The weather has been very good this last week up into the mid seventies, sunny and clear. We have been using the Wrangler to get around the area. Other than Palm Springs proper there is Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indio, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Bermuda Dunes and well you get the idea. Yesterday, we ran over to the Costco at Rancho Mirage, about 20 minutes away. It was so nice and warm driving in the Jeep with all the windows out that I just wore a tank top and shorts. There are two Costco's in the area. The other is in La Quinta and is newer and I would think a little bit bigger. Not too much difference from the NW stores with the exception of warm weather clothing and patio furniture being year round items rather than seasonal like up north.
One thing we are enjoying are the liquor prices down here. Normally we pay around $35 for a half gallon of Smirnoff Vodka . California price for the same is $20. In addition, because they merchandise liquor in super markets, drug stores, Costco's etc., it is often on sale for considerably less than that. Items like "Bailey's Irish Cream" or "B&B", have even better savings than the above mentioned liquor. At Costco we bought more than we came for, as usual, but it is fun shopping Costco's. We bought Kosher hot dogs and buns for the NFL Playoff games this weekend. We thought we might as well get in the spirit. What with sitting outside watching the games on the compartment TV it almost feels like we are tailgating at a game. Not as much interest in the games here as about 50% of the park are Canadians, but they do follow the games and the NFL just not as devoutly as if the park was full of Americans. It is nice to watch the games outside and be able to enjoy a cigar while watching...can't do that at home.
We have "horse racing" this next weekend similar to the horse racing they do on cruise ships. Entrance fee is $1 per person and for the dollar you get two beers, a hot dog, and a small bag of chips. Minimum bet is 50 cents but most bets run a couple of bucks and odds are determined after the betting stops based on favorites. It was a lot of fun last year with everyone getting into it. They usually do the racing once per month. They also have 8ball and shuffleboard tournaments, Happy Hours nights, bingo nights.... etc. As you can probably tell from the cost of the horseracing, it is inexpensive with profits worked back into the prize money. Its nice to see places of business where not every thing is done for profit.
We plan on getting into the pool more now that the weather is getting so warm. We also plan on doing more exploring of the area this next week. So far of what we have seen, I like the downtown area of Palm Springs, Rancho Mirange as an community, and the big name stores in Palm Desert called "the Rodeo Drive of the Desert.
The town of Palm Springs just had their film festival this last week and lots of big names were in town. Anne Hathaway, Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman, to name a few. Upcoming in a few days is the "Bob Hope Desert Classic" which was a huge event when he was still hosting. I don't think many big names show up for that anymore. This area is nothing if not a golf paradise. I think you could play a big name course every day for two weeks without repeating a course. Too bad they are so pricey. The place we are staying next month has an 18 hole par three course on it and is not pricey or crowded so maybe I will play some. I have thought about looking around for deals on some used golf clubs while down here....it might be a good place to find a great deal with all the upscale golf communities catering to the retired. We drove by Mission Hills on our way to Costco yesterday. Lotsa gated communities.
More later.
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