Every year, the Yeh family journeys down to southern California for the week of Christmas. I get to visit my ancestral home (Santa Monica, natch), the kids get to see their grandparents (whom they enjoy far more than their parents), and Alisha and I sneak away to Palm Springs for an archetypally American vacation of shopping, eating, and relaxing.

If GTL (gym, tanning salon, laundry) is the key to the Jersey Shore life, our vacation focuses on the MRJ instead (mall, restaurant, jacuzzi).

The mall we visit is called the Desert Hills Premium Outlets, with 130 shops worth of brands and bargains.

The restaurant we patronize is Pomme Frite, a traditional Belgian/French bistro with, naturally, outstanding fries. (Here’s my previous review of Pomme Frite)

As for the jacuzzi, we stay at the Pepper Tree Inn, where we can get an in-room jacuzzi with a poolside view. (Here’s my previous review of the Pepper Tree Inn)

As an avid fan of both the Food Network and the Travel Channel (favorites: Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations–talk about polar opposites), I’ve always dreamed about being a travel host, getting paid to eat and enjoy myself. I even made a couple of short videos the last time we stayed in Palm Springs. As you can see, I think I need a better producer:

Peppertree Inn 1 from Chris Yeh on Vimeo.

Hot Tub! from Chris Yeh on Vimeo.Tomorrow, we’ll be heading out on MRJ 2010. Alas, it looks like it will be raining the whole time, but we’ll do our best to enjoy ourselves anyways.

* I have not received any compensation for any of the links or reviews, but as a good capitalist, if anyone wants to bribe me, I’m all ears!