Rancho Las Palmas: Autism and a Special Vacation

This mommy needed a vacation in a crazy way.  It has been a long summer.  My kids have autism, so I was trying to find a place that could help me accommodate some of our needs, while being close to home, fun and family friendly.

After perusing the web, some blogs, and looking at #ocmomtravel I called up Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, CA.  I saw on the web there was a Dive into Summer Special Rate. I  talked to their reservation line and told them about my kids and the vacation I wanted to take, and some of the special needs that my kids had, and I was amazed at the help and suggestions and willingness to make our stay enjoyable, so I booked us 4 days at the resort.  The concierge Eric Santos was very helpful in getting us set up and making us have a comfortable and relaxing vacation.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon and it was a very hot 112 degrees!  But have no fear SPLASHTOPIA was waiting for my kids and us so we DOVE into the pool and the water slide and it was like a HAPPY FACTORY for my water babies.


Our room was amazing, the location and the view were perfect for what we needed.  The decor was gorgeous, and my kids really couldn’t disturb other guests, which is a huge worry when I’m out.  One of my kids favorite things was the Fun Zone Arcade that was set up and open every day.  It broke up some of the pool time, and was a great way to keep the kids busy and out of the heat.  It was fun and they had so many different games and activities for the children, I was surprised, I’ve never seen that before in a desert resort.

We ventured out in the Palm Springs Area and had a date shake at Date Shield Farm, which was AMAZING, and reminded me of the date shakes at the Shake Shack in Newport Beach before it became a Ruby’s and before Crystal Cove was even a development.

My husband and youngest son took a trip to the Palm Springs Ariel Tramway one day and did a couple of mile hike, and it was a blast, as well as a great way to beat the heat on the desert floor, it was about 25 degrees cooler up at the top of the mountain.

We found some things in the desert to do with autism, and the hotel made us feel more than at home.  If you are thinking of vacationing in the desert area with your family and or your special needs child, I absolutely 150% percent recommend Rancho Las Palmas.  The staff on duty in the pool area were made aware of my kids and some of their personality traits and how to help them or work with them.  They were so kind and understanding and helpful it was beyond my expectations.
  

We had to cut our trip short by a day because the hustle and bustle of resort life was a little more than one of my kids could handle, and we left in a big hurry, and again the staff came to help and went above and beyond the call of duty and made our stay and our quick retreat out of there a great experience.  I can hardly wait to get back and experience the spa, and some of the other amazing features.