80 Miles Per Hour

After our late night into Palm Springs we took a leisurely morning to do laundry, eat brunch, and make room in the trunk for Deena.  No, we will not be putting Deena in the trunk, but we did want room for her clothing and other necessities.  Deena is my friend from college and is a food writer in Portland, a very excellent cook, and a great Priceline Hotel picker (based on our "Club Level" Sheraton room here in Phoenix with internet and breakfast for $109).  But I am getting ahead of myself.

John, Aggi, and I had a great breakfast at Cheeky's in Palm Springs: seasonal vegetable hash for me, pancakes and blueberries for John, huevos rancheros for Aggi - click here for Deena's blog on alternative huevos rancheros recipes: Mostly Foodstuffs

We then headed off to the Zoo of the Living Desert in Palm Desert.  The Zoo of the Living Desert has found its niche catering to not just the young but the elderly as well.  Trams circle the park, adult strollers are available, and displays have larger words and more complex ideas than those at child-centric zoos.  Its a good idea for a place with streets named Gerald Ford and Frank Sinatra.

While many of the visitors to the zoo were taking their time on this Veteran's Day Holiday, we were rushing through, eager to get in all the sites before hitting the road again.

We said goodbye to Aggi, made a quick stop at Best Buy (I have a battery charger for my camera!), and were on our way to Phoenix.

I thought that Phoenix was abut 4 hours from Palm Springs, but it turns out its only 3 because everyone drives 80 miles per hour (or faster) on Interstate 10.  This prove to be a happy mistake, because I also didn't realize that Arizona is an hour ahead of California.  That pesky Daylight Savings Time is foiled here.  Deena flew in from Portland today and headed straight for the  famed Pizza Bianca to insure us a table.  John and I arrived at 7:30, we were just in time for pizza and antipasti.  While the pizza was delicious, John rated it below the Cheeseboard - pizza snob that he is.

Our fabulous hotel in Phoenix apparently has a three story waterfall within it.  This we have to check out.  

But now to bed.  Going 80 miles per hour for the last couple of months is wearing me out.  I'm glad to get a little shuteye a little early tonight.