I’ve had a longtime love affair with the desert—and by desert I mean anything and everything from La Quinta to Palm Springs. Since I was 2 my parents would take us there and the older I got the more I found that I loved the heat, history and overall feeling of R&R that seems to take over. One of my all-time favorite spots, La Quinta Resort & Club, recently invited us to come for a stay and I was reminded all over again that this place remains the gem of all gems.

For starters, the history. Rewind to the 1920’s and you’d find faces like Ginger Rogers, Clark Gable and Greta Garbo, just to name a few. If you look at the old pictures in the lobby, the bones are pretty much the same and for a moment its like being in a time machine. The overall timeless vibe reflects the history so much giving it a kind of charm you can’t deny.
Moving on, the Cadillac margaritas. You haven’t had a margarita until you’ve sat on the Adobe Grille terrace on a warm evening with live music playing and a gentle breeze. The vibe hasn’t changed since I was a kid and Elin finally got a taste of it this April. Kids are running around making friends, riding their scooters while the parent’s sit back and have a cocktail—it’s the best form of vacation for families.
Both days we were there we hit the pool. With 41 pools on the property, you’re bound to find one you love or be able to roll from your bed to a lounge chair. I have so many favorites I can’t even keep track. My protection of choice, this “lifeguard” hat from Diani Living and Jurlique sunscreen. Some of my favorite rooms at the resort are the old adobe casitas. They have a ranch-like feeling that I love and the cactus inspiration is so so good. Those blue shutters get me every time. I snuck away for a visit to the spa and had the most amazing full body massage—ask for Claudia, trust me she’s amazing. I could have spent all afternoon just hanging out in the steam room, reading magazines on the outdoor patio and soaking in the private hot tub. I left feeling like my cup was so full of vacation. While I love all the nostalgia for the unchanged parts of the resort, I have to say some of the more recent additions have made me love it even more. Morgans restaurant is at the top of that list. The menu, patio, bar and overall decor is perfection and the kind of place you want to just hang out at all night—which we did with every desert on the menu.
My favorite element of this trip was getting to watch Elin experience La Quinta Resort & Club just like I did as a kid. Running the halls by the lobby, floating flowers down the biggest and best fountain, discovering the candy store and making friends left and right is pretty much the same deal 30 years later. It’s safe to say we plan on continuing the tradition of coming to this place year after year. The things I/we wore on this trip: