Oceanside Big Beer

I decided a few weeks ago that I/we was/are having an Oceanside Big Year.  So then I thought, okay, why not have an Oceanside Big Beer?  This is a personal challenge to see how many different beers  you can identify in a single calendar year.  

We started with our favorite from last year at Belching Beaver, Orange Vanilla IPA.  But, uh oh, it was not recognizable.  It wasn't the same beer that we remembered from last year, when you could recognize the specific flavors of IPA, orange and vanilla.  We weren't the biggest fans.  But it is a decent IPA.

Eric is just as excited about the Big Beer as the Big Year...

Let's face it.  Alcohol is a depressant.  Birds on the other hand... 

We also tried Thizz is What it is and Good Morning Beautiful.  

We are more of a fan of the name than anything else but Belching Beaver remains our top choice in the area.

Palm Springs 💟💟💟

This may be my favorite bike bike rack.

Originally we wanted to go to the Farm for breakfast but because of the wait we ended up across the street at L'Atelier Cafe, owned by a young French couple.  It was so cute and so delicious.  

Their croissants, which they make in house, were not Costco size, but a perfect French size.
Petit déjeuner- it is called small lunch for a reason.

We drove five minutes away to Taquitz Canyon, owned and operated by the Cahuilla Native Americans, the people who lived here for thousands of years before it became a tourist destination.  It costs $12 per person to hike here, a simple three mile out and back, but I guess it is the least we can do for taking the rest of the land.  I will consider it a donation.  

(Plus, there is the convenience factor...)

So exciting!  We saw big horn sheep!

If this area wasn't scattered with Cahuilla monitors I can guarantee you that there would be people in this pristine water.

Instead we had to wait for the pool.

Our time is coming to an end as we observed our last beautiful and bountiful bougainvillea and dangling metal lamps.

We picked the perfect Italian restaurant to eat at, Kalura Trattoria, owned by real Italians!  

The pasta was fresh and amazing.

Who has ever heard of eggplant filled ravioli?  

It could not have been better.

Chocolate dipped spumoni gelato.  

It is all as good as it looks.

Goodbye for now, Palm Springs!!

(And Brittany.)

Palm Springs 💟💟

This is the view from our hotel.  

Not bad!

Elmer's is a favorite restaurant of Eric and mine when we come to Palm Springs and everyone was on board with checking it out.

Brittany ordered and thoroughly enjoyed the cinnamon pancakes.

I was jonzing for german pancakes!

We probably ordered too much food.

I was so excited about visiting a scene from Pee-Wee Herman's Big Adventure!!

I love that movie.

The dinosaurs are located in Cabazon, about twenty minutes from Palm Springs, and just minutes from the outlets.

The website informs visitors that there will be a $12 charge but that is only if you want to see geodes and other touristy unrelated things.  

It is free to see what we saw.

In 1964, a Knott's Berry Farm sculptor and portrait artist, Mr. Bell, created the dinosaurs to attract customers to his business, the Wheel Restaurant Inn.  

The dinosaur pair took over twenty years to complete and cost $300,000.

His original plan entailed that the brontosaurus' eyes glow at night as he breathed fire, you know, for accuracy purposes, but that never came to fruition. 

Back in Palm Springs, where it was warm, we enjoyed the architecture.  

I was particularly drawn to the historic street lamps.

We went to Sherman's Deli and Bakery for lunch.  It was too expensive for what it was, but the desserts look fabulous.

And as day becomes night...

 

I hope the revelers still notice the subtleties that make Palm Springs so unique.

Palm Springs 💟

After a quick two hour drive I was in Palm Springs for the weekend.  

Girls trip!

My friend Brittany was in town for a conference so extending her trip to enjoy the weather was mandatory (she is from San Francisco...).  

Stars have been known for vacationing in Palm Springs since the 1920's because of Hollywood's "two hour rule."  An actor under contract could not be more than two hours away from set, and Palm Springs is exactly that distance.

I love it here.  There is so much to see.

And much like Catalina, as soon as you arrive you feel like you are on vacation.  

Having a ball with Lucille Ricardo.

After exploring the town for an hour or two we were surprised how quickly the sun disappears behind the mountain.

No pool time at the hotel today!  

Oh well, there is more to do.

Jessica, who lives just an hour away, joined us for our girls weekend.

We had a drink and edible flowers at Tonga Hut before opting for a more casual experience at the casino.

It doesn't get more casual than this.  

I am glad clothing is not optional.  I can picture this guy gambling in his boxers.  Can't you?

Palm Springs is almost TOO much fun!