HOW YOU GET THERE: It isn't always a common practice for a hotel or resort to inquire specifically how you arrived when you first stroll in the lobby. They might ask after your journey -- "did you have a nice trip?" -- but they're going to talk about your room and the amenities and the dining before asking for you to provide the make/model of your car and license plate (or inquiring about whether you'll need a van back to the airport, if you flew in). Sometimes, though, a package is built around how you got to a place. Look to the new Road Trip offer at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa, which just revved its engines for the summer 2016 season. It's on through Sept. 10 -- that's a week beyond Labor Day -- and some of the extras and additions are charmingly geared for the car ride home. Yep, that's...
CAR BINGO... in your goody bag, the kind that back-seaters play to wile away the miles. Did you see a sign? A cow? A Beetle? Best record it all on your card. Souvenir sunglasses, too, are a stylish road trip fixture, and all the members of your family'll receive their own pair. Shall there be postcards, too, of the resort? Oh yes, and they're oh-so-handy in letting the friends back home know that you're swimming, relaxing, and savoring those quintessential desert nights by the pool. And will "welcome nachos" be part of your greeting? You bet. Nachos, after all, practically shout "road trip!" with every gooey cheesy bite. (Well, it's more of a "crunch," technically, but you get our meaning.)
TO BOOK THE ROAD TRIP... package at the Renaissance, you'll need the code SPU (and you'll want to check out the details and so forth). There's a lot happening during the toastier months 'round the desert resorts, so check out the kid-sweet club, pools, and dining choices. Ready to pack the trunk and unfold the map? Well, even if our maps are on our phones, the spirit of map-unfolding-ness, and the adventure of the open highway, truly lives on in road-trippers across California.
