P.S. I Love You - Part II

Ah, the Parker. It seems to be a loaded question when you ask people what they think of it. Regardless of how they feel about the decor (which I love, personally) or the service (come on, what guy would want to wear those hot pink pants?) I have never had a bad breakfast in their dining room (as we discussed earlier) and I think virtually anyone would have to agree that the grounds are absolutely gorgeous.

By some sort of landscaping miracle, they are both lush and drought tolerant - with lots of meandering pathways, citrus trees dripping with fruit, and plenty of shady spots, fountains and grassy bits to ameliorate the heat.


After wandering for a little while among the pampas grasses, you come to a cute little "Lemonade Bar" serving lemonade, of course, and other "beverages" too.


A shaded lane between two petanque courts shelters a row of tables and chairs, and just beyond another hedge lies one of the two swimming pools on the grounds.


The sensibility of the Parker is sort of Morocco meets the beach - having a weakness for whimsy myself, I dig the oversized chess set and the peaked umbrellas, though someone with less tolerance for this sort of thing might not...

I also love their huge bougainvilleas that climb up the outside walls of the rooms overlooking the other pool - closer to the center of the complex.

And the vast swaths of grass punctuated by some Moroccan lawn furniture and an ancient olive tree remind me of the even-more-whimsical Delano in Miami Beach.

Since their rates are a little higher than some of the other places in town (around $300 per night) I haven't stayed there yet, but I could definitely be talked into it, despite what some have said. Maybe a girl's weekend this Spring? Who's in?

More photos can be viewed in this set.

P.S. I Love You - Part I

Last week, good girlfriend Susan and I took a little trip to Palm Springs, to take in the desert scenery, do a little shopping and get some sun. We stayed at the Viceroy, which did not disappoint, though if I had it to do over again I'd definitely get one of their villas - just steps away from the spa with their own pool. We got there in the late afternoon and I had to go to Indio for work in the morning, so I didn't get any poolside time - but that seemed like an ideal place to spend it.

When I was done with my work we stopped by the Parker for a late breakfast, which was fabulous albeit pricey - as it always is - and on the way back down Palm Canyon to the freeway, we took in a few of the vintage stores. The Norma's Doughnuts - pictured above, were amazing.

Sadly most of the shops were closed since it was a Tuesday - the one day of the week that many of them seemed to shut down - but we were able to check out A la Mod, a great consignment shop right there on the main drag, and the Trina Turk store.

Trina Turk has a "residential" store there, with pillows, furniture and other items covered in her signature prints. I bought some cool velveteen pillows with a groovy butterfly design and Susan bought some placemats, a vase and a bowl. They have some fun vintage items sprinkled in among the new goods.

We also really enjoyed a La Mod - just down the street - I was especially captivated by this original Saarinen tulip table with six matching stools. It was in near mint condition and priced around $5000. I bought a couple of flowerpots, and eyeballed a set of wrought iron fireplace tools. Generally their prices and selection were the best of what we found.

We're still planning to go back and check out the main Antique Mall and a few of the other shops we missed on North Palm Canyon - if you're in town stop by the Viceroy and ask the front desk for their list of shops, it includes all the good ones!

next up - Part II, the gardens and decor at the Parker.