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It\u2019s no secret that I\u2019ve spent a good deal of the first quarter of every year since 1992 in the southern California desert, Palm Desert to be exact.\u00a0 In fact, as you\u2019re reading this, I\u2019m in the desert this week. \u00a0And, of course, I\u2019m always looking for something new and different to write about.\u00a0 We all know that stars like Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Marilyn Monroe<\/strong> and many others spent lots of time in the desert, but I had no idea that the greatest scientist of all time, Albert Einstein<\/strong> was also a \u2018desert rat\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1933 Einstein and his second wife, Elsa came to Palm Springs as he was fleeing from Nazi Germany<\/strong> and Adolph Hitler<\/strong>.\u00a0 They stayed briefly at the \u2018Willows\u2019<\/strong>, which hosted many Hollywood and Wall Street stars; it was the elegant home of attorney and \u201cHitler\u2019s Bitterest Foe\u201d<\/strong>, Samual Untermeyer<\/strong>.\u00a0 At the time, LA Magazine said, \u201cStaying at the Willows is like getting the keys to a well\u2013off friend\u2019s country estate.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>The Willows has entertained such guests as Clark <\/strong><\/em>Gable<\/strong> and Carole Lombard<\/strong>, Joseph P. Kennedy<\/strong>, Marion Davies<\/strong>, Shirley Temple<\/strong>, and many more.\u00a0 After a short stay, the Einsteins were lured away from the Willows by Warren Pinney, the big boss at the neighboring El Mirador<\/strong> Hotel<\/strong>, which was just down the street and had entertained a few Hollywood types of its own, like Paulette Goddard<\/strong>, soon to be the third wife of Charlie Chaplin<\/strong>, and a young B-movie actress who would go on to captivate the television world decades later in a program called \u201cI Love Lucy\u201d – Lucille Ball<\/strong>.\u00a0 The hotel also played a role as a hospital during World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n And while we\u2019re mixing Hollywood stars and Einstein, you may not be familiar with a quote from Marilyn Monroe<\/strong> about him.\u00a0 She said, \u201cWe could have a baby together.\u00a0 He would come out beautiful like me and smart like you,\u201d <\/em>to which Einstein replied, and I paraphrase, \u201cWhat if he came out with my beauty and your intelligence?\u201d<\/em> Which sounds like a self-deprecating statement about his not-so-handsome looks, as well as a dig at Marilyn being a dumb blonde.\u00a0 However, the joke was on him, Monroe\u2019s IQ was measured at 165, about 5 points higher than Einsteins\u2019!!!\u00a0 The photo at the right is probably a phony, as there is no evidence that Einstein and Monroe ever met, despite rumors of an affair, although he might have been smart enough to hide such a thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tony Burke<\/strong>, \u2018Realtor to the Stars\u2019<\/strong> and publicist for the El Mirador Hotel and Palm Springs in general, made sure the Einsteins had a wonderful time AND that most of the world heard about it. Who knew that when in the desert, Einstein loved sunbathing, so when sitting on his veranda at the Willows and the El Mirador, he would often take off his shirt (unheard of at that time) \u2013 in fact, sometimes he would even take off his pants! It seems clear he had a secret desire to be in \u2018show\u2019 business.<\/p>\n\n\n As a matter of fact, Einstein\u2019s personal life fit right in with the Hollywood set in the desert, as he was, by all accounts, a \u2018ladies\u2019 man\u2019 and he found his first wife, Mileva Mari\u0107, as a student of his and an accomplished physicist and mathematician in her own right, with whom he had a child before they were married. He married his second wife, Elsa, with whom he had about a seven-year affair, three months after his divorce from Mileva. Oh yeah, and Elsa was his first cousin! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Both hotels are still in business, you can get a room at the El Mirador Hotel <\/strong>for as little as $200 a night. \u2018The Willows\u2019 is now called \u2018The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn<\/strong>\u2019, and only has 17 rooms, which run between $500-$700 a night. \u00a0Today you can stay in the \u2018Einstein Room\u2019<\/strong> at The Willows for about $650 a night \u2013 I’m guessing there’s a \u2018smart\u2019 TV in that room!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n While in the desert this week, I will see if I can visit either or both of these historic hotels – although they may not let someone like me, not a star and definitely not a genius, on the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Bob Sparrow It\u2019s no secret that I\u2019ve spent a good deal of the first quarter of every year since 1992 in the southern California desert, Palm Desert to be exact.\u00a0 In fact, as you\u2019re reading this, I\u2019m in the … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Albert-Marilyn.jpg\")
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