Nine days into the new year, I felt a sudden urge. That “I just wanna get out of here” urge. Within 30 minutes of that initial feeling, Wynston and I were well on our way. I filled up my gas tank, grabbed a cheeseburger to share with my boy, and headed west on the I-10. All I knew is that we were going to head toward California. Because why not?! In life, right now, I’m just going where the wind takes me. And on January 9, 2019, it took us to Indio, CA and The Salton Sea!
Our Impulse Trip to Indio, CA
Just three days before our first trip of 2019, I posted these lyrics on our Facebook page:
“What I love most about rivers is,
You can’t step in the same river twice.
The water’s always changing,
Always flowing.
But people, I guess,
Can’t live like that.
We all must pay a price.
To be safe we lose the chance at ever knowing
What’s around the river bend.”
I’m being drawn to new adventures in order to make memories with my son. I want to explore bodies of water that we’ve never stepped foot or paw in, and journey through a forest we’ve never been lost in. The feeling of driving and ending up at a beautiful place is incredibly freeing. And this trip to Indio, CA reminded me of that.
On Wednesday we headed out around noon. We just drove for a bit, and when we hit Blythe, CA I decided maybe we’d try to find something in the Coachella valley since we hadn’t stayed there before. Luckily I spotted a Holiday Inn Express off the freeway. I first noticed the beautiful view surrounding the hotel, and remembered the Holiday Inn hotels are under the IHG name. I prefer IHG hotels because of their pet-friendly policies and excellent accommodations. So we stopped in…
Thankfully they had a room for us! I didn’t have to pay a pet fee because Wynston is an ESA, and I was able to cover the cost of the room with my IHG Rewards Points! We had a room on the first floor, making potty time extremely convenient.
The lobby of the Holiday Inn Express was very snazzy. I was impressed, and looked forward to seeing our room. We weren’t disappointed! The room was spacious and lovely. We had a pretty view of the mountains, and Wynston expressed his happiness with zoomies on the bed immediately upon entering.
Since we arrived around 4pm, we just relaxed the rest of the evening. We walked around a little bit and scoped out the hotel grounds. The weather was beautiful.
The next morning we ate a delicious hot breakfast, courtesy of the hotel. Wynston got lots of smiles from other guests, and he got plenty of bacon 😉 It was probably his favorite part of the trip.
After hanging out in the room for a little while longer, I decided to look up directions to the Salton Sea. I remember seeing signs for it, and it was about 30 minutes out of the way. But I figured we’d go explore! Next time I do a surprise trip someone remind me bring a backpack for Wynston. For small dog parents, they’re an easy way to lug them around without straining your arms.
We checked out of our room around 9:30am, and hit the road again. I could have easily been lazy and let the 30 minute detour phase me, but I thought about how happy I’d be if the Salton Sea turned out to be really freaking cool. And it was.
Wynston and I arrived and we had the place to ourselves. It was so amazing. It was crazy to come across a white beach (which is made of salt, hence the name Salton Sea) with the smell of the ocean in the middle of the desert. It felt like we were in a completely different place. The breeze was refreshing, the air was salty and the water was calm. Quite the serene experience, I must say.
We wandered the shore for a bit, watching the salty ground become green as we walked on it. In the distance we saw snow-covered mountain tops, but it felt like we were at the ocean. I experienced a sense of peace and belonging in that moment.
The last couple of months I’ve been realizing that although life gets extremely difficult and it can be easy to give up, it’s still worth truly living. I’ve starting dreaming in light again, rather than keeping myself in a dark space. I didn’t think too much about heading to California with Wynston. We just did it. I stepped out of my comfort zone, and didn’t let fear hold me back.
In 2019 we have a lot more trips to go on, places to see and cultures to experience. This year I will be fearless, I will be happy, and Wynston and I will continue to make memories to cherish forever.
We hope you will continue to follow our adventures. Our hashtag for this year’s adventures is #TravelfortheWyn. We’ll be adding to the map below as we travel!
Visit our page about traveling with dogs for more fun, adventure and travel tips!
Kinley Westie says
Sounds like a fun trip!
Amanda says
It really was!
Amy@GoPetFriendly says
We arrived in Desert Hot Springs yesterday and will be here for two months. If you get back this way, let me know – it would be great to meet up for coffee!
Amanda says
Oh, no way! I will definitely let you know! It’s an easy drive for us, so I’m almost positive we’ll be back again this year.
speedyrabbit says
these impulse trips are always the best kind of trips,xx Rachel and Speedy
Alex Clark says
Your dog is so cute.
Amanda says
Thank you!