PALM SPRINGS BIRTHDAY GETAWAY

"We turn not older with years, but newer every day."

-Emily Dickinson

August 29th I turned 34.

So I ran away for a week to hide in the desert....

Hiding out for my birthday sounded like an excellent plan. And so I dragged my husband and my bestie out to the hottest place on Earth. I mean, I knew it was going to be effing hot in Palm Springs. I knew it was August. My husband was shocked and it took him about 2 days to get acclimated to the 115-degree weather. I couldn't wait to soak in the heat.

I had seen a lot of pictures on the gram and thought the Korakia Pensione would be the lovliest place to hang out for a week. We got lucky enough to be upgraded to an amazing suite so I can tell you which rooms we got to stay in - Each room in the resort is different. Totally unique. And each goes by its own name.

We spent a night in a romantical, tiny bungalow also known as The Sahara Room. It's literally just French doors that open up to a queen bed with a nook for a closet, a tiny bathroom and a mini-fridge. We loved the cozy setup and I would highly recommend if you're staying 1 maybe 2 nights with your luva. Since we were staying a week, we were excited to get the upgrade...

THE SAHARA ROOM - KORAKIA PENSIONE

The rest of the week we were upgraded to The Nomad Suite. It was a spectacular setup. A large sitting room with a wood-burning fireplace (which we didn't use cuz it was August but nice to have either way). A spacious full-sized kitchen. Romantic master bedroom. This is a one-bedroom suite so it was luxurious to have so much room to ourselves. The bathroom has a stone vanity and shower. The bed sits atop a stone base...totally dug the aesthetics.

THE NOMAD SUITE - KORAKIA PENSIONE

BREAKFAST NOOK IN THE NOMAD SUITE

LOOKING INTO THE SITTING ROOM OF THE NOMAD SUITE

MAGICAL NIGHTS AT THE KORAKIA

ROSES & A CANDLE-LIT BIRTHDAY NIGHT

MISSGUIDED SEQUIN STAR DRESS

The Korakia is a magical property. Especially at night when the property lights up with lanterns and twinkling lights everywhere. Both rooms that Chris and I stayed in were villas on the property's Moroccan-inspired side. My friend Kim stayed in a fabulous villa on the Mediterranean side which is conveniently right across the road. Both sides have swimming pools.

Little details about the Korakia (Core-aw-kia) in case you want to know how to pronounce it. It's Greek for "crow".

Adults only. Specifically no kids under the age of 13. The hotel does not allow children. For this I am grateful. We don't have kids and it was nice to have the pool area a serene spot without little ones screaming and running around. So, if you don't have kids or are looking to get away from the ones you've got for the weekend, the Korakia is perfect.

Breakfast is complimentary daily. I opted for the vanilla yogurt & granola option each morning. It was delicious. Topped off with fresh fruit and orange juice...it was perfect. And don't worry. If you gotta have your daily Starbucks injection, there is a Starbucks down the road, on the main strip, in the village.

Chris and I got a couple's massage in an outdoor hut on the Mediterranean side, one of the last mornings we were there. It was super relaxing and so needed. If you're looking for a hotel with a super nice, luxurious spa facility, this isn't it. The whole vibe here is laid-back, simplicity, rustic-charm, a throwback to another time. It's quiet and peaceful and a lovely, romantic hideout. We chose to have our massages in their designated spa-hut, but if you want you can request in-room service.

There are no televisions and there are no in-room telephones. But they do have record players. And we listened to Billie Holiday on repeat. It was wonderful.

TRINA TURK SWIMSUIT - ZARA SKIRT - DESIGNS BI K HAT

Besides, lounging by the pool and relishing our lovely hideaway, we managed to go back to a few fave spots we discovered on our previous trip to Palm Springs. We decided to do something super touristy and experience the tram that everyone in Palm Desert knows about. It's the only aerial rotating tram-car in the world that ascends from the desert floor up to the top of the San Jacinto mountains in just 10 minutes. You climb almost 6,000 feet! It's quite the experience. To go from 115 degrees to a comfy cool 75 in under 10 minutes was insane. You can actually feel the air change as you travel up the mountain. Once at the top, you get off the tram and hang out. There's a bar! There's a gift shop! Yessss....and of course there's hiking and exploring the park. Trams descend the mountain back to the desert floor every 30-45 minutes. Tickets are about $25/person.

PALM SPRINGS AERIAL TRAMWAY

MOUNT SAN JACINTO STATE PARK

So, that was fun! But after this cool trip up the mountain it was time for food and shopping. But of course. Eating in the Village in downtown Palm Springs is great (shout out to LuLu's where we ate practically every night) but we took off to nearby Palm Desert for our favorite spot for Mexican.

Armando's in Palm Desert is located on the main strip is the El Paseo shopping district. LOVE shopping and just strolling El Paseo. But hands down, Armando's has like the best Mexican food we've ever had. COLD beers make me happy. And so does their chicken-tortilla soup. Chris ordered the biggest burrito I've ever seen and took in down in less than 10 minutes. We love this place.

CHRIS AND HIS BURRITO - ARMANDO'S - PALM DESERT

SHOPPING AT TRINA TURK - SHOPS ON EL PASEO - PALM DESERT

The El Paseo shopping/eating district is also where I sought out an Aveda salon for an impromptu hair-chopping. I got lucky to get an appointment at the Alankara Aveda salon with Isaiah. And he did an amazing job. You know you can never go wrong at an Aveda salon. Going home with a fresh chop made me feel better about turning 34. Fresh & Fabulous! Thank you Isaiah.

Scroll down to watch a video compilation of the entire trip.