As a writer, I spend so much time, stuck inside, staring at my computer screen, looking a hot mess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there\u2019s only so much a girl can take, thus\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is Getting Out the House, my recurring day trip series, where I take a drive and explore somewhere outside of the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not only is this my chance at a mini-getaway, but since I\u2019m on a budget, I decided to up the ante and see if I can stick to a budget of $20 or less, excluding gas. What\u2019s more, if I go over, I have to deduct the excess from my next excursion, but if I stay under, I add it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time I set out for Palm Springs, and, I decided to go alone. Not like the alone where it\u2019s me and the photographer aka my Momma. No, this time it was really just me. So, unfortunately, I didn\u2019t take that many pictures. Even worse, none had me in it \u2013 ha!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time I started out with $23.94, as I had $3.94 left over from my Sand Diego day trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Was I able to stick to this game plan? Did I stay within my $23.94 budget?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s find out\u2026or let me let you find out, because, of course, I already know. Anyway, here we go\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monday, March 29, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of 9:30am, I actually left around 1pm and arrived around 3pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was day one of the murder trail for the former officer who killed George Floyd. I was transfixed by the opening statements, the testimony of the 911-dispatcher, and the Speedway employee. But it was going on longer than I expected, so I hit record. I had to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The route I took culminated on CA-111 for an approximately eight mile (maybe longer) final stretch into the heart of the city. There was nothing but flat land, hills and road. I could tell it would be pitch-black by nightfall, and I quickly made a mental note to get the fuck back out of there before that happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As this perfect-for-a-horror-film highway emptied out onto N. Palm Canyon Rd\u2014the main thoroughfare for the downtown area\u2014the first thing I noticed was the towering sign for Palm Spring\u2019s aerial tramway<\/a>. It\u2019s a rotating tram ride up the mountains to Mt. San Jacinto State Park, where you can hike, take in amazing views, stop by their giftshop or grab a bite to eat at a restaurant. Yet at $26.95 for the tramway ride, and $10 for the parking (free for Coachella Valley residents), this adventure was $12.76 over budget, so unfortunately, I had to pass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, truth be told? I would\u2019ve still done it were they not already booked up days out by the time I found out about this adventure. I\u2019ll definitely be back for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, I just kept rolling down the street, deeper into this mid-century modern oasis \u2013 might I add with a splash of 80s– until I came across my dining spot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On my last day trip, I asked a local for dining suggestions with disastrous results. So this time, I did my usual \u2013 I did the research, and the data yielded The Sandwich Spot<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In one of their Yelp reviews, a man even wrote his sandwich was so good it was worth the two hour drive from LA just to get it (homie was not lying).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another reviewer said his sandwich was so filling he only ate half and saved the rest for later. Just in case, I didn\u2019t eat anything before I left so I could be super-hungry when I got there. I take that back, I did have what I like to call a tropical green smoothie for breakfast around eight in the morning: that\u2019s a handful of baby spinach, a half a banana, \u00bd cup pineapple chunks, cover it all in some coconut water \u2013 all organic if you can\u2014then blend. I got that off of Instagram somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But anyway, back to my sandwich experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This spot was right off of Palm Canyon Rd, tucked in a little alcove with other shops. All of the sandwiches have names\u2014several were tennis-themed like The Serve and Volley, The Rafa, or The Federer. Oddly enough, none of the sandwiches were named after American or women players which seemed a little weird, but anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to planning this trip, I\u2019d really been craving a good, \u2018ole, classic sandwich, yet something other than the pervasive chain places you can find everywhere, something more exclusive to the region (turns out, The Sandwich Spot is expanding nationwide, but I didn\u2019t know that then). While there\u2019s only so much you can do to make a sandwich different, this place had something called Dutch crunch bread that sealed the deal for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch crunch roll looks like bread crust imitating dry, cracked sand. I was intrigued. But, when I got there and was told it\u2019s just white bread and the crackly bits on top were more for the look and the crunch than the taste, I went with The Djokovic on sourdough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customer service was very good. When you order they take your name, then you wait outside, and a couple minutes later, they bring it out to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After my first bite, I was like, eh, this is just a sandwich \u2013 not a bad sandwich, but just a sandwich. Then, with each successive bite, that sandwich started to hit different. Whatever crunch I was missing in the absence of that Dutch crunch bread, was replaced by the way they buttered and toasted my sourdough. Combine that with the turkey, bacon, avocado, peppers and whatever else they put on it\u2014no mayo\u2014and I\u2019d found my<\/em> desert oasis. Suffice it to say, I ate the whole thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Started with:<\/strong> $23.94<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sandwich cost:<\/strong> $10.38<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balance:<\/strong> $13.56<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is it me, or is vintage shop a fancier way of saying thrift store? Well, that\u2019s what I was seriously hoping. I\u2019d found this place after doing some research on YouTube. And with only $13.56, I was hoping I could walk out of there with a bowl, a wine glass, a little kick-knack \u2013 something $8 or less, so I would have money left over for coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The store was called Iconic Atomic<\/a>, about a minute\u2019s drive down the street from The Sandwich Spot, and right next to the coffee shop I planned on going to afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding parking was easy and free on a side road, just a few yards from the entrance. I walked up to the store, not even noticing that there was no one inside and the lights were out, before tugging on the door only to find it closed. I couldn\u2019t believe it. I specifically checked their website before I came to prevent this. Specifically came on a day it said they would be open to get something there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But alas, they were closed. Oh well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro-tip: Call to confirm hours before you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balance<\/strong>: $13.56<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vintage Store Find<\/strong>: $0<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Balance<\/strong>: $13.56<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right next door was the coffee place I wanted to go to. Well, kinda. I was actually torn between two shops \u2013 this one, and a spot further up the street called Koffi<\/a>. Koffi has this amazing patio behind their shop where you can sit, sip, read a book, maybe do a little people watching and just take in the beautiful day \u2013 all against a backdrop of mountains and trees that reminded me of South Africa. You know, from what I could tell from the pictures and video I saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But in the end, Ernest\u2019s Coffee<\/a> won out, enticing me with a menu item of a pistachio rose latte. Doesn\u2019t that just sound interesting and yummy? So I walked a few steps next door from Iconic Atomic, only to find \u2013 to my utter shock and dismay \u2013they, too, were closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I walked back to my car, frustrated, ready to go home. Then I thought: Wait a minute, I didn\u2019t drive all the way out here just for a sandwich. I had to think of an alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By that point, I had forgotten all about Koffi, which was just up the road, and remembered from my research that there was a Starbucks Reserve in Palm Springs which sells a drink called Tropic Like It\u2019s Hot that’s supposedly only sold at this particular store. So I thought what they hey, let me go try that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I parked about a block away \u2013 more free parking, yay \u2013 and walked to the store. When I got there, I waited about 10 minutes in line, only to get to the counter and be told they were all out of Tropic Like It\u2019s Hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Say what, now? Don\u2019t they know how to put up a sign or something? Ugggghhh. I didn\u2019t say that though; I just walked out.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhere I Ate<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Next Stop Vintage Shop<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ll Make Up for it With Coffee\u2026Or Not<\/h4>\n\n\n\n