California Dreaming - Part 1
- ESDIL
- Jun 18, 2016
- 2 min read
My first trip to the USA was in 1996, the summer after finishing middle school (or juniors as it seems to be called now) before starting high school. We went to Florida for 3 weeks, and I remember being slightly bored once the week of theme parks were done and my parents got settled in to 2 weeks of golf. The USA and I didn't get off to the best start.
Fast-forward to 2008 and gorgeous hubby and I decided to do a Florida Roadtrip - taking in a little bit of Miami beach, through the Everglades and over to the Gulf coast after a couple of days of theme-parking - we had an absolute BLAST. Our first non-package holiday, and we never looked back.
In 2009 we went on the first BFAH (Big Fat Airey Holiday), to California. It was like going home.
We returned in 2011, just the gorgeous hubby and I, pregnant with Miss A. For our first week we had booked Welk Resorts in San Diego. Not actually IN San Diego, an hour north in Escondido, we stayed in a lovely 1 bed villa on the ground floor. The resort boasts a number of pools, some are Kid-free, some have lovely splash pads and waterslides. The weather was early-30s, and set us up for the intense desert heat we were due the second week.
So onto Palm Desert. A beautiful gem in the Coachella Valley, this is where the affluent LA-livers go for the weekend, about 15 minutes further along the I-10 than the more widely renowned Palm Springs. We stayed at Marriott’s Shadow Ridge, in an efficiency studio (like a hotel room with a kitchenette). We spent our days by the pool discussing baby names, and our evenings Bbq-ing and playing Scrabble on the patio. The perfect relaxing break.
We’re HUGE Marriott Vacation Club fans. 5* accommodation with the most amazing beds, full kitchens, massive living areas and plenty of on-resort activities. They have 4 resorts in Palm Desert, and the 3 that we’ve stayed in have all been great. When we return (which is as frequently as we’re able) we’re easy with which resort we stay. It’s always to easy, so lush, so consistent.
We’ve since been back twice with Miss A, and again at Easter this year with both Miss A and Miss I. It still amazes us how much we love it, but it really does feel like home. People think i’m mad when I tell them I’m going on a 11 1/2 hour flight with a ‘spirited’ 18 month old. I’m surprised I’m not bundled into a padded cell when they find out it’s not my first rodeo…
[This is our first-day tradition. Jet lag gets you up early (anything past 2am is a bonus - this year, even with Miss I we managed almost 4am!) Out to Santa Monica to watch the sun come up from the pier. Then off to Starbucks.]
So over to you… Where is your ‘home from home’?
Comments