Guess where I am today as I write today's little intro? I'm in a California desert --- Palm Springs. Nah, I'm not doing anything important here … just accompanying my wife who's attending a business retreat.

Who says you have to go to the beach and fight traffic and hordes of people to escape the heat? Why not head about 90 miles east of Los Angeles and cool down at a luxurious, air conditioned resort with a giant pool and lazy river, gourmet restaurants, a 4-Diamond hotel, a full-service spa and lots of great slots and gaming.

I always dreamed of staying in a French chateau, sipping wine beside a serene lake. And while I knew this day would come, I didn’t think it would be in the Palm Springs desert. But this is exactly what I discovered on a recent getaway to The Chateau at Lake La Quinta, the only lakefront hotel in the Palm Springs …