Desert Escape
By Courtney Kretchman
Sometimes a girl has to get away. And sometimes, she calls in the troops to get away with her. Enter the girls’ road trip. No longer just for guys, the girls’ road trip has become quite popular among California girls with tight schedules. Amongst the millions of options on the west coast, this early fall we opted to head inland to Palm Dessert – La Quinta to be exact.
Despite the rather uninteresting roads along the way, there’s one pit stop that makes it all worth it and is only enjoyed to its fullest when traveling with the right company: The outlets. Who better than your favorite girls to join you in a discount YSL, Ferragamo and Barneys shopping experience? We were at the Cabazon outlets for an embarrassing amount of time.
After a few hours, we dragged ourselves away…or the stores may have closed…potato, potahto. Either way, we headed for our ultimate destination: La Quinta Resort & Club.
What once was a stomping ground for legends like Garbo, Gable and Vanderbilt, is now a place of refuge for a new generation of glitz. Many of today’s most recognized celebrities, athletes and musicians escape to the nine championship golf courses and award-winning spa this property boasts. Not to mention, the 23 tennis courts, 796 casitas, suites & villas and 41 semi-private sparkling pools and 53 hot tubs spaciously sprawled atop the grounds.
Getting a restful sleep here is easy in these charming Spanish casitas. Quiet, private, fully equipped rooms feature luxurious beds, spa tubs, fireplaces and outdoor sitting area patios.
Whether you decide to rise early or sleep in, the best way to start the day is with breakfast at Twenty6. The fresh selection of American gourmet cuisine had us coming back for seconds, and then thirds – if you count dinner.
We had a plethora of leisure activities to choose from the next morning. Laps in the pool, a game of tennis, round of golf, or a morning hike for more girl talk. We opted for the later. Just make sure to get any exercise in early before the temperature rises, and the only thing to do is lounge poolside with a fruity umbrella drink. Of course we did this, too.
After meandering threw the bursting bougainvillea-strewn complex for a morning walk, we came upon the La Quinta Spa housed in a dramatic Spanish building with a labyrinth of pools, fountains and chaises to soak up the desert sun and sounds – a sanctuary central to the resort.
That’s when we parted ways. One of us hit the lounge chairs and two of us made a bee line for the spa entrance.
The spa-goers first soaked in a strategically shaded Jacuzzi. A signature La Quinta Custom Facial lasted a glorious 80 minutes of butterfly fingertip massage, lymphatic drainage and just good old fashion pampering.
The La Quinta Custom Facial is a rigorous program of so many masks – after five, we lost count. Each layer came with a massage finale. The La Quinta staff is so well-trained in the ancient art of the facial that the face massages were unparalleled. Hardcore extractions this was not. The cleaning was brief and feathery; the mask massages consist of light fingertips tracing across the skin looking for clogged pores. Customization includes layers such as Vitamin C, collagen, coenzyme Q10, exotic fruity acids and pure lactic acid lotions.
Another must-do while visiting this dessert oasis is the Citrus Scrub. No claustrophobic tight body wraps come anywhere near this treatment. And, there’s no relocation needed for the rinse – Everything is done on the same bed. Simple, yet thorough the Citrus Scrub is 25 minutes and combines salty exfoliation therapy with citrus hydration. Salt is first applied and massaged to remove dry skin. After, shower heads from the ceiling are turned on and you lie under the warm waterfall rinse. Last, a creamy citrus lotion is applied, leaving skin velvety smooth.
Post spa-bliss, waiting for us in the spa courtyard was the perfect light lunch. Replete with the famous Waldorf salad of chopped apples, celery and walnuts, our lunch was the perfect refreshing eponymous meal served by the resort that is a desert jewel in the crown of the Waldorf Collection.
The rest of the weekend followed very much in suit – rejuvenate, relax, repeat.
Whether road tripping with the girls this fall, or getting away for a romantic winter weekend, we highly recommend escaping to this peaceful desert resort.
La Quinta Resort & Club
49-499 Eisenhower Drive
La Quinta, CA 92253
800.598.3828
www.laquintaresort.com