Palm Springs Attractions: Two Favorites

While in Palm Springs this past springtime, some of the activities I enjoyed were hiking in Indian Canyon and a visit to Elvis' Honeymoon Hideaway.

Fan Palm Oasis in Indian Canyon

Lush refuge in the desert

The stream added a freshness to the air

Indian Canyon park

Dramatic rock formations

A drive through a narrow expanse of rock

I arrived at Indian Canyons late in the day, so I only had time for one rather short trail hike, and no visit to the gift shop (sad face), but the trail I took was amazing and my mediocre photography skills do not do it justice! The park has a gated entrance and a fee of $15, then you wind up through the hilly landscape to the various trails. The park is run and maintained by the Agua Caliente Cahuilla tribe, and features five canyon areas you can hike through.

The colors of the rocks were gorgeous!

Blue sky unbelievably beautiful!

Dramatic striated rocks and petrified palms.

I took the trail through Palm Canyon. It was gorgeous: beautiful and colorful rock formations, lots of little lizards scurrying about, interesting plants and wildflowers. But what really blew me away was the Palm Oasis. Picture it: here you are, peacefully hiking through the arid, rocky, desert environment, dust on your tongue, when you start to hear a trickle of water. Where can it be coming from? Then out of nowhere, enormous fan palm trees of pop into view, towering above you, and you see below a fast-running stream, gushing over rocks and creating many mini falls. So enchanting! I only wish I could experience all of the canyons - it's on my to-do list!

Front entrance to Elvis' Honeymoon Hideaway

On another day in Palm Springs, I visited Elvis' Honeymoon Hideaway, also known as The Alexander House. This attraction will appeal to both Elvis lovers and fans of Mid-Century Modern design. I am more the latter, although I also enjoy Elvis (from his early years, only!). This is a cool house designed by noted Palm Springs architects, Palmer and Krisel (although there is some debate about that by fans of the house) and built by noted Palm Springs builder, Robert Alexander, who died an early, tragic death.

Giant front doors, flanked by windows

 The house is designed out of four perfect circles and is more than 5,000 square feet, though only a small portion of that is available to view on the tour. It is still an occupied residence, but it is on the market - so if you have about $7 million lying around, it can be yours!

Awesome front entryway with pavers weaving through a water fall and to the garden gates

Some of the really cool features of this house are the entryway, in which you climb aggregate pavers that wind through a waterfall to get to the impressively huge front door.

Unique wrought iron hardware featured in the entryway

There are also cool wrought iron fixtures that are very 60s and special. The living room is really pretty: it's a sunken circle with a built-in sofa and it is open to the dining room, stepped up on a platform. It features high ceilings and a wall of windows looking out onto the backyard and swimming pool.

Unique stairway to bedrooms

The stairs to go up to the bedrooms is also very cool: it is wide at the bottom and narrows towards the top, covered in plush carpet. The master bedroom has a wall of windows facing the cul-de-sac and a romantic Barbara Cartland-esque circular canopied bed. The master bath features cool built-in vanity cabinets and a sunken tub. The kitchen has a lot of the original cabinets and appliances, and the maid's bathroom is fun and funky with pink mosaic tile, original vanity and a tiny cylindrical shower enclosure - all in the pink tile.

Cylinder of pink tile in maid's bathroom

My tour guide was a young girl with an Elvis crush, who was very knowledgeable about all the circumstances of his and Priscilla's time at the house. She was lovely and obviously enjoyed sharing the history of the house with me. I wished that more of the house was open to the tour, and also wistfully fantasized that I could have seen it when it was new.

Pool in the backyard, with view into the living room

View of the pool area with patio, cyprus trees and the San Jacinto mountains in the background.

Of course, over the years, some parts had fallen into disrepair, and previous owners made changes (I call it "remuddling" as opposed to "remodeling") that negatively affected the design. But the current owner has made an effort to maintain and reproduce the original design, as much as possible. Wouldn't it be fun to buy it and transforming it to it's previous glory, with the blink of an eye, like Barbara Eden in I Dream of Jeannie!

Product Review: Hello Fresh Meal Subscription

I recently tried out the Hello Fresh dinner ingredient delivery subscription, in my effort to eat more healthy, home-cooked meals, with minimum amount of work, and here is my review. I tried the service for four weeks, and I would still be using them except for one big problem.

My first box arrived from Hello Fresh. (I covered my address, of course).

I first found out about Hello Fresh because of an ad in my Facebook feed. It offered the first week half off, so I decided to check it out. The website is very easy to navigate, and they are good at keeping you posted with communication via email. I thought the $69 a week rate for 3 meals for 2 people each, was pretty reasonable, and sure enough, during the weeks I used them, I did reduce my grocery bill because I wasn't going to the store as often, and indulging in all the impulse buys that I usually do. Also, I mostly get my produce from Whole Foods, because they have the largest selection of organic produce, and the best looking produce of all the grocery stores in my area. And everyone knows how expensive they are, so yes, I did actually save money using Hello Fresh.

Here's what it looks like when you open the box. Everything well packed and labeled. The only downside is there is a lot of non-recyclable packaging.

In addition, I liked that most of their dinners were dairy free, which is really hard to find in this I-Love-Cheese country that we live in. (I avoid dairy products because I am lactose intolerant, they make me feel phlegmy and I also hate them). There was a very good variety of dinners during that four weeks that I used the service. There are three meals per week that are the default meals, and two alternative meals that you can choose if you don't like some of the default ones.

All the food items seemed to be good quality and very fresh.

Hello Fresh took away a lot of the parts of making dinner that I don't like: planning, shopping, and the waste that comes from cooking for just one or two people. (I live alone and my adult son sometimes comes over for dinner). If my son wasn't joining me for dinner, I saved the leftovers from one night's dinner and had them for lunch the next day. So I was really getting 6 meals.

My first recipe: A delicious chicken salad with beans.

All of the recipes, I found, were easy to make. I have been cooking dinner for 20+ years, but am not an expert chef, by any means. So I like simplicity. All of the meals ranged from good to excellent. There were a couple that were a little bland for my taste, but most of them were super yummy. And you get to keep the recipe cards, so I can make some of them again on my own in the future. The service provides all the ingredients, in the right quantities. You just cut them up and mix them together, following the recipe, which gives complete nutritional information.

Another recipe: Shrimp skewers with avocado/pineapple relish and herbed rice.

So with all that wonderfulness, why did I stop my subscription? Well, there was a big problem: delivery. Delivery cost is included in the $69 a week, which like I said, seemed really reasonable to me. The deliveries were made by UPS, BUT it was not reliable. During the first week, I received my box on Wednesday around noon. Great! I quickly unpacked everything, which looked very fresh, and stuck it all in the fridge, until I was ready to use them. During the second week, the delivery was supposed to come on Wednesday (the company promises Wednesday delivery between 8:30am and 8:30pm), but it didn't come and it didn't come. I called the company (very good phone customer service) and they said UPS claimed it was delivered! It was not! In fact, I didn't get the box until FRIDAY afternoon! By that time, all the meat products were spoiled and smelled so gross! They had been in the box for at least three days! Yuck! I called the company again, and they gave me a credit for the next week's box. I was so disappointed. And I had nothing for dinner that week.

Another delicious salad.

For the third week of my subscription, the box arrived on time, Wednesday afternoon. Phew! I was happy again! But for the fourth week - again no box on Wednesday! I called the company the next morning and they told me there was a delay and my box would arrive that day (Thursday). But the delay had ruined my Wednesday night plans when I had no dinner, so I told them then and there to cancel the subscription. It's not useful to me if I can't rely on it! When it didn't come, my whole schedule had to be altered to account for meal planning, shopping, etc.

A beef and rice entree.

I'm sad because I otherwise really liked Hello Fresh. Maybe they are a newer company and are experiencing growing pains? Maybe they will get their delivery issues worked out? I don't know, but in the mean time, I am going to try a competitor of theirs, Blue Apron, and see if they are any better about reliability. Stay tuned!

A Day in L.A. : Checking Some Tourist Attractions Off My To-Do List

Mexican-style architecture, lots of greenery, and churros on Olvera Street.

While visiting my niece in Los Angeles this spring, I came down with a flu or bad cold, so the amount of things I was able to see while there was greatly curtailed. Unfortunately, I spent more than 24 hours in bed my depressing little motel room. Actually, that's not really fair. It wasn't really depressing - I was just depressed because I was really sick on vacation. Jerry's Motel was actually a bit above the typical motel room. The location was right in downtown L.A., which seemed deserted, with almost zero pedestrian traffic while I was there. And the motel parking lot was next to two kinda shabby looking apartment buildings. But the room itself was clean and bright, with IKEA-style furnishings, and you could tell the management was trying to make it as nice as possible. The aircon worked fine, it was pretty quiet, and the price was great.

I was able to cross off a couple "must-sees" off my travel to-do list while in L.A. (one on the afternoon before I got sick, and a couple morning in the morning right before leaving town. The first place I visited (not counting stopping for burgers at In-N-Out - because you HAVE to do that while out west!) was the open-air Mexican market called Olvera Street.

Olvera Street Mexican Style Market in Los Angeles

I love the visual aesthetic of Latin culture, so I really wanted to visit Olvera Street market. My niece was up for it, too, and I couldn't believe she'd never been there. You really should stop in. It is a partially covered street market with a variety of stalls, plus shops that are inside buildings. It's like an outdoor pedestrian mall selling all Mexican items, from kitchy souvenirs to beautiful art. It was just fun to walk around and look at all the colorful and interesting items for sale. Lots of beautiful embroidered and bedazzled Mexican blouses, skirts, dresses, and costumes for special occasions. Food is available too, though we had just eaten so we didn't have anything. While we were there, there were also mariachi musicians. I bought some incense, candles, and postcards. My niece bought a tiny doll-sized sombrero and a pair of mermaid earrings.

Display window - and me in the mirror!

Another place I was able to visit was the Pinup Girl Boutique in Burbank.  I really wanted to go because I am a big fan of their online shop, but haven't really ordered clothing from them because they are not cheap and I wasn't sure I'd look good in their 1950s revival, retro-style clothing. So I headed out to the brick-and-mortar store with the intention of trying on everything I'd ever thought of buying online. The shop is pretty cute. True to their reputation for being very body-positive and inclusive, the sales girls were super warm, friendly and easy going. The shop windows were inspiring and adorable! The inside decor was cute, too. I was just a little disappointed that the shop held only a fraction of the clothing that is available online, so I wasn't able to try on everything I wanted to. But I did try on some of their full skirts and sundresses, and I'm so glad I did because they do not suit my body type, at all. My short but round figure was completely overwhelmed by the very full skirts and the stiffer fabrics with pockets and linings and petticoats. I looked really poufy! Not a good look. So while that was a bit disappointing, it's good to know. In the future, I will stick to their cute accessories.

The main pit of the La Brea tar pits.

I love all things kitsch and retro, especially including touristy roadside attractions, so the La Brea Tar Pits was on my list next. It is really cool and at the same time, a little disappointing. If you are a science nerd like I am, you will find the pits of natural asphalt that bubble up everywhere in this park, really interesting. But the site itself is not as kitchy as I expected. I (AMAZINGLY) was able to find street parking right next to the pretty park that hosts the tar pits, and then walked a few feet to stare at them. They smell like tar (a smell I love, strangely enough) but are surrounded by an ugly chain link fence. Families were in the park, playing, and nobody else was paying much attention to the pits. I did find a tiny one, unfenced, just bubbling up in the middle of a patch of grass. Apparently, the pits are an archeological site as well, and have bubbled up tons of fossils. It wasn't super spectacular, but it was interesting and I'm glad I took the time to see them.

Natural asphalt just oozing to the surface in the middle of a city park!

On the morning I left L.A., I drove to the Farmer's Market for breakfast. I was in no hurry, so I let myself meander through the neighborhoods on the way there, and was struck by these beautiful old apartment buildings. The architecture was so unique - unlike any apartment buildings I'd ever seen before. They had a romantic, time-worn, glory-days-gone-by majesty that really captivated me. I wished I could have seen the insides when they were new and shiny. I love studying architecture but I'd never read anything about these cool old Hollywood style apartment buildings. If anyone knows anything about them, please share with me. In my imagination, I pictured them populated with young actors and actresses, trying to making it in Hollywood in the 30s and 40s. Everyone beautiful, idealistic, hungry for stardom.

Love the arches, juliet balconies, and ironwork!

Impressive entryway, little balconies, decorative doodads...

Spanish colonial style.

Pretty pink stucco, decorative awnings and architectural details inspired by Moorish Spain.

That curved balcony!!! I can just picture it graced by a starlet from Hollywood's golden age!

A mash-up of Spanish and Federal styles? Very regal.

The L.A. Farmer's Market was yet another tourist attraction that took me by surprise. I just feel like the tour guides don't really describe what these places are actually like. I hope I am doing a better job! When you hear the words "farmer's market," don't you picture an open-air space with stalls or food stands hosting a variety of local farmers who bring their just-picked fruits and vegetables to sell? And there are usually also vendors selling farm-fresh, homemade cheese, baked goods, maybe vinegars, fresh flowers, and honey? Well this farmer's market is NOTHING like that.

The famous L.A. Farmer's Market

It's a permanent structure across from a big shopping mall, with a paid parking lot. It is arranged in a rectangle and the shops are set up under roofs around the rectangle, with more shops, under roofs in the center. There was only one, maybe two, farmstands there. It is a great place for casual eating, but it's not a typical farmer's market. There were crepe shops, several bakeries, candy shops, Asian food stalls, Italian food stalls, Mexican food stalls, etc. There were gift shops selling candles, stickers, toys, clothes, souvenirs, and a newsstand. So to me, it was more like a food court and mini shopping center. I was thinking it was a real farmer's market, and truth be told, I was also thinking I might see some celebrities, because in US Magazine, you always see celebrities shopping at farmer's market for their gluten-free baked goods and their kale. But it wasn't that kind of farmer's market, and it definitely wasn't the kind of place you see celebrities. Anyway, I'm glad I got to see it. If you go to their website, it does have a cool history, which is interesting to read. I, of course, did not do this until after I got home! But I bought some fancy Mrs. Grossman stickers (love those!!!), some chocolates for the road, and ate delicious crepes for brunch before leaving town.

One of several candy shops at the L.A. Farmer's Market

Sewing Diary: Pink Gauze Swing Dress

I have had a lovely few yards of dusty pink crinkled cotton gauze in my fabric stash for a few years, so since the weather is now summery, I decided it was time to use it up. I leafed through my collection of drawings and clippings for ideas on what to make with it, and came up with this design for a loose-fitting flowing dress:

Pink Gauze fabric and my dress design.

Because the shape was so simple, I did not use a pattern for this. I just drew my shape with a Sharpie marker and a yard stick onto the fabric and cut it out. I also made neck facings, and some very slim spaghetti straps. Speaking of skinny straps, I highly recommend this tube-turning tool. It makes strap-making as easy as pie!

Here are my homemade spaghetti straps, ready to be threaded through the casings.

Neck facing about to be attached.

This gauze fabric does stretch quite a bit while it's being handled, but for this design, it didn't matter too much. Usually though, I would have stay-stitched the neck and armholes to avoid the stretch.

The finished product.

This dress did not take me very long, and I am pretty pleased with how it came out. As you can see, the hem isn't Exactly how I planned it - the pointed are on the sides, instead of in the front, but I still like it. The only other negative is that the fabric is really sheer, so it won't really work as a dress, but I can wear it as a swimsuit cover-up or as a nightgown. I am in love with this shade of pink, the two rows of gathers at the neck and the straps.

San Diego: Gaslamp Quarter, Pacific Beach, and Balboa Park

On my first afternoon and evening in San Diego, I went to the Gaslamp Quarter which is in the real urban-looking downtown of San Diego. I chose that neighborhood because all the tourist publications and websites you find advise checking it out. But in my opinion, it can totally be skipped! I think the only way you would find it interesting is if you were from a small town or didn't get out much. It's a bunch of tall buildings, some old, some newer, crowded, no place to park, and filled with national chain stores and restaurants, like Hard Rock Cafe and Anthropologie. SNOOZE! Nothing unique or interesting here, people. I drove around for a bit, saw that there was nowhere to put the car, checked out all the shops and restaurants (that you could find in any big city or urban area in the U.S.), saw there was no uniqueness or personality to the place, and then left.

The amazing and huge carved bar at Isabel's Cantina in Pacific Beach, San Diego

But by now I was hungry for dinner so I headed to Isabel's Cantina in Pacific Beach. I would highly recommend this stylish, hip restaurant. It's a big open room, furnished with all kinds of cool ethnic details, like a huge carved wooden bar, a dragon suspended from the loft-height ceiling, and a giant Buddha.The food is Latin and Asian fusion, and very delicious and trendy. My waiter was a cute surfer-type dude who was very flirty. There were lots of younger couples, groups of friends and families at this restaurant, and it was bustling and noisy.

Amazing sunsets were my daily treat from the balcony of the Pantai Inn.

After dinner, I was delighted to find there was a laundromat across the street, so I spent an hour or so there doing the wash. Then the drive back to La Jolla to tuck in for the night. I was delighted to throw open the door to my balcony from my hotel room and snack on the really good, locally produced chocolate bars that had been left on my pillow. I could get so used to this!

Awe-inspiring open air theatre

Balboa Park Architecture

After a quiet morning of sitting on my balcony and drinking tea, followed by a generous free breakfast at my hotel, I headed out to see Balboa Park. This is an attraction that exceeded my expectations and it's definitely a "can't miss" experience. There is so so much to do here, it would take many, many days to do it all. There are several museums, the famous San Diego zoo, gardens, conservatories, restaurants, performances, exhibits and much more. I was fortunate to score parking close to the El Prado pedestrian walkway. I couldn't stop oohing and aahing at every turn. The architecture, most of which was constructed for the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition, is simply stunning, featuring an ornate Spanish Renaissance style. I walked around for about 2 hours, popped into the Conservatory, and moseyed along in the Japanese Friendship Garden, the latter of which is undergoing expansion.

Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park $6 admission

Balboa Park: Ornate!

El Prado pedestrian walkway

Covered walkways cool you in their shade: Balboa Park

After my long walk, I headed out to Mission Beach to try and dunk my feet in the surf and scope out the famous boardwalk. Alas, after driving in circles for 40 minutes in search of parking, I realized it wasn't going to happen. It was a gorgeous, sunny Friday afternoon so every place was mobbed. I gave up on the idea of people watching on the Mission Beach boardwalk, and instead sat down at Costa Brava for a yummy Spanish tapas lunch, set on their covered patio, an important soccer game on the tv.
(.... to be continued .... )