the viceroy

Pardon me up front if this post is too long. It contains travel, food and fashion stuff. For me blogging is about sharing information, and so this is my contribution.

If you should find yourself in the Palm Springs area I would highly recommend staying at The Viceroy. It is beautiful and hip without being pretentious. Kelly Wearstler has woven her magic inside and out. The place is dripping in Hollywood Regency style. The staff is amazing. They are so "on it" it's ridiculous. Every single employee we came in contact with was gracious. I wish the manager of the place read this blog to know how lucky he was to have such an awesome staff.

The Executive Chef, James Bailey went above and beyond to accommodate my vegan diet (on short notice) and build a menu around a bottle of 96 Opus One. He created a menu that will make this one of the most memorable anniversary dinners ever. I may as well confess here that I took a bite (or two) of caviar and of a foie gras that was prepared in a blackberry and brown butter sauce. Can you blame me? Our waiter Michael, who closely resembled a man I went to culinary school with years ago, and who put up with me calling him Robert all night, was attuned to our every need.


We started the mornings off with a hike. The Viceroy is snuggled in Tahquitz Canyon with spectacular views of the mountains. The energy these mountains put out is palpable. You can start the Cactus to Clouds hike ( one of the hardest day hikes in California, maybe the nation) right out the back door.


After hiking there was a 9 am yoga class with Eva. She was so sweet, caring and patient. I felt totally rejuvenated after her class. Next I received probably the best massage of my life from Tim. I don't usually get services at resorts because either A. they usually shorten one hour services to 50 minutes or B. they are bland or C. both. But that was not the case here. My one hour massage was amazing.

A couple of notes. I did fit everything into my one bag. I had 2 outfits that I didn't even wear. Faux Fuchsia noted that only her make-up would fit into this bag. That cracked me up because I only wear mascara and lipstick. Steve at An Urban Cottage was correct on the energy of Palm Springs, you really can feel it. And Joan at For the Love of a House, I included pictures of me in that dress that you requested, white legs and all. Thank you all for your well wishes. 30 years is quite an achievement! I promised pictures and here they are...

This is the only sign for the Viceroy. It's about 12" x 12"

we drove past it twice!

It was raining when we got here.

London Fog raincoat, Theory pants, Nordstrom scarf, Bass penny loafers.

The lobby. Are you feeling Ms. Wearstler?

Fruit & Champagne. Compliments of the Viceroy.

'96 Opus that the menu was built around.

Roasted Beets, Walnuts and Micro Greens w/25 yr old Balsamic.

Wild Mushrooms on Grilled Foccacia.

Caviar, Creme Fraiche and Toast Points

Pasta, Mushrooms, Peas

Larry & Me

Theory dress, Target pearls

Morning hike.

One of the adult pools.

Poolside dining.

NOT our suite. Maybe next time.

The kiddie pool. Nice.

Me in my Kelly chair. I only stay in hotels that match my clothes.

Shopping on El Paseo. New dress, vegan bag & Oscar de la Renta sandals.

Check out the view and sunshine. Air temp. 75 degrees.

Looking for the Ralph Lauren store. Joan, this pic is for you!

Note to self, L'Oreal self-tanner did not work very well.

Rested and Relaxed.
J. Crew blouse, Nordstom linen pants, Chanel sunglasses.

http://www.theviceroypalmsprings.com/

Go There.