Pink Saturday - Pink motel

Beverly at the blog How Sweet the Sound has a great idea! It's Pink Saturday. Post about something pink, on Saturday. Here are the rules if you want to Get Pink!

If you're going to Palm Springs, Ruby Montana's Coral Sands Motel is a great place to stay. This classic 50s-style pink motel's proprietor is Ruby Montana, former owner of a Seattle antique and vintage shop called "Ruby Montana's Pinto Pony." Ruby's amazing collection of 20th century antiques, including Western kitsch, Hawaiiania, vintage salt-and-pepper shakers, and Mid-Century stuff, has contributed to the decor of the six rooms. Each room has its own unique theme. The rooms look out onto a fantastic kidney-shaped pool, shaded by palm trees.

There is something so marvelous about an early morning swim in that pool, in the dry desert air, under a clear sky.

In Seattle, Ruby was noted for hosting an annual Spam-carving contest, judged by Northwest author Tom Robbins. About eight years ago, she moved south to Palm Springs, and opened the motel. Seattle's loss, California's gain. You can visit Ruby's blog here. Ruby recently lost her companion of 21 years, chihuahua Louis L'Amour - leave a kind word.

When we came to Palm Springs to attend a friend's wedding, we stayed in the Roy Rogers & Dave Evans Suite, which featured wagon-wheel lamps, vintage cowboy prints, and a classic 50s formica-topped table. With vintage Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books in the bookshelf, it was the perfect room for a relaxing getaway. Out on the pool, a flotilla of rubber duckies bobbed in the blue water.

This is a flamingo from my collection.

For a luscious Pink Saturday experience, I suggest you request the Howdy Doody Goes to Bali Suite, with its pink flamingos. Or the fabulous Liberace Suite, also featuring flamingos.

Some of the suites include kitchenettes, making your stay convenient and affordable. It's close to the downtown area with its antique and vintage stores - yet at the same time its surrounded by the most amazing natural scenery of the arid desert and mountains.

The Coral Sands is extremely pet-friendly.

Some of the tourism websites note that The Coral Sands is "gay friendly" - which it is - but I like to think that Ruby Montana's motel is pretty much Everybody Friendly.