Our first full day in Palm Springs was spent doing some shopping at the La Quinta Farmer’s Market and at the weekly Street Fair at College of the Desert… picked up gifts (because Christmas is so close, duh!) and Lisa even bought something for herself from a very smooth “clothes designer” hustler at the Street Fair.  The rest of the day was spent driving the Palms to Pines Highway, a very twisty and scenic drive that was made famous in the opening scene of the movie “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.”  Our midpoint destination was Idyllwild, a small mountain town with a thriving arts scene and plenty of day trippers from San Diego and Los Angeles.  We didn’t quite dress up for the mountain, as the higher altitude and strong winds made for some chilly walking.  We took our time completing the loop, stopping by the roadside attraction Cabazon Dinosaurs and driving through the lights of Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.  We returned to our hotel to soak in the hot tub and eat in — we still had a bunch of food left over from last night’s Walmart run, so why not just rest up early for tomorrow’s adventures!

Here is the log of our expenses for the day.  The rental car averages about $21 per day and we will note gas expenses when we fill up.

$0   Hotel – used points to trade for free nights
$0  Breakfast — free buffet at our hotel
$16.10  Lunch, Po’boy hoagie with slaw and potatoes
$3.50  Day old bacon & cheddar scones
$2  Raspberries from the farmer’s market
$82  Gifts and souvenirs
$0  Dinner — just ate our leftovers from the previous night’s ‘dinner’

Total spent:  $103.60