed, was a perfect reward for the obvious progress this young woman had made.

REBA

Built in traditional 7th Century style the 60 plus foot copper domed and travertine wrapped exterior of the church looms majestically against the Santa Rosa Mountains. This edifice echoes the splendid history of the Armenian people and the travails that many endured to come to America. Old timers must experience a pang as they view their magnificent accomplishment. Rancho Mirage is far from their ancestral homeland where most of the parishioner’s great grandparents endured barbarous treatment, thousands perishing, as they fled Turkey less than a century ago. A powerfully felt unspoken sentiment was captured in the remarks of an elegant elderly lady who spoke at a Rancho Mirage City Council meeting over a year ago when she petitioned the Council to permit the church to exceed height limitations set by City code in order to fulfill the traditional architectural standards for an Armenian cathedral. “I am an old woman.” She pleaded,  ”I want to have my funeral in a church that looks like the one my grandmothers worshiped in.”  She will get her wish and in doing so helped construct one of the Palm Springs Valley’s most beautiful buildings.

Leaving the church through the main portal you experience the most exquisite vista in the Valley. The arched doorway frames a stately walkway lined with orange trees and swaying palms. In the distance looms Mount San Jacinto. No first step of a bride or cortege of an elder could be more elegantly framed.

Reba scanned the festival’s craft booths. We listed to John Bilezikjian and Band perform lively traditional music. We bought arm-loads of traditional food to take home. Yalanchi are the stuffed grape leaves that can be found throughout the Levant region of the Mediterranean, but it’s the Armenians that take this savory package to its culinary perfection. We took home some to eat now and more to freeze for later. Packages of Cheese Beorag, Kufta, Lahmajoon, Baklava with walnuts and Gata were bundled off to our car and then the freezer for upcoming Holiday Season parties.

Love those Armenians who have added so much passion and history to the American fabric and make stuffed grape leaves that will break your mouth!

REX

Sunstone the Spa is a sleek gleamingly new retreat poolside at the skyscraper Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa. To get your groove back you might request the Sundance Sugar Scrub followed by a Garnet Calming Massage. A Balancing Shirodara treatment promises to stimulate insight and wisdom. Sounds like something we all need. Sunstone also houses a full service salon, private relaxing pools, luxe lounges and a shop featuring an array of unique skin care products.

The Spa at Mission Hills is nestled on the grounds of The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa. An exotic Spanish-Moorish architectural ambience sets the tone for this sanctuary where clients are invited to lose themselves in “delightful treatments designed to renew mind and spirit”. Start out with a Coconut Bath to nourish and hydrate your skin, then enjoy a Brown Sugar Body Treatment to exfoliate and stimulate cellular renewal and cap your stay with a San Jacinto Massage conceived to promote overall well being. The Spa at Mission Hills also provides a full-service beauty salon with hair, makeup, and nail services. A retail shop lets you take a little bit of the spa away with you.

Spa Las Palmas, at the recently $50 million renovated Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, offers a menu of Desert Dream Rituals consisting of five different body scrubs, wraps and massages to select from. Palm Oasis Body Wraps, Desert Elements Scrubs and Baths and a host of massages make this retreat Desert Magazine’s 2009 Best of the Valley. At the adjacent Yamaguchi Salon experience the art of Feng Shui hair styling that’s all the rage with Hollywood celebrities. Don’t fail to take advantage of the beautiful Spa Pool where you can contemplate, from your chaise lounge, languidly swaying palm trees and the snow-capped San Jacinto Mountain in the distance. Ah Rancho Mirage!

REBA

At the gate to the Park the clouds unloaded a torrent. Sheets of rain pelted our cars and us as we dashed for the restrooms and a group meeting under the eves about what to do. And then as fast as it started, the rain clouds parted, the downpour ceased and without moments hesitation we all voted to HIKE. Motored a couple more miles into the Park to Barker Dam Loop hike. Now grey skies with an occasional patch of blue made the recently washed scape vivid to behold. Yellow Brittlebush and red Choparosa scattered as far as the eye could see flanked the multitude of Joshua Trees that leaped like aliens out of the desert floor. Lime green trucked Pala Verde’s and spidery Ocotillos reached for the water-laden clouds scudding overhead. Rain in this corner of the world is horded in ingenious ways. When desert plants and animals can get it not a drop is wasted.

Miners and cattle rustlers roamed these parts 100 years ago and evidence of their presence can be found in Barkers Dam, now a gathering spot for animals. Scat is every where – coyotes, kit foxes, big horn sheep, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, desert tortoises, jack rabbits and a multitude of birds all call these parts home. But most evident to the first time visitor to Joshua Tree National Park is the wonderland of rock formations that surround the paths and populate the vistas. This is one of America’s top destinations for rock climbers and a few were at it even on this sodden day.

We called it quits earlier than planned. Rain was threatening as we headed back to the Palm Springs Valley. This first time visitor to Joshua Tree resolved to come back again and again.

REX

Seventy days ’til Christmas. Yikes!

Our best ever were when our son was in college at USC and Rex got the idea that we needed a more grown up way of dealing with the Holidays. I was resistant. What about our traditions? Would I have to transport presents? I couldn’t imagine our Holiday dinner in a restaurant. I should have known better. Rex Masterson is a genius at planning trips and activities – he could have been a cruise director at 10 years of age with out a minute of training.

We went to Rome. Another year to Chicago. Santa Fe was a blast and one sublime holiday get-away delivered us to Paris. We’d splurge on rooms. And always on the first evening after dinner, and with a bottle of bubble as lubricant, we’d decorate. The tree was always scrounged. In Santa Fe it was a tumble weed. In Paris a rubber plant absconded from the hallway. Rome’s tree was fabricated from coat hangers. We agreed that we could buy one ornament but the rest we made from whatever we could find in the room. Paper chains made from the hotel stationary, snow flakes from toilet paper. My jewelry was always loaded on the tree. Snowmen made from shower caps stuffed with TP became a signature item in our repertoire. Some of these ornaments we still have and love dearly as they remind us of wonderful family adventures.

Re presents: the rule was that each of us got $300 and with that we had to buy one (ONLY ONE) gift for the other two. The gifts had to be related to the destination. Soon, after our arrival, we’d each go our separate ways for a couple of hours to find, purchase and gift wrap presents. Solo exploration of a strange town at the height of a Holiday season can be really fun. After a couple of hours we’d meet at a designated location and time to share our experiences. In Rome it was Babington’s for an English high tea. Can you imagine an English high tea in Rome on Christmas Eve? Somehow – leave it to Rex – it was perfect.

Christmas Eve always involved something that the locals would do. In Rome it was a free Monsarat Caballe concert staged in a 17th Century basilica. In Santa Fe we strolled up Canyon Road to view the thousands of luminaries decorating charming Spanish Colonial homes. In Paris it was the most beautiful Nutcracker I’ve experienced – all shimmering silver, gold and white.

Hotels in some towns can be empty on the Holidays so the wait staff in the restaurants would always plead with us to join them for the Holiday meal. Spectacular meals ended without a single dish to wash and put away. A girl can get used to this!

So here’s my idea for this year. Book rooms for the Holidays at a resort in beautiful Rancho Mirage. Do your shopping at The River. Dine at one of the many fabulous Rancho Mirage Restaurant Row establishments. Take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the top on Christmas Eve and play in the snow. Enjoy a round of golf. Pamper yourself at a spa. Hike the Indian Canyons.

On the Eve, late at night with your family in tow, step outside and peer into the deep and dark desert night-star filled sky. Far from the hustle, you and your loved ones will be filled with the joy and peace of the Holidays. I promise.

Reba

At the top you can explore the 54 miles of hiking trails in the Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness. Free guided nature hikes are offered and for the intrepid winter lovers, the snow shoeing and cross county skiing opportunities are unequaled.

The Pines Cafe offers cafeteria style food service, The Peaks Restaurant provides full service dining with a FABULOUS VIEW, and the Lookout Lounge is for the lizards that need to imbibe prior to the return to the bottom.

Go to www.pstramway.com for details and tickets purchasing online.

Rex

Tahqutiz Canyon will always be my top choice for romantic hiking. This hike is more of a walk and within a mile you end up at the beautiful and deeply mysterious fall. Sit with your man on one of the giant boulders; take in the beauty while slowly calibrating your frequencies to the love channel. This walk is a perfect pre-brunch outing. I’d pick La Vallauris in Palm Springs for brunch.

Tram ride to the sky is at the top of my list of romantic things to do in the Palm Springs Valley. It’s not a hike but it is an amazing outdoor experience that is both breath taking and heart pounding. The slowing revolving Palm Springs Aerial Tramway takes you straight up the sheer cliffs of the San Jacinto Mountain that looms right behind Palm Springs to a romantic aerie that overlooks the entire Valley. A restaurant and a bar at the top will serve you a nosh and a drink or take your own and find an isolated spot for your own romantic picnic.

Indian Canyons are terrific in the fall because the aspen trees blaze yellow, in the spring because the wildflowers carpet the hill sides and in the summer (early mornings) the steams course through the palm oasis providing a cool retreat from the heat. Try Andreas Canyon – an easy one mile loop. This hike has all that bells and whistles required to make your guy happy to lead the way on a path that you selected.

Reba

Camera West was established in 2000 by Sean Cranor. He and his professional staff are passionate about photography and have developed a client list that includes the giants of Western commercial and fine art photographers. They are dedicated to long-term customer relationships.

This is Leica central for California and beyond – some say far beyond. The very best Leica cameras, both new and used, are here for your inspection and purchase. Plus the top of the line cameras from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, GoPro, Minolta, ARCA SWISS, K. B. Canham Cameras, Linhoff and every other brand that you would expect are all here waiting to be acquired by the discriminating photographer that requires the best. Plus accessories from camera bags, to tripods, printers and scanners pack this terrific shop.

Once equipped, the glorious Palm Springs Valley and the great California Desert await your discerning photographic eye.

Rex

First Move: Convince him to get-away. Break the routine and steal three days and two nights in Rancho Mirage. Plan to leave the kids with someone they love and commit to rekindling yours.

Second Move: Book a room at a Rancho Mirage resort by going to www.RelaxranchoMirage.com.

Third Move: Reserve a couple’s spa treatment at one of Rancho Mirage’s spas. Check out the spas via the above website.

Fourth Move: Pack two bottles of Veuve Clicqout and two champagne flutes.

Fifth Move: Pack some new sexy night clothes.

Sixth Move: Just do it…

 
Seventh Move: Put on that new sexy night gear. Turn the TV off and some music on. Open a bottle of bubbly. Tell him how happy you are to be with him and…

Eight Move: Remember men need women but sometimes they forget. It’s our job to remind them.

Ninth Move: Smile Girl!

Reba

The drum beat beckoned us into the gigantic air conditioned tent set up behind the super deluxe sky-scraper casino. Once inside, another world envelops. Native Americans from North America and Canada in full regalia filled the center ring dancing in stately procession to the ceaseless beat of the drums. Old men in fantastic attire moved with somber and stately grace, hundreds of young men in “fancy dress” spun and swooped, beautiful stately women, dressed to the nines, backs straight as arrows, slowly flanked the perimeter of the ring. All moving to the beat of the drums, all bedecked in amazing traditional attire, all as one – The People. I get goose bumps recalling the spectacle.

$90,000 is awarded to the participants in categories that include, bird singing, peon games, drumming, and traditional dance. So you can imagine how focused the contestants are and how elaborate their preparations must be. Many contestants don their costumes in the bleachers so part of the experience is sitting next to and chatting with a person as they slowly transform themselves from a regular 21st Century person to a resplendent princess or brave.

The performance venue is surrounded with many food vendors dishing up Indian Tacos and Strawberry Shortcake on Squaw Bread and loads of other tasty unique treats. Craft booths are loaded with Indian jewelry and crafts including many of the ornamental embellishments seen on the Pow Wow contestant’s regalia.

Don’t miss this free three day event in 2011!

Rex

Thinking: Reba would appreciate a Starbucks too. If I hustled I could deliver it bedside and score some points. Love those points! Speeding across the parking lot to my car I noticed only one other vehicle parked directly behind me – an older Volvo. No one visible in the car. Fastened my safety belt, looked left and right, released the brake, looked into the rearview mirror and BAM! The Volvo smacked my right rear bumper. Needless to say Reba never got her coffee. Instead I attended to rattled and very tiny older lady who kept crying “Where did you come from!”

Slow burn. Blue skies gone I headed straight to Duncan Emmons Auto Body & Mufflers, one of Rancho Mirage’s first businesses. The shop was founded in 1955 by vintage race car driver, auto detailer and all around great guy, Duncan Emmons. In those days only about 400 pioneers had homes in what was then known as The Eleven Mile Ranch - 11 miles to Downtown Palm Springs and 11 miles to the La Quinta Resort. It was a fun-loving raw desert tumble weed existence and you had to be kind of unique to fit in. Duncan was known and loved by all as the dusty settlement transformed into THE hot get-away destination for Hollywood. He befriended and worked on the sedans of Elizabeth Taylor, Red Skelton and many other celebrities whose ritzy town cars were punished by the wash board roads of the California Desert. Darah, his wife of 36 years, and Duncan raised four sons in the Palm Springs Valley. These days Duncan is racing in heaven. The shop is now run by the fabulous Darah and a son, Scott.

Remember what it’s like to be taken care of – really taken care of. Service is so rare these days that it’s like mothers milk when delivered. Darah had me on the phone with AAA in minutes. My car was inspected and the estimate written up before I got off the phone. A new bumper was located and ordered. AAA promised to send an inspector on Tuesday to approve the job and Darah’s estimate. Darah suggested that I leave my car and take her loaner car so that I didn’t have to bother coming back until my car was restored to glory. OK. I got into and drove away in Darah’s Jaguar. In Rancho Mirage there are always blue skies!

Rex

Perfect little environments for catching up, sipping bubbly and laughing like there’s no tomorrow. Three Rancho Mirage resorts offer this little extra luxury with full pool-side service. They are: Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa and Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa.

The spas at the same three resorts are fabulous. Spa Las Palmas at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa and the adjacent Yamaguchi Salon can deliver up any hedonistic toe tip to hair tip experience in a lush old California setting. The Spa at Mission Hills at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa is a hushed retreat where the cares of the world can be eased. Sunstone the Spa is a sleek gleamingly new retreat poolside at the skyscraper Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa.

Classic old Palm Springs atmosphere – think Charles Nelson Reilly meets Jane Meadows for first seating and then room gets progressively hip as the night wears on. Request a booth in the main dining room. Good drinks, yummy retro supper-club fare and service.

Night owls pack the casino vying for their favorite machines. Acres of slots in a high volume, smoking permitted gaming carnival will wake up all your BFF for some late night fun at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa.

Reba

911 gets you paramedic care in less than 5 minutes and if transport to Emergency at Eisenhower Medical Center is needed, and the service is provided by a Rancho Mirage paramedic team, it’s FREE in Rancho Mirage.

Need Aspirin, Ipecac or a prescription filled? Here’s two Rancho Mirage drugstores within minutes of your hotel:

I wear hats when I’m out and about in the day time – be it in summer sun or the occasional cooler desert day. For me they are more that a head protector. Hats have attitude. Fun to pick out new ones. Fun to wear old ones. The back of my dressing door is completely hung with hats. Last thing I do before heading out is grab one for the day.

Hats Unlimited is my hat source. This purveyor of head gear for ladies and gents – and little ones too – has only three So. Cal stores and one of them is at The River in Rancho Mirage. Fun to try on the Stetsons (my Dad wore a white one every day of his later years) but I gravitate to the Kangols, Life is Good and Tilley brands. My Aussie Style Snap Up is as durable as it is neat looking. And you can cram it in a backpack and when pulled out and donned looks good as new. Have black and white Kangols and am eyeing a navy blue one. Baseball caps are irresistible if they don’t have messages blazed across the brow, but I break my rule with Life is Good caps. This is a message that I’m happy to have on my head. As I hike in the Indian Canyons or ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the summit of Mount San Jacinto an occasional voyager will remark to me “Indeed it is”. Always takes a moment for me to grasp that they have noted and are responding to the message on my baseball cap. Life IS Good!

My black crushable Wool Ascot hat is a favorite in the winter. Love my Vintage Green wide brimmed Safari… I could go on and on. Stop by Hat Unlimited when you are in town and have an hour to spare. I bet you won’t leave the store with just one.

Rex

Drugs

Richard Bloch

Located just east of the Rancho Mirage City Hall at the intersection of Highway 111 and Frank Sinatra Drive is a one-acre park dedicated to cancer patients and cancer survivors. The park was funded by Richard and Annette Bloch, long time Rancho Mirage residents, who also sponsored similar parks in many other U.S. cities.

In 1978, Richard Bloch, CEO of H&R Bloch, was diagnosed with lung cancer, which he survived. In 1990, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, which he also survived. His determination to live and do every thing possible to maximize the quality of his life and the lives of other people diagnosed with cancer prompted him and his wife Annette to become active in cancer philanthropy. When Richard Bloch died in 2004, at the age of 78 from heart failure, his legacy included The Cancer Hotline, the R. A. Bloch Cancer Support Center at the University of Missouri, the R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation and 22 Cancer Survivor Parks across the nation.

The focal point for the Rancho Mirage Park is a bronze sculpture by Mexican sculptor Victor Salmones entitled Cancer…there’s hope. Comprised of eight near life-size human figures passing through an abstracted tunnel the sculpture’s intent is to inspire cancer victims and their families to be positive and to actively fight the disease. A winding path leads visitors past inspirational signage, lushly planted gardens, tranquil pools filled with water lilies and numerous ornamental benches. Centered in the middle of the garden is an architectural pyramid structure where hot-line phone numbers and sound advice for cancer patients, their families and friends can be obtained.

For anyone who has cancer, is in remission or has a family member or friend in treatment the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park in Rancho Mirage is a very worthwhile stop.

RM

- atmosphere
- luscious wines by the glass
- menu loaded with unique tastes
- Friendly service
- Valet parking

So here are five of my favorites:

bluEmber at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa
Sleek contemporary room but best tables are on the patio overlooking the golf course – swaying palm trees, view of the mountains, live resort music all add to the luxury resort ambience.
THE SALAD: BLT Wedge combines crisp iceberg lettuce, vine ripened tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon and blue cheese crumbles finished with a roasted garlic balsamic dressing. Love the creamy crunch!

Acqua Pazza – A California Bistro at The River
Labyrinth of contemporary styled rooms filled with boisterous diners enjoying a never ending Happy Hour. Inside: booths in the back, past the bar, are my favorites. Outside: any table over looking the lake.
THE SALAD: Lobster. A delicious combo of lobster, shrimp and fresh fruit topped with a passion fruit dressing. YUM!

Yard House, Rancho Mirage
Vast sports bar with a high voltage fun factor. Any of the giant room-sized booths make a snug harbor for up to eight ladies. Vast beer selection and two GREAT salads add to the party atmosphere.
THE SALAD: Chopped (from the Starters Menu). This crunchy melange of avocado, tomato, bacon, corn, cilantro, cucumber, celery and onions tossed with a Bloody Mary Vinaigrette dressing and topped with slices of grilled chicken is to DIE for!

Roy’s Rancho Mirage
A warm Hawaiian styled room, an “Aloha” greeting and scrumptious Euro-Asian fare. Then there’s that chocolate desert! Ask for a table in the back of the room.
THE SALAD: Don’t miss Roy’s Canoe Appetizer for Two with Shrimp Sticks, Grilled Szechwan Pork Ribs, Blackened Ahi, Lobster Potstickers and a Crispy Tuna Roll. Ok it’s not quite a salad but it is a tiny bit of heaven. Order in advance Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle. Then you will know why some of us check into the Betty Ford Clinic for dependencies other than booze or drugs.

Wally’s Desert Turtle
The desert’s most luxurious room echo’s the atmosphere of the Polo Lounge. Beloved for perfect service and an amazing wine list. Ask for Frank Sinatra’s favorite table.
THE SALAD: Here’s two of my faves – Ahi Tuna and Shrimp Cerviche Martini with Avocado and Tomato Salsa or Scottish Marinated Salmon with Lemon Dill Creme Fraiche. Don’t lick the plate!

Reba

Yesterday I joined The Living Desert’s volunteer hiking group for a ramble to Round Valley at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. On the Palm Springs Valley floor the temp rose to 104 degrees Fahrenheit by 3 PM. At the top of the tram, at 8,516 feet above sea level, it’s almost always 33 degrees cooler. So as we disembarked from the tram around 10 AM we pulled on jackets and sweaters. However within minutes the exertion from high altitude hiking had us removing the extra layers.

From the Upper Tramway Terminal hikers spill down a steep concrete sidewalk to the trail head and a short walk to the Long Valley Ranger Station where all trekkers are required to get a free, day hiking permit.

Here we fell into single file with Dave Valentino in the vanguard and Sue Valentino bringing up the rear of our ranks. Dave and Sue are veteran volunteers at The Living Desert. They organize nature outings for their comrades in order to grow the group’s awareness of the desert’s ecology. These diligent docents want to be informed in order to answer all questions thrown at them.

Eleven of us filed behind Dave headed for Round Valley Camp, a two and a half mile tramp, from the Ranger Station. A cobalt blue sky – not a cloud in sight – domed above us. Jeffery and Ponderosa Pines thrust their mighty forms skyward. Their needles carpet the forest floor. Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch our boots padded along the well marked trail. Breathing deeply, hearts pumping we adjusted to the altitude.

First stop – a Snow Plant. This coral colored fungus pokes its flame shaped form up through the forest floor shortly after the end of winter. We stared in awe realizing that eight thousand feet straight down in Palm Springs, summer was in full blaze. Dave and Sue challenged us to identify the form in an imposing rock formation – “a witch with a wart on her chin”, “a bearded old man”, “a jack rabbit”… Sharon, outfitted in her volunteer ranger uniform insisted we sample the needles of a White Fir. Indeed they did taste like tangerines. The tone for the hike was set. This was not to be a Zen ramble.

Chattering, we were kids again on a school outing, eager to be the first to spot a new sight. Lodge Pole Pines recognized by their distinct bark began to fill the forest as we climbed, iridescent Violet Green Swallows swifting in a meadow, a patch of Skunk Cabbage, snow drifts in the deep shade, Dark Eyed Juncos, a Pinyon Jay scouting the banks of a stream and Mountain Chickadees unseen but calling “look at me, look at me, look at me”, from the brambles. A particularly beautiful set of small but coursing water falls, one after another in steep series, raced icy water to the Valley’s aquifer far below.

In a cool surround of granite boulders we listened as my friend Barbara performed on a Native American flute. She shared a melody composed as a tribute for her husband. The soft notes lingered in our midst and then drifted away through the trees. Lost in our own thoughts we reached Round Valley camp in silent single file.

Hunkered on an out cropping of flat rocks, overlooking a meadow, sandwiches and trail mix were freed from fanny packs. Gone in a flash. Bahri dates harvested from the Living Desert’s palm trees were passed around by Midge. These little grape shaped morsels are delicious and the group discussed how to use them. Best idea was Midge’s – stuff with blue cheese, wrap with bacon and fry. Dave suggested that bacon would enhance any dish. His motion passed unanimously without any further discussion.

We flew down the mountain to the Tramway Terminal. Soon returned on the Valley floor and a sizzling summer afternoon. Back to the routine but musing about the Island in the Sky we had just encountered.

I suggest that hikers, keen on exploring desert trails, purchase and read a copy of Philip Ferranti’s best selling book 140 Great Hikes in and near Palm Springs. You can find this excellent publication at Boarders at The River in Rancho Mirage.

RM

Under the watchful eye of the winery’s President, Kristi Brown, who resides in the Palm Springs region, the Tulip Hill Winery in Rancho Mirage is a terrific destination for fans of the grape for a pre-dinner tasting. However the place jumps all day long with tasters and shoppers.

The selection of wine, kitchen and entertaining related merchandise is vast. My wife Reba finds most of her gifts here. At birthday and holiday celebrations I have happily unwrapped bottles of aged balsamic vinegar from Modena, sets of Austrian wine glasses by Reidel and once, a giant Italian hand decorated ceramic jug for aging homemade lemoncello – all from the Tulip Hill Winery.

Reba enjoys wine and many cases from Tulip Hill Winery have found their way to our home – some wrapped as gifts and most for drinking now. We are also members of the Tulip Hill Winery Wine Club. Quarterly we receive four bottles of recent releases, discounts on all purchases of wine and gift shop merchandise, invitations to wine events and free tastings.

Tulip Hill Winery specializes in reds. We enjoy their cabernets, sirahs and zinfandels as well as their unique red blends that are always luscious in the mouth – crowd pleasers at bar-b-ques and Holiday dinners. Tulip Hill Winery also produces a chardonnay that is aged in stainless steel. On a summer evening, it’s heavenly chilled and served with a grilled fish filet or for that matter anything that lands on the dinner plate. Cheers!

RM

Tomorrow (7/24/10) Martina McBride will take the stage to share her unique Country Western songbook with fans. The place will be packed and it will be hard to get tickets at such a late date. But upcoming summer headliners include REO Speedwagon (7/30/10), Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band (8/5/10), Ted Nugent (8/13/10), bad boy Billy Idol (8/20/10) and Huey Lewis & The News (8/27/10).

The fall kicks off with Celtic Women (9/3/10) followed by a diverse schedule that hold promise for all types of music lovers including Hall & Oates (10/2/10), Bill Engvall (11/12/10), and The Andy Williams Christmas Show (12/21/10).

For a complete concert schedule visit www.HotwaterCasino.com/TheShow or call the box office at 800-585-3737 and plan your next concert get-away today.

RM

As we toured the brand new facility Anne told me about the Centers founder, Earl Greif, a Holocaust survivor. Following World War 11 Earl moved to the United States where he became a very successful businessman. Now retried and living in Rancho Mirage, Earl is passionate about educating young people on the topic of tolerance. He spearheaded the effort to raise money and build the Tolerance Education Center. He and his wife contributed significantly to make his vision a reality.

Anne shared with me the moving exhibits that Earl personally conceived and arranged. They address intolerance in its many forms. The Holocaust is addressed but so is the discrimination and persecution of African Americans, Gays and Lesbians, Native Americans and other groups. Bigotry in all it forms touches all of us and though it can be hard to face the facts the Tolerance Education Center makes the experience profound, moving and worthwhile.

The Tolerance Education Center features a research center where the public is provided the opportunity to delve deeper into the topic of hatred and intolerance. The Center presents an ongoing film program in the Center’s jewel of a theater. Experiencing a film at the Center is a great way to escape the summer’s mid-day heat and experience how film makers from around the world have addressed the topic of intolerance. On the day that I visited the Center, two Holocaust survivors were at the Center to attend a screening. Anne Philips introduced me to the elderly couple. I was deeply moved.

RM

Active, engaged, smart, successful and happy defines the Rancho Mirage attitude and vibe of the residents. Mustn’t forget generous! The Children’s Museum of the Desert is a perfect example of the largess of the residents. The Annenberg’s gave the land; Gerald and Betty Ford lent their name and wrote a check and many others followed suit resulting in a jewel of a playhouse for kids.

So if the residents are all geezers where do the kids come from that can be seen romping at the Children’s Museum? Truth is many successful young professionals live and are raising their families in Rancho Mirage. The Valley has seen a recent surge of growth in young families, with the average age of residents dropping in the last 10 years from 55 to 35 years old. One of the best grammar schools in the Valley is tucked back in a quiet neighborhood in our City. The most esteemed K – 12 private school in the region, Marywood Palm Valley School, with 500 students enrolled, is located here. In the very near future a sprawling public high school will be built in north-west Rancho Mirage. Kids do exist in significant numbers in our town.

Yet at the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert kids come from all over the Palm Springs Valley, Southern California and beyond. It’s easy to see why! The beautiful 18,000 square foot complex was designed by the renowned firm MGA Partners that specializes in interactive museums. Fun is waiting at every turn. Exhibits, designed by Hands On! Inc., that engage children in interactive investigation and learning, through fun, fill a huge galley. Mazes, brain twisters, play rooms and so much more make a happy day of exploration for little ones. Painting a Volkswagen, making a pizza, role playing cashier at a grocery store all add up to a happy time for toddlers to first graders.

In addition to the permanent exhibits the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert presents, through out the year in the multi purpose Dinah Shore Center, a host of classes for grammar school aged children. An outdoor amphitheater, garden and play area is the setting for concerts and family fun days.

RM

The Fun Team at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas offers a free program featuring arts and crafts sessions, pool games, golf contests, pool slide competitions and family fun bingo nights. A newly implemented Name that Tune competition is widely popular with kids and adults vying to demonstrate who’s the smartest when it comes to rock and roll tunes from the 60’s forward. You’ll be amazed to learn that your kids know more about music from your youth than you do!

On holiday weekends, The Westin sets up a poolside DJ and a swinging pool party keeps the place hopping and the fun non stop. Also poolside, on Friday evenings, splish splash movie bashes are presented. These dive-in movie events are very popular with guests of all ages. Cap the evening off with a watermelon eating contest. No boredom here – family fun is guaranteed!

The Kidtopia program at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa offers morning, afternoon and evening sessions for kids. This “camp” structure is popular with kids and their parents as it is possible for both to go their separate ways and have an enjoyable time. Parents can relax at Spa Las Palmas or go shopping at The River knowing that their children are completely supervised. Kidtopia morning session starts at 9:00 AM and continues until 4:00 PM. There is also an evening program from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. Fun and educational programs that include scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, nature hikes, cooking, story telling, games and more make for happy times for kids ages 4 – 12. There is a fee for the Kidtopia program which includes snacks and lunches. Reservations are recommended.

Also this summer, children 12 and younger receive, when checking into a participating Rancho Mirage resort, a Family Fun Passport that provides free admission to The Living Desert, The Children’s Discovery Museum and the Palm Springs Art Museum. Plus, kids eat free from the children’s menus at eleven Rancho Mirage restaurants. So what’s keeping you? Pack the swim-suits, jump into the car and get your summer fun started today!

RM

During the month of June Smoketrees shed their mousy personalities and come out in an extravagant but elusive blaze. What’s unique about these extraordinary trees are their masses of pale purple flowers share the same color value as the plant’s pale whitish-green leaves so that optically, the tree when in full bloom, looks like a wisp of smoke, a ghost, a desert phantom. A sight to behold!

The Smoketree can be found in great number at Joshua Tree National Park and in and around all the cities in the Palm Springs Valley. They require a lot of water for a desert plant so they are generally found in washes where they catch the run-off from our few winter storms. These unique plants are also called Indiobush, Corona de Cristo and Smokethorn dalea. Their scientific name is Psorothamnus spinosus. Look for them. A Smoketree sighting is an experience unique to the deserts of the Southwest.

RM

Ensconced in a cozy booth we noted the restrained decor, lovely verdant garden atrium that the dinning areas surround, and most of all the aromas of the exquisite Thai cuisine wafting through the dining rooms. Dinner for us is always serious business so ordering commenced immediately and with Lucky’s advice we started with an order of Poh Piah Sod – fresh spring rolls with a delicious peanut flavored dipping sauce. We dove into a second starter – Plar Goong – the minute it arrived at the table, relishing the combination of smoky bar-b-qued shrimp tossed in a crunchy red and white cabbage slaw and topped with a delicate, spicy Thai dressing. Yum!

A bottle of chilled Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc arrived just as Lucky delivered a plate of bite-sized surprises. Star Bangkok’s comprised of corn kernels, chicken and crispy tapioca bits snuggled into tiny silver paper cups topped with cucumber sauce that would make a king give up his throne for more. Pretty on the plate but these “Stars” didn’t have a chance with our crew.

Yum Goon Chiang – Thai sausage salad with cucumbers and shallots tossed in a sweet lemon dressing was a unanimous choice for our next round when Lucky told us that he personally drives to Los Angeles to select the sausages from elderly ladies that make them “like at home”. Love those elderly ladies!

To cap our culinary adventure the next and last savory was a Gang Gai, a spicy green chicken curry infused with bamboo shoots and fresh basil, cooked and served in a hulled coconut. Lucky showed us how to scoop the soft and meaty coconut flesh onto the top of the curry making a delicious and unique condiment. You would have thought we hadn’t eaten in a week. The curry and its container disappeared in a flash.

Lucky Teachanarong and his beautiful wife Jan are extraordinary people. For five years they have been the primary patrons for a grammar school north east of Bangkok. One hundred and eighty children ages 3 to 12 years of age benefit from their compassion and generosity. Annually Lucky and Jan host a benefit dinner at their Rancho Mirage restaurant for their school in Thailand. In 2010 the event raised $72,000.

Lucky told us about the vegetable garden, fish ponds and the chickens that the children care for; providing two meals a day for the youngsters and their teachers. The formal educational curriculum is so advanced that one of the graduates of the school was among 12 children in the nation to be selected for a full scholarship at a prestigious nearby high school.

Of course the school has up to date computers and equipment. The building would win an architectural prize in the U.S. Ask Lucky to show you his pictures. Listen to his story. It is inspiring. When Lucky talks about the school, and the children that benefit from the education it provides, he lights up like a beacon. Reba and I were ready to volunteer on the spot.

You can support Lucky and his school by making a check out to Lucky’s School Foundation and mailing it to Lucky Teachanarong, 71151 Patricia Park Place, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.

RM

Two premium outlets can be found side by side. Cabazon Outlets and Desert Hills Premium Outlets. Both reflect the genius of today’s entrepreneurial American Indians who are getting even where it works – in the pocket book. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians have turned a wind swept pass that connects the desert to the Inland Empire into a dazzling destination comprised of a high rise casino, luxe resort, fine dining, world class shopping and fun kitschy nods to the past involving date shakes and life size dinosaurs. You gotta check it out.

Cabazon Outlets is the smaller of the two shopping destinations but not at all the least interesting. Here outlets for Le Creuset and Crate and Barrel feature their last year’s lines at huge reductions. Foodies will have to restrain themselves. The Brighton outlet store is where men can find a winning gift for their wives while Puma, adidas, Rip Curl and the Oakley Vault have the loot that will make junior smile the next time a gift is required – ALL AT HUGE REDUCTIONS!

Next door – no need to move the car – is the mega Desert Hills Premium Outlets. “Premium” is the give away about this shopper’s paradise featuring over 130 top-of-the-line designer and name brand outlets. Think Ferragamo scarves, Prada pant suits, Jimmy Chou shoes, Diane Van Furstenberg dresses, Giorgio Armani evening wear, Zegna suits, Dior handbags and the list goes on and on. Forget Rodeo Drive this is where die hard shoppers can be found accessing all the couture they desire for dimes on the dollar. I got to admit I had fun and though it’s June I took care of all my holiday shopping for the year. Now the challenge is where to stash the loot where my wife Reba – who has the nose of a bloodhound – won’t find it. Surprise at my home takes the skill of a jewel thief combined with the stealth of a ninja.

Both Outlets are open seven days a week from 10 AM until 8 PM. Both have additional discount programs worth checking out at their concierge offices or online. On July 4th each year Desert Hills Premium Outlets pulls out all the stops with a blowout summer sale offering a 25% – 65% extra savings on top of the every day savings at all their stores. I imagine that this event is for the most stalwart of shoppers.

RM

You’re relaxed. You have a smile on your face. You’ve played golf, slept in, luxuriated at a spa and enjoyed some great dinners with your significant other. Now it’s time to return to reality. But your sedan has been sitting out-of-doors and Mother Nature has left her calling card on the windshield. You can’t go back to town without looking as good as you feel. Since your wheels are an extension of your So. Cal. self, get to Elephant Car Wash for a little sprucing up.

The pink elephant sign has been a Rancho Mirage landmark since 1966. Some folks feel that the sign is our City’s only heritage landmark. For me it’s just fun and where I head to get my black wheels a weekly spit polish.

Owner Randy Barnes can be found working the check-in line and ensuring that all the customers are greeted and treated like a million bucks – after all this is Rancho Mirage – Playground of the Presidents. Bentleys, Land Rovers, BMW’s and Rolls Royce’s vie for Randy and his diligent team’s attention. Gleaming is the order of the day. The beautiful Lorraine Barnes might ring you up and try to talk you into purchasing a license plate frame glistening with a surround of Swarovski crystals – pink ones!

No plastic bristle brushes here. Elephant Car Wash uses only high-tech hybrid blend cloths that gently envelope your auto while high-pressure water streams chase every trace of desert dust away. This system guarantees a minimal risk of scratching. Then a swarm of folks hand wipes every drop of water and shines your car back to glory. In minutes you’re behind the wheel ready to face a return to reality.

The Elephant Car Wash is located at 71490 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. You can’t miss the pink elephant sign.

RM

Tee shirts, board shorts, flip flops, movies in the afternoon (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a wow yesterday), top down on the car at night, white wine and salads and a little color on the skin. Love summer. But just as easterners flee winter’s bite to Florida, desert rats also occasionally need a little relief from the soaring thermostat. As the crow flies we can find it only 15 miles away. But by car it’s 47 miles and 5000 feet up into the alpine world of Idyllwild.

Here times stands still. A-frame houses nestle amongst the pine trees. Tie-dyed tee shirts, paint spattered Levis and Birkenstocks can be seen on natives looping along the main thoroughfare. Galleries are brimming with hand-made accessories, paintings and sculptures. Restaurants, lining the main drag, serve scrumptious fare with lots of vegetarian choices. A Zen retreat center and monastery is tucked back in the woods. The Idyllwild Arts Academy has attracted the best of the best of our high schoolers for a world-renowned summer program that has launched the careers of many American artistic luminaries.

It’s always at least 30 degrees cooler than the desert floor in Idyllwild.

When my friend Barbara called to ask if I’d like to join a group of Living Desert volunteers for a day hike near Idyllwild I jumped at the chance. Barbara and her cohort strive to be prepared for any question thrown at them by visitors to the Living Desert. They work hard to bone up on the flora and fauna of the region and deserts around the world. But not all is hard work. This group knows how to have fun while learning.

I lolled in the back seat of Barbara’s car half listening and staring out the window at the landscape spinning by while she and a friend chatted. We zipped from the desert floor in Palm Desert up Highway 74 passing a wild scape of house sized boulders into chaparral and in no time entered the forest and then the limits of Idyllwild.

Here, at a cafe, we met up with a gang of thirteen and our guides for the day, Dave and Sue Valentino. Central casting couldn’t identify two better-looking guides; nor more equipped ones. Both Dave and Sue are un-paid helpers, who have “done it all” volunteer-wise, and now through seniority and interest have settled on their specialty at our premier desert attraction – the Living Desert. Dave shows off the predator birds to visitors and Sue heads a group that works on an enrichment program for the animals. They hand craft sculptures, filled with treats and surprises. These assemblages, designed to be destroyed, are left in the animals enclosures to the delight of all. You might happen on a zebra encountering and destroying art at the Living Desert.

In caravan, we drove along Highway 74 to Sanders Meadow Drive (careful there are two intersections with the same name) and within minutes we were parked at the trail head for the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail. This is an easy 2 1/2 mile, slightly up hill hike, through a pine forest. Sheer rock mountain peeks loom ahead and glorious views of the valley floor below can be enjoyed from every turn.

We headed out in single file; Dave in the front and Sue bringing up the rear. Slowly we snaked past groves of red trunked Manzanita laced with pink bell blooms. A cluster of coral colored snow flowers on our left jolted us into realizing that here it was just barely spring and on the other side of the mountain and straight down 10,000 feet it was already sizzling summer. Cool in the shade, but sweaters came off as we climbed. The western side of Mount San Jacinto remained cloud shrouded otherwise blue skies prevailed. Lupine only days away from full glory lined the pathway. A cluster of larkspur poked their purple pride heavenward.

Rat-a-tat, rat-at-tat, rat-a-tat-tat rang through the forest. Fifteen sets of eyes right and up and there working a mighty skeletal Jeffery Pine were a dozen Hairy Woodpeckers stashing conifer seeds in the trunk of the giant. Red patches on the backs of their heads flashed as the descent of peckers raced at their task as if winter might start tomorrow.

Smell a Jeffery Pine and it herbal fragrance will seduce but, as Dave wryly pointed out, its best to whiff high on the tree because if you stoop down and sniff at the base of the trunk the fragrance might be more German Sheppard than herbal. Dogs walk this trail a lot and unfortunately their owners do not obey the leash requirements.

The canyon narrows. Pines clasp boulders in their roots. The sound of rushing water. A stream is crossed, stone to stone. Woops – one foot wet. We arrive at the half way point. Snacks come out. We sample dates offered by a thoughtful fellow hiker. Mouths filled with a delicious sweet meaty flavor, we perch on rocks happily munching away while surveying the distant valley.

Behind us a car pulls up! Out hops a man and a woman. The trunk is popped. He slings a loaded backpack on his shoulders, kisses the woman good bye and disappears on a trail across the road. Dave suggests that the hiker will spend the Memorial Day weekend in the high country, descend on Sunday via the tram to Palm Springs where the woman will most likely welcome him with a kiss and return him to civilization.

We are wimps! The spell is broken. We stream back down the trail talking the entire way about favorite restaurants in L.A. Hop in the cars and within minutes we’re devouring scrumptious lunches on the patio of Restaurant Gastrognome. My grilled zucchini sandwich was gone in a flash. Take that Mr. Backpacker.

RM

Go to http://www.towncrier.com/ for information about Idyllwild. Philip Ferranti’s best selling book 140 Great Hikes in and Near Palm Springs is the definitive source of information about hiking in and around the Palm Springs Valley. The book can be found at Boarders at The River in Rancho Mirage.

Rancho Mirage resorts are offering some of the best rates ever. Mid-week rates are a steal! Plus upon check-in at five participating resorts kids, twelve and younger, receive a Family Fun Passport that provides them with free breakfasts at participating resorts, free admissions to three top regional attractions and free meals at eleven Rancho Mirage restaurants. You save a bundle while having a blast.

Some of the best swimming pools in the desert can be found at Rancho Mirage resorts. More aquatic attractions than pools your children will love the carefree fun of swimming all afternoon long. So choose one of the following Family Fun participating resorts and book your room now:

- Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa
- Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa
- The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa
- Hilton Garden Inn
- Country Inn & Suites by Carlson
- The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas

RM

Many corporate executives and entertainment executives retire in Rancho Mirage. Eventually they move on to the big retirement destination in the sky leaving behind vast homes filled with furnishings, accessories, art and clothing all with a resort vibe that might not be to the liking of their kids residing in Minneapolis. And so the call is made to the consignment store and often everything – lock, stock and barrel – is carted off for resale. Treasures and deals lure antique dealers from throughout the Southwest to scout these shops.

Your first stop might be J&J Consignments & Heirlooms. Open 10 – 5, seven days a week, this decade old wear house sized complex is jam-packed with finds. In the main showroom a mass of living room furniture is displayed beautifully in groupings. Accessories abound. Just yesterday, preparing for this article, I stopped by and spotted a fist sized hand carved turquoise Tibetan foo dog sculpture – can’t get it out of my mind. There are rooms dedicated to beds and side tables, mirrors and dining tables and fine art -19th Century erotic Japanese wood cuts populated the walls of the art space yesterday. An abundant selection of fine garden furniture and accessories are always on hand. In the back, a wear house is devoted to what might be described as the more worn furniture and accessories but one man’s junk is another treasure, and Reba I have carted home many a piece from this space. Here you will find a mass of linens – some very fine European table cloths and napkins. Cases of costume jewelry, crystal, china, travel curios, ethnic bric-a-brac, books and more make this hoard a must stop shopping experience. Make sure you say hello to Bluez a beautiful tri color collie that regally greets guest as they enter J&J’s. Don’t fail to chat with owner Jerry Effron, who hails from Chicago and has a sense of humor as dry as the desert we inhabit.

Driving east from J&J’s you find on the north side of Highway 111 the massive Cargo Furnishings & Consignment housed in what used to be a grocery store and open weekdays from 10 AM – 5 PM and weekends from Noon – 5 PM.

At Cargo the passwords are OVERSIZED and exotic. Patti Bonadonna and her team strive to keep the selection unique. Furnishing a resort home in the desert does not require the same restraint as when selecting furniture for a manse in Pasadena – to say the least! The second hand selection here proves that at least some of our residents let down some of their corporate reserve and really enjoyed their later years. African head dresses, fragments of Chinese buildings, massive doors from South America turned into coffee tables, inlaid Italian marble tables that would have thrilled Mark Anthony all add up to a fascinating melange. BIG mirrors, HUGE dining ensembles perfect for an Arabian with a harem, interesting and sometimes kooky side chairs that would add zip to any room, wardrobes that could house the Pope’s ensembles. Imagine Vegas gone ethnic. But not all is way out – my L.A based architect friend found a beautiful dark brown leather sectional sofa here that would look perfect in a Dwell Magazine layout – and without a scuff on it – for $1600. Same sofa new in L.A was priced at $6K! There’s a room of couture that’s really fun – mostly ladies ensembles but guys will find a small rack to peruse. This place is fun.

Nearby find the Collectors Corner managed by an auxiliary of the Eisenhower Medical Center. Furniture, accessories and some clothing make up the inventory that trend to be a bit conservative. Same is true for the inventory at the Cellar Door run by an auxiliary of Saint Margaret’s church and school. Both are worth a quick look-see as you never know what the day’s donations might yield an intrepid shopper. Remember wealthy ladies from the mid last century had great costume jewelry that’s now all the rage. It flows through these outlets like lava.

While were discussing used and second hand, Re Deux on Highway 111 near The River specializes in designer label clothing and accessories for women. My wife Reba and her girl friends love the place.

RM

See if you agree with my check list of requirements for a fun family get-away:

Day 2

Day 3

Summer time is POOL TIME! Floating on my back with the night stars blazing overhead, the moon rising over the distant mountains and a gentle breeze swaying the palm tree fronds is heaven for this swimmer. Warm water and warm air; no chilly wind triggering a towel grabbing run for the showers here.

First stop on our pool tour is Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa. A pool or an oasis? You decide if the Resort Casino’s intriguing call to action is an oasis or a pool. Let’s see: Fifty thousand square feet of water and poolside luxury that would capture Julius Caesar’s attention. Eight cabanas equipped with phones, TVs, misters, ceiling fans, mini fridges. Two of the cabanas have their own private jetted spas reserved for high rollers in need of a little rejuvenation before hitting the tables again. With a pair of board shorts and time to chill, Caesar might have neglected Cleo. Come on Julius, Cleo can chill, let’s grab a beer at the full service wet bar.

Nearby find The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa and next door The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas. Both resorts share a myriad of amenities and both boost multiple beautiful swimming holes. The main Las Brisas Pool at The Westin Resort & Spa has a free form shape and is surrounded by fabulous lush landscaping and cabanas that can be reserved for a family home base or a romantic pool-side couples retreat. A sixty foot waterslide delights kids while their parents cozy into the two spas. Average pool temperature is a refreshing 82 degrees. Full bar service is available from the palapa-styled pool bar – keep ‘em coming! The La Paloma Pool is reserved only for adults and the Las Hadas Pool is tucked deep in the complex for the most reserved sun worshipers who cherish nothing more than poolside solitude with a good book.

SPLASHTOPIA! At the Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa the notion of pool has been taken to the galactic level. Almost two acres of aquatic fun and thrills for youngsters and their folks include a 425 foot lazy river, two 100 foot waterslides that spin down a Matterhorn styled peak with a Jacuzzi sidecar, a sandy beach area for tots, water play zones with fountains and water sprinklers and a huge – did I say huge – swimming pool. Splash Grill serves up all the noshes and drinks you crave. Reserve a chaise or a cabana and settle in for a day or a week of perfect fun in the sun. If quiet calm without the squeal of kiddies is what you need your choice should be the Tranquility Pool. Here only adults can gather and swim and read and think and whisper sweet nothings into their partners ear. Better yet, for total tranquility, after a treatment at Spa Las Palmas settle into a chaise at the Spa Pool and laze the day away.

There’s big pool at the Hilton Garden Inn and a smaller dip at The County Inn & Suites by Carlson.

RM

I quickened my pace on the mile stretch from my home on Country Club Drive to Highway 111. A few trucks raced by carrying contractors to work, but otherwise the only stirring was in the gate-houses of exclusive communities where night watchmen filled out their reports, ending their shifts. I glanced down a side lane to see if the Secret Service is still securing the home of President Ford. Betty resides there. As always I silently sent her my best wishes. The road dips down into the Whitewater Wash. The air cooled considerably. Lush green fairways extend both east and west at the bottom of the wash. A narrow channel of water reflected the moonlight creating a silver ribbon that one morning captured for me a glimpse of coyotes jumping the stream and heading home from a night skulking around the homes of millionaires. Just before turning east, I passed Thunderbird Country Club that provided the inspiration for the moniker of the classic Ford automobile. In the 1960’s it was at Thunderbird that the likes of Lucy, the Marx Brothers and Frank Sinatra partied the nights away out of the Hollywood media limelight.

A two mile stretch along Highway 111 took me by the Rancho Mirage Public Library, the desert’s cultural center, where on any given day free lectures and concerts are presented. And where Carol Channing is sometimes seen checking out the latest best seller. I passed Desert European Motorcars, the number one Bentley outlet in the United States, as always, tried to decide if I like the white or silver blue model. In high gear I sped by Lord Fletcher’s, Wally’s Desert Turtle and Crosby’s, three of Rancho Mirage;s favorite fine dining establishments. Passing through The River, Rancho Mirage’s city square, I waved to the hard working guy that cleans the water ways meandering through the property. Stopped at Starbucks and ordered a coffee to go. Then, at a slower pace, sipping my coffee and with the sunshine now sparkling on the snow capped San Jacinto Mountain, I headed north on Bob Hope Drive for my last mile home stretch.

Each morning the moon, the sunrise and my five miles help me remember how lucky I am to live in Rancho Mirage located in the heart of the exquisite Palm Springs Valley. Plus a five mile walk burns over 350 calories erasing evidence of the previous night’s two glasses of wine!

RM

The ride of a lifetime. From desert floor to the top of Mount San Jacinto the incline steeps 10,834 feet straight up. The “Jig-Back Tramway” ascends the granite cliffs from the Valley Station at 2,643 feet to the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet in 10 spectacular rotating up, up and up minutes.

Step into the Swiss manufactured, 80 passenger car. You are surrounded by glass. An operator greets you and with a touch of a button the climb begins. Breathe deeply. You’re about to experience heaven and earth.

And up. Sycamore, cottonwood, elder and wild grape crowd the narrow canyon. Metamorphic rock channels a gurgling stream via a verdant cienega to the desert aquifer. Birds lark in the shrubbery below. Look sharp. Desert Big Horn Sheep populate these lush parts.

And up. Fractured granite formations jag through scrub oak and mountain mahogany. Here spot mountain lions lairs and the home of their prey the California Mule Deer. The vista of the Valley floor opens and widens. Forty miles away the Salton Sea glints in the desert sun. Tower three looms and passing, causes the car to sway slightly. Passengers gasp. The operator smiles. Teenagers giggle nervously and chatter. Glancing into each others eyes, lovers lean into one another; now alert to an experience they will remember.

And up. The granite core of San Jacinto cliffs straight up right outside the car’s windows. Turrets of solid rock. Scattered big cone pines, pinyon pines, scrub oak cling to rocky crags. A California grey squirrel dives into space. A hawk jets past. On the Mojave side of the car the vista widens. Arizona. Infinity.

And up. Upthrusted and freeze-fractured granite towers envelope the car now dwarfed by the enormity of the scape. Chill on sun-burnt skin. Goosebumps. The massive rock face speeding by is only meters away. And up at what seems to be a progressively faster rate. And up where only birds can thrive and up to where Valkyries reside.

Now docked and heading to the bar.

RM

I’m writing poolside. Stretched out on a chaise lounge with my lap top, a glass of iced tea and K. D. Lang on disk crooning in the background. There’s a dusting of snow on Mount San Jacinto. The palm trees in the foreground are glistening in the morning light and swaying ever so slightly in the gentle breeze. The temperature is in the mid 70’s and my only worry is keeping the shadow of palm tree from blocking my sun. My sister in Raleigh North Carolina is house-bound with sleet and freezing winds whipping around her home. Her daughter in Buffalo, New York snow bound and has been for days. Ah winter in Rancho Mirage!

RM

Next stop could be Bing Crosby’s Restaurant & Piano Bar where from 6:30 PM on live music is performed seven night a week and local lounge lizards imbibe, munch on superb yummies from the bar menu and sashay around the postage stamp sized floor to Crosby tunes and newer numbers. Look for the King of Swing Johnny Meza and his Trio on Wednesday evenings and on Fridays from 10PM until 1AM D.J. Bradley Ryan caps the week with the top 40 from the 70’s and 80’s. Beware of Bentley fender benders in the parking lot!

Swing by The River from 6 – 9 PM every Saturday evening for Dancing Under The Stars in the open air amphitheater. Here’s a chance to boogie with the natives and afterward grab a bite at one of the terrific restaurants encircling the dance pavilion. You might try Fleming’s for chops and fine wine pairings, or the Yard House for their gigantic beer on tap selection, casual fare and sports on the tube, P.F. Chang’s for family style Chinese, The Cheesecake Factory for salads, sandwiches and casual dining or Piero’s Acqua Pazza for contemporary California bistro dining.

Then head to the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa - night life central in the Palm Springs Valley. Here gaming galore opportunities await in a gleaming new casino resort. Get your game on or check out what’s happening at The Lounge where an eclectic mix of live music and side-splitting comedy acts are presented in a sleek hot spot that delivers high-energy entertainment without a cover charge. Check out the schedule for THE SHOW where international headliners perform year round. Pollstar Magazine nominated THE SHOW as “Best New Major Concert Venue in 2009.” You’ll see why at this spectacular concert venue when you get your tickets for upcoming concerts featuring Cheap Trick, Tony Bennett, Martin Short, Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, Gabriel Iglesias, Reba McEntire, Jay Leno, Julio Iglesias and more and more and more.

Carambas Musicantina is your late night Rancho Mirage hot spot. From 10PM – 2 PM every Friday and Saturday nights a Latin Dance Club unfolds at Las Casueles Nuevas. One dance floor features Salsa and a second a mix of Cumbias, Reggaetons and other Latin beats. So dress to impress and get out there with an attitude. Caramba!

RM

Just so you know – I’m crazy about museums. Make a point to stop in at any museum I encounter and I’ve encountered a lot in all corners of the world. For fourteen years of my career I was the director of a contemporary art museum. OK, OK – full disclosure – I have a masters degree in painting, maintain a studio and I’m married to an artist.

So you can imagine my delight when I first walked into the Palm Springs Art Museum and discovered what a cool place it is. Housed in an art brut masterpiece by E. Stewart Williams the 150,000 square foot complex presents a rich diversity of temporary exhibitions and collections that focus primarily on international modern and contemporary art. Your Dog by Yoshitomo Nara looms in the lobby and immediately you know you’re in for a treat. Highlights include the beautifully installed contemporary glass collection that includes dazzling works by Karen LaMonte, Lynda Benglis, Claire Falkenstein and of course the ubiquitous Dale Chihuly. The contemporary art collection awes with recent acquisitions that any museum would covet including signature works by Anselm Kiefer, Nam June Paik, Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor, Teresita Fernandez, Antony Gormley and many other firebrands that mix beautifully with pieces by such giants as Warhol, Johns, Stella, Rauschenberg and Rosenquist. Search for a fabulous Llyn Foulkes work somewhat miscast in the Western Art collection. California blue-chippers abound in the vast collection that rotated on display, including eye popping examples of Robert Bechtle, Robert Arneson, Nathan Oliveira, Viola Frey, Stephen De Staebler, Manuel Neri and on and on and on… And then there’s a rich vein of California modernists to explore that predate the euphoric 60s, 70s and 80s that includes excellent examples of paintings by Lee Mullican, Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg.

The museum’s large sculpture collection can be enjoyed in a stunning desert garden as well as strategically positioned throughout the complex. Search for an amusing Duane Hanson and at the opposite end of the esthetic spectrum a heroic Mark Di Suvero. American Western Art, a Mexican and Latin American collection, a huge collection of American Photography, a Mesoamerican collection all add to a wonderful mix to discover, ponder and enjoy. The American Modern Architecture collection boasts the Albert Frey and E. Stewart Williams archives.

The Annenberg Theater at the museum hops with sophisticated performance art programs. Lectures and symposiums pack the house. There are classes and exhibition tours for all age groups. The shop is fun and the cafe yum. The opening parties are mobbed. It’s a not-to-be-missed scene and a fave TOP SPOT of the desert cool crowd.

RM

For ladies the ground zero of golf attire can be found at The Rancho Las Palmas Shopping Center. Here is the international headquarters for Lady Golf Sportswear – Where Luxurious Fashions are Part of the Game. And they are! Limos have been known to pull up, blinds drawn on the store front and the front door locked so that the veiled wives of sheiks can shop ’til they drop. You’ll see why when you check out the lines that include Armani, Escada, SanSoleil, Walter Genuin, Sesto Meucci of Florence and so much more. Golf bags, accessories, body coolers – everything a lady needs to gain the advantage have been carefully selected by owner Karen who is often on hand to assist customers. High style reigns at Lady Golf so don’t expect to emerge in some beige ensemble that will allow you to slink around the course unnoticed.

At the Pete Dye Golf Shop at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa a vast array of goods can be had to help give your game an edge. Gentlemen: check out the Adidas and Cutter & Buck gear. Step up to Greg Norman’s line or Tommy Bahama’s latest. Ladies: sample Greg Norman or the Adidas line and also try sliding into E.P. Pro and Lija to get the perfect look for the Pete Dye Resort Course right outside the door of the Pro Shop.

Numerous shopping opportunities are available for golfers at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa. Adjacent to the resort lobby, check out the Boutique where Tommy Bahama rules for men; there are hats galore for the ladies and Ray Ban sunglasses for both. Don’t forget to swing into the Spa Shop on the opposite side of the lobby for your skin care and sun screen products. Top choices would be Babor or Peter Thomas Roth that ladies can tuck into a Brighton fanny pack picked up at the Boutique. Then at the Pro Shop at the Rancho Las Palmas Country Club ladies have large lines of Greg Norman, Nike, E.P. Pro to select from. Men can outfit in Greg Norman, Nike and Cutter & Buck. Don’t miss the selection of Oakley sunglasses! And take a moment to scan the many small golf accessory gifts that make perfect thank-you dashes for your Rancho Mirage host and hostess.

Now that you’re looking like a pro – get out there and show us what you’ve got!

RM

One hundred percent of the proceeds from advance ticket sales will be donated to charity. Tickets and can be ordered online at http://www.kncgolf.com/. When ordering tickets online, purchasers will be asked to designate a charity to receive the proceeds from the sale. Currently, more than 40 charities have signed up to participate in the program.

The tickets are priced at $25 for any one-day ticket (valid Tuesday to Sunday of Tournament Week) and $100 for a weeklong ticket. This year’s tournament is set for Monday, March 29, through Sunday, April 4. Admission to Mission Hills Country Club on March 29 is free (practice rounds only).

When purchasing online, customers can print their tickets at home, arrange for pick-up at Will Call, or have the tickets shipped to them. Tickets will also be sold at the gate each day for $35 (any one-day ticket) and $125 (weeklong ticket).

The tournament’s popular Kraft Pavilion Passes, which are not part of the charity program, are also being offered this year. The Kraft Pavilion overlooks the 18th green of the Dinah Shore Tournament Course and Champions Lake and features premier seating, food and beverage service from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. as well as on- site parking. The Kraft Pavilion is open Thursday through Sunday of Tournament Week.

To order Pavilion Passes or for additional tournament information, visit http://www.kncgolf.com/ or call the Kraft Nabisco Championship Tournament Office at 760/324-4546.

Also back by popular demand this year are a number of special ticket options. Active members of the military will receive free admission at the gate with military identification. Children 17 and under are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. College students with valid student identification and seniors 65 years and older can purchase an any-day grounds ticket for $30 or a weeklong ticket for $115.

Tickets through the Integrated Wealth Management TICKETS Fore CHARITY program are available online through April 4. In addition, tickets will be on sale through Tournament Week at Lumpy’s in Cathedral City and La Quinta. Rancho Mirage residents can purchase discount tickets at City Hall until Friday, April 2, and at the Rancho Mirage Library through Sunday, April 4.

RM

Since the beginning of time, long before Hollywood discovered the desert, a thriving community of people lived in the vicinity of what we know today as Palm Springs. Snow melt from the Santa Rosa and Santa Jacinto Mountains feed gushing streams that in turn nourish lush palm oasis at the foot of the mountains. In and around these oasis people, known as the Cahuilla, sustained a rich and harmonious life that lasted for a millennium before the era of resorts that now flourish in the Palm Springs Valley.

Today the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians work and live through-out the Valley. Many are the regions most powerful and prosperous leaders. Gleaming new resorts such at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage employs hundreds of workers and fuels the economy of the region. Bond ratings, marketing strategies and setting world-class hospitality standards occupy many whose grandparents lived in a very different world. A world still revered by today’s tribe members and a world that you can experience.

The instant you drive through the gate of The Indian Canyons you know you have entered a sacred place. Just minutes from lively downtown Palm Springs, this place is serene and abundant with the desert’s finest attributes. Vast numbers of Washingtonia Fan Palm Trees form the largest indigenous palm oasis in North America. Gurgling icy brooks course around giant boulders and through rocky crevices creating lush cool retreats from the desert’s glare before disappearing deep into the desert’s aquifer. Wildlife is abundant. Hummingbirds can be sighted at every turn. Lizards and small rodents leave their tracks in the dusty paths. Beware of rattlers! Scat along the trails reminds an alert hiker that larger mammals such as the Big Horn Sheep and an occasional Mountain Lion still roam these parts. In spring the desert blooms and as far as the eye can see a brilliant yellow halo floats over silver grey bushes. The purple snow-capped mountains rise in the background.

Well marked trails through Andreas Canyon, Fern Canyon, Murray Canyon and Palm Canyon provide advanced hikers and easy walkers a wealth of experiences. Nearby, through a separate gated entrance, Tahquitz Canyon can be accessed where a beautiful 60 foot seasonal falls, petroglyphs and ancient irrigation systems can be pondered. Ranger talks and guided walks provide excellent understanding of the ecosystems and the people who made this paradise home.

The Indian Canyons provide 21st century road weary voyagers with a perfect setting and experience to reconnect with something greater and lasting and beautiful.

RM

RM

Balmy weather, palm trees glistening, snow capped mountain peeks in the distance, and gorgeous young lady golfers driving down immaculately maintained fairways playing some of the best golf in the world – what more could you ask for!

This year’s Kraft Nabisco Championship tournament plays out March 29 – April 4 at the renowned Mission Hills County Club in Rancho Mirage, home to the Tournament for 39 years. You can buy tickets at www.KNCgolf.com and join the gallery.

Or you could use one of the following HOT TIPS to have an experience of a lifetime.

RM

Anytime there’s a cheetah involved I’m there. Loved these streamlined felines ever since I first experienced them in Nairobi National Park on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital. They’d leap up and loll on the hoods of cars. Pressing their faces against windshields their purring would rattle the glass and something primeval, deep in my bones.

Now I can get my big cat fix at The Living Desert located in the heart of the Palm Springs Valley only minutes from luxurious Rancho Mirage resorts. This magnificent wildlife and botanical garden sprawls over 1200 acres of desert gardens at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains. When exploring the park by foot or tram the impression is that you are as far away from civilization as the Serengeti. From savanna to a dark cool palm oasis, vast cacti collections and an amazing array of flora from Madagascar, this is an A + experience for desert plant lovers. Carefully positioned, almost hidden, in the landscape are animal enclosures that are about the best this wild animal park enthusiast has ever seen.

Giraffes float across a vast enclosure with the Santa Rosa Mountains and the snow capped Mount San Jacinto looming in the far distance. Not a fence in sight between the giraffes and the mountains – you could be observing them on the plains surrounding Kilimanjaro. Yet here you can line up at 10 AM daily and feed them “giraffe biscuits”. Long dark tongues delicately swipe the biscuits from your extended palm. A Massai would swoon.

Hyenas, javelinas, badgers, ibis, addax, meerkats, slender-horned gazelles, wolves, coyotes, camels, bat-eared fox and so many other denizens of the world’s deserts populate every turn. The biggest warthog ever! Peninsular bighorn sheep are hunkered among the boulders on a mountain side and a sighting is reward for standing still in the quiet calm of the park and panning until Eureka! A butterfly pavilion! Walk-through aviaries are filled with native birds. The list of delights is endless without even mentioning the cats.

The Cats! The mix of felines from the deserts of the globe include bobcats, mountain lions, caracals, Arabian wild cats, sand cats, leopards, and of course the cheetahs. Make sure you explore the WaTuTu Village because at the very back of the compound is a lair with two magnificent Amur leopards who haughtily skulk around their enclosure passing within inches of your nose. Don’t miss the Arabian wild cats. They appear to be ordinary house pets but these kitties would be thrilled to take off a finger if you tried to tickle their ears.

The cheetahs languish in the shade of an acacia tree. Blink and they vanish reappearing only if their hauteur is placated by a mood shift as elusive as a breeze.

RM

They know how to rub away the throb of aching muscles, relieve the tensions of work and for a heavenly hour or two, ease the cares of the world. We seldom remember the names of our massage therapist and yet they immediately have an intimate association with our bodies and our personal foibles. An experienced therapist can tell a lot about what you’ve been up to so relax and allow the transgressions of your hectic 21st century life to be smoothed away.

Sunstone the Spa is a sleek gleamingly new retreat poolside at the skyscraper Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa. To get your groove back you might request the Sundance Sugar Scrub followed by a Garnet Calming Massage. A Balancing Shirodara treatment promises to stimulate insight and wisdom. Sounds like something we all need. Among the many offerings for men is an 80 minute Head to Toe that includes a massage, scalp treatment and salt foot exfoliation. Sunstone also houses a full service salon, private relaxing pools, luxe lounges and a shop featuring an array of unique skin care products.

The Spa at Mission Hills is nestled on the grounds of The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa. An exotic Spanish-Moorish architectural ambience sets the tone for this sanctuary where clients are invited to lose themselves in “delightful treatments designed to renew mind and spirit”. Start out with a Coconut Bath to nourish and hydrate your skin, then enjoy a Brown Sugar Body Treatment to exfoliate and stimulate cellular renewal and cap your stay with a San Jacinto Massage conceived to promote overall well being. The Spa at Mission Hills also provides a full-service beauty salon with hair, makeup, and nail services. A retail shop lets you take a little bit of the spa away with you.

Spa Las Palmas, at the recently $50 million renovated Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa – a KSL Resort, offers a menu of Desert Dream Rituals consisting of five different body scrubs, wraps and massages to select from. Palm Oasis Body Wraps, Desert Elements Scrubs and Baths and a host of massages make this retreat Desert Magazine’s 2009 Best of the Valley. At the adjacent Yamaguchi Salon experience the art of Feng Shui hair styling that’s all the rage with Hollywood celebrities. Don’t fail to take advantage of the beautiful Spa Pool where you can contemplate, from your chaise lounge, languidly swaying palm trees and the snow-capped San Jacinto Mountain in the distance. Ah Rancho Mirage!

RM

Check out the Bobby Chan shop where the latest in resort wear can be found. Don’t miss BLONDE for women’s, men’s and children’s hottest fashion looks. Both shops have the perfect duds for the many terrific Palm Spring Valley mega events such as the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival or the Stagecoach Country Music Festival. For swimwear and poolside accessories Diane’s Beachwear can’t be beat. Don’t forget shades. Get them at OPTICA. And to keep the sun off the old pate, grab a hat at Hats Unlimited. If your loved one needs a little seduction drop in at Robann’s Jewelers for some bling. Fine wines and sipping accessories can be procured at Tulip Hill Winery. And just in case you crave a stogie they’ve got all you can smoke at Cohiba Cigar Lounge. Out of town newspapers are always available at Borders Books & Music. Just got your bonus? Glide into Bang & Olufsen and consider a 21st century music system or peruse a custom golf cart at CaddyShack where art and carts collide in the coolest way.

Your body beautiful can be pampered and preened at Bath & Body Works, Health Spectrum, Loran Loran Color Group and Medical Spa, M.A.C Cosmetics, River Nails and Spa and Ulta Cosmetics. Emerge buffed and polished, dressed in the latest and take in a movie at Cinemark Century Theaters where first run mega hits are screened in a luxurious multiplex.

Time to eat and drink! What a selection. Casual quick bites can be grabbed at Baja Fresh, Starbucks and Papa Mario’s Pizzeria. Take your selections and camp at one of the many cafe tables under the acacia trees and watch the world parade by as you enjoy your meal. Full service restaurants cover the spectrum from P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, the Yard House, The Cheesecake Factory, Babe’s Bar-B-Que & Brewery, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Piero’s Acqua Pazza – California Bistro. A little sweet-finish can be had at Ben & Jerry’s or the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Verizon Wireless will fix your phone or sell you a new one and the Valet will park and watch your car while you cruise The River in Rancho Mirage. And if by now you have fallen in love with Rancho Mirage take the elevator to The River’s second floor, pop into Tarbell Realtors where one of their agents will help you find your own nest in paradise!

RM

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www.palm-desert.org/arts-culture/galleries-museums

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Our Presidential Suite has a breath taking view of the signature 6th fairways with well appointed furniture which includes a wet bar, spacious living room and dining area.

At Agua Caliente Casino, Resort, Spa in Rancho Mirage, fine amenities and beautiful architecture embody the casual elegance that defines the good life in Southern California. Each guest room is generously appointed with flat-screen televisions, Wi-Fi and more.

For those requiring a little more space, the property will feature 24 Executive Suites measuring 1,100 square feet. In addition to the exceptional amenities included in the Deluxe Guestrooms, each Executive Suite will have an additional 42-inch plasma flat screen television and wet bar in the parlor area. The bathrooms will also offer a Jacuzzi tub, an 8-head “deluge” shower and privacy doors between the living room and bedroom. These Executive Suites can also be made into a two-bedroom suite by adding the adjoining deluxe guestroom.

Outside, a refreshing pool awaits, with luxury cabanas, a poolside grill and a relaxing spa and fitness center.

And when the sun goes down, the action heats up at Agua Caliente! Here, you’ll win more and play longer with a variety of slots, table games, live poker action and the loosest video poker in the area!

You’ll also get up-close and personal with world-class entertainment at The Show, the premier concert theatre in Southern California. Matchbox Twenty, Tony Bennett and Jay Leno are just a few of the fantastic entertainers to take the stage here, with many more to come! The Show also features live, championship boxing. Luxury VIP party boxes are available for every event, making any visit to The Show unforgettable!

Agua Caliente Casino-Resort-Spa: It’s Your Four-Diamond Entertainment Destination!

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Born in Buenos Aires, the last of five children (oops!) to a Texas High Society mother and a wealthy Argentinean businessman father, bilingual Potter was at an early age shipped off to the best boarding schools in Europe, and summered at various Israeli kibbutzim.  He finally came Stateside to earn a Harvard MBA, but despite his Ivy League education (and over his fiery parents’ strenuous objections), he yielded to his burning desire to travel and joined the ranks of none other than Pan American World Airways as a steward immediately after grad school.  While crisscrossing the globe, he perfected his fluency of three additional languages (French, Italian, and German) and deepened his knowledge of—and appreciation for—food and wine, art and culture, and the most magnificent creature comforts money can buy.  Following Pan Am’s demise,

Potter—an avid photographer—continued to journey throughout the world, guiding small groups on exclusive tours of the five continents: trekking through the Himalayas, leading African safaris, or taming crocs Down Under.  Post 9/11, Potter still routinely indulges his passion for an extended transoceanic cruise or long-haul red eye to an outlandish locale, but can be found most days and nights right here in the Palm Springs Valley, where he uses his international savvy to earn a munificent living as a much-in-demand design consultant on everything from home décor and party-planning to art and fashion—all this from his small atelier in a secluded enclave of Rancho Mirage.

The love child of a mid-century silver screen legend whose identity has always been kept a mystery, Diana was born in Palm Springs and raised by her single mother, a cocktail waitress at the Palm Springs Racquet Club.  After graduating from Palm Springs High School, Diana fled to Hollywood.  Seeking to follow in her famous father’s footsteps, she dabbled in a series of odd jobs—extra, make-up assistant, receptionist—on various studio lots.  When an unexpected (and surprisingly large) anonymous inheritance came her way, Diana left Tinseltown for extended stays in the South of France, Mykonos, Rio, and Bavaria.  Throughout her globetrotting years, she was wined and dined—not to mention schooled in all the finer things in life—by the crème de la crème of well-to-do eligible bachelors (and more than a few flush, married family men).

Choosing to never accept any of many marriage proposals, she went around the world—twice—before returning home to the peaceful Palm Springs Valley.  Settling in a sumptuous abode in beautiful Rancho Mirage, Diana—a longtime lover of alliteration—now spends her days writing, and donating her time and her fortune to the charitable causes nearest and dearest to her heart.  Most generous of all with her coterie of loved ones, she remains Daddy’s Little Girl to this day—even if no one, not even she, really knows who Daddy ever was.  Diana never asked, and Mother never told, taking the secret to that great big cocktail lounge in the sky.

Rancho Mirage provides a plethora of watering holes where you can refine your Margarita connoisseurship. But watch out this sweetness has a bite! Billy the long time bar keep at Wally’s Desert Turtle likes to keep his Margarita on the dry side. From a bar stool at this Steven Chase luxe designed restaurant, you can scrutinize the movers and shakers of the Valley savoring some of the finest fare in California. Right across the street at Bing Crosby’s, an elegant but more casual crowd sway to the rhythms of a live combo, order up slider trios – lamb, crab and beef – and sip bartender Mike Tarrallo’s delectable Pomegranate Margarita. Roy’s also within walking distance from our first two stops features Jimmy, “the handsomest bartender in the Valley”, at your service with his jigger. Jimmy’s concoction includes li hing mui, a Hawaiian secret ingredient that brings a little aloha to the Mexican elixir. The ground zero for Margaritas in Rancho Mirage is undoubtedly Las Casuelas Nuevas, the Delgado family’s fabulous sprawling hacienda style eatery. The cantina is where libations are served up with 50+ top of the line Tequilas! Renee presides at the bar, but it was bar manager Efren Gonzales who decades ago dreamed up the House Margarita that would make an Aztec envious.

RM