Writers' corner: Hot Springs bingo

I had an opportunity in December to take a trip out west. Several friends of mine had planned to reunite in Las Vegas before traveling onward to Palm Springs, California, to attend the annual film festival there. We are all writers pursuing careers in screenwriting and film production, so this was a chance to take in the sights and talk shop.

My vacation started in Las Vegas. I shared a room with a friend and we took a day to explore the city together. We went to the strip and walked through several of the large casinos. We went to a museum and did some shopping. Our paths crossed with that of a bridal shower party as we walked to the Paris to find crepes. I chatted with the gals and wished the bride much happiness. They were wonderful.

After our day trip, we returned to our hotel. The resort had everything: a spa, pools, casino, bingo, restaurants, a lounge, a bowling alley, and a multi-screen theater. We explored the many attractions. This took hours. We found the blackjack tables and settled in to watch players enjoying the game.

We found a marquee for the lounge which advertised a Vegas-styled stage show featuring a singing pianist. I knew this was something we had to see. We stood at the entrance and watched for a few minutes. As I stood there in the darkened entrance, I was inspired. A whole story unfolded in my head. I quickly wrote down notes for what may one day be a screenplay. After dinner, we tried to find a film to watch but nothing was showing at that time. So, we decided to try our hands at bingo. Before that night, I’d thought of bingo as a game for children and old ladies. Boy, was I wrong! I actually won!

The next morning we drove to Palm Springs. l’d never been there before and I was very excited to see it. We left Las Vegas in the evening. It is a three-hour drive to Desert Hot Springs, which is next to Palm Springs, and where a friend had a home. I had to wait until the following morning to take in the views. We drove through the Spring Mountains as we headed toward California. It was very dark by the time we entered the Golden State. The Santa Rosa and the San Jacinto ranges passed by mostly unseen. My memories of the initial journey through those hills are illuminated by our car’s headlights as we traversed the winding roads.

The following morning dawned cold and crisp. We ate a quick breakfast before heading out to explore. The mountains rose up around the valley like a beautiful backdrop. We walked out into the seasonally chilly morning air and headed out to find the Joshua trees.

We drove to the Joshua Tree State Park. It was bitterly cold there, which surprised me. Being from the Midwest, I mistakenly thought anywhere in the Southwest must be warmer than home. Right? Apparently, this is not the case.

Joshua Tree was an otherworldly experience. The landscape was breathtakingly beautiful. Colossal rocks erupted from the desert floor looking remarkably like prehistoric whales breaching a Cenozoic era sea. The park’s namesake flora, the iconic Joshua trees, resemble something straight out of the pages of a Dr Seuss book. The oddly twisted and shaggy trees were as magical as I hoped they would be. Our little group headed up to the highest lookout point and took in the view. It was incredibly windy and the temperatures at that height were bone-chilling. From that frigid vantage point, we could see much of the valley, including several towns built around the hot springs and the waters of a large lake called the Sultan Sea. Later that day we had a chance to soak in a pool filled with mineral water from the hot springs. It was divine.

Over the next two days, we attended the presentations of two films at the festival. The two films had similar themes, yet they were as different as apples and oranges. I’m not sure I would watch the first film a second time, but the second film was fabulous. I hope it makes the rounds through theaters. Each night, our little group had dinner at one of the many wonderful restaurants in Palm Springs. We were not disappointed and we did not leave hungry.

After our time in Palm Springs, part of our group headed to L.A. and I returned to Las Vegas with the other friend. She had to return to work while I was still on vacation. I took advantage of my solitude over the next two days and sat down to write. I let my new story roll around in my head before putting my pen to paper. I wrote several pages each day and spent time with another writer friend who lived locally. We took her dog to the dog park and to Costco. Later, we went back to the hotel to play bingo.

On my last night in Las Vegas, I visited with friends before turning in early. My flight left before six the following morning, so my friend agreed to drop me at the airport. I am so grateful for her. Turns out, this was the easiest part of the trip home. Weather-related issues delayed the flight on the last leg and I spent a night at Chicago O’Hare airport.

Sadly for me, my original ride home had to work, leaving me stranded. Fate smiled on me again and graced me with a friend heading to Kalamazoo. She asked her father if he would drive me home once we landed. It was an amazing trip. I am so glad I went. Home never looked so good.

Bio: Christine Cox lives and works in southwest Michigan. She enjoys holidays and the changing seasons. She can be contacted at christine.cox37@yahoo.com.

— The Sturgis Writers’ Mill exists to create a community of writers who constructively encourage, support, and challenge each other as they discover their unique voices. Any opinion expressed is solely that of the author.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Writers' corner: Hot Springs bingo