There is a valet when you arrive at La Quinta Resort & Club. The club is also in a gated neighborhood. When we arrived and drove through the parking lot, we found a super close parking spot, and hopped out quickly to grab our own golf bags to bring to check-in. I mentioned in another post to remember to bring money for tips and gratuity in Palm Springs. We still didn’t have any cash on us, so we hurried before anyone could help us.

We headed into the pro shop for check-in. There were lots of nice things to browse, and the clubhouse looked really nice. The practice range at La Quinta Resort & Club is gorgeous. The views are beautiful in front of you, as well as behind you because there’s a nice water feature. There was a loudspeaker calling for the different parties up to their tee times.

La Quinta Resort & Club’s website describes the Dune Course in the following way: This 72-par course, designed by Pete Dye, offers traditional rolling-links style golf with Scottish and Irish flair, characterized by rolling mounds, manicured fairways and thick rough. Length, strength and finesse are key to scoring well on this course, which has hosted the PGA Club Professional Championship, and the Californian State Open.

At this point in time, I do not know what rolling-links style golf is, but the Dunes course was nice to play. Unlike the Gary Player Signature course with their rough, the rough here was as described, thick. There were a couple holes where if you hit it into the rough, your ball was gone.

We had an afternoon tee time and were able to make it to the 15th hole by the time it got too dark to play any further. While it would be nice to play a morning round, we loved the colours and the sun setting above the mountain range. The lighting was beautiful, and the course was a blast to play. It’s a Pete Dye designed course, so he’s a bit of a trickster at times with the way he’s set everything up. Bring a strong chip game.

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We ended up playing four times over the course of our vacation, at three different courses. The first thing I want to say is, remember to bring money for gratuities! We never use much cash and I forgot to pack our American pocket money so that was at home back in Canada. I felt a little awkward because there would be people helping carry and load our bags onto the carts, as well as clean our clubs after our game, and I’ll admit I didn’t tip … because I didn’t have any cash! I felt so bad.

We played at the following clubs around Palm Springs, and really enjoyed our experience at each one. These are considered resort courses, read: easy courses, so they are perfect for playing on vacation. We thought the courses were very forgiving, so if you haven’t played in a while or just not very good, it’s a really nice way to experience golf. The views are stunning, and the course designs were great. We also realized that we have it really good in Kelowna for golf, and that some of the courses we play at home are hard AF!

• Gary Player Signature Course at Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa
• Pete Dye Course at Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa
• Dunes Course at La Quinta Resort & Club

We brought our own golf clubs because we had the option of extra baggage with our vacation booking. When we did our research, it also looked like the most economical choice anyway. We didn’t know how many rounds of golf we were going to be able to get in in our week in Palm Springs. We didn’t know the quality of the club rental, or the selection, or price, so we decided to bring our own equipment down. Just make sure you have a big enough rental car. With 2 dog carriers, 2 checked pieces of luggage, and 2 golf bags, our rental SUV ended up being quite full. It looked like our hotel also offered golf club storage, but we didn’t take them up on that and instead just stored the clubs in our room.

Upon reflection and with the recent experience of air travel and transporting our golf clubs, it might be time to upgrade our golf bags because they are a million years old and weigh a ton. They both also have kickstands, and mine has always been a bit confusing for golf helpers to deal with, so it may be time to get lighter bags without stands. We recently bought golf carts because there are courses at home we like to play at, like 2 Eagles in West Kelowna, that are very walkable. So between having hand carts, and playing at courses that require power carts, it really makes sense.

Some of the courses in Kelowna allow you to take the power cart into the parking lot, so you can load up at your car. None of that is acceptable in Palm Springs. You can do valet or someone will greet you in the parking lot and help carry your bags over. When you wrap up your game, someone will help wipe your clubs, as well as the unload/load. When we played at the Pete Dye course, since it was on the property of the hotel, we got to take the golf cart back to our room, with supervision by one of the golf helpers of course! Otherwise, at the Westin they have a golf cart shuttle, so you can be picked up or dropped off, and not have to lug your golf bag so far.

We had a really fun time golfing around Palm Spring. We’re already looking forward to the next time we can golf there, and it’ll be a matter of coaxing our parents into playing with us! We mostly played in the afternoon, so the light was especially stunning on the landscape. We enjoyed the mild December weather, but do make sure to pack some warm layers because the temperature can vary so much in December. And throw some little heat packs into your golf bag, like the ones you can use for skiing. One of our fellow golf couples gave us some in one of our games, and they were such a nice little lifesaver!

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Here is a smattering of photos. It doesn’t feel like our place to publish the specific addresses of these doors. So just do a quick Google search of “pink door palm springs” and replace it with any colour, you’ll get the specific addresses of the homes. Look up “party lions palm springs” and that’ll put you in the area and neighborhood you need to be in.

How to get around

A lot of these Palm Springs Door Tour houses are in the same neighborhood. While not all of them have coloured doors, a majority of them are still stunning! Beautifully designed, with equally stunning landscaping. We just drove around because we didn’t know how far apart the houses would be. And it was too cold despite the sun shining and blue skies, so we weren’t dressed appropriately.

If you’re staying nearby, say at the classic Palm Springs hotel, Saguaro, they usually have hotel bikes, so you can definitely tour on a bicycle. There seemed to be big bike lanes on the roads, and it’s not much to navigate with traffic.

What time is best?

The light in Palm Springs is beautiful, especially the few hours in the afternoon close to sunset. That is probably the best time to go do your own door tour. The light isn’t too harsh and you won’t have extremely light and dark areas in your photos. We didn’t have all day so we just went around 11am and the pictures still turned out fine.

The Party Lions house is a fun one to visit because the owners dress up the lions. When I was doing research, it looks like they are often dressed up with pool toys.

The Pink Door house is apparently all the rage. We took this picture from the street. Didn’t even get out of the car. I’m pretty sure you don’t need permission to stand in the street to take a photo of a building, and that includes houses.

Overall, we really enjoyed driving around these neighbourhoods in Palm Springs. We love admiring different designs of houses. The coloured doors are what initially attracted us to do our own door tour. But when we got there, we were just taken away with how beautiful the designs of the homes were, as well as the manicured landscaping. It really makes me wish we could have those huge, full-blown cacti at home in our garden since we do xeriscaping!

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Arriving at the Gary Player Signature Course

When we showed up at the course, someone had greeted us in the parking lot. He drove over with a power cart and started loading us up. We got checked in and headed over to their practice range to warm up. The range offered nice expansive views.

The Experience

The experience of golfing was super fun at Gary Player. We played on Christmas Day, so it was a bit quiet. There was a beverage cart going around, but there was no opportunity to buy any food. We didn’t get very hungry while we were playing anyway. The bathrooms are called comfort stations, and I thought that was super cute.

Course Design

The course design was really nice, and we really liked how the rough was just as nice as the fairway! The rough not part of the fairway, which is where you mostly want to be on when golfing. The rough is often higher, thicker grass. In Kelowna, the rough on the golf courses is sometimes unkept and it’s impossible to find your ball on some holes (cough cough Predator Ridge). Or you just don’t want to venture into it to play because of snakes, holes, poison ivy, etc. the list goes on. The rough at Gary Player was so nice that it really makes for a forgiving and easy course to play. If you can’t hit your ball straight, there are lots of slopes along the course that help channel your ball back onto the fairway.

Thoughts

Golfing is a funny sport. It has a high barrier of entry. And I know there are some people who get a little stressed out playing, especially if you’re playing at nicer courses. But if I learned anything, resort courses are the best! From our personal experience, they are designed to be easy, and it makes sense. People might have never played that course before, or are without their own clubs, or whatever the case may be. I’d definitely recommend playing resort courses because they’re beautiful, and not very stressful. You can still take your game seriously if you wanted to, or you can also just enjoy your round and take in the sights and sounds of what the course has to offer. I definitely did the latter.

Have you golfed anywhere in Palm Springs? What was your experience?

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However, one of the options offered to us was the Westin Mission Hills. The price was right, and it was one of the options that allowed dogs. Originally, our plan was to stay at the JW Marriott, but that property does not allow pets. Upon reviewing online ratings for the hotel, the ratings were a mixed bag. On the hotel’s website, they have a rating of 3.7/5, and a quick Google search shows a rating of 4.4. But, given the options of being in the snow versus being in the desert, we booked it anyway. Also, with the recent acquisition of Starwood hotels by Marriott, we were hoping to use some of the benefits of our Marriott Rewards gold status at the property.

Pet Fee

After the booking, I called the property to ask about the pet fee (as nothing was listed on the website), and I was informed that there was no pet fee! Huge win in our books, as we have paid pet fees of up to $75 per night per dog (looking at you Cosmopolitan Las Vegas). We appreciate that there was no money grab dog fee at this property.

The Hotel

Fast-forward to the trip and the property, the place is huge. Nestled on Dinah Shore drive, the property is home to a Gary Player and Peter Dye golf course. We did not indulge in playing the course this trip, but definitely will the next time we visit. When you pull up to the resort, there is a large unloading area. Guests have two options for parking: free self-park and valet. Considering the size of the resort, you would want to elect for self-parking, otherwise, you would be doing a ton of walking back and forth to the main building. Several of the areas of the main building are compartmentalized and are separated from one other. The main lobby (which houses a resident dog that is up for adoption) is connected to the fireside lounge. There are also concierge services that distribute “coupon” packs, but also push a timeshare meeting.

Check-In

Check-in was fast and easy. We arrived at 5:00pm and did not have to wait in any lines. With our Marriott Rewards gold tier, we were upgraded from our standard room, to a golf course view. Highly recommend the upgrade, as you will see the photos below. One item that did throw us off was the $35 resort fee. Some resort fees actually give you value, but this one just feels like a cash grab. For $35 a day you get one set of drinks (one time), access to a pool that is somewhere, a shuttle to the Aqua Caliente casino, and golf bag storage. We can buy our own drinks, it was 10 degrees celsius outside (so multiple pools is out of the question), and we weren’t golfing, so I’m not really sure what they were offering with this resort fee.  Internet is covered if you are a rewards member, and the fitness center was not even a part of the fee.

TIP: Unless you are golfing, ask to have the resort fee waived.

Going to our room felt like we were on a trip to Mexico. The large resort with the winding walkways really gave it an exotic feel. When we got to the room, we were stoked. Not only were we facing the golf course, but we were on the first floor, which made it super easy to take out the dogs. The only downside is that we noticed a fair bit of noise from the upstairs rooms (the buildings are only two stories). I went out to have a look, and expected to see a ruckus, however, there was nothing… Just some people three rooms down having a drink on the patio. The noise in the room was there, but it really didn’t persist throughout the night. If noise from other rooms bothers you immensely, we recommend staying on the top floor. We elected to stay on the bottom floor, as we’d rather have a little noise than having to carry the dogs up and down the stairs every time.

Exploring the property, there are little nature habitats everywhere, specifically rabbits and turtles near the main lobby. They also offer fishing in the ponds near the golf course at 4:00 pm during the weekdays. The grounds of the property are gorgeous. We spent one morning simply walking along the golf course with the dogs, enjoying the sunshine and the views. Nothing beats the expansive greens with the mountains nestled in the background.

Fitness Center

One of the great benefits about staying at a Westin is their fitness centers. The WestinWORKOUT Studio at this property was amazing, as it faced the golf course and had a great selection of workout options, including a Peloton bike. This was the first time we had actually been able to use a Peloton bike, and is what got us hooked on their workout programming. The gym was busier than what we had expected, and was about 80% full every morning, so get there early if you need some space for your workout.

Meals

For breakfast every morning, we dined at Pinzimini. Prices are average for your hotel breakfast (17-20 USD), and the food was quite good, although portions were small. Coffee was about another $3 USD on top of the entrees. The first two days we ordered off the menu, but then switched to the continental breakfast buffet for $17 USD. There is also a full warm buffet for $30 USD. The continental breakfast buffet is your best bet, as your coffee and juice is included, and they have an awesome spread. All pastries are made in house, and are kept warm. Pairing their croissants with some smoked salmon was a great way to start each day.

But, what was even better than the croissants was the service. Luis and Abdul went out of their way to make sure that our party had a great time every morning, and that included the dogs. The great part about this property is that the dogs are allowed on the patio in the restaurant. So, not only can the humans enjoy, but the dogs can hang out too. What really set this property apart was the great service that we enjoyed. The kicker was when Abdul would bring Louie and Mia bacon in the morning, as well as a Westin Heavenly dog bed. Not only were we spoiled here, but the dogs were too.

The other spot we enjoyed was the fireside lounge. We were going to hit up their happy hour, but elected on getting a bottle of wine instead. Being around the massive fire pit (hence fireside lounge) was an awesome way to end the day of local sightseeing.

Overall our stay at the Westin Mission Hills was spectacular, and we cannot wait to return to experience it again, and to play a round of golf!

TIPS:

• Avoid resort fee
• Self park
• Upgrade to golf-course view
• Continental Breakfast at Pinzimini
• Get a Peloton workout in at the WestinWORKOUT studio

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• STAY: Westin Mission Inn Gold Resort and Spa
• DO: Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve
• EAT: Bubba’s Bones and Brews

Traveling for the holidays can be total bliss, or a total nightmare. You hear about the flights that were delayed from Cancun, where passengers are stranded on the plane, in what seems like a weird “Lord of the Flies” scenario. It has been a few years since we traveled far for the holidays, and not the traditional road trip down to Portland. We were not planning on it up until a month out, but then a Black Friday seat sale to Palm Springs popped up, and we jumped on the deal and treated ourselves. Welcome to our Winter Getaway Guide to Palm Springs!  

Palm Springs

Palm Springs had been on our radar for a long time. We had heard great stories about how dog-friendly the resorts are, how great the food is, and the laidback lifestyle. We were finally convinced to go check out Palm Springs. Now, the trick to booking flights when flying with two doggos is to call ahead to make sure that there is room on the flights for the dogs. We have never had issues with this in the past, but we made sure to play it safe. Well, it was a good thing that we did, as it was harder to get dog flights to Palm Springs than human flights. Ultimately, we had to shuffle around our dates a little bit, but it ended up extending our stay a bit longer. Oh well, worse inconveniences could happen.

Going into this trip, we didn’t read too much about what to do in advance and decided to research what to do when we arrived in Palm Springs. When we first arrived, we were surprised by the airport, as it is not your standard arrivals hall. Similar to Hawaii and other tropical destinations, the airport is open air. Louie and Mia enjoyed the dog amenities at the airport. After flying for the day in their in-cabin carriers and one layover, they enjoyed the inviting dog culture as soon as they land.

Westin Mission Hills

When it comes to accommodation, several hotels in the valley are dog-friendly. We chose the Westin Mission Hills as it offers expansive grounds in a resort-style setting. Further, as loyal Marriott-SPG members, we usually stick to their properties for their excellent treatment of their rewards members. This stay was no exception.

Upon check-in, we were treated to a golf-course view room. Note: the hotel does charge a $35/day resort fee. Unless you are golfing, this fee gives you nothing of value other than a free drink. Internet is included, but it is free if you are a Bonvoy member (formerly Marriott Rewards). Using the Marriott App, we were able to message guest services and have this fee removed. Another big plus is that parking is free on the property, and there is no additional pet fee! Make sure to check out my separate post that highlights the unique features of this property.

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

During our six days in Palm Springs, we enjoyed a mix of relaxation, shopping, exploration, and great eating. One of our favorite places that we visited was the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve. The preserve was about 30 minutes away from the hotel and is a beautiful, sandy hike. It is relatively flat and boasts a gorgeous landscape of the Coachella Valley. Be advised that this is not a place to take large groups. Parking is limited, so arrive early. The doggies got to enjoy the hotel while we went on this little trek, as no dogs are allowed on the trails. The round-trip hike/walk takes about 45 minutes and has a little bit of cover, so make sure to bring your sunscreen.

Where To Eat

When it comes to food, Palm Springs does not disappoint. We were impressed by the variety of food offerings, as well as the impeccable customer service. We were too busy eating to take any photos, so we will do our best to get you up to speed! Some of the places we hit up were:

• LG’s Prime Steakhouse
• Bill’s Pizza
• Las Casuelas Nuevas
• La Quinta Cliffhouse
• Bubba’s Bones and Brews

LG’s Prime Steakhouse

We visited LG’s Prime Steakhouse in Palm Springs (there is a location in La Quinta as well) for a family dinner two days before new year’s. The wine menu was extensive, but reasonably priced considering the atmosphere. Come hungry, as the portions are very generous.

Bill’s Pizza

Bill’s Pizza is a great place to pop into for a quick bite while in downtown Palm Springs. Seating is available both inside and outside. We opted to sit outside so that Mia and Louie could join us too. The large pizzas live up to their name– they are large. Our party of 5 could have done with one large pizza and a salad, but we had to try some of the different types! Two of the pizza’s that stood out to us were the “The Charlie Sheen” and “Christine’s Rocker Pizza”.

Las Casuelas Nuevas

Las Casuelas Nuevas was so good we ate there twice. With a unique outdoor dining room, Las Casuelas Nuevas had a particular charm to it. We were treated to traditional Californian Mexican food, like as carne asada burritos, and carne asada platters. The margaritas are top-notch (we recommend the Maestro Dobel Silver smokey). Tip: make a reservation ahead of time as the place was packed each time we went. We also recommend sitting outside versus inside. There are tons of patio heaters, so it is warm all year round.

La Quinta Cliffhouse

The La Quinta Cliffhouse is literally built into the side of a hill and gives you a unique atmosphere on their patio. However, we decided to sit inside since the weather was really cold that day. The La Quinta Cliffhouse is a large restaurant that features a great happy hour, and a sunset dinner menu. We heard that the sunset dinner menu was the way to go, and we arrived early to do so. The sunset dinner menu is only offered between 4-5 pm, so it is a little early, but it’s a deal with two courses for $22.75. We both did the caesar salad with the flat-iron steak, paired with the happy hour red wine (Pacifica Merlot). Outside of the sunset menu, the prices jump considerably.

Bubba’s Bones and Brews

Finally, we checked out a local favorite, Bubba’s Bones and Brews. On a weeknight, this place was packed, and rightfully so. With an extensive beer and bourbon menu, as well as great food features, go to Bubba’s if you are hungry. Our party did the street tacos (3 for $5 on Tuesday and Thursday), as well as 4 meats. During our travels through the States, we always try to hit up barbecue joints as the ones in Canada are average, and very place usually has chicken, but it is dry. Not at Bubba’s. This is probably the best barbecue chicken you can get without going to Texas.

Until next time, Palm Springs …

Next time we hit up Palm Springs, we have some longer hikes on our radar, but are looking forward to hitting up some of the same spots, and hoping to find some new favourites.

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