The FIRST EVER Wildflower Tour: Palm Springs

What comes to mind when you think of Palm Springs?Is it the windmills? The old people? Do you think of golfing? Or the iconic festivals held around there? Personally, the last time I answered this question…I said, “Palm Springs is where Wildflower Tours should have it’s first getaway”...I have been traveling to Palm Springs since I was a teenager, mainly for cheerleading competitions I preformed in back in the day. I know the lay of the land pretty well, understand the Palm Springs culture and love the fact that it is only a two hour drive from San Diego. The weather is perfect around this time of year (March-April) and there is just enough to experience when one only has a few days in this desert oasis. There is literally something for everyone in this city. If you want to shop, they have you covered, if you want to relax, order your drink and sip it poolside. If you want to party, it’s poppin’ pretty much any time of the day! And if you want to explore, there is plenty to see. Like I saidd, the list goes on and on….Rewind a few days before the trip and I was (low-key) freaking out. I was especially worried that no one would like the experiences I was offering. One, because I had never done any of the experiences myself; and two, i am my own worst critic—ALWAYS (as we all are). But, I set my anxious thoughts aside and hoped for the best, To be honest, the MOST IMPORTANT lesson I have learned from traveling, is that it always ends up working out. Looked like I was going to need to muster up the traveler’s courage and just got for it.So here we are, Friday, March 23rd, the day we road trip into the desert. Carmen, a friend and fellow lifestyle blogger, helps me load up the car with all things necessary…AKA two coolers full as the can be, along with like 7 bags of clothes, shoes and cameras. We pick up another friend and beauty blogger, Taylor, proceed to cram her stuff in the trunk, and hit the road. At first, the ride is pretty quiet. Taylor and Carmen don’t know each other, and I’m a nervous wreck hoping everyone has a good time, while trying to play it cool and get us safely to Palm Springs. However, in all honesty, I don’t think its possible to silently ride anywhere with a car full of women. haha, not hating, just stating. After a few minutes of awkward silence, we all begin to talk about what we are excited to experience over the weekend, our future entrepreneurial goals, as well as,  the personal ins and outs of each of our lives. The ride is only two hours, but it seems like we just started driving once I pull into valet. The other three ladies joining this weekend getaway said they weren’t arriving for a few more hours, so Taylor, Carmen and I take matters into our own hands, pour up some cocktails and settle into our suite, at the Hyatt Palm Springs.Kayla arrives next, joining in on the cocktails and fun. Since the other two ladies weren’t joining until waaaay later, we decided to check out the town and find ourselves a rooftop bar. And then we stumble across the Rowan, EXACTLY what we needed. Rooftop, poolside, fancy cocktails, lounge couches, it was PER-FECT-ION.The other two ladies, Faith and Kenesha, arrive and we all sit around in a circle mixing cocktails getting to know each other, laughing until we each fall asleep one by one. Which now brings us to Saturday, the whirlwind of a day. We wake up fairly early ( depending on who you ask), have breakfast and get ready for our first outing for the day, the Aerial Tramway. Although I had frequent trips to the desert throughout my youth, I had NEVER been to this iconic site, and after this experience I can’t believe it took twenty-six years to do so. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world and is also considered to have the most stunning views to experience worldwide.After visiting for myself, I 100% agree. The ride up was hilarious, with an unexpected rotating platform and sporadic wobbles accompanied by plenty of shrieks and cries for help. I was crying from laughing so hard… the only downfall (well, if you can even call it a downfall)... I WAS NOT EXPECTING IT TO BE 32 DEGREES AND ICY CONDITIONS at the top!! Omg. SOOOOO COLD. We were not prepared. Kayla was wearing sandals and Faith didn’t have a jacket! Buuuuuut, we all put our big girl panties on and explored nevertheless. No, we did not go hiking all around, but we did check out as much as we could with what we had… or didn’t have for that matter hahaha.  Anyways, The views were PHENOM and I’m pretty sure I can speak for all of us, when I say it inspired each of us to go back again!The second place we visited was the Moorten Botanical Gardens. This is a local gem that really doesn’t get all the attention it deserves. The garden is a locally owned and operated facility that offers tours (although you can just walk around on your own) and individual plants & pots to purchase and take home with you! I wasn't too sure what to expect when I walked into the garden. After growing up in San Diego and visiting the Botanical Gardens there, I did know if anything could compare, but boyyyy was I wrong. The Cactitarium (it’s a word now) is where the most exotic of plants, cacti and succulents live. It is a plant lady utopia && I was in HEAVENNNNN. We all were. Check out how gorgeous this place is…Once we "ooh-ed" and "ahhh-ed" at just about everything , we made our way back to the hotel to recharge (both mentally and our Iphones).  I had some snacks set out for us ladies to refuel ourselves before the next outing... the photo tour!!Palm Springs is without a doubt one of the most aesthetically pleasing places I have traveled to. There is not one thing out of place -- from the public bathroom stalls to the executive suites, It is pretty much GORGEOUS all the way around. Being a blogger and media maven, amazing content is something I CRAVE and Palm Springs is juuuuust the place to get all the pictures, us millennials (and creatives), shamelessly want.  Since there is an infinite amount of places to stop a snap a cool pic, I decided to create a "photo tour" to bring some order to the creative chaos. Instead of bringing you place by place with words... this time I'll just show you where we went, because as they say, some photos are worth a thousand words.Who knew taking pictures and "being on" would be so exhausting, but after an hour and a half, we were all ready to head back to the hotel, clean up a bit and get ready for our dinner at Mr. Lyons Steakhouse. We arrived and I instantly felt like a boujee princess ready to take on the night. The ambiance was elegant, mysterious and sophisticated. We ordered cocktails (I had the gin based, Aviation, of course) and cheered to a fantastic weekend together & new friendships.The food was PHENOMENAL. I had the filet mignon (which was perfect) that was accompanoed but broccolini, brussel sprouts, mac n cheese and mashed potatoes. My mouth is watering just writing about it.. Once dinner was finished, we treated ourselves to a "baked Alaska" which was ON FIRE. literally. Once more, I'd like to pay a HUUGE thank you to F10 Creative and Mr. Lyon's for graciously hosting us ladies at this fine establishment. We had a fantastic time. So if you are ever in Palm Springs, looking for a fine dining experience  or the best steak in town... look no further,  Mr. Lyons will take care of you.We ended our night at the Moxie. Which just ended up happening. As all good things usually come about. Us ladies were all in the room back at the Hyatt deciding whether to go out or not. Half of the group was tired and the other half was ready to hit the town. Twenty minutes later, most of us ended up going out. We heard some of our fave songs and followed the music... hours later, the lights come and we realize that we shut the place down haha. WOOH.Which brings us to Sunday morning. The day we have to say our goodbyes and get back to the idea of reality. NOOOOOOOOO. After our late night out, all of us slept in until we absolutely had to wake up and start getting ready.  The room looked like a tornado, but we were dancing to music and reminiscing about the highlights from the weekend, laughing until we couldn't take it anymore. The trip ended at Lulu's were we cheered with mimosas and planned to reunite sooner than later.  The car ride home was a complete 180 to the ride up. It was carefree, ridiculously silly and exactly what one would think a "girls road trip" would be like. I do not think I have ever laughed that hard. It was so great.All in all,  this was one of the best trips ever. From all the places I have been, this one meant just a little bit more to me. I DID IT! I cant believe I am actually writing this. I planned a trip, brought women together and showed them the beauty of travel and sisterhood. THIS IS UNREAL. MY DREAMS ARE SLOWLY TURNING INTO A REALITY. Uniting travel and lifestyle design has been a dream of mine, and I can not thank the women who attended this first trip (my first EVER wildflowers : Taylor, Kenesha, Faith, Carmen and Kayla) for making this everything that it was.I also want to recognize the amazing companies and entrepreneurs that supported my vision and company: Suja, Health-Ade, Rebbl, Thats It, Ritual Energy, Justin's,  Coola, Wildhearts and Halos, Holl and Lane, Swirl Boutique,  Paru Tea and  Slate and Tell.Like they say, it takes a village... thank you for believing in me, my vision for wildflower tours, the power of sisterhood and the importance of travel.Until the next adventure... C