Destination Palm Springs

If you’ve never booked your vacay to destination Palm Springs, then maybe after I take you there through my journey back in February that you might want to plan your trip. It was a short trip, but my time there clarified so many things for me that I had wondered about for years.

For instance what is Coachella and would you like to be at Coachella that is going on right now? Do you even know what Coachella is? Until a couple of months ago when Norman and I took a trip to the Palm Springs area did I really learn about it all. Coachella is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, located in Coachella Valley. All ages attend but mostly for the young, hip, and famous!! It kind of reminds me of Woodstock but better controlled and organized.

So, first, Palm Springs located in the Coachella Valley of California lies just less than a couple of hours drive southeast of Los Angeles. It was the perfect weekend getaway for the rich and the famous back in the 50’s, 60’s. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, President Kennedy and Ford are some that had homes there or visited there regularly. Later through the years 6 more little towns developed along Hwy 111 with neighborhoods, golf courses and resorts. You might have heard of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indio, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Cathedral City. Check out this site https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coachella_Valley for all kinds of great information about this unique area.

WHERE TO VISIT AND WHAT TO DO

I could write an entire book on where to visit and what to do, but I am hitting the highlights for you. We think of Palm Springs as more of an adult vacation, but it is also fantastic for families that enjoy wild life or golfing resorts. Listed below are a variety of fantastic things to do!!

1. Living Desert Zoo & Gardens-Centrally located in Palm Desert. http://www.livingdesert.org/
2. Joshua Tree National Forest- Where 2 Eco systems come together. http://joshuatree.guide/
3. Indian Canyons  http://www.indian-canyons.com/
4. Shields Date Garden-Dates the main crop in this area. https://www.shieldsdategarden.com/
5. El Paseo Shopping- 250 shops and restaurants. Upscale shopping located in Palm Desert. Kind of like Rodeo Drive http://www.elpaseocatalogue.com/elpaseo/
6. Jeep Tours-http://red-jeep.com/, www.viator.com/PalmSprings
7. Sunnylands Center & Gardens- This is a must see…The Presidents and dignataries often stay here when visiting the area. A lot of history with beautiful art and gardens to experience.  http://www.sunnylands.org/
8. Palm Springs Tramway- A 2.5 mile ride with a 360 degree valley and mountain views! http://palmsprings.com/active/tramway.html
9. Empire Polo Club- Jan-Mar Home of Coachella and other festivals. Located in the town of Indio, CA. http://www.empirepoloevents.com/
10. My favorite tours are the Legends & Icons Tour, It’s All About Palm Springs Tour, and the best is the Modernism Tour. I absolutely love this period of time. They have a Modernism Week and a respected Fashion Week every Spring. For information about each tour and how to book go to www.fsatours.com. For all other information go to http://www.visitpalmsprings.com/

WHERE TO STAY

The Saguaro Hotel

The Parker Hotel

 Ace Hotel

There are all different kind of places to stay from old historical to trendy and hip or the big resorts. We stayed at a large 4 star resort, the Renaissance Resort & Spa in Indian Wells.  It was spectacular especially if you are a golfer and like to spa!!!Even though there are many large resorts, there were only 2 more 4 star resorts that I found that looked interesting. The Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa and the Miramonte Resort & Spa. All three resorts located in Indian Wells.

Next time I visit this area I would go into Palm Springs and experience the historical cheeky Parker Hotel. with its Jonathan Alder -designed interiors and 13 acres of lush grounds. This uniquely colorful resort is the perfect spot for a girls trip…..just sayin’.

The best time of year to go is of course during the high season January through May when the temps range anywhere from the 70’s to the mid 90’s. After that, you can get great deals because it is very very hot and not enjoyable to get outdoors much. It is the oasis in the desert you know!!!!

Here are a few hotels on my radar for future trips. These are all older hotels with lots of charm. It really depends on what you enjoy doing. I like to be in the middle of everything and I don’t golf so location and ambience are important to me. Believe me I can do either!!!

1. Saguaro Hotel– most often referred to at the ‘Rainbow Hotel’ and noted for the extravagant pool parties.
2. Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs Hotel– Probably the most talked about hotel with it’s history, cool vibes, great spa & restaurant as well as a beautiful venue. This is where we will stay on our next visit.
3. The Ace Hotel
4. The Palm Springs Hotel High ratings among guest and located in Uptown Palm Springs.
5. Desert Isle of Palm Springs Another superior rated hotel.
6. Hotel Lautner
7. The Riviera Palm Springs, A Tribute Portfolio Resort. Built in 1958, but totally renovated with the old Mid Century vibe.

WHERE TO EAT, DRINK AND DISCOVER!

There are so many places to dine. I added my pics below plus the restaurants that were recommended that we didn’t have time to visit. Remember now we were staying in Indian Wells so we dined all up and down Hwy 111. My favorite spot was when we had brunch at the 5 star Norma’s Diner located inside the Parker Hotel which is another reason to stay there. (photos below)

SHOP MY LOOK

Places to Eat and Drink

• Workshop Kitchen + Bar a modern but rustic farm to table restaurant.
• El Jefe (at the Saguaro) is a great spot for Mexican food and has awesome margarita’s. Totally laid back…. Also Tinto
• Kings Highway at the Ace Hotel  and Cheeky’s bacon flights and specialty cinnamon rolls are also great places for brunch.
• Birba for the Pizza lover is supposed to be the best! They also serve old school cocktails. Reservations recommended!!
• We also loved Lavender’s Bistro located in La Quinta. It had a beautiful outside garden patio and the food was outstanding. They serve modern California featuring pasta, meat and fish. Reservations!
• For the coffee lovers, look no further than Koffi located right next to the Ace Hotel as well as 2 other locations in the area. Also, try the java kiosk in King’s Highway diner.
• Le Vallauris in Palm Springs located in a restored historical landmark. The most beautiful ambience anywhere that I have ever been. The service was incredible and they had the quirkiest entertainment in the piano bar. They even let me sing….I always want to sing after a couple of glasses of wine. Yep! Check out the photos below.

For airline service to the Palm Springs International Airport go to www.expedia.com

I hope you have enjoyed your trip to the Palm Springs area with me. Hopefully you have enough information that is getting you excited about your next vacation and just maybe it will be to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.

What to Wear to COACHELLA!

First of all think comfort, style, practical, and appropriate.

1. Show a lot of leg with a short denim skirt, destroyed denim shorts or cute off the shoulder dress….unless you hat your legs then you could wear a light weight boho maxi dress with a split revealing a little leg. Shorter lengths will be cooler and much easier to dance in should the urge hit you when your favorite band is belting out your tunes.
2. Wear suede booties with a moderate heel. Walking grass can sometimes be wet and boggy so you really should not wear sandals or open toed shoes.
3. Remember that you are in Palm Spring in April where the temps can be in the 90’s. Protect your corneas by wearing a stylish pair of retro aviator sunglasses and protect your face by wearing a cool felt, straw or hemp wide brimmed hat.
4. No need to wear a lot of makeup when attending a festival. Take this time to turn it down a notch or two by wearing a tinted lip balm and tons of sunscreen layering every hour or two. Not worth it to get sunburned. Bad for your skin and will ruin your experience at Coachella. I was just introduced to Supergoop skin protection products and I can’t wait to try it out while on my trip to Africa.
5. You will not want to lug a tote bag all day…trust me that all you need is a small micro bag to hold your cash, cc card, id, lip balm, room key, cell phone and portable charger. This is the perfect opportunity to show off that cute cross body bag or also trending again the ‘fanny pack’.