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Sheri’s Palm Springs Area Blog

Whether it be real estate updates, restaurant reviews, events, or highlights of unique homes in Palm Springs, follow Sheri as she covers all that Palm Springs and the surrounding area has to offer.

Taco Bell is Opening a Hotel in Palm Springs This Summer

It’s certain to be a limited, but colorful, run
by Farley Elliott

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Settings inside the Taco Bell Hotel/ Taco Bell

This is not a drill: Taco Bell is opening an entire hotel in Palm Springs. That’s right, everyone’s favorite Southern California born-and-bred late night munchies spot, founded on a possibly stolen recipe, is adding to its hospitality offerings with a standalone hotel out in the desert. The Irvine-based company already owns a wedding venue in Las Vegas.

Taco Bell made the surprise hotel announcement just this morning, showing off some key details for the property along the way. Not only will there be all the usual amenities found on property, from a restaurant to a pool, a gift shop, and hair salon, but each will will be branded heavily with the company’s signature style, fonts, and colors. In short: It’s the single best way to actually live más, and it starts up this summer.

Reps for the restaurant are quick to note that, while the resort hotel is only open for a limited time starting on August 9, their plans for the property are “very valid and very legitimate,” per Business Insider. Word is that the run will only last a few days, and that reservations will become available next month on a first-come, first-serve basis.

As for the actual hotel property’s address, the number of rooms, price, and other key details, those things remain to be seen. But who cares?! It’s a Taco Bell hotel, folks. And, really, it can’t be any more stunty than all those endlessly derivative Instagram food installations that keep popping up in Los Angeles.

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Dining Around The Desert

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert, Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

Toughest Hole in the Desert

They call it Alcatraz — an island green that taunts players at the tee a mere 166 yards away at PGA West in La Quinta.

EMILY CHAVOUS APRIL 16, 2019 CURRENT GUIDE, GOLF

pga-west-course

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PGA WEST

The 17th hole at PGA West is touted by pros as being among the sport's most diabolical.

They call it Alcatraz — an island green that taunts players at the tee a mere 166 yards away. The entire Pete Dye–designed Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta brims with hazards, and the 17th hole, with more lake than grass, is touted by pros as being among the sport’s most diabolical. As Dye described it, “Love and hate can be found here.”

  • See related story: 10 Must-Play Public Golf Venues

    Its 1987 PGA Tour debut stirred up quite the rumble. “The course is on the outskirts of Indio but host [Bob] Hope says the back tees are in Hemet. It doesn’t matter where they are. No one will ever play them,” Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray wrote that year. “You need a camel, a canoe, a priest and a tourniquet to get through it.” In the 1987 Skins Game, swinging alongside Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Fuzzy Zoeller, Dallas-born Lee Trevino conquered Alcatraz with a hole-in-one. Even so, tour pros collectively — and successfully — signed a petition to remove Stadium Course from the rotation in 1988. It took almost three decades for the Professional Golfers Association to warm up to Dye’s design, but in 2016, Alcatraz reassumed its position on the tour. Jason Dufner cinched his 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge (now Desert Classic) victory with a par-saving recovery shot from the 17th green’s rocky perimeter.

  • See related story: Apps and websites that will save you money on desert golf courses.

    Keen to try your hand at Alcatraz’s par 3? Book a stay at sister property La Quinta Resort & Club to take advantage of special golf offers. Stadium Course reservation fees are discounted June through September.

From Sheri Dettman
In Golf Communities, Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

Things to Do This Weekend, April 11-15

It's hard to ignore 100,000 people at Coachella, but there are a few other noteworthy events going on.

Courtesy of JIM POWERS APRIL 10, 2019 ATTRACTIONS, CURRENT DIGITAL

BY CHRIS MILLER

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MILLER/IMAGINE IMAGERY

This Supernova sculpture dominated last year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which runs over two consecutive weekends, April 12-14 and April 19-21.

GO: COACHELLA – APRIL 12-14

Keep tabs of what’s going on at the Empire Polo Grounds and some exclusive parties with behind-the-scenes coverage on our Instagram and Facebook platforms.

Be sure to catch local group Ocho Ojos at Coachella on Sunday (April 14). Read their profile and five other local bands that headline the desert vibe.

And for advice on the first weekend from who to see to what to wear, check out the Q&A we did with 10 festival acts from both Coachella and the upcoming Stagecoach.

coachella.com

Watch: Love, Sex, & The Irs — April 5–14

This Desert Theatreworks production at the Indio Performing Arts Center follows two straight male roommates who fake a marriage to fend off the IRS. Read our robust review of this laugh-out-loud comedy.

dtworks.org

Read about more things to do in the Palms Springs area this weekend….

From Sheri Dettman

From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

Palm Springs Tram To Reopen April 1, 2019

Courtesy of the LA Times

Courtesy of the LA Times


The Palm Springs Aerial Tram climbs in 10 minutes to a mountain station about 8500 feet above the desert floor. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

The Palm Springs Aerial Tram that takes visitors from the desert floor into the mountains is expected to reopen April 1. The tram has been closed for 46 days after flooding washed out parts of the road leading to the ride, according to a new release.

The tram lost almost 100,000 visitors during the closure, estimating that loss revenues and repairs added up to $4 million.

Work included fixing two washouts on the road to the tram, restoring power and minor repairs to the roof at a mountain station at 8,516 feet, and restoring potable water to the Valley Station at the base of the tram.

Tram cars take 80 people at a time up a canyon to the high point in Mt. San Jacinto State Park, where visitors can hike to the peak or take easier trails around valleys in the area. There are three places to eat — Peak’s Restaurant for a full meal, Pines Cafe for cafeteria-style service and the Lookout Lounge cocktail bar.

Tickets cost $25.95 for adults and $16.95 for children ages 3 to 10.

Info: Palm Springs Aerial Tram

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

Isner & Blais Headline Citi Taste of Tennis

tasteoftennis

#CITITASTEOFTENNIS

Citi Taste of Tennis Indian Wells is a delicious way to welcome tennis back to the desert at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort and Spa! The evening will feature signature cuisine from the Greater Palm Springs Area’s leading chefs and appearances by your favorite tennis stars. You’ve never had food served like this at this exclusive food and tennis celebration! Full list of participating restaurants and tennis players can be found under Talent

Buy tickets here….

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

Greetings from Tennis Paradise

2019 BNP Paribas Open is Just Days Away! Join the Fun in Tennis Paradise

INDIAN WELLS

With main draw action less than a week away, now is the time to make sure you have your tickets to the 2019 BNP Paribas Open. Enjoy the show in Stadiums 2-9 with a Grounds Pass for as little as $20 or watch some of the best athletes in the world up close from a Box Seat in Stadium 1. Treat yourself to the full Tennis Paradise experience with a Daily Double ticket and stay into the evening.

Just a drive away from San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles - Tennis Paradise is closer than you think!

Read more and purchase tickets here….

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Tennis Anyone?

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Tennis Anyone?

Pickle People

Pickleball Changes the Recreational Landscape in the Desert

Local pro Marcin Rozpedski provides the lowdown on the pickleball craze and how to play.

JUDD SPICER FEBRUARY 21, 2019 ATTRACTIONS, CURRENT GUIDE, SPORTS

pickleball-2019

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MARCIN ROZPEDSKI

Marcin Rozpedski won the gold medal at the 2016 U. S. Open Pickleball Championship.

A seismic shift has been shaking up the recreational landscape as venues across the Coachella Valley convert their tennis courts for pickleball play. Last year, the USA Pickleball Association signed a multiyear deal to move its decade-old National Championships tournament from Arizona to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The event in November drew more than 2,200 players from 46 states and garnered a massive audience, thanks to an ESPN broadcast and livestream.

Marcin Rozpedski, who won the gold medal at the 2016 U.S. Open Pickleball Championship and is a former Davis Cup tennis member for Team Poland, teaches pickleball lessons daily at The Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert, where he is the sports director. He also leads beginner, intermediate, and advanced clinics on Mondays from November through May.

“This sport is very social with a lot of fun and a lot of action,” Rozpedski says, “and the learning curve is much easier than, say, tennis or golf. It’s a fairly easy game to learn and be introduced to at an entry level.”

Rozpedski also hosts the country club’s annual Pickleball Spring Fling, the largest local pickleball tournament in Southern California with more than 500 participants. The event returns March 22–24, and admission for spectators is free.

Eager to hit the court? Here, Rozpedski reveals five tips for novice players.

Lace Up

“People often start playing with the incorrect shoes,” Rozpedski says. “They’ll be out there with street shoes or running shoes. Pickleball is played on a tennis court, so, for safety, players need to have a proper tennis or court shoe, allowing for side-to-side movement.”

Prepare Your Paddle

“Start with a composite paddle — something strong and light, with carbon or graphite — for around $50,” he suggests (Rozpedski uses Engage Paddles). “Then, if you like the sport, move up to more advanced paddles where the face or the skin of the paddle provides more spin and feel. But the beginner won’t need this advanced paddle [or] the additional costs.”

Be the Ball

“The ball is made of plastic, so it doesn’t come up high [or] come to you. That means you need to go to the ball: Bend your knees and stay lower. I see a lot of new players swinging at air because they’re waiting for the ball to bounce.”

Don’t Get Caught Cooking In The “Kitchen”

“The ‘kitchen line’ is the nonvolley zone, which means players cannot cross or step on this line while hitting a volley — this is what makes the game so much fun. Players can’t stay back on the baseline, or opponents will hit drop shots. Players need to stay close to the kitchen line and, therefore, close to the net — all of which makes [for a] game based on touch, quick volleys, and a lot of action.”

Your Court Awaits

For the casual player, opportunities abound across the desert. If you seek a game, check out the USA Pickleball Association hub, “Places 2 Play,” at usapa.org.

  • View our VIDEO on pickleball on our YouTube Channel. Click HERE.

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Tennis Anyone?

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Tennis Anyone?

The Oldest Restaurants in the Desert

hese classic, long-standing restaurants have served Greater Palm Springs with their timeless menus, impeccable service, and charming ambiance.

TIFFANY CARTER FEBRUARY 18, 2019 CURRENT DIGITAL, RESTAURANTS

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Sherman’s baked goods are created at their Palm Desert location and brought over to their spot in Palm Springs.

To step into Lord Fletcher’s is like stepping back in time to a place that is a historical cross between turn-of-the-century England and the Golden Age of Hollywood. “If you walked into the restaurant in 1966, this is exactly how it looked,” says second-generation owner Michael Fletcher.

“We’ve been so lucky that we’ve had clientele who have been coming in for 10, 20, 30, 40 years,” Fletcher says. “But the part I like to see now is the younger generation, people in their 20s and 30s. This whole new cultural thing of re-appreciating midcentury modern architecture or classic cocktails of the 1950s — it has been something that has encouraged a curiosity with a whole new generation of people.”

Among the tables, you’ll find the ones occupied by regulars Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. On the menu, the prime rib they have been serving since its opening is still one of the most popular dishes to order and is served with creamed spinach and the classic English favorite, Yorkshire pudding. If you are looking to order Frank’s go-to dish, that would be the braised short rib.

Around the restaurant you’ll find relics of antiques, art, and collectibles that were hand-picked and shipped from England by the restaurant’s original owner Ron Fletcher. One notable relic is the authentic Grandfather clock. “It actually came from my father’s house in Portsmouth, England,” Fletcher notes. “And it still worked when we brought it over, but unfortunately when it chimed it scared everyone. They thought it was a fire alarm, so we had to take the chimes out.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE SALISBURY

The Royal Brandy Ice was Frank Sinatra’s favorite.

Michael now carries on the legacy of what has become one of the most legendary restaurants in the desert, pioneering the popular Restaurant Row in Rancho Mirage.

“To be part of this community, growing up here, going to school here it’s been wonderful,” Fletcher says. “I’m so happy this is where my family came. This desert is a really unique area, and Rancho Mirage is really something special.”

Don’t forget to try their signature drink, the Royal Brandy Ice, which features a nice, stiff brandy poured over ice cream. lordfletcher.com

Read the entire article here…

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog

9 home tours you don’t want to miss as Modernism Week returns to Palm Springs

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Modernism Week returns to the Coachella Valley Feb. 14-24, 2019, with a lineup of home tours, lectures and events to please the most passionate of Midcentury Modern fans. (Modernism Week)

By LISA BOONE The LA Times

No city quite embodies the allure of Midcentury Modern design quite like Palm Springs. Last year, an estimated 126,000 visitors flocked to the desert for Modernism Week, the annual 11-day festival devoted to Modernist design and historic preservation. There is a downside to its popularity: Many of this year’s events, running Feb. 14-24, have sold out. If you have tickets to the double-deck architectural bus tours, day trips to Desert X or tours of Frank Sinatra’s "Twin Palms" estate, consider yourself lucky.

Here are some worthwhile events with ticket availability at press time. Please note that some events have age restrictions.

The Christopher Kennedy Compound (Modernism Week)

The Christopher Kennedy Compound (Modernism Week)

  1. The Modernism Week Show House: The Christopher Kennedy Compound

    In what has become an annual event, Palm Springs interior designer Christopher Kennedy invites a group of 14 interior decorators to transform a drab 1962 property in Indian Canyons into a modern show house. Participants include Kerry Green, Joe Lucas, Lori Paranjape, Celerie Kemble, Brian Paquette, Keith Fortner, Jeff Schlarb, Michael Berman, Lisa McDennon, Josh Greene, Michelle Boudreau, Chris Barrett, Gordon Kurtis, and, of course, Kennedy. Feb. 16-24. $40.

See all 9 homes here….

From Sheri Dettman
In Lifestyles & Things To Do, Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog
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