My 40th Birthday Trip to Palm Springs.
My 40th Birthday Trip to Palm Springs.
I knew I wanted to celebrate my 40th birthday with a trip and some great friends. I was lucky enough to have just returned from Hawaii with my family, and invited friends to join my husband and me for a weekend at the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. I have to say from start to finish, the weekend was perfect! I first consulted my amazing travel advisor, Dainee from Memora, who helped me narrow down hotels and a dinner spot for our group.
I’ve been using Claude more and more, and this was the perfect time to plug in some ideas, plans, a guest list, and details to keep everything organized. Once we had the details planned, I had Claude create an email itinerary to share with the group!
Where we stayed: The Parker Hotel
Ate: Mr. Parker, Sandfish.
Other recs: Birba, Workshop Kitchen + Bar, Bar Cecil
Because it was a big group of 18, I told friends ahead of time we would have one big dinner Friday night and that the other nights everyone should make their own dinner plans. I planned a hike for the ladies, and my husband organized golf for the guys. Other than that, it was pool time, spa, relaxing, and eating. I didn’t want an hour by hour itinerary or too much strict planning, and it worked out so well. Some friends got in on Thursday with us, so we had a smaller dinner that night at Sandfish for sushi outside, and it was great!
The weekend was busy because it was also Stagecoach - ideally, we would have avoided booking such a busy weekend in Palm Springs, but overall, it wasn’t much of an issue.
Favorite moments from the weekend:
Playing bocce at the Parker, seeing a herd of mountain goats on one of our hikes, pool lounging (we spotted Lana Del Rey!), two hikes, time with friends, opening a very special gift from my husband, Pat's speech, the intimate dinner at Mr. Parker's, the food, the friends, the weather, and feeling like everyone enjoyed the trip.
The private birthday dinner at Mr. Parker’s is something I’ll probably never forget. I walked into the room before everyone else to capture the setup and just felt flooded with gratitude that I got to celebrate a healthy 40th birthday with so many special people. We started dinner with a ‘butter candle’ (butter mixed with beef tallow and a wick so it melts as you dip homemade sourdough in it), an insane mushroom soup, filet or halibut, and incredible baked Alaska or chocolate dessert. Everyone was stuffed and enjoyed the night so much. My husband prepared a toast and acknowledged each couple in the room, and how we met them, and then spoke about me and all the qualities that he loves and admires about me. It was very touching and special to be celebrated in that way, and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
My husband also surprised me with a Chanel bag I had texted him a photo of, which he was able to find on a business trip to Vegas a few weeks before. I’m a sucker for a beautiful bag, and when that big box was delivered to our room, I was so excited! I’ll think of this birthday and trip every time I use it, and I hope to pass it down to my girls one day.
The next day, we got room service in our suite (again, Dainee from Memora often manages a surprise upgrade and the staff at the Parker had birthday treats for me upon arrival!). Then I planned a hike at Taquitz Canyon, which is a fun and ‘entry-level’ hike with a beautiful view and a waterfall.
We relaxed by the pool, played some Bocce on the courts, and split up for dinners around town. The Parker grounds are so beautiful and it is so fun to be able to gather in different areas like the bocce courts, ‘lemonade stand’ bar, two pools, wine bar, hotel lobby, midcentury lounge, and restaurants.
Everyone headed home on Sunday and had the best time. I honestly can’t wait to go back there again sometime soon! It’s the perfect place to escape to in the winter months or early spring.
What I wore - I tried to embrace color for this trip!
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