After a bit of a sleep in and a stop in for a cut at Hawleywoods on 4th Street we hit the road headed from Long Beach to one of the destinations I’d been looking forward to the most – Palm Springs! We enjoyed a leisurely drive east and as soon as we arrived in town we headed straight for the aerial tramway. This was one of the attractions high on our list and it certainly didn’t disappoint! We drove 2,643 ft up the mountain to the Valley Station where we parked the car and went inside to board.

 

The view was stunning as we were surrounded by desert mountains and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day! A bit brisk but plenty of sunshine. Once inside we grabbed our tickets and a quick beer before boarding the world’s largest rotating tramcar for the 10 minute ride up to the Mountain Station. The circular tramcar rotates 360 degrees as you rise up the 8,516 ft to the Mountain Station and the views of Chino Canyon through the glass walls are simply incredible!

 

Once we got to the top, we disembarked and enjoyed the views from a range of different vantage points and look outs. You also had the option of going on hikes but we were ill-equipped for such activities and it was also quite cold at the top (there was still snow on the mountains!) so we went inside to the comfort and warmth of the bar for a couple more beers. We re-boarded the tramcar and descended back down to the Valley Station, once again to amazing views. It was such a wonderful experience and although not as vast as the Grand Canyon, the views were certainly as impressive in their own way.

 

We then set off for some Walmart supplies before checking into our hotel. The place where we stayed in Palm Springs was AMAZING!! It is by far the best place we stayed all trip and I will definitely we back there for sure! We stayed at the Palm Springs Rendezvous, which is a quaint little boutique hotel offering only 10 rooms, each designed to send you back in time with themes ranging from Rebel Without A Cause and Hawaiian Surf to Silverscreen, Route 66 and Shake, Rattle & Roll. However our room was the Pretty in Pink, a stunning room that Marilyn Monroe herself once stayed in. I’ll let the pictures do the talking but MAN OH MAN! I was in heaven!!

 

The owner of the hotel was a lovely old lady by the name of Betty who was sweeter than cherry pie. She was so wonderful and our nightly room rate also included a gourmet 3 course breakfast and cocktails and canapés by the pool in the evening. We made lots of great friends around the pool that evening and attracted a lot of attention with our 50s/rockabilly style. It was such a wonderful experience and I recommend anyone who goes to Palm Springs to stay here! I can’t wait to go back!!

 

 

After cocktails we set off to explore the main town although by now unfortunately most of the shops were closed. However I suspect it may have been fortunate for my bank account as Palm Springs is known for its vintage and mid-century everything! We even got to stare through the front window of the Shag shop and drool over all the amazing artwork. We checked out the local nightlife and were trying to decide where to have dinner. We stopped in for a drink at a Mexican restaurant called the Blue Coyote and were highly entertained by the bartender, Don. One look at the menu and the meals coming out and we knew we’d be back.

 

 

But not before visiting Palm Springs’ current main attraction – 26ft tall sculpture of Marilyn Monroe! She was big alright and as beautiful as ever. Not surprisingly there were plenty of people trying to get a look up her skirt! We got some shots and then headed back to the Blue Coyote for what was to be a fantastic night of amazing food, potent cocktails and lots of fun! Don was a real character and we had a great time hanging out with him, choosing to have our dinner at the bar lest we miss out on his cheeky humour and entertainment.

 

 

We made it back to our amazing room thoroughly satisfied and a little giggly, where I made full use of the whirlpool spa. After a good night’s sleep and the delicious gourmet breakfast we set off for Pomona to check out the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Museum. The place was filled with amazing cars and memorabilia and I spent ages walking around and reading all the little stories, excerpts and info cards around the place – I’m a bit of a history geek like that. Then it was back into the car and headed for the last destination on our trip – the bright lights of Hollywood!

 

 

 

 

You can catch up on the beginning of my USA adventure in Vegas including my Vegas tattoo, the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender, the wild west and tiki bars of Arizona, our San Diego experience, making it back alive from Tijuana, Long Beach and the Queen Mary, amazing Palm Springs and all the adventures of Hollywood!