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At home with desert temperatures that hover in the 108-degree range in summer months, Palm Springs is a resort destination, with plenty of spas, sports and sunshine to go around. Located one hundred miles east of Los Angeles, in the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs can be flamboyant, JCrew casual or rat pack retro, depending on your pleasures. Famous for its celebrity status, glamour and mystique, Palm Springs spent years as the destination of Hollywood greats like Grant, Gable, Lombard, and Sinatra to hide out and relax in world-class style. However, Palm Springs is more than just celebrities with suntans and college kids on Spring Break. It is culture, art galleries, creative eateries, Palm Canyon Drive, exclusive shops and much more. A serious golf town, Palm Springs rivals any location in the country for more golf courses in one location, complete with professional, public, country clubs, and resort golf courses and all the amenities. In the spring, the Dinah Shore Open brings a horde of avid golfers to watch the latest crop of PGA champions and hopefuls. By last count, there were 100 golf courses in town and surrounding cities. One of the most popular attractions is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway where visitors can ride a tram up 8,516 feet that scales the eastern face of Mt. San Jacinto, one of the sheerest mountains in the United States. At the top, hike through 1,200 acres of scenic trails stocked with desert wildlife and the botanical gardens at The Living Desert. Most visitors will want to take a stroll down the mile and a half long Palm Canyon Drive, considered the lively heart of downtown Palm Springs, lined with art galleries, coffeehouses, antique emporiums, outdoor cafes and trendy retail shops. The downtown area stretches for a mile and a half on Palm Canyon Drive, all easy walking. Major area attractions include Moorten Botanical Gardens, a labyrinth of 3,000 varieties of desert plants; Palm Springs Desert Museum, a diverse treasury of art and local human and natural history; and VillageFest, a popular event featuring crafts, fresh produce, ethnic foods, antiques and live entertainment that takes place between Tahquitz Canyon Way and Baristo Road. The International Film Festival in January is another major attraction. Most major hotels and inns offer top-of-the-line amenities, including spa and fitness facilities, swimming pools, sauna, and tennis courts. Wintertime high temperatures are between 69 to 87 degrees with summertime temperatures that average from 94 to 108 degrees. Getting around Palm Springs is easy with the ample bus service provided by SunLine Transit Agency. Fares around town are $0.75 and an additional $0.25 for transfers. Rent a car at the airport with 10 different companies to chose from or call one of the four cab-companies that provide transportation from the airport into the city. Limousine services are also available at the airport. Direct flights from many western towns land at busy Palm Springs International Airport on the edge of town. A big-town feeling, yet a town characterized by informal activities and relaxed lifestyles, Palm Springs' season traditionally runs from the last week in December through April, with February and March being the most popular times for a visit. In a town of 48,000 people, marked by only 81.5 square miles, visitors have a remarkable selection of what to do and where to go. In any direction, visitors have opportunities for discovery, yet all the attractions are convenient. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is only five miles from downtown. |
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The City of Palm Springs seems to be wrapped in a dreamlike quality. The heat could be the culprit or the number of lush spa hotels, or the large number of gourmet restaurants and then again, it might just be the slow place of town life.