This was one of those days that taught me much about my strength, tolerance, and character.
No hiking. No fun activities. No exploration. Lots of yucky traffic, wasted time, and gps taking us places that were temporarily or permanently closed when we got there.
I got very few pictures, even of the few things we did enjoy doing.
We started the day by saying goodbye to the ducks, geese, herons, hummingbirds, and pelican. It was so peaceful lodging by this pond and hearing them playing and singing before the sun was up.
This resort is immaculate. WorldMark Indio. I can’t get over how well they grow grass in the desert. I can’t get it to grow half this well in the NC mountains and I live 20 miles from a Rain forest.
The girls LOVED running through the cool grass barefoot. Running! And skipping, and playing, by the pond with the animals was a highlight for them, especially Nina.
She sneaked up on the “Pelican“ to get a fly or any off of it….😂
Pelican is in quotes because the whole time we though that’s what it was, but when it snapped at Nina it didn’t have a pocket in its bill to carry a baby in, so not sure what it was.
Packing and leaving was a chore for some reason. I just had the girls go play tennis on the courts while I loaded the car up, put ice and refrigerator items in the cooler, etc. It was 72 degrees when we checked out at 10am. Well, 10:18 because I’m slow by myself, and so grateful they don’t knock on your door and rush you out at this place!
In the 10 mile drive from Indio to Palm Springs, it got up to 85 degrees! 😳 And sunny and 88 very quickly after we arrived.
The drive was beautiful. I had no idea there were snow capped mountains this size in California. All I remember seeing in California as a child was the San Diego suburbs, busy, crowded city streets in LA, and smaller, brown dirt mountains in the hills when I brought Cameron when he was 2 ( 13 years ago).
We almost got sideswiped by a car that couldn’t see us in his blind spot, and I had to run off the road to avoid us being hit.
My hands shook for an hour after that.
There were some neat trees and very pretty, lush landscapes, as well as homes with Tuscany style architecture that I love. I took a couple of pictures.
We decided to find Mexican food because the place from Diners, Drive ins and dives we looked up was closed. Not only were we sad about where we picked because it wasn’t great, and there were a bazillion awesome looking places we could have gone that we saw afterwards….
On the walk from our parking space to this little Mexican restaurant, I got aggressively engaged by a pan handler. It scared me and the kids.
This was one of those give me wisdom dear Jesus moments. I am waking on the sidewalk with three small children. Left my weapons in the car because I figured they might like me carrying them in the restaurant, nor did I think I would need them.
It’s hot and sunny and I’m cranky, and everybody is hungry, and we don’t know where we are.
This panhandler across the street, yells at me, challenges me and my character for turning the other way to ignore him, calls out demanding that I look at him. I’m shaking, pondering the whole caring for the poor, helping the unfortunate, loving people like Jesus thing in my mind, while gentle Mother hen and aggressive Mother Bear fight a battle of their own in my mind as I must protect my children first.
All the things.
I decide to go ahead and look at him. I thought of the lesson we learned about the mountain lion at the Tiger Sanctuary in Missouri a few weeks ago, how if you look them in the eye, then they see that you acknowledge that they are there and they no longer desire to have you as prey because the surprise factor is gone, and back off.
When I looked at him, he yelled “Come over here!”
I looked him straight in the eye and yelled back to him. “No!”
To our shock and relief, all the nastiness and force went away and he sat down, gestured with his hand and said, “Well, stay over there then.”
😳
We went in for lunch.
We walked the “strip” in Palm Springs and did some shopping.
Nina found some California sunglasses and I bought a luxuriously soft Palm Springs sweatshirt and an awesome pair of boots. Neither of which I will need in Palm Springs. 🥵 But I’m excited about wearing them this fall at home.
We spent the early evening at the small hotel pool.
The girls observed and were shocked by the capacity of 45 people for this tiny pool.
Our kids will never understand pre-social distancing times. Now, this pool only holds 8 people and you have to reserve your two hour spot and your sanitized lounge chairs.
The girls think I’m awesome because I surprised them with new goggles I found at the small market at our last resort. Nina has been having a hard time not opening her eyes in pool water and they have been red after swimming.
Speaking of needing to make a reservation for everything in California, I hesitate to post this next “event”, but after the day we had, I will share it, not to bash the restaurant, but to share where my own mind and heart are right now in this environment, socially, and physically.
There have been at least half a dozen places we have asked GPS to take us that were closed when we got there on this trip. Sad for the small business owners we have been trying to support, but I am not going to go there.
Well, tonight, because the only time we could get a reservation for the pool was 5-7, we had to shower and figure out something for dinner. It was almost 8:00 when we found and got to the place we really wanted to dine, a nice Greek restaurant. Haven’t had a Greek salad in weeks and was looking forward to taking the girls to a local one.
Doesn’t it look nice? The girls were so hungry from their swim that they went in to get a table without even getting a picture out front.
There were only 3 tables full in the whole restaurant and the patio was completely empty. But before you start feeling sorry for them…
They asked if we had a reservation.
Remember, it’s 8:00 at night.
When we told them we didn’t, they said they couldn’t seat walk in’s, that you had to have a reservation.
I can’t tell you how frustrated I was. It’s dark, J don’t know where I am or what other options there are besides del Taco. Everyone’s hungry and I’m thinking, they have no idea what kind of restaurant patrons we are and that we leave 30-40% gratuity for good service, etc. Uurgg!
Well, I actually had to get in the car and pray to calm down and look for another option.
I’m not sure I calmed down, but the Lord was gracious and after just 2 miles of a blind drive, we found this incredible, bustling Vietnamese fusion restaurant.
We were seated graciously and immediately,even though they only had three open tables in the whole restaurant. We had a fine, funny waiter. The food was absolutely delicious. The girls even drank 2 full glasses of water, of their own choice, even though I have been trying to get them to drink water while we’ve been hiking for miles in the desert the last two weeks, because the curry was so spicy! They LOVED the red curry ramen they got and ate every bit of it!
I got Tiger Shrimp curry
I’m so glad the Greek restaurant turned us away. This was a beautiful, wonderful night on the patio with my girls.
A night to remember after quite a day to remember on this journey.
And we tipped our waiter very well. 😊
This actually might be the beginning of some serious exploration of curry cooking with my girls and the beginning of their appreciation of a little spice on their tongues.
The Grady Bunch Life 