Palm Springs is a culture filled oasis in the desert – suited to meet the needs of any traveler. It is full of great restaurants, galleries, museums, shops, golf courses and places to hike.
My friends and I picked the right time to do a week long trip to always sunny Palm Springs, California during early May of 2022. The weather in D.C. was overcast and rainy, and the highs in Palm Springs were forecast for the mid 80’s – somewhat cool for this time of year, when it normally reaches into the high 90’s and even low 100’s. Exiting the airport terminal to the warm dry sunny weather was a respite from where we had just come.
I hadn’t been to Palm Springs in over a decade, when I lived in Seattle and used to go regularly to escape the dreary dark winters. Palm Springs is a fun, culture rich place to go for a long weekend, or even a week. There is plenty to do, including basking in the sun, golf, eating at great restaurants, going to art galleries, museums, touring fabulous Mid Century Modern homes (especially during Modernism Week), and hiking in any of the nearby desert canyons or National Parks.
Palm Springs is part of the larger Coachella Valley, located in the Colorado Desert about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. The Coachella Valley is nestled between the San Jacinto and Santa Rose Mountains. It’s been drawing visitors and retirees since the early 1900’s because of its serene desert atmosphere, 350 days of sun and beautiful warm weather, especially during winter. Today, the valley is perhaps most known for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, held each spring. In addition to Palm Springs, there are a number of other cities that make up the valley stretching toward the Salton Sea, including Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indio. Today, the total population of the valley is 370,000 and growing.
Activities and Attractions
There are plenty of activities throughout the Coachella Valley to suit all needs. A variety of tours can be found on Viator, including offroad tours, biking and hiking tours, rock climbing, tours of the San Andreas fault, and tickets to attractions such as the aerial tramway. I’ve listed my favorite places below.
Indian Canyons – The beautiful and lush Indian Canyons are the ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, where they developed communities in Palm, Murray, Andreas, Tahquitz and Chino Canyons. Abundant water, plants and animals in the canyons ensured livable conditions. Palm Canyon and Andreas Canyon both include an oasis filled with green Palm trees surrounded by rocky cliffs and hills above. Each has a fairly short, easy loop trail, and the shade and cooler temperatures within the oasis can be a relief from the hot desert surrounding them. Indian Canyons is located south of Palm Springs off of S. Palm Canyon Drive. The admittance fee is $12 per person.
Joshua Tree National Park – This huge National Park is located about an hour northeast of Palm Springs where the Colorado and Mojave deserts meet. There are three entry points, but the closest to Palm Springs is the west entrance off of Highway 62. The park is characterized by rugged rock formations, stark desert landscapes, and the twisted looking Joshua Trees, a member of the Yucca family. One of the benefits of visiting the park, aside from its beauty, is that the temperature can be much cooler than in Palm Springs due to its higher altitude. There are a number of shorter trails and loops about a mile long, as well as longer trails and areas for day hiking. We hiked both the Hidden Valley Loop, and the Barker Dam Loop (where a lake used to exist that was formed from a dam). The entry fee is $30 per vehicle.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens – The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is one of the best zoo’s that I have been to. It is home to over 500 animals within different geographic zones with their own unique character, such as the Australian Adventures compound, the African Safari, and Wild Americas, as well as a number of aviaries and gardens. Friendly volunteers guide visitors and answer their questions. The zoo is located in Palm Desert off Portola Avenue.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – I highly recommend taking the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway as a great way to take in a vast view of the Coachella Valley at temperatures much cooler than the valley floor. Each tram has a rotating floor allowing visitors to have a 360 degree view as it climbs over 8,000 feet to the top of Mount San Jacinto. At the top are various viewing points, a restaurant, snack shop, theater, and gift shop. On a clear day, you can see to the Salton Sea. There are a number of easy short trails at the top that meander throughout Mount San Jacinto State Park, including one that offers great views of the desert below, and one that goes within cooler forested areas. The tramway is located northwest of Palm Springs, and the parking area is $12 per car, and adult tickets for the tramway are an additional $29.
Palm Springs Art Museum – Founded in 1938, the Palm Springs Art Museum is located in a modern three level building in downtown Palm Springs. The museum has over 12,000 objects rooted in modern and contemporary art, architecture, and design that has developed from of our unique history, culture, and place. The lower level of the museum has a wine bar and two outdoor sculpture gardens. Just outside the museum is a heavily visited large Marilyn Monroe statue, as well as other public art. On Thursday nights (between 5 and 7pm), the museum is free to the public.
Robolights house – The private residence owned by artist Kenny Irwin is located in the Movie Colony residential district east of downtown, and has a large yard filled with colorful sci-fi and religious holiday themed sculptures and lights. There is no charge, but visitors can only view from the periphery of the lot. 1077 East Granvia Valmonte
Salton Sea – The Salton Sea is a shallow land locked body of water about an hour east of Palm Springs, that is about 15 miles wide by 35 miles long, and was created by accident. This very salty lake was formed in the early 1900’s when flooding of the Colorado River flowed into the Salton Basin, which was a dry lake bed at that time. In the 1950’s, the lake was promoted as a tourist destination, and a number of communities full of homes and hotels sprang up along its shore. Nearly a million tourists visited the lake annually, and celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and the Beach Boys frequented the resorts. The popularity wouldn’t last long. In the 1970’s, contamination from nearby farm runoff into the lake, as well as high saline levels resulted in massive loss of fish and other wildlife, and foul odors, killing most of the tourism.
Today, the lake is shrinking due to lower runoff into it, and it is becoming even more inhospitable to wildlife. The lake is considered a major environmental disaster. Driving around the lake, you’ll find post apocalyptic looking communities full of shuttered mid century homes, trailers, hotels and other businesses. Some people continue to live in the homes, or run business. These largely abandoned communities have become a draw for visitors interested in urban decay. In Bombay Beach, on the north shore, you can find plenty of abandoned buildings and trailers full of graffiti, and art displays. An article in The Guardian noted that Bombay Beach was “enjoying a rebirth of sorts with an influx of artists, intellectuals and hipsters who have turned it into a bohemian playground.”An annual art festival called the Bombay Beach Biennale, is held here.
A new economic boom may soon come to the Salton Sea. There is a significant amount of lithium below the lake that may be mined for electric-vehicle battery production.
Tahquitz Canyon – This beautiful canyon is located on the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation. A 1.8 mile round loop trip trail meanders through rock formations, wildlife and plants, and leads to the seasonal 60 foot Tahquitz waterfall with a pool at the base. The trail also affords great views of Palm Springs below. Ranger led interpretive hikes are available. The admission fee is $15, and you need to bring water with you on the trail. Bottled water can be purchased for $2.
Moorten Botanical Garden – This small but beautiful garden contains thousands of specimens of desert succulents, plants, trees and flowers. Guided tours are available, and there is also a nursery where plants can be purchased. The garden is located just south of downtown Palm Springs on S. Palm Canyon Drive and is $5 per person.
Restaurants and Bars
Palm Springs is known as a place with great restaurants, many evoking the glamour of the 1950’s and the “Rat Pack” crowd. Good restaurants and bars in Palm Springs abound all over, but they can be pricey. Cocktails can be as high as $20, and entrees start around $30 at many of the finer restaurants. More budget friendly places can also be found. Almost all of the restaurants have both indoor and outdoor dining, and misting systems help to cool down customers in the outdoor dining areas. I’ve listed both higher end as well as more affordable restaurants that I enjoyed.
Billy Reed’s – This home style, inexpensive restaurant is a throw back to earlier decades, with homey booths and interior décor that may be similar to your grandmother’s home. Don’t let the décor dissuade you – the menu has a large selection of breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads and home style dinners, and the portions are large. There is also a large selection of delicious home made pies and cakes. 1800 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Bootlegger Tiki – This fun tiki bar has a dark interior with red tones reminiscent of 1950’s Hollywood. The outdoor patio is shared with Ernest Coffee. Discounted prices at Happy Hour. Reservations are required but we were able to get a last minute entry to the patio. 1101 N. Palm Canyon Way
Copley’s on Palm Canyon – This beautiful, but expensive restaurant is in a rustic cottage once owned by Cary Grant, and is surrounded by a large outdoor dining area in a garden setting. The restaurant has been voted to have the best ambiance in Palm Springs. Entrees include contemporary American dishes including pork chops, orange rosemary duck, salmon and lamb kabobs. 621 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Jake’s – This moderately priced restaurant is in downtown Palm Springs, and serves classics such as the wedge salad, Chicken Milanese, filet mignon, and seafood dishes. 664 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Lulu California Bistro – This moderately priced multi-level restaurant in a contemporary setting serves a wide variety of dishes including salads, pizzas, pasta, steak, and vegetarian. It includes both an indoor and outdoor seating area. 200 South Palm Canyon Drive
Sherman’s Deli and Bakery – This old school New York style delicatessen has been in Palm Springs since 1963, and is now run by the children of the original founder. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the dessert case has just about every type of cookie, pie or cake. Pastrami and corned beef sandwiches piled high, and there are burgers and homestyle meals such as meatloaf, stuffed cabbage, ribs and roasted chicken, all at affordable prices. I loved the pistachio cream cake. 401 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
The Tropicale – This beautiful Mid Century restaurant and cocktail bar is a throw back to the Mad Men days of the 1960’s. This restaurant specializes in high end cocktails and American style entrees including fried chicken. I had a delicious coconut martini, followed by a huge bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. The coconut shrimp appetizer was also delicious. 330 East Amado Road
Coffee
Ernest Coffee – Located adjacent to Bootlegger Tiki bar, this coffee shop has both an indoor and outdoor area, and serves daily specials, such as the pistachio rose latte. 1101 North Palm Canyon Way
Shopping
Downtown Palm Springs – Downtown Palm Springs is centered along Palm Canyon Drive roughly between E. Tacheva Drive at the north end, and W. Ramon Road at the south end. All types of shops, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, galleries, and hotels line this 1.5 mile long corridor, and the downtown is lively both day and night. It also houses the Walk of Stars (similar to Hollywood Boulevard), public sculpture garden, loads of public art (including the huge Marilyn Monroe statue), as well as the Palm Springs Art Museum. The Uptown District is located along the northern end of downtown (between Vista Chino and Alejo), and has galleries, boutiques, kitschy vintage stores, and home décor stores. On Thursday nights, North Palm Canyon Drive is closed to traffic to hold the weekly Village Fest, an outdoor market where retailers sell crafts, food, art, clothing and more.
El Paseo – El Paseo is the premier shopping district in Palm Desert, and includes one mile of upscale shopping and dining, along with art galleries. Some of the shops include Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton and Eileen Fisher. In addition, there is plenty of landscaped seating areas and public art along the street. El Paseo is located one block south of Highway 111.
