Palm Springs Getaway

Looking for some low key luxury? You’ll find it at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs.

This high-end oasis boasts mountain desert views and provides the perfect setting for a romantic long weekend or golf filled getaway. 

Poolside Carne Asada Tacos and Spicy Strawberry Margarita

With just over 240 rooms this Ritz Carlton leans a little more intimate than most. As expected, the service is incredible and with such few guests, they can fulfill that Ritz promise of going above and beyond.

If you are visiting for a romantic rendezvous, don't miss the adult only pool perched cliffside or the 90-minute couples massage at the spa.

Request a room on the first floor to enjoy your personal fire pit and make sure you ask for a window-side table at The Edge Steakhouse to soak in the infectious desert sunset.

Couples Lounge at the

If your schedule allows it, plan an ENTIRE day at the spa. We've experienced a lot of spas all over and this is one of our absolute favorites. The spa area features an expansive couple's waiting lounge with a waterfall pool and outside sunning area. Within each locker room, you'll find a steam area, small European plunge pools, aroma showers and all of the toiletries and supplies you would need for a mini makeover. We loved the experience so much that we bought the aroma infused shower head so we could get our daily Ritz fix at home.

If you decide to journey outside the resort you'll have plenty of areas to explore. Palm Springs, nestled in the Sonoran Desert, is known for its spiritual retreats, golf courses, and film festivals. It's also flooded with midcentury-modern architecture (à la Frank Sinatra) and happily serves as Hollywood’s hideaway located 100 miles southeast of LA.

Searching for a dinner spot? Ristorante Mamma Gina's was recommended to us from our friend Gennifer and it's a "Can't-Miss". Originating in Italy in 1956, Mamma Gina's has enjoyed its desert location since 1986. The authentic Florentine cuisine was impressive and filling. Save room for dessert and an after-dinner drink because you'll want to soak up the ambiance.

If you are planning a boozy lunch, our gold medal goes to Las Casuelas Terraza. A Plam Springs staple since 1958, this Mexican joint offers a casual environment and a street-side patio adorned with tiny birds and plenty of tequila.

But you don't have to just eat your way through Palm Springs... you can shop your way through it too! Its core shopping district along Palm Canyon Drive features vintage boutiques, mainstream stores, interior design shops and lots of local watering holes.

If you are looking to explore your adventurous side, the surrounding Coachella Valley offers hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails. Not to mention the Coachella Music Festival held every April.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (Coachella), is an annual music festival held near Palm Springs in Indio, California. The festival features musical artists from a variety of music genres, including rock, indie, hip hop, and electronic dance music, as well as art installations. The origin of the event traces back to a Pearl Jam concert in 1993 held to boycott venues controlled by Ticketmaster. Some past acts include Madonna, Drake, Lady Gaga, Guns N' Roses, DJ Khaled and of course Beyonce. Since the festival is so close to LA you’ll find the place swarming with stars trying to get that perfect Instagram shot and dancing the night away. So if celebrity hunting is your game, it's well worth a ticket to Coachella.

Now, if golf is more your speed check out a round at one of many top-rated courses in the area. The prestigious PGA West Golf Club flexes its proverbial golf muscle with six courses designed by some of the biggest names in the business, including Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer.

Our concierge booked us at Desert Springs Golf Club located at the JW Marriott right across town. This course was very playable and a ton of fun. With two courses to choose from it caters to players of all skill levels. Taylor Made rental clubs are available if you aren’t into dragging your sticks around.

No matter what you are looking for you can find it in sunny Palm Springs. We couldn't have enjoyed our stay more can't wait for our next trip.

For more travel information and recommendations check out my other posts!

How to Take Better Instagram Travel Photos

If you’re anything like us, you’re a total sucker for travel photos on Instagram.

A dreamy beach scene with impossibly blue waters here, a jaw-dropping mountain landscape and the sun serenely setting in a faraway locale there, and you can’t help but get double-tap happy. These days, with smartphones at our disposal, even the least savvy shutterbugs can look like a pro. All it takes is some tips and a keen eye to take your pics from grainy to glossy magazine-worthy.

To help with the former, we tapped Instagram genius Dylan Furst, who has a whopping 613,000 followers, for some pointers. Here, he shares ten tips and tricks you can put to the test on your next excursion.

Before you begin to shoot, it’s crucial to keep the crop and composition in mind. Although Instagram allows for full-size photos now, it still adjusts the crop to a square, which can appear incongruent when perusing the feed as a whole. According to Furst, people are likely to follow you based on your body of work, so photos should look clean on first glance.

To shoot horizontally or vertically — that is the question.

It doesn’t matter which you choose, but you should do both to get different perspectives. Switching up the angles will help you see things differently — and ultimately give you more options on what to post. “I’ll almost always try a vertical and horizontal shot on anything I’m shooting, from portraits to landscapes,” says Furst.

#NoFilter — but really, don’t use one.

Filters are your frenemy — applying one can degrade the quality of the photo, even if it wasn’t low-quality to begin with. Be careful of over-editing too, which can make things appear unnatural. “I never edit within the Instagram app,” says Furst. Instead, he turns to third-party editing tools like Lightroom. (Other resources include VSCO Cam and Afterlight). “It’s important to develop your own style, but you shouldn’t click one button and have your photo edited in seconds.”

Step out of your comfort zone.

It’s essential to experiment — blur things purposefully, play up silhouettes, and try new angles. Creativity and originality are vital, so attempt to see things differently, take photos of the same object several times if you need, go to different locations, and don’t simply recreate someone else’s shot because it worked out well for them.

Find your focus.

Give your viewer one clear focal point. If it’s dark outside, find something lighter to focus on. But ultimately, it comes down to choice. “I love shooting with a wide open aperture, which achieves a lot of blur behind or in front of what I choose to focus on,” says Furst. “People will tell you there are right and wrong ways to do something, but as an artist, I believe that you should always do it your own way — and maybe even break the rules.”

Let there be light.

Lighting plays a huge role in photography. Flash can overexpose one area, so it’s best to use natural light whenever possible. “I prefer to shoot when the light is softer, whether that be at sunrise, sunset, in foggy conditions, cloudy, or rainy,” says Furst. “I don’t like to shoot in broad daylight due to harsh light, but some people prefer that.” Shooting after dark, which can take a lot of trial and error when you’re first starting, is its own beast. It’s important to practice and learn the ins and outs of your camera.

The more the merrier.

You know what they say — if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Snap several frames of a single object. Not every one will be perfect, but the more you take, the more likely you’ll find something you’ll want to showcase.

Watch your back — and front.

Playing with depth and scale (background and foreground) are key. For example, when you add something like a person in front of a huge landscape, it shows how massive it is. This way, viewers can better relate and put themselves in your shoes when marveling over your photography. “To me, it’s all about making someone feel something,” says Furst.

Select the right tool.

Opt for using your iPhone camera instead of the one offered on Instagram. Not only does it allow for taking several shots of the same scenery, it also gives the shutterbug more control over the image, including setting the focus, selecting what’s exposed in the frame, and more.

Keep it consistent.

Staying consistent with your posts to develop a style and tell a story is also an important technique to remember. If all your photos have a similar aesthetic, it will look more appealing when viewing them together. But don’t forget to have fun with it, of course.

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Read the original article on Oyster.com.

Never Pick the Wrong Seat on a Flight Again

By the time you get to the screen to choose your seat assignment when purchasing a flight, you’re probably “over it”. After researching flight schedules, comparing prices, deciding to actually pull the trigger and making sure you spell your spouse’s middle name correctly on the personal information page – the last thing you want to do is fuss with which row is best.

But that’s a big mistake.

Choosing the wrong seat on a flight can really set a bad tone for an exciting getaway.

For instance, are you traveling with a gal who loves to lug around a giant purse (guilty) and will rummage through it no less than ten times during the flight to retrieve snacks, lipgloss, headphones or her cell phone? Well then the bulkhead seat is not for you.

Or how about if you are traveling with a child who has in the past been known to swing his little feet back and forth the entire flight? Then you better pick a seat with a little extra leg room. Or how about a seat with a TV in the headrest so Sponge Bob can do some of the babysitting and you can finally catch up on some “you time”.

But how do you know which seat is best for you? Well say hello to my little friend- Seat Guru. Accessible via app or online, Seat Guru allows you to get Seat Map Advice or Check a Flight Status with just a few clicks.

Simply input the airline, departure date and flight number (or departure/arrival cities) and Seat Guru will pull up the airplane you will be flying on. Along with the model of plane they have a detailed interactive seat map key that shows if the seat has a Good review, Be Aware rating or a Bad Seat warning. After clicking on a seat you will find a detailed description of features and amenities (power port, TV, extra leg room) or warnings (limited recline of seat, proximity to lavatory).

In the info section you will find details about the flight like if in-flight entertainment will be offered or if carry on rolling bags will need to be tagged and stored under the plane for the flight.

This tool is a great resource and is worth a look. I’m a girl that likes surprises but not when it comes to my vacations. So check out Seat Guru and let me know what you think!

Front of the Line – TSA PreCheck

Have you ever been standing in the never ending security line at the airport watching the “elite travelers” zip right through the exclusive TSA PreCheck line? Yep.  And I bet every time you think to yourself… as soon as I get home from this trip I’m going to figure out how to do that.

Well consider it done my friends.

Of all my travel discoveries this one probably tops the list. The process to apply is fairly simple and if you are lucky enough to live close to an enrollment center you’ll be skipping to the head of the line in a matter of weeks.

So how does it work?

This program provides eligible, low-risk travelers with expedited security screening. To take part in the program, you fill out an application, visit an enrollment center to provide proper documentation (a passport, or your birth certificate and drivers license will do) and pay a non-refundable $85 fee (valid for 5 whole years).

After you apply online, appear in person to do a short interview and are approved, you will then receive a Known Traveller Number (KTN). You will use this number when you make future flight reservations in order for the airline to print an indicator on your boarding pass that allows you to go through the PreCheck line.

Where does it work?

You will find it at more than 160 airports with 16 participating airlines.

Perks

• Shorter security lines

• No need to remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts and light jackets

• Cost is only $85

• Status is good for 5 years

• Feeling like a Superstar

• Overall less stressful experience checking in and getting to the gate

I’ve only encounter a handful of places that didn’t offer a PreCheck option and I had to wait in the regular security line. But even then you are usually handed a laminated neon card that allows you to keep your shoes on and all your liquids in your bag.

As much as people hate on the TSA, I’d like to give them a big old gold star for this program. As Hall and Oates would say… “Well cause you, You make my dreams come true.”

More Questions? 

Tweet @AskTSA