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Ciera Design Studio

Brand identity and design solutions for creative businesses and passionate entrepreneurs

Palm Springs To Los Angeles Road Trip

August 12, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal 6 Comments

Okay guys, this is my final post from my June vacation, I hope you have enjoyed! The Palm Springs area was amazing with so much to do and see. I can’t believe it took me over a month to edit a weeks worth of photos! After spending the majority of our time in Palm Springs we decided to venture out on a little road trip. The same day we went to Salvation Mountain we also decided to head to LA for a few hours. So after leaving Salvation Mountain we stopped along the Salton Sea, it was very eerie, huge campgrounds with no one around for miles and miles! Everything seemed abandon.

The Salton Sea California 1

The Salton Sea California 2

The Salton Sea California 3

We took a pit stop to see the Cabazon Dinosaurs and drove past all of the windmill farms (I could barely keep my eyes on the road they were so mesmerizing).

Cabazon Dinosaurs California

Then we had lunch in LA at Lamill Coffee Boutique, did a little window shopping, walked around the Ivanhoe Reservoir (much longer walk than we anticipated) and headed up to the Griffith Observatory to watch the sunset. We didn’t want to get back to Palm Springs too late, so we had dinner at Feed Body + Soul and hit the road! We definitely got a lot of sightseeing done that day!

Los Angeles Griffith Observatory View

Silver Lake Los Angeles Stairs

Silver Lake Los Angeles Plants

Overlooking Ivanhoe Reservoir Los Angeles

Griffith Observatory Los Angeles

Griffith Observatory Los Angeles Path

Griffith Observatory Los Angeles Mountain Sunset

Griffith Observatory Los Angeles Hollywood Sign

There’s the Hollywood sign, can you see it?! I can’t wait to go back to LA again and actually spend some time there! This week in California was such a fun vacation with my two best friends full of great memories!

Palm Springs Vacation Memories

If you missed any of the posts along the way you can check them out here: ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner, Salvation Mountain, The Saguaro, Parker Palm Springs, architecture tour, Aerial Tramway – Mount San Jacinto State Park. Did you have a favorite?

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – Mount San Jacinto State Park

August 5, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal Leave a Comment

While in Palm Springs we had a gorgeous view of the San Jacinto mountains. We were totally surrounded by them the whole time so we decided to get up close and personal to see what they were all about. We heard the best way to do this was to take the tramway to the top! The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. It was opened in September 1963 as a way of getting from the floor of the Coachella Valley to relatively near the top of San Jacinto Peak. San Jacinto Peak, 10,834 feet, is the highest peak of the San Jacinto Mountains and is within Mount San Jacinto State Park.

I’m not gonna lie, the tramway was kinda scary, it was so steep! But the view made it totally worth it! At the top of the mountain we did a short little hike and then had lunch before heading back down. It was a nice little break from the Palm Springs desert heat. The temperature dropped quite a bit up in the mountains!

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park Gif

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Y’all, this Jeffrey pine smelled exactly like butterscotch candy, it was crazy!

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mount San Jacinto State Park

Check out the rest of our trip: ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner, Salvation Mountain, The Saguaro, Parker Palm Springs, our architecture tour and our instagrams here.

Palm Springs Architecture Tour

July 29, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal 7 Comments

One of our days in Palm Springs was spent driving around from neighborhood to neighborhood to see what the more residential areas were like. We started out at Koffi (best coffee in Palm Springs) to plan our route and we ended up downloading a really cool iPhone app called FanGuide Palm Springs Modern Architecture that had different routes with addresses mapped out and the story behind each spot.

Palm Springs has a large concentration of architecture from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Many architects adapted ideas from the Bauhaus movement and the International Style, creating an elegant yet informal style called Desert Modernism. Other popular styles in Palm Springs are Art Moderne, Spanish Eclectic, Googie and Tiki.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Palm Springs to its 2006 list of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual national list of only 12 cultural tourism destinations for architecture. In 2009, Palm Springs was designated a Preserve America City.

It’s so crazy how different the architecture and landscaping is from what I’m used to, I’ve really never seen anything like Palm Springs. It was a great day of exploring!

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 1

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 2

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 3

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 4

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 5

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 6

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 7

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 8

Palm Springs Architecture Tour 9

Next up will be photos from Mount San Jacinto State Park and a little road trip to LA! In the meantime you can check out ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner, Salvation Mountain, The Saguaro, Parker Palm Springs and our instagrams here.

24 Hours at the Parker Palm Springs

July 10, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal 15 Comments

For our last night in Palm Springs we decided to switch it up and I’m SO glad we did. The Saguaro was beautiful, but the Parker Palm Springs… best. place. ever. In 2003 it was purchased by hotelier Jack Parker, who hired designer Jonathan Adler to give the space a $27-million facelift. The property re-opened in 2004 as Le Parker Méridien, or Parker Palm Springs as it is better known.

From the moment we drove up it was like being whisked away into a tropical fairy tail of secret gardens. Such a unique and eclectic ambiance that is hard to describe. We relaxed in our amazing room for a while before heading out to the pool and for drinks at their outdoor cafe, The Lemonade Stand. Right before sunset we went back to the room to change and have some pre dinner drinks in our hammock! On our way to dinner, we explored some of the 13-acre property, including fire pits, desert gardens and croquet courts. We were bummed that Mister Parker’s was closed the night we were there but Norma’s, the other restaurant at the Parker did not disappoint! We ended up making friends with the table next to us and had a great early night since our flight was the next morning! If you head to Palm Springs, I recommend checking out the Parker Palm Springs or having dinner there, even if you don’t book a room!

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

The Parker Palm Springs

A HUGE thanks to Parker Palm Springs for hooking us up with a room discount and upgrade! I can’t believe we almost didn’t stay here! Although we received a discount, all opinions are my own, I absolutely adore the Parker Palm Springs!

Next up will be photos from our architecture tour, Mount San Jacinto State Park and some of our other favorites from the trip! In the meantime you can check out ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner, Salvation Mountain, The Saguaro and our instagrams here.

The Saguaro Palm Springs

July 8, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal 10 Comments

During our week in Palm Springs we stayed at The Saguaro for six of our seven nights. The actual rooms were nothing special but the beautiful pool area totally made up for this! In 2011, architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat were brought in to infuse local color into the property. The team, known for their bold use of color, advocated recreating The Saguaro around a palette of 14 vibrant tones found in native desert wildflowers. The brilliant colors now adorn each balcony and patio and anchor the guest rooms, while also enlivening the indoor and outdoor public spaces. The color set follows the light spectrum, which in turn creates different perspectives of the hotel according to the time of day. Truthfully, this hotel is what swayed our final decision to choose Palm Springs for our vacation destination! After seeing all of the photos on Pinterest we had to stay there!

Both of the restaurants by Iron Chef Jose Garces at the hotel were really good! At Tinto, Garces presents his modern approach to traditional Basque tapas, and a deep selection of the area’s premier wines and native cocktails. El Jefe is a more casual spot featuring the cuisine and culture of Mexico City.

Our first day in Palm Springs we took it slow, relaxed by the The Saguaro pool and explored the grounds. I LOVED this hotel, the view of the mountains from the pool mixed with the rainbow of colors on the patios was breathtaking.

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

The Saguaro Palm Springs

Next up will be photos from our architecture tour, Mount San Jacinto State Park, The Parker and some of our other favorites from the trip! In the meantime you can check out ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner, Salvation Mountain and our instagrams here.

Salvation Mountain

July 1, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal 7 Comments

Salvation Mountain is an art installation covering a hill near Slab City, California and just several miles from the Salton Sea. It is made from adobe, straw, and thousands of gallons of paint. It was created by local resident Leonard Knight, and encompasses numerous murals and areas painted with Christian sayings and Bible verses.

It is one of the coolest, and most bizarre, works of art I have ever seen. It was in the middle of nowhere and took a very eerie drive to get there. It was not on the way to anything else we were planning, but I’m so glad we took the time to check it out! It was such a cool experience to be there. I tried to capture the feeling, but if you are ever in the area, I would definitely visit the work of art because I know my photographs can’t do it justice!

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain - Niland, California

Next up will be photos from our architecture tour, The Saguaro, Mount San Jacinto State Park, The Parker and some of our other favorites from the trip! In the meantime you can check out ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner and our instagrams here.

ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner: Out & About Palm Springs

June 24, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal 12 Comments

My two best friends and I took a week-long vacation to Palm Springs last week! This was only my second time to California and all of our first times to Palm Springs so we wanted to check a lot of stuff out! The temperature in Palm Springs was in the 100’s during the day with a high of 108 degrees! That’s a good 10 degrees warmer than it’s normally here in New Orleans, but the dry heat was SO much more bearable than the super humid weather I’m used to! So needless to say, the plan was to spend a lot of time at the pool! We spent three days at three different pools and the rest of our time exploring the area. I’ve decided to split this trip into smaller posts starting with The Ace Hotel and King’s Highway Diner. We didn’t get to stay at the Ace but we did spend a day by their pool. I really liked the casual and relaxed vibe and the food was some of our favorite from the trip! It was a pretty calm day since it was during the week but from what I have heard, they have some great parties on the weekends. On Saturday’s they even have a specialty Bloody Mary menu which we were bummed to miss out on. A few days later we got a yummy breakfast at King’s Highway which is a really cool renovated Denny’s at The Ace. I’d definitely consider staying here next time I’m in Palm Springs!

Ace Hotel & Swim Club Front Yard

Pool chairs at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs

Sun through the trees at Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs

Showers and Lockers at Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs

Ace Hotel & Swim Club metal letters sign

Buildings and Aloe at Ace Hotel & Swim Club

Palm Trees at Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs

Massive Aloe Plants at King's Highway Diner, Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs

Kings Highway Diner Building Front

Kings Highway Diner Interior

Kings Highway Diner Menu at Ace Hotel Palm Springs

Kings Highway Diner Counter

Megan at Kings Highway Diner at Ace Hotel

Kings Highway Diner Chalkboard Sign

Kings Highway Diner Iced Coffee and Cream

Kings Highway Diner and the Amigo Room Sign at Ace Hotel Palm Springs

Rope instalation in window at Ace Hotel Palm Springs

Next up will be photos from our architecture tour, The Saguaro, Mount San Jacinto State Park, The Parker, Salvation Mountain and some of our other favorites from the trip! In the meantime you can check out our instagrams here.

Mango-Frozen-Fruit-Bar-in-Park-295 Hi, I'm Ciera, graphic designer and co-founder of VenturePop creative conference. When I’m not designing for my amazing clients, I'm writing blog posts, walking my pup or bringing creatives together through local events. Take a look around!

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