Screenshot 2019-05-28 21.23.30

Palm Springs – Camping At The Ace Hotel

by with No Comment travel

You know, the thing I loved most about camping as a child was that my siblings and I had no curfew. We were allowed to stay up as late as we wanted to, we didn’t have to take showers before bed, and we were allowed to indulge in as many smores as we wanted! Of course, when you’re camping, 8pm feels like 3am, so going to sleep when the sun went down was easy … well played parentals. Well played.

I recently took a work trip to Palm Springs and we stayed at the Ace Hotel, a hotel I’d only visited once before, for breakfast. You instantly get these vibes of chic vintage meets boho camping. There were these sort of vinyl curtains that you tie together at night and a wall of this huge mosquito netting that separated my room from the sitting area. But think chic mosquito netting, not like regular weird mosquito netting. Can you imagine it yet or are you just picturing weird netting?

So with staple midcentury modern pieces sprinkled throughout, and a very specific decor unique to the desert, I wanted to share what my suite looked like and some things that made the stay memorable for me.

When I walked into the suite there was music coming from the record player (a record player, hello cutie!) and a welcoming treat was left by the entrance. I loved most the personal touches of this camping theme (it may not even be a camping theme they were going for but that’s what it felt like to me) like a walking stick and a survival guide should you decide to explore around using your walking stick. Even the doors leading to my outdoor patio were being cute with a sign that read, “keep your heart unlocked, but know these doors lock automatically”.

I’d assumed there would be a full length mirror for selfies in my room when I packed for the trip … ps anyone else think of these things when packing? No? Just me? Mkay thanks. However, no full length mirror could be found so I got thrifty and created my own tripod so that I could get my OOTD’s for the week, in this rustic setting. See below for the kind of images my shoe box situation took of me.

If I’m being honest, the pool is nothing to write home about but the fact that you can make smores on your patio, stay up past your bedtime, and shower at your leisure are totally worth writing about.

So when’s the last time you went camping? Have you been to Palm Springs before? Are there other properties I should check out? Joe and I have our anniversary coming up and we’re really trying to plan a trip again this year! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*photo cred: the hotel front photo of the Ace is from The Great Outdoors by Dawna Robertson  <3

TRAVEL GUIDE: PALM SPRINGS, CA

by with No Comment adventureleisurelifestylereviewstravel

Growing up an Army brat I moved every three years, at least. Which makes me really comfortable with being uncomfortable. You know, that feeling you get when you move to another city or explore a town you’ve never been to, I live for that feeling. So I’ve made it my summer to-do in exploring a new destination each month, and today I’ll share with you a piece of paradise I found close to home, Palm Springs.

I stayed at the Avalon Hotel for my friend Miya’s birthday and what I love most about this boutique hotel is the customer service and its attention to every detail. If you’re looking for a quiet getaway complete with on site bicycles, 3 heated pools, health spa, fine dining, and a bungalow lifestyle, than this is the place for you!








With the desert setting and magnificent mountain views, you’ll really enjoy one of their poolside rooms! Ummm and can we talk about the decor?! I mean . . . clean, super bright, with pops of color, it’s got that retro feel with a modern finesse! I’m just completely obsessed with this place! I’ve found that in many cases, such a beautiful hotel will have not-so-comparable dining services, but this is not the case with the Avalon. Five JessQuests stars to their Avalon Burger *ahem grass-fed short rib sirloin*, and my absolute favorite, their fruit cart (pictured above)- complete with chili and lime *drool*!

We were greeted with complimentary champagne and fruit upon our arrival (birthday surprises!), our glasses were never empty during pool side celebrations, and every necessity was met with the friendliest smiles and the warmest of staff members! If you’re ever passing through Los Angeles or make your way to Palm Springs, definitely drop by the Avalon and tell Ezekiel we said hello!

Do you have a favorite local getaway?! Summer is almost over, have you checked any to-do’s off your list?

 

CourtyardYums

HOW TO SURVIVE FESTIVAL SEASON!

by with No Comment adventurereviewstravelvideo

We’re experiencing some kind of heat wave out here in Los Angeles with our 90 degree plus weather. I can say with much excitement that the only nice thing that comes with warmer temperatures is the desire to be outside more. I’m a total Island Girl. . . ocean, beach, sun, hiking, all of the outside activities that we’re able to enjoy in the summer months, I’m ALL about it!

I’ve grown so fond of the events that L.A. offers to it’s Angelenos like art walks, open parks, and festivals! Corrine and I are still recovering from post Coachella blues, missing the music filled days and dance filled nights, and I’m so happy to have shared a first Coachella experience with my most favorite person. Today I’m going to tell you the top 5 things you’ll need to survive Coachella…. and any other festival you’ll attend this year.

Corrine Coachillin

1) Sunscreen: most festivals and art walks happen outdoors, where it’s warm and encourages people to walk around….and where the sun beats down on you. Even if you hate putting creams on your skin, opt for some fast aborbing sunscreen like THIS so that you’re not a glowing lobster tomorrow.

2) Ear plugs: they never tell you in pre-festival prep that earplugs are a necessity but they are. Unless you’re stading far from the speakers (where’s the fun in that?!) than your ears will be ringing for days, and they say every time your ears ring… an angel gets it’s wing….errrr that your cochlea hairs are dying. Sounds awful right? No pun intended. So with loud noise happening around you for an extended period of time, you’ll want to protect your ears, you can get them at your local drug store or click HERE .

Courtyard yumminess
3) A relaxing getaway: with loud noise happening around you all day and night, massive crowds, and sticky climates, you’ll want to be able to get away from all of the chaos so that you’re recharged to take on another day of the festivities. If you live close enough to the venue than you can drive or cab it up to and from home each day, lucky you!!! If you’re not, than I don’t suggest camping out (unless you’ve never done it, in which case you have to do it atleast once in your festival life), instead get a hotel room! You’ll be so happy to enjoy a cold shower after the day’s events, a cozy bed to recharge your tired feet, and a quiet place away from all of the noise and crowds. Corrine and I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Palm Springs during weekend 2 of Coachella, and we could not have been more grateful to have a quiet and cool place to unwind after the day. We all know that festival food is always so heavy and greasy, it was nice to have the option of ordering real food from a full kitchen. We enjoyed both breakfast and dinner at the Bistro at Courtyard and it was SO good! They have hearty breakfast options (pictured above featuring my “if Mondays had a face” face) for morning refueling, and pizza options for night time cravings. To see our full room tour and Coachella experience click HERE for the video! Huge thank you to Courtyard for it’s hospitality and most amazing coffee breaks! You can click here to see what locations they have near you to book a stay during your next festival outing!

4) Water: water water water! Staying hydrated is key to having an enjoyable experience but it’s the hardest thing to do in a festival atmosphere. There were 90,000+ people at Coachella this year and everyone was either in line at the water stations, or crowding around the food court to purchase water. The best thing to do is tote around at least 2 watter bottles per person and when one is empty, fill it up at a water station or fountain. The worst thing to do is to wait until you’re so parched that you feel like you’re going to pass out….and then you do and that’s definitely not an enjoyable experience. So pack that H2O!

5) Backpack or fanny pack: yes I really did just tell you to carry along a fanny pack. What can I say, I love those things! They keep your personal items close and aren’t bulky enough to get it the way of all of your groovy dance moves! If you’re totally against 80’s fashion than go with whatever backpack or bag you choose, but have a bag of some sort on hand – you’ll want a place to stick your water, sunscreen, ear plugs, room keys, and id, without over stuffing your pockets! Again, more room for your groovy dance skills!  You can get a backpack like the one in our DSW posts HERE, but I think you should sport the fanny pack so everyone knows just how fun you are.

we were sad to leave our oasis at Courtyard but ready for the final day of Coachella
we were sad to leave our oasis at Courtyard but ready for the final day of Coachella

So those are our 5 top things you’ll need to survive any festival, and let me know what your go to items are and if you’re attending any festivals this summer! Corrine and I love checking out new venues so share with us!

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

xoxo- Jess