A (delayed) Desert 🏜️ holiday

Everything was going perfectly from ordering the Uber 🚙 to pick us up from the hotel to the very impressive Amtrak train 🚆 service from Anaheim to Union Station in Los Angeles. What a brilliant service with a cocktail 🍸 bar and a daily ‘happy hour’ and a well stocked cafe with Valerie the friendly attendant!

Our current experience with wait staff and shop and transport attendants is very positive; welcoming, helpful and kind! We have also found that tipping 💵 is not as widely expected or asked for as we thought… That could change as we get to other cities of course.

The wheels fell off at the beautiful art deco inspired Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles where we were to catch the 9:45 am bus to Coachella Palm Springs… It was delayed by 10 minutes then 20 then one hour turned into 2, then rescheduled to afternoon. Just quietly, a clientele taking the bus are probably not familiar with the Beverly Hills or Melrose Hills… ‘Rough as guts’ is perhaps an understatement! 😳🚫⚠️

Discovering that we had time to kill I decided to avail myself of what interesting area could be nearby and stumbled upon a true gem!

Just across from the grand old Union Station, I wandered through the colourful and historic Olvera Street — often described as the birthplace of Los Angeles. Lined with vibrant Mexican market stalls, festive decorations, traditional music and the delicious smell of fresh tacos and churros drifting through the air, it felt like stepping into another world away from the bustle of modern LA. With its relaxed atmosphere, historic buildings and lively cultural spirit, it turned what could have simply been a transport nightmare into one of the most unexpectedly charming and authentic moments of the journey 🇲🇽

We finally rolled into the desert 🏜️ oasis of Palm Springs and instantly slipped into holiday mode. Dinner at Trio Restaurant absolutely lived up to its award-winning reputation — the shrimp 🦐 pasta was nothing short of divine, rich with lemon 🍋 flavour and beautifully presented, all enjoyed amongst fabulous retro Palm Springs vibes that felt like stepping into another era.

The night only became more fun at Bootlegger Tiki where creativity was clearly on the cocktail menu. Our signature drink arrived in a Thai noodle box complete with chopstick-style straws and a fortune cookie declaring: “Your fortune will be… you will get lucky in Palm Springs.” Safe to say, the city already feels full of magic, character and playful charm.

To top it all off, our accommodation is absolutely top-notch — stylish, relaxing and the perfect complement to what is shaping up to be an incredible Palm Springs weekend.Read more