Exploring Palm Springs (Beyond Coachella)

Shop some of my travel essentials or my children’s travel book

I had written older posts on Palm Springs, and on Modernism Week in Feb & Oct specifically, but my overview was due for a refresh. Set at the foot of several mountain ranges, this modern and vibrant city is just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, Palm Springs (and Coachella Valley as a whole) have always felt like a welcome oasis to me, my family, my fellow Western Americans & Canadians, Old & New Hollywood, retirees, the LGBTQIA+ community, and now a fresh crop of city folk who can work remotely in this beautiful place in the nestled in the desert. It was originally home to the Agua Caliente Cahuilla (pronounced Kaw-we-ah) Indigenous community, who settled in the Palm Springs area and developed extensive and complex communities in Indian Canyons. These days, the area continues to grow rapidly and is now regularly drawing east coasters too, for it’s weather, recreation, events & festivals, proximity to LA and SF, easy airport access, and more. It’s hard to pinpoint what makes this area magical, but if you know, you know.

*For fun, see all of the locations where the recent stylish film “Don’t Worry Darling” was filmed starring Harry Styles and Florence Pugh

Palm Springs manages to have both a relaxed, and yet glamorous vibe, that is completely restful and in a rush for no one. It’s about days playing in the sun, and quiet evenings with good food and sound desert sleeps. Its known for its fabulous weather, hot springs, stylish hotels, abundant golf courses & tennis courts, spas and midcentury-modern architecture, film and music festivals, tennis tournament, wellness retreats, and so much more, like its core shopping district along Palm Canyon Drive featuring vintage boutiques, interior design shops and restaurants, while the surrounding Coachella Valley (which includes nine towns in all) offers hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. Also just 45 miles from Joshua Tree National Park or Pioneertown, and 1 hour from the mountain town of Idyllwild.

LOCAL EVENTS & THINGS TO DO

Palm Springs has wonderful regular markets and events - Thursday Night Markets, PS Vintage Market, PS Farmers Markets, Vintage Car Shows, PS Film Festival, and more. It also boasts wonderful vintage shopping and art museums - Iike the Palm Springs Art Museum - obviously the Coachella Music Festival, the Indian Wells Open / BNP Paribas Open, Modernism Week, and has the Agua Caliente Casinos in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage or Cathedral City. Palm Desert also has a regular street fair and farmers market.

Shopping: While there are certainly a few big chain shops, and luxury brands in Palm Desert, the gems here are the individual boutiques and vintage shopping. The gems I have found here from caftans to china to art is staggering, there are items that end up here from around the road so it’s a treasure trove to designers and collectors everywhere - and there is a reason why they come out to the desert to scout often. Just a few faves: Frippery, Thick as Thieves, The Shops At Thirteen Forty Five (especially Soukie Modern), Palm Canyon Galleria, Mitchells, Fine Art of Design. I also regularly hit Misty’s for fine art or interior design, and donation shops like Revivals to find housing goods (like full sets of Noritake China) and art, or Angel View Resale for clothing as there are a lot of new label finds (both have multiple locations in coachella valley). Here is a handy roundup of Vintage Shopping in & around Palm Springs.

TOWNS

Palm Springs is only one part of a big collective area, though it holds most of the action/scene, along with Palm Desert. In addition to Palm Springs, other cities of the area include Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs, referred to collectively as the Coachella Valley, The California Desert, or The Palm Springs Metro area. While Palm Springs has a more local business feel (for the most part), if you need to hit Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Cardenas Market (Mexican food market), Target or luxury stores, head over to Cathedral City or Palm Desert. Also, the San Jacinto Mountains are also a welcome escape from the heat.

HOTELS & STAYS

There are a wide variety of options here, from luxury and boutique hotels, charming B&B’s, to my personal favorite – home rentals. The reason I love the latter is that with the relaxed vibe of the experience, having a private pool and my own kitchen, thought stricter permit rules have restricted options.

Home Rentals –  There are so many wonderful options to rent houses with like Airbnb and VRBO, and more, many of which are managed by local companies, so check is running the rental for the best experience. For families, groups, or people planning the stay a week or more, I would highly recommend this option. (And as an FYI - the area has a very strict sound ordinance, so no late night parties)

Boutique Hotels – Les Cactus, Sparrows Lodge, Korakia Pensione, La Masion Hotel, Avalon Hotel, La Serena Villas, Holiday House, and Del Marcos Hotel. Local hoteliers are doing great things: PRG Hospitality Group (Sparrows Lodge, Holiday House, Sands Hotel Spa) and Kirkwood Collection (La serena villas, Del Marcos Hotel, Three Fifty Hotel), Hermann (L’Horizon, Hermann Bungalows)

Hotels – There are a lot of hotels in PS, but a wide gap on quality, so double check before hand to be sure, especially as there are a lot of parties in town, and therefore a lot of wear and tear. There are many large resorts outside of Palm Springs central, like Palm Desert JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort, or Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage,  or Miramonte Indian Wells Resort, or  La Quinta Resort & Club, but in town popular picks are The Parker (one of my faves), Kimpton Rowan (dependable), Ace Hotel & Swim Club (I am not a fan of the rooms – or noise – but the scene is lively), Renaissance Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Arrive, Dive, Colony Palms, The Saguaro, L’Horizon, Margaritaville Resort, for general hotel stays, and many more (they even opened a Sonder, but I don’t recommend it). Also, after a long delay, a new Thompson Hotel is opening on the strip in Fall 2024

DINING

There are more choices than ever, and plenty of markets to stock your fridge too. Eater has a good list of 21 essential restaurants.

Breakfast – Farm, Elmer’s Restaurant, French Miso Café, Cheeky’s are all good options, but there are endless options for brekkie and a lot of good coffee shops (Ernest Coffee, Cartel Coffee, Café La Jefa, Koffi - many that brew the local Joshua Tree Coffee Company goods). Good classic diner breakfasts at Sherman’s, John’s, or Kings Highway at Ace hotels too, and fantastic pastries at French-owned Peninsula Pastries, or bagels at Townie Bagels.

Lunch/Dinner – Jake’s, Farm, Copley’s, Workshop Kitchen + Bar, Birba, Paul’s Bar/Food, Rooster and the pig, Mister Parker’s (at the Parker), Mr. Lyons, LG’s, Sandfish Sushi Whiskey or Tac/Quila…there is SO many tasty Mexican food choices around too depending on what you are looking for. Also, if love the burgers at Tyler’s but it’s just open for lunch, and for all things healthy, check out Palm Greens Cafe.

Cocktails: This list is LONG, but I do enjoy Bootlegger Tiki a lot. Other good picks: Las Palmas, Tonga Hut, Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, Farm/Front Porch, Paul/Bar, Clandestino, Truss & Twine, Tailor Shop, Seymour’s, and many more. This is cocktail central, so act like a member of the Rat Pack, and raise a glass.

Snacks – Grab an acai bowl/green juice at Fruit Wonders or Acai Oasis. Date Shakes are also popular in these parts, and there are local date farms with goods for sale. Also, there are truly too many good Mexican restaurants to name, but I love getting speciality items and freshly made tortillas, salsa, cerviche, and more at Cardenas Market too

*You may notice the Agua Caliente casinos around the valley, if that is your kind of thing too

HEALTH & WELLNESS

There are opportunities for wellness, like endless annual retreats, yoga studios, private clubs, golf courses, tennis courts, skate parks, hiking paths, bike rentals, and more. The wonderful year round weather allows for an active lifestyle that locals and visitors alike embrace. I would definitely recommend a hike to get a birds eye view of the desert, and also rent a bicycle to take a spin around the neighborhoods.

Film Festival / Modernism Week / BNP Tennis Open / Coachella

There are events all year round, but the four largest are the International Film Festival (January), Modernism Week (Feb & Oct - which I wrote about here), Coachella (April) and the BNP Tennis Open (March). If you are local, you can work or volunteer at them all too.

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