Palm Springs, Disneyland, and Oahu {Overview}

10/11/2019

I'm sitting poolside in Palm Springs writing this post! My husband, Bryce, and I are at the beginning of a THREE part trip! We've left Seattle to chase the sun and to visit friends and family across the miles.

Typically my first post after a trip is the {overview} but I'm excited to outline it all, here and now, from the beginning of the vacation.

My favorite snapshot from my last visit to Palm Springs

First stop Palm Springs.

We're in Palm Springs, California for a few days to celebrate our belated wedding anniversary! Our 6th wedding anniversary was last month. On the actual date we went to a football game so doing something else, something bigger, was in order.

Why Palm Springs?

Bryce had only been to Palm Springs briefly a few times. Once as a kid with his family and baseball team and another time for a quick getaway with some fellow Marines after pre-deployment training at nearby Twentynine Palms.

I visited Palm Springs earlier this year for a bachelorette party and fell in love with the desert vibes, the heat, the pools, and the restaurants. I happened to drink too much, as one does at a bachelorette party, and ruined my last day here. I'm calling this visit the Palm Springs redemption tour!

The Details:

Flight - We took a quick Alaska Airlines flight #1383 from Seattle totaling 2 hours and 45 minutes
Lodging - We're staying at the Colony Palms Hotel because it's historic, adorable, and has a killer pool, a restaurant, and a spa onsite
Objectives - celebrate, relax, eat, hang out by the pool

No visit to Palm Springs would be complete without a pool

Second stop Oogie Boogie Bash.

Today we'll head to Anaheim, California where we'll visit Bryce's family and go to Oogie Boogie Bash, the new Halloween Party at Disney's California Adventure Park!

Why Disneyland again?
I'll never get enough of Disney, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, etc. This trip is different from the others, though. My Disney-buddy and sister-in-law Renee and her gang are moving from Southern California to Texas. This will likely be our last trip to Disneyland together. For that impending reason we've splurged for the tickets to the Halloween event and both my husband and his brother Brandon will be joining us at the park!

The Details:

Driving - We're catching a ride from Palm Springs to Anaheim/Norco, CA with family
Lodging - We're also staying with family, they cannot say no to us!
Objectives - Make the very most of Oogie Boogie Bash

This Disney crew is hitting Disneyland for Halloween

Third stop Oahu.

After our California adventures we're heading to Oahu, Hawaii for 8 glorious days.

Why Oahu?
Bryce lived in Hawaii for 10 years and I lived there for 5. It's where we spent the better part of our 20s, where we met, got engaged, and got married. It's our favorite place. We aim to get there once a year but it's been two years since our last visit.

The Details:

Flight - We're flying from LA to Honolulu via Alaska Airlines flight #817 @ 6 hours 5 mins
Lodging - We're visiting and crashing with so many friends on island and hoping to spend just one night at Disney's Aulani hotel
Objectives - Visit all of our friends, my cousin Darren, and hopefully catch the grand opening of his brewery Stewbum and Stonewall