Scooting Around Palm Springs

With all the warnings from the residents at Palm Springs' Happy Traveler RV Park about how hard it is to get around the park during season, I decided to purchase a 1968 Honda Cub Scooter at a garage sale.  It's been a blast, and really has come in handy when two or three RVs are moving in and out of spots blocking passage for my giant cars.  I just hop on the scooter and tear over to my office at The Paul Kaplan Group.  It makes quite a noise, and parking is a cinch in our lobby!

Palm Springs Modern Committee Fall Home Tour 2013

I spent part of Saturday touring homes for PSmodcom's Fall tour, with such homes as 1961 by Home Lab, the new Dee Residence in Rancho Mirage by architect Lance O'Donnell of o2 Architecture, and a recent renovation of a rear patio unit at The Ocotillo Lodge, which was designed by Palmer and Krisel and built by the Alexanders (one of my favorite condo complexes, there are plaques with celebrity names on the doors, harking back to when it was a favorite weekend haunt of celebrities).  This one had a "Dinah Shore" in gold on the door.  The Estrella Swim club house in Indian Canyons was a crowd-pleaser.

Desert Happenings: The Purple Room

I am very excited that a longtime favorite, The Purple Room at Club Trinidad has reopened!  Our friends, The Gand Band will be playing there often.  I was a little nervous that the new owners might have gotten carried away with renovations, but it's still quirky, dark, and full of interesting characters- and now they have FOOD!  Loved the sloppy joe sliders as well as the liver pate!  Photographer Lani Garfield was there and caught this nice image of Liz and Frank Malinka at our table. 

New Escrow! 2133 Berne

I do sell real estate, too!  Maybe I mentioned that before?  Looking forward to closing this deal at 2133 Berne, Palm Springs.  It was listed at $599,000, and will close on November 7.  Do you know what that means?  More trailer toys!

New Wheels: 1968 Honda 50 Cub

I've heard that getting in and out of The Happy Traveler RV Park can be quite an ordeal during season.  I am nipping that in the bud- I bought a 1968 Honda Cub  (Tuxedo!) with less than 40 kilometers on the clock from new.  I found it at a killer garage sale that former clients of mine Samantha and Chad had in El Rancho Vista Estates about two weeks ago.  I sold them their Wexler-designed house about two years ago.  Garage sales rock in Palm Springs!

The Happy Traveler: Trailer Park Living

You see the most interesting combinations in rigs come through The Happy Traveler.  This converted bus was towing a late 70s/early 80s Mercedes 240.  I was seriously in love with these as a kid in the early 80s.  The neighbors next door have a Volkswagen fetish:  A Karmann-Ghia and a Microbus!

Season is Almost Here!

I was terribly excited to see that they'd taken down the iron fence around the shuffleboard courts at The Happy Traveler.  It's been so long since I played- I might need a refresher on the rules.  Simultaneously, lots more RVs have started to appear at the park.

Airstreams in Orbit

My family in Ohio (Hi Mom, Dad and Susie, Morgan, too!) sent me two strings of patio lanterns that are shaped like Airstream Trailers.  They look like they are silver satellites strung up outside! They really make the patio look finished!

My cabinet guy, Jacob came to install my fence.  A fence that keeps me from seeing right out my bedroom window into the sewer line of my neighbor at The Happy Traveler RV Park.  It was only going to be down one side, but I got carried away and had him create a 90 degree fence with a downward-angled slope on one side.  It's really made a huge difference in how private the patio feels.

The Great Outdoors

Well, the patio is taking shape.  I plan to add in a fence at the back (it's on the to-do list.  I put a battery-powered LED light in my Tonka Winnebago (my Great-Grandparents gave me this one for Christmas in 1975).  I hate the dumb yellow pouf/ottoman, but it's holding space and pretty functional.  The 1960s Brown Jordan lounge chairs are staying, trying to decide on what to upholster the vintage chaise lounges in...

The Big Reveal

I threw a party to introduce Palm Springs to The Silver Suitcase (my Airstream trailer).  It was mostly completed by Labor Day weekend, and I moved in the Monday after the party.  To check out the party photos (this is what we do in a trailer park) click HERE.

Thanks to David Lee for photographs, Design 849 for staging the lounge area (via Bill Nicholson, Travis Smith, and Brian Wolbaum), and to Bar for providing the great sliders!

Upholstery, Lights, and Wastewater Tanks

Padded Lower Wall in Green Sunbrella w original table legs

Rear Sleeping Berth Overhead Cabinets

Midcentury Pendant Light over Dinette

Living Room Sofa Arm/Wall Padding

Full Grey Water Tank

Things are moving very swiftly now- the lower upholstered walls were installed- more sound insulation, and when the sleeper sofa in use, these function as a headboard.  They were finished in a green Sunbrella fabric that matches the green in the Marimekko fabric of draperies.  The sofa arms were installed, but the sofa can't be put in until the flooring gets installed (next Wednesday, HOORAY!).

Crandall's RV service has been putting in the lighting upgrades- the cabinets above the bed are going to have a dimmer switch for the surface mount vintage lights from Rejuvenation.  I also realized last night in the blinding glare of undercabinet halogen lights from my kitchen that I will also need a dimmer there.

The Pendant light from etsy looks fantastic over the dinette table- I just need a hook to pull the cord to one side while the light is in use.

Lastly, was over at the Airstream this morning, and noticed about 3-4 inches of water in the shower stall- I texted Crandall's and they said my greywater tanks probably needed to be emptied- I washed dished for the first time last night, and I guess I filled the tank- oops!