The Saturday Seven: Most Popular Topics on This Blog

For me, blogging is a creative outlet. It is a hobby and a pleasant distraction that I primarily maintain for myself. I readily admit that it has morphed into a site that promotes Palm Springs by highlighting the many attractions and goings-on in our fair city, but still it remains just a hobby for me. I've endured my share of detractors-mainly limited to a few people who think I am completely self-absorbed because I write about myself. I think they are just jealous or insecure about themselves. But I digress. Anyway despite the fact that I maintain this blog for myself, I have enjoyed using Google Analytics to study traffic and visitors to my blog. It is a handy tool and quite interesting as well. I thought it might make for an amusing topic for my weekly Saturday Seven Series today to list the most popular, traffic driving topics on my blog. Some may surprise you. So here goes. I am pleased to present another scintillating edition of The Saturday Seven: Most Popular Topics On This Blog:

#1 "Priscilla Presley and Elvis in Palm Springs" continues to be the number 1 most popular topic that brings people to my blog.

#2 Celebrities and the Palm Springs Film Festival are a major attraction.

#3 Surprising as it may seem, the topic of Ascots, or Cravats is the third most popular topic that brings visitors! To this day I continue to receive e-mails from enthusiastic men who want to learn more about wearing ascots. Who knew!

#4 I've blogged about Cesar Millan numerous times, which continue to attract visitors to the site

#5 My recent Provocative Ads post has really been popular in a very short time

#6 Restaurant Reviews in Palm Springs, including this one for Tropicale

#7 Embarrassing Moments Post

Which of these were your favorite? Or do you have a different topic you enjoy reading about on this blog? Go ahead, leave a comment, it's totally FREE and FUN!

-Rick Rockhill

More about Tropicale...

After the open house event, we stopped by my newest favorite restaurant in Palm Springs, Tropicale, which I've written about enough that they owe me at least a darn glass of wine by now!

above: the restaurant has a very large mural above the bar, with an interesting Polynesian style scene. It is a focal point of the restaurant, adding character and style to the bar area. The restaurant was quite busy, so we enjoyed a glass of wine at the bar for awhile. I chatted with the Mayor over dinner, he had received his own "star" on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars earlier in the day, so this was his celebration dinner. My meal was delicious, John and I tried a few new dishes:

Above: Ahi tuna tartare

Above left : Maple barbecued chicken pizza with sweet red onion, cilantro, corn and jack cheese. Above right: Flat Iron Steak, with garlic mashed potatoes, & broccoli florets.
-Rick Rockhill

The Tropicale, Palm Springs

Friday evening I went to check out Tropicale, a hip new restaurant in downtown Palm Springs. It bills itself as having a chic sophisticated décor. Inside the dining room there are tables and high-backed half-circular leather booths in a plush dining room with chandeliers. The Coral Seas Lounge offers retro cocktails such as The Pink Pussycat, Just Peachy Martini , Chi-Chi Coconut Martini, Carmen Miranda Sangria and the Havana Banana Sparkling Sangria, just to name a few. We had a late reservation, 10:00pm, and although things had calmed down, there was still a very respectable crowd dining and having cocktails. There was some confusion about our waiter- four different servers took care of us with varying degrees of attention. After some confusion with the appetizers available, I enjoyed the Organic lettuce salad with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The entrees were delicious, with generous portions. although I didn't order them, the pizzas on the menu looked delicious.

above: exterior photos ot Tropicale at night, with dramatic lighting and swank palm trees and neon lights.

above left: I had the Japanese-Style Rice Bowl with Teriyaki King Salmon, Steamed Baby Bok Choy, Asparagus Tips, Tomatoes & Wild Mushrooms and above right: John had the Rare-Grilled Ahi Tuna Steak with Lime Ginger Butter, Black Sesame Seeds Green Papaya Salad Wasabi Dipping Sauce

above left: the waiting area- the "fireplace" is actually a plasma screen TV of a fireplace- very clever for our desert climate, above right: the interior bar of the Coral Seas Lounge.

above: the Coral Seas Lounge back patio and outdoor bar

-Rick Rockhill