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Palm Springs CA

debj0830

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We have booked a week in May at the Lawrence Welk's Desrt Oasis. Any tips on what is a must to see. We are from Alabama and this will be our first visit to California.
 

applegirl

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Welcome to TUG and soon to the California desert! I hope you love the Palm Springs area as much as we do.

A couple of things that are a must see for any visitor are:

- Living Desert: it's a zoo/botanical gardens and is well worth the visit. In May you will want to go as early in the day as you can as that's when the animals are most active. Be sure to catch on of the animal shows too. They are entertaining and informative. The zoo features the Big Horn Sheep which are native to the area as well as many other native desert animals.

-Thousand Palms Oasis: Ask for directions, it's a little bit of a drive, but not bad (15 minutes from Palm Desert resorts for example). This is a classic example of a palm tree oasis and has an interesting history to go with it. Bring a picnic and good hiking shoes. There are shaded picnic tables right at the parking area and visitor center, but the 1 mile hike (walk) to the other oasis is nice if it's not too hot. Otherwise, just walk around the nearby footpaths and enjoy! This will not disappoint.

Have a great trip! Be sure to visit the Palm Springs forum at tripadvisor for many more good suggestions.

Janna
 

ricoba

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You must drive down the 111 towards Indio, just past La Quinta and on your right there will be a big white building advertising the film "The Romance & Sex Life of the Date". The place is Shields Date Gardens, which is a great place to sample dates and to sit at the old fashioned counter and have a Date Shake....mmmmm :)

The weather in May should be just wonderful.
 

DeniseM

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Be sure you check out the CA Info. link posted at the very top of the page.

Palm Springs is a great destination, but it's not the best place from which to explore CA, because CA is a huge state and Palm Springs is somewhat isolated, so I'd really concentrate on the immediate area. Just to give you an idea of distance from some of the popular areas of southern CA, Palm Springs is 90 mi. from Disneyland, 127 mi. from San Diego, 113 mi. from Hollywood, and 279 mi. from Las Vegas. Some of those drives have very heavy traffic. If you do want to visit Disneyland, or one of the other areas, it might be better to book a couple of nights in a hotel at the beginning or end of your trip and spending a couple nights close by.
 
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WalnutBaron

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I agree with applegirl. The Living Desert is well worth your time and vacation dollar. It's exceptionally well laid out and will be of equal interest to kids and adults.

One thing there that is often overlooked but was a highlight for me when we visited: be sure to take the short trail to see the San Andreas Faultline. You will be amazed at the trailside interpretation and the education you'll get as you stand on the confluence of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. And yes, as you stand there, you'll be constantly thinking "I just hope we don't have The Big One right now!" :)
 

WalnutBaron

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Before we went to Palm Springs last month, I checked these boards for recommendations. One that I would highly recommend is a meal--lunch or dinner--at Sherman's Deli in Palm Desert. It's a traditional Jewish deli with a perfect atmosphere for the classic deli. The portions are HUGE so come hungry!
 

BevL

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Not sure of the Palm Springs Follies is still running by that time, but if you're into shows, etc., might be worth taking a look. They are all retired show people, many of them senior citizens, some are really OLD, but they put on a heck of a show. My mom and I had a great time.

Also the flea market at the College of The Living Desert on the weekends can be worth a stop. Some of the stuff is junky, although I always stock up on socks, but you can get some nice local stuff and it's kind of fun to wander around for an hour or so.

I second the idea that if you're doing parks in Anaheim, stay over one night or maybe fly in a day or two early. It's well worth it.

And yes, the weather should be ideal.
 
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gorevs9

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I'll be there in April (10-18). Are there golfing TUGGERS who will be vacationing there at that time? Maybe we can get in a round or two.
 

rifleman69

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You must drive down the 111 towards Indio, just past La Quinta and on your right there will be a big white building advertising the film "The Romance & Sex Life of the Date". The place is Shields Date Gardens, which is a great place to sample dates and to sit at the old fashioned counter and have a Date Shake....mmmmm :)

The weather in May should be just wonderful.


I remember the Date Gardens way back when they were out in the middle of nowhere (80's). Also had a grapefruit "plantation behind or nearby as we used to pick them there.
 

Liz Wolf-Spada

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We'll be there at Welk also the 10th to the 17th. My husband golfs, a beginner. He might like to do that and I love meeting Tuggers. PM me for more contact information.
Liz
 

nazclk

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Palm Springs

....and if you are looking for a great restaurant go to Lyon's English Grille
was just there this past weekend and had the best Prime Rib and my wife said the filet she had was better than Ruth Chris :clap:
 

geneticblend

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The Palm Springs Tram goes up to Mount San Jacinto State Park, and it is very beautiful there. The state park is a wilderness area. There is a look-out station at the top, as well as a restaurant. And there are hiking trails in the park.

Indian Canyons has several hiking trails--some short, some long. So you can choose what ever suits you best for your abilities or for how much time you have to spend there. It has been a while since I was there, but if I remember correctly, one of the trails is called the "San Andreas Fault Trail" or something like that, and does follow the fault line.

Joshua Tree National Park is a few hours drive away from Palm Springs, but I feel it is worth it. I think if you are from Alabama, you will enjoy it, simply because it is so very different from what you are probably used to seeing. I am from Pennsylvania, and my family and I enjoyed it and spent an entire day there. The park really wasn't that huge, but we found lots of hiking to do and plenty of things to see.

But as you can tell, we like to go places where we can hike. But even if that is not your thing, these three places are beautiful, and you don't have to like to hike to enjoy them.

I hope you have an enjoyable time there!
 
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