Very wet day in flooded Palm Springs

Holy cow! We drove in torrential rain from Burbank to Palm Springs but never imagined the flooding we’d witness when we arrived. We tried three different streets off of I-10 to get downtown and had to turn back after a few blocks on each one due to a raging river of muddy water rushing across the street. Astonishing. Once we got into town, going further east on I-10 and then doubling back west, we found street after street downtown blocked by floodwater. Even when we got out of our car and tried to walk to the architecture and design museum, we had to stop because we didn’t dare cross a major street that was now a rushing stream. The restaurant I booked several weeks ago, Birba, closed due to flooding (it is mostly outdoors) and finding another restaurant was complicated not only by the rain (which flooded other restaurants) but the fact that today was valentines’ day.

It all worked out. We ate lunch in the mid century modern Kings Highway diner in the oh-so-hip Ace Hotel (good but I got an upset stomach from my tuna melt). Dinner was at Mr. Lyons, a 1940’s steak house. We found a table in the very lively bar and had a surprisingly inexpensive meal thanks to the happy hour menu. Again, the food was nothing special but great scene and people watching. Lots of gay men, LA types, kooky or hipster clothes. We also hung out awhile in the speakeasy, a small room behind an anonymous curtain with interesting decor and cocktails and disco music and more fun people watching. Word has it, it is called Seymour’s (my brother clued us in) but never saw any sign.

We are staying in a cozy white cabana house behind a 1950s mid-century house and pool on East Park street, courtesy of Airbnb. Hope we wake up to some blue sky tomorrow. Word has it this was the rainiest day in 35 years and there was more rain today than in the past 5 years cumulatively.