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.:A Desert Lifestyle Article:.

Shopping at The Gardens on El Paseo
by Kate Dyer

Ratings for El Paseo:
2 Stars Enjoyable Environment
3 Stars Quality Product
1 Star* Cost Appropriate
*Keep your eyes peeled for some great sales!

Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and Fifth Avenue in New York City have their equivalent in the desert, though it is a little less known.  El Paseo is what I like to call the “Rodeo Drive of the Desert”.  Located in Palm Desert, it is a wonderful one mile stretch of quaint boutiques, name brand designer stores and yummy restaurants. 

The atmosphere on El Paseo is nearly as elegant as the shops that line the street.  The sidewalks are defined by rows of tall palm trees. The center median is full of lush grass coupled with bountiful flowering plants and sporadic artistic sculptures on display.  The classic and colorful awnings offer shade for passersby as “Open” signs hang on free standing poles along the sidewalk, beckoning shoppers to pop in and browse the selection. 

Recently, I made plans to meet my mother at The Gardens on El Paseo for an afternoon of shopping.  The Gardens is an outdoor shopping area filled with restaurants like Pacifica Seafood Restaurant and Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza. It is known for its anchor store, Sax Fifth Avenue, and other mainstream designer brands like J. Crew, White House Black Market, and Quicksilver.

As we started our day of luxury, walking around The Gardens, I was amazed at the great prices we were able to find in stores where most of the time I just window shop.  At Ann Taylor Loft, I purchased a cute cropped jacket that was originally $60 for the bargain price of $6.88, what a steal!  After that great find, I was energized to see what other good deals awaited me.  My mom and I both found chic summer outfits of bright greens, yellows and blues at Banana Republic. They were discounted by 50 percent, which we thought made the clothing very reasonable.  Pottery Barn didn’t let us down in their sale department either.  I purchased some potpourri that usually cost $14 a bag for $.97 a bag.  The sales were fantastic! 

Pleased with our shopping day so far, we decided it was time to pause for some refreshments.  We agreed upon Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café.  Though this place is pricy, the food was delicious!  In order to keep the bill down, we decided to split an appetizer and a salad.  I highly recommend the Big Island Goat Cheese served with flat bread.  It was a wonderful combination when paired with the St. Croix Chopped Salad. Once our tummies were satisfied, we decided to journey farther down El Paseo and check out the boutiques for which the street is known.

Of course walking from shop to shop is a great way to stretch your legs; however, when your feet need a break you can catch a ride on the free Courtesy Cart (tipping is suggested).  It is a bright yellow, open-air electric car that zips shoppers up and down El Paseo. We really enjoyed our conversation with the friendly and informative driver of the Courtesy Cart as he drove us to the boutique section. 

One of my favorite boutiques on El Paseo is called Pink Club.  It is a very girly store where gifts for girl friends were plentiful.  Inside there was an assortment of funny books, cookie cutters in the shape of bassinettes and martini glasses and, of course, tons of cute clothes.  Back on the street, the boutiques seemed endless.  Joy! Maternity would be a terrific place for expecting mothers, and My Best Friend store is dog lover’s heaven.  4 Seasons Swimwear is dedicated to providing the perfect bathing suit for every shape and size.  Even though there are many shops to choose from, they all do a great job of serving a particular niche. 

One day of shopping on El Paseo was barely enough to scratch the surface of this shopping gem.  There are so many fun places to explore.  Some stores were altogether out of my budget, but many of them had sale racks where I would be willing to purchase a special Homecoming outfit, or use birthday money to buy a unique top.  In the past, El Paseo has served as a great resource in finding distinctive wedding or baby shower gifts.  I realize that El Paseo may not be the place for a shopping spree on a military budget, but it is a good place to remember when you are looking for something special and unique.  Don’t forget to look out for the sales and you too can find a treasure!