# Palm Springs?



## uop1497 (Dec 9, 2014)

Hello,

We will visit Palm Spring this weekend. We make a reservation for two bedroom at Wyndham Indio. Unsure how the weather turn out . Maybe it will be more rain coming to California 

Can anyone please suggest what we can do there for a week.  Only DH and me on this trip, I am debating whether I should stay in PS for 4-5 nights and heading to Vegas for another 2-3 night before going home .

If you know the short cut from Palm Spring to Vegas, please share.

Thank you !!!!!!!!!


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## billwright1 (Dec 9, 2014)

There is lots to do in the Palm Springs area:
Some Recommendations about Palm Springs, California

We stay in Palm Springs, CA in early November because we like the weather there at that time of year. Jan to March is nice, but there could be a little rain or clouds. Palm Springs is a “village” in the Coachella Valley that also includes Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Indio, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage. The whole valley is marketed as Palm Springs, but the other cities are similar in attractions and weather. It is a desert area surrounded on three sides by three separate mountain ranges.

Attractions: these are things that we have enjoyed the most.
General PS information: 	www.visitpalmsprings.com
www.palmspringsusa.com
www.palmspringsusa.com/


Palm Springs Aerial Tram: www.pstramway.com – One Tramway Road, PS

Palm Springs Air Museum:  www.palmspringsairmuseum.com 
– 745 Gene Autry Trail, PS

Indian Canyons: www.indian-canyons.com (At end on S Palm Canyon Drive, PS. Palm Canyon has a lot of Washingtonian palm trees, hiking trails. Also Murray Canyon, Tahquitz Canyon and Andreas Canyon.
Tahquitz Canyon, 500 W Mesquite, Pal Springs, CA 760-416-7044, www.tahquitzcanyon.com – 2 mile round trip hike to waterfall

Palm Springs Art Museum: www.psmuseum.org – 101 Museum Drive, PS

The Living Desert: www.livingdesert.org – 47900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert (Desert Zoo)

Joshua Tree National Park; www.nps.gov/jot - 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA.

Gen George Patton Museum, Chiriaco Summit CA 92201 (off I10, 30 miles east of Indio)

Palm Springs Villagefest: www.palmspringsvillagefest.com – S Palm Canyon Drive between Baristo and Amado Roads. Thursday evenings

Celebrity Tours: 4741 E Palm Canyon Drive, PS www.thecelebritytour.com


Palm Canyon Drive shopping: www.palmcanyondrive.com

El Paseo Shopping District: (Like Rodeo Drive in Hollywood): www.elpaseo.com – off Route 111 between Monterey and Portola, Palm Desert

Village Green Heritage Center, 219 S Palm Canyon Drive, PS – Ruddy’s 1930’s General Store Museum, Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum
Elvis and Priscilla Honeymoon House, 1350 Ladera Circle.

Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert – Trails and a visitor’s center
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, 200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004 760-767-5311, www.parks.ca.gov – about 50 miles from Palm Springs
Whitewater Preserve, Whitewater Canyon Road northwest of Palm Springs off Route I10
Pioneertown – Built in 1946 as a movie set for westerns. www.pioneeertown.com – about 35 miles from Palm Springs.

Moorten Botanical Gardens: www.moortengardens.com – 1701 S Palm Canyon Drive, PS

Walk of Stars - www.palmspringswalkofstars.com


Some we haven’t tried:

Casinos: (They also have night club acts)
Palm Springs Casino & Spa: www.sparesort.com
Aqua Caliente Casino: www.hotwatercasino.com
Sunnylands Center & Gardens - Former home of the Annenberg's - www.sunnylands.org
Modern Home Tours - www.palmspringslife.com/psmodapp


Restaurants we like:

Lord Fletcher’s Restaurant, 70385 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage – 760-328-1161 (good beef and English food

Davey’s Hideaway, 292 E Palm Canyon Drive, PS – 760-320-4480

Ruby’s Diner, 155 S Palm Canyon Drive, PS (For breakfast on the sidewalk outdoor dining area)

Las Casuelas Terraza, 232 S Palm Canyon Drive, PS (Best Mexican) – 760-325-2794

Fisherman’s Market & Grill, 233 S Indian Canyon Drive, PS – 760-327-1766 (Not much to look at, but good seafood from their own boats)



Melvyn’s Restaurant, 200 W Ramon Road at Belardo, PS – 760-325-2523 (Expensive, when Dean Martin & Rat Pack used to hang out. We often go for soup and salad)

Sherman’s Deli, locations on Tahquitz Way, PS and Country Club Drive, Palm Desert. (Good deli food and desserts)

Spencer’s Restaurant, 701 Baristo Road, PS www.spencersrestaurant.com


Lulu’s California Bistro, 200 S Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 760-327-5858 www.lulupalmsprings.com

Trio, 707 N Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA, 92262 760-864-8746 www.triopalmsprings.com

Babe’s Bar-B-Que, 71800 St Highway 111, Rancho Mirage – 760-346-8736

LG’s Prime Steakhouse, 255 S Palm Canyon Drive, PS and various other locations in the valley.

Neighborhood: (Interesting to drive through to see the homes)

Old Las Palmas (Toward mountain from Palm Canyon Drive at Chino)
	Elvis Presley home: 845 Chino Canyon, PS
	Marilyn Monroe home, 1326 Rose Avenue, PS
	Elvis Presley Honeymoon House, 1350 Ladera Circle, PS
	Ronald Regan, 369 Hermosa, PS
	Spencer Tracey & Kathryn Hepburn, 776 Mission, PS
	Liberace’s home, 501 Bellardo Road, PS
Movie Colony: (South on Alejo from Old Las Palmas)
	Bob Hope, 1188 El Alameda, PS
	Dorothy Lamar, 1029 El Alameda, PS
	Bing Crosby, 1011 El Alameda, PS
Southridge (Along St Rt 111 between Palm Springs and Cathedral City)
	Top of Southridge, behind BMW dealer.
Sinatra Compound: Frank Sinatra Drive, away from mountain on left. Includes rail car.
Annenberg Estate (Sunnyland): Frank Sinatra drive and Country Club Road

Hotels:
Downtown on Palm Canyon Drive:
	Hilton Palm springs Resort www.hilton.com/palmsprings, 400 E Tahquitz Canyon Drive
	Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs, www.palmsprings.hyatt.com
285 North Palm Canyon Drive,
Palm Springs, California, USA 92262 
Tel: +1 760 322 9000    Fax: +1 760 322 6009
	Hotel Zoso www.hotelzoso.com
Tennis Club District:
	Palm Springs Tennis club www.palmspringstennisclub.com
	Coyote Inn www.coyoteinn.net
www.smallhotelsofpalmsprings.com

For a really fancy resort hotel:
JW Marriott Palm Desert Resort, country Club Drive, Palm Desert  www.desertspringsresort.com


Also:
Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, 42000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 760-862-4551 www,rancholaspalmas.com


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## uop1497 (Dec 10, 2014)

billwright1,

Thank you . That's is a lot of information. 
This will be out first trip to PS. I really hope the rain clear up so that we can do hiking


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## jlp879 (Dec 10, 2014)

What a very comprehensive list of things to do!  You could easily fill a week doing those things.

Some of my faves (or free things to do)
See a show of the Fabulous ladies of the Palm Springs Follies - a little bit of Las Vegas in Palm Spring
Visist downtown Palm Springs during Thursday's Art Walk, or Village Fest (whatever they are calling these days) lot of family-friendly events and things to see on the sidewalks
Free art museum entrances on Thursday evenings
Window shop at the College of the Desert street fair Sunday morning
A long day Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park
A short hike in Palm Canyon
See the life cycle of dates and have a date shake at Shields Date Farm
Visit Knott's Soak City

Food:
Happy Hour at Tommy Bahamas restaurant in Palm Desert
Las Caseuals restaurant - no ressies, bring cash and patience for the long waits and any manner in between

Enjoy!


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## billwright1 (Dec 11, 2014)

The Palm Springs Follies is no more - their last show was last year.


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## california-bighorn (Dec 11, 2014)

uop1497 said:


> billwright1,
> 
> Thank you . That's is a lot of information.
> This will be out first trip to PS. I really hope the rain clear up so that we can do hiking



Let me know if you would like our advice on hiking trails in the Palm Springs area.  We go there every year and hiking the main thing on our agenda.

Marty


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## klpca (Dec 11, 2014)

california-bighorn said:


> Let me know if you would like our advice on hiking trails in the Palm Springs area.  We go there every year and hiking the main thing on our agenda.
> 
> Marty



I would be interested in hearing your suggestions. Hiking is a large part of what we do on vacation. We were in Palm Desert in October and did some hiking in Joshua Tree. We did the Hidden Valley trail which was beautiful but very busy, and the Split Rock Loop trail which was recommended by the ranger. It was not on the map but why would you worry about a 2 mile loop trail? Of course - for the first time in 35+ years of hiking - we got lost. After an hour we still hadn't gotten to the parking lot, so we just went back the way we came. We still can't figure out where we missed a turn. It was an interesting hike with neat topography, and we only saw one other person in two hours.


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## BJRSanDiego (Dec 11, 2014)

I bought a book called Hiking Trails of Palm Springs or something very similar.  I recall that I picked it up at the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce.  It lists perhaps 75 different trails.

When I go to Joshua Tree NP, I enjoy hiking back to some of the abandoned gold or silver mines.  There are close to 100 of them in the park.  The Silver Bell, Desert Queen and Lost Horse mine are all kind of fun and fairly easy hikes.

This year I "broke down" and bought a Garmin 64 hiking GPS.  It has a feature where you can re-trace your path if you get lost.  Also, I "tag" the trailhead or my car in the parking lot in the GPS before I start my hike so I always know how to get back to civilization.


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## uop1497 (Dec 12, 2014)

Thanks everyone for more inputs. WE are looking forward to have a good in Palm Spring .

Marty, 

Please share your hiking trail. My ankle is better but not fully heal yet.Not sure how much hiking I can do on this trip.


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## Passepartout (Dec 12, 2014)

You also asked about a shortcut between P.S. and Las Vegas. Short answer. There isn't one. Google or Bing or mapquest show 3 routes. All of them within a couple of minutes time of each other. Last Spring we took one from Barstow through Yucca Valley going down, and stayed on the freeway through San Bernardino coming back and found them to be about the same. It's all about whether the driver is more comfortable with freeway driving in some traffic, or 2 lane driving in the boondocks.

Just don't drive 90.  

Jim


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## california-bighorn (Dec 13, 2014)

*Hiking*

The Indian Canyons (South Canyon Blvd) have miles of varied trails from the very easy to difficult.  One of our favorites there is the trail to the Three Sisters Falls.  The falls are not that impressive and the water flow can get down to almost nothing during certain times of the year, but, the canyons and rock formations along the trail are very picturistic.  The trail follows the stream.
Another set of trails we have enjoyed are when you leave the Indian Store and head up another stream.  We like to go to the East Trail and head up to the top of the mountain.  Great views.  The Indian Rangers will give you a map when you enter the canyon and you can ask them what trails would be suitable for what you are looking for.  There is a small admission charge.
At Joshua Tree, we took the 8 mile hike to Lost Palms.  It was closed last year due to flooding that caused contamination from chemicals that had been used in mining and were washed down one of the arroyos. Next trip there, in February, we intend to hike to 49 Palms in the northern part of Joshua Tree.    
When you head south on HWY 74 there is Visitor Center right before you head over the mountain.  There are two trailheads there.  The more difficult one goes up a fairly steep grade to a couple of palm oasis's.  One trail right by the Visitor center is fairly easy, is used by just about everyone.  Last year we saw a Bighorn Sheep up on the hill.                                                                             Make sure you bring lots of water as there is absolutely nothing out there on any of these hikes.


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## LynnW (Dec 13, 2014)

billwright1 said:


> There is lots to do in the Palm Springs area:
> Some Recommendations about Palm Springs, California
> 
> We stay in Palm Springs, CA in early November because we like the weather there at that time of year. Jan to March is nice, but there could be a little rain or clouds. Palm Springs is a “village” in the Coachella Valley that also includes Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Indio, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage. The whole valley is marketed as Palm Springs, but the other cities are similar in attractions and weather. It is a desert area surrounded on three sides by three separate mountain ranges.
> ...



Wow quite a list! I am going to write down all those addresses and take a drive around next fall when we're there.

It seems that we like most of the same restaurants that you do!

Lynn


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## dansimms (Jan 9, 2015)

*Coachella Festival*

I am booked to stay at my Marriott Desert Springs I in April and will still be there for the very beginning of the Festival.  They sell 3 day passes, but I would only be interested in the first Friday.  Does anyone have a suggestion?  I would imagine even outside the festival, there would be quite a buzz and lots of opportunities to see live music.  I am not interested in the 3 day camping experience at the festival.  I would love to share the cost for a pass, but someone would have to trust me that I would give them the wrist band back for days 2 and 3.


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## CalifasGirl (Jan 9, 2015)

Something that I have been meaning to try but haven't yet is taking a tour of the windmills in Palm Springs.


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## Ken555 (Jan 9, 2015)

CalifasGirl said:


> Something that I have been meaning to try but haven't yet is taking a tour of the windmills in Palm Springs.




There are tours? I think passing them on the 10 is more than enough for me...


Sent from my iPad


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