Mr Al Young Dot Com

It is the middle of the July and much of the country is experiencing a heat wave.  So naturally I would be spending a week vacationing in one of the hottest spots in the country….Palm Springs.  It reached a high of 114 degrees last week and on most days around 108-110 degrees.  I’m not a fan of the heat but when you are trying to find an available timeshare spot during the summer only the hottest places are readily available.  Mainly because no one wants to go there when it is so hot.  That can be a plus if you can handle the heat.

Last year we went to Scottsdale/Phoenix where it was equally hot so we are no stranger to extreme summer heat.  Palms Springs is very much like Scottsdale.  Like Scottsdale it is an upscale area with lots of nice homes and resorts.  Also there is a lot of shopping and golf courses.  And it is very HOT.  I think its dry heat but it does not matter, its still not comfortable.  Most days it reaches 100 degrees by 10 in the morning and it does not get below 100 degrees until about 9 in the evening.   There are only 2 places that you are really comfortable at, indoors under air conditioning and in the pool.  We spent a lot of time at the pool.

Still you do eventually get used to the heat or at least adapt better.  When the temperature dropped by 10 degrees due to some thunderstorms it almost felt pleasant…. almost.  Despite the extreme heat we did get in a lot of activities and had a good time.  If you can handle the heat going to a hot weather destination during the dead of summer has its advantages.  First the rates at hotels and restaurants are much lower than during the winter when everyone is going.  If you want to experience a nice 4 or 5 star resort but did not want to pay the high prices go in the summer.  You can get room rates at 1/2 off or more from the high season rate.   The same goes with restaurants. So if you want to pamper yourself at a nice resort at a  bargain price summer is the time to go.

If you want to hang around a nice pool, get a spa treatment and eat well all at a reasonable rate, this is the vacation for you.  However if you want a more active vacation, than it may not work for you.  The good news is that many attractions like golf are deeply discounted during the summer season.  The bad news is that you can only do anything active comfortably very early or very late in the day.  I would have loved to golf on one the many golf courses in Palm Springs but I don’t think I could have lasted 2-3 hours in this heat.