Author Archives: Jill Adler

72 Hours (and Change) in Palm Desert


It was a family affair. My brother Joey was taking his family to Palm Desert – 30 minutes southeast of Palm Springs- in the Coachella Valley, Calif., to sit in on some timeshare chat at the Westin Desert Willows. For $350, he’d get four nights’ lodging and Starwood points. My mom already has Starwood timeshare weeks so she booked herself and Dad into a neighboring two-bedroom unit at the Willows and invited us to join in the fun. The temps in Utah were hovering around 40; it was 90 in Palm Springs so we grabbed the swimsuits with pleasure.

Off to the California desert we trucked. We pitstopped about six hours into the drive, sleeping at the Virgin River Casino in Mesquite, Nev. For $27, we bedded down in a clean, pet-friendly double-queen, QUIET room, slept soundly and got back on the road at 10 a.m. after recording a quick audition. There’s a web series casting in Utah and even on vacation I still want the work.

We stopped for an over-priced but satisfying breakfast at Webster’s Sports Bar that cost us an extra hour of drivetime because of the slow -yet warm, friendly service- but it beats eating eggs in a smoky casino.

 

We rolled into the Westin at 4 p.m., dropped off the luggage, said hello to my parents and dove in the pool. A total of 10 hours spent in the Cherokee.

By 6 p.m., we were dressing to visit my Mom’s long-time friend Sandy who had purchased a gorgeous golf-estate so she could transition out of Beverly Hills.

Dinner was at Ruth Chris. I’m not particularly psyched on dining at chains when on vacation but it was one of the few places happy to accommodate a party of 11.

Night came and although I was exhausted, the Harley like rumble of the AC was ridiculously annoying.

DAY 1

Our first official day in Palm Desert started with audition taping. Both Sage and I had clips dues before noon and boy was Sage angry. All she wanted to do was play in the pool with Cousin Tess and here she was working. Tough. I cut her loose at 10 a.m. finished my own project with Ryan’s help and met my brother and his family at the pool for lunch and cocktails.

The $10 margaritas dropped to $5 at 4 p.m. so we stayed till then, had a drink and went back to the room to shower and change for take and bake pizza and salad from Wal-Mart. I love staying at places with kitchens. Dining out is fun and tasty but it’s such a production. Much better to hang back with everyone and cook a few nights.

After dinner Ryan and I snuck away to check out the weekly Villagefest in downtown Palm Springs. Every Thursday night vendors, artists, entertainers, and produce growers set up booths along Palm Canyon Drive. It’s like Park City’s Sunday Silly Market except it’s only open from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. We finished the night with blueberry mojitos on the patio of the Hyatt Palm Springs while listening to a couple of talented performers sing and dance to current covers.

Day 2

Aunt Stacey took the girls (Sarah, Tess and Sage) to get manicures and a movie (Jungle Book), Mom shopped for Passover dinner and Joey, Ryan and I checked out the Palm Springs Tramway. Built in 1963 the two-car scenic adventure charges $25 to whisk locals and tourists 8500 feet out of the desert heat for an afternoon in the mountains with 500 miles of hiking around Mt San Jacinto State Park. It took helicopters some 23,000 missions over two years to create the five towers and the 35,000 sq. ft. Mountain Station. Engineers labeled it the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

 

Gotta say the rotating floor made this way cooler than the Snowbird Tram.

 

 

We hiked a leisurely 4-mile loop, passing snowy swatches at the upper- most tiers, exchanging nods with several international foreigners with walking sticks. The 60-degree temperature was a cool relief to the 90-degree valley below.

We stopped at Great Shakes in Palm Springs on the way home because of a craving and Yelp reviews. Thanks, my Peeps, you didn’t steer my wrong. Thick mint Oreo shake with a mini donut circling the straw. As Vincent Vega said, “I don’t know if it’s worth $5 but it’s pretty fucking good.”

We were back in time to shower before the family Passover dinner courtesy of Gelson’s deli counter. We chilled, drank wine, dined on matzoh ball soup and brisket and bonded over James Lipton’s ten questions. It’s weird for me to travel long distances only to chill. I guess I’m not a good vacationer. I like to get out and do as much as possible and see as much as I can in whatever time I’ve got. This crowd is a poolside, lounge chair, sipping-adult-beverages crew. Working office jobs puts you in that mindset I guess.

Day 3

Still not sleeping well. Damn air conditioner. The mattress, linens and pillows facilitate the dreamstate but that god-awful sound takes a machete to all that. Ear plugs on my next trip. I scrounged up the energy for a power shower and we all met at the tiny El Paseo Grill. The breakfast menu isn’t extensive at the counter-service café but the scramble with cheese, tomatoes, broccoli, and grilled breakfast potatoes did the trick.


We said our good-byes to Uncle Joey, Aunt Stacey, Cousin Tessa and Sarah and drove to the Desert Hills Outlet Mall for one of the most intense shopping experiences I’ve ever seen. Nothing beats a sale on the sale stuff and there are 180 stores to choose from! Not to mention the selection in California beats the fashion sense in Utah.

Six hours later, we headed to Las Consuelas Terraza in Palm Springs for beef fajitas with my parents. The place has an authentic feel with the delicate sounds of live Mariachi music floating through the large, enclosed courtyard but we moved inside to the darkly lit, tiled dining hall to avoid the evening heat. The fresh chips and salsa and margs were a satisfying start after a long day without lunch but I was a bit disappointed with the rest- a handful of squash nuggets, one broccoli bit and palm-sized pile of beef strips.

We drove the 20 minutes back to the Westin, fat and tired. A late night challenge match on the tennis court – Sage and me against Ryan took us up to 10 p.m. and lights out- literally, the court went black.

Time for another night I knew would be rough. And that was that. We were leaving in the morning. Sad to leave the sun and warmth of family but soon I would be back in my own bed. Back to the cold temps, the fresh snow and pines instead of palms, and a good night’s sleep.


There’s Snow At Snowbird! It Ain’t Over Yet


The skiing at Snowbird has been unreal. Yes, skiing. While the rest of the Wasatch is hunkered down, sitting out the back-to-back storm cycles because closing days have come and gone, diehard locals are rejoicing. Nineteen inches in the last 48 hours and more on the way.

Rain pummeled the base parking lots two days ago, bringing some high density snow to the upper elevations; it also brought about numerous slides. The unstable pack caused hyper safety diligence and the crowd stewed at Gad 2 base for nearly two hours Wednesday morning while patrol controlled. Finally, things opened (although the Tram is closed now for maintenance).

The resort is replacing the Tram cables so the whole Peruvian side is closed but you can still get the goods off Gadzoom, Little Cloud and Mineral Basin chairs.

The 16 inches of new overnight brought joy and hoots; along with Facebook posts about the “epic” conditions. The emerging sun did make things thick but if you knew where to turn, you weren’t disappointed. Dare I say there were face shots to be had? Unfortunately the Road to Provo lineup was too intense. It eventually opened but not before irking an anxious crowd.

Snow fell on Wednesday evening with two more systems forecasted for the weekend. Next week it will probably turn to spring slush as temperatures are supposed to climb back up into the 50s.

Currently, the conditions are still unstable especially on the closed Peruvian side of the hill so use patience and caution skiing this week. Let the patrol do their incredible job so you can safely rock the spring skiing this month.

 

Mountain Detes

The Bird is open daily through May 8 and weekends after that, closing on Memorial Day, May 30. 2016. There’s live music at Mid-Gad, Friday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Lift tickets are $50 for season passholders from any other ski area. Present pass at the ticket window.

100 Years of Ski Fashion

It took 100 years for functional ski fashion to evolve but only a handful of days for the Colorado Ski Museum to replay it for us in all its glory. This winter walk down memory lane was made possible with the help of Massif Media in Denver, Colorado.

How many outfits you remember from 1915 to 2015? This new video chronicles not only the clothing, but also the gear considered top-of-the-line trendy during each decade.
Looking back, the 90s definitely stole the show. The 2000s, meh. See for yourself:

New Lifts For Snowbird

Snowbird's Mary Ellen Basin


It may have taken Snowbird 20 years to get and open their new Summit at Snowbird Lodge but let the flood gates fly. Two new lifts, a gondola and the highest-elevated zip lines in North America are all on tap for the Little Cottonwood Canyon Resort. The Utah County Board of Adjustment has approved the resort’s expansion plans into American Fork Canyon.

It won’t happen immediately. There are water studies that need to be done over the next two years before construction begins on Snowbird’s private property that borders Mineral Basin. Water was the County’s biggest concern but according to Snowbird’s release, “all environmental conditions required under Utah County code were met or exceeded by Snowbird’s plan for operational expansion into upper American Fork Canyon.”

They will monitor the water to determine a baseline of quality standards in order to compare future water quality measurements against the current levels. They will submit quarterly reports to Utah County agencies for independent review.

Once they complete the studies, Snowbird hits it hard with two new chairlifts along the southern boundary of their current terrain. Mineral Basin Express will be upgraded to increase rider capacity. One of the new chairlifts in Mary Ellen Gulch will provide access to Sunday Saddle, which borders both Mary Ellen Gulch and Mineral Basin. A gondola will stretch from Hidden Peak to Mary Ellen Gulch and the gondola will also support a zip line system,

“We’re very excited about the permit approval from the Utah County Board of Adjustment, the new lifts planned for Mineral Basin and Mary Ellen Gulch will greatly expand the year-round recreational opportunities at Snowbird,” said Bob Bonar, President and CEO of Snowbird. “We have over 45 years of proven stewardship in Little Cottonwood Canyon, the same balance, protection and in some cases recovery of the environment will be practiced in Mary Ellen Gulch.”

Personally, I can’t wait to dive into Mary Ellen. Snowbird has had the area open to snowmobile and backcountry tours for years but now we won’t have to work so hard to experience that wonderful bowl. Yes, I’m a slacker. The road to Mary Ellen from Snowbird

February Cairn Box Review

February Cairn Box

I’ve gotten behind, and the boxes are piling up! March’s Cairn box is sitting on my dresser begging to be revealed but he can’t come out to play until I have finally posted about my February Cairn box. Here it is in all it’s glory.

What is Cairn?

In case you need a reminder, Cairn is one of those monthly subscription boxes that you can order as a gift for yourself or someone you know who is interested in outdoors goodies.

This box comes with four to five new products from companies you probably have never heard of. It’s meant to introduce adventurers to new brands, and over the last four months I’ve discovered some favorites (the Coffee Bar) and some misses (Gear Aid Tenacious Tape Tattoos that disintegrate in the wash). The box costs about $25/mo and contains items retailing around $45. Granted, you probably would never go out and purchase everything if it didn’t arrive in your box so you can’t boast that you’re saving money but that’s the beauty of this gift- being the first in the neighborhood to learn about what’s out there in the outdoor market. If you really don’t like an item you can always re-gift it.

Personally, I can’t wait to see what’s in each box each month. I’m a sucker for gadgets and this box is loaded with them. When my annual subscription runs out I’m putting it on my Christmas wishlist just in case someone needs a gift idea for me. By the way, I’m also recommending BarkBox for dog lovers. Talk about your fun pet products.

Enough typing. Onto the reveal for February’s box:

 

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