PalmSprings SS0509:APR. template
4/8/09
1:48 PM
Page 1
palm
springs
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
DESERT DIGS
Once, Palm Springs was a playground
for celebs like Dean Martin and Frank
Sinatra, lending the area its persona
as the hip, cool place to vacation.
Today, myriad hotels and resorts
throughout Coachella Valley offer
everything from prime golfing to
luxuriant spa services.
valley
give in to
the desert
BY BEKAH WRIGHT
Ahi tacos from
Copley’s on Pa
lm Canyon
irage
Rancho M
Desert Willow
Golf Resort
THEY OCCUR EVERY YEAR — the dreaded May gray
and June gloom. During these months, it seems as though
the sun will never break through the marine layer again.
Don’t abandon sunscreen and merely watch the calendar.
Give chase! The sun can be found 350 days a year at the
nearby Palm Springs Desert Resorts’ eight desert cities.
So pack the car, put the top down, and head east armed
with an itinerary filled with Palm Springs hot spots and
activities that call for sizzling desert fun.
38
SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE l MAY 2009
A pick that embodies both a hip
and cool vibe is Viceroy Palm
Springs, with its exterior that recalls
days past and an interior that’s all
sleek, modern lines with a contemporary palette and furnishings. Knowing
the desert sun is a draw for most
guests, the Viceroy has tailored a stay
to deliver just that, with a cabañalined pool where treatments from
Estrella Spa can be ordered to keep
the pampering outside. The resort’s
location is an easy walk into downtown. Nevertheless, retro bicycles are
PalmSprings SS0509:APR. template
4/8/09
10:52 AM
Page 3
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
days ($75 and $45 per child) with
itineraries that include games, theme
day play and arts and crafts. Also on
tap are “nightlife” activities such as
pizza parties and movie nights.
Families will want to reconvene to
spend time across the street at The
River. The waterfront shopping center
is ideal for strolling under the stars and
catching free music and dance performances at the outdoor amphitheatre.
There are numerous shops for browsing, plus restaurants with varied cuisine
for all appetites. Perhaps most fun,
though, is savoring every lick of a Ben
& Jerry’s ice cream cone and tossing a
penny into a fountain to make a wish.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Viceroy Palm Springs
supplied for tooling about town in style.
Frequent visitors to the desert will
be thrilled to learn that $2 billion is
slated through 2011 for building new
area hotels and resorts as well as
renovating existing favorites. Updates
to check out: the $70 million remodel
of another downtown fave, the Riviera
Resort & Spa and the newly opened
Ace Hotel & Swim Club. Don’t miss
the upgrades to Desert Hot Springs’
Flamingo Hotel & Spa Resort, which
include a full-service Wellness Center
and six mineral-water pools, or La
Quinta Resort & Club’s new golf
course clubhouse. Several downtown
Palm Springs properties on the horizon
call for booking: Hard Rock Hotel,
Fairmont Avanterra and Mondrian
Hotels & Condos.
thing from a 425-foot lazy river for
leisurely floating to two 100-foot water
slides — the Rattler and the
Sidewinder — that get adrenalin pumping. Tots will like the special splash
zone, built with them in mind, that’s
chock full of sprayers and buckets of
water. Two spots popular with parents
include a “cliffside” Jacuzzi and a
beach composed of white marble sand
that keeps the soles of the feet cool.
Once waterlogged, entertainment
for the young is still afoot via the
resort’s children’s camp, Kidtopia.
Under staff supervision, ages 4
through 12 can enjoy full or half-
FAMILY FUN IN
RANCHO MIRAGE
Look for visitors of the desert cities,
and they’ll likely be found basking in
the sun poolside. Many have their
preferred swimming pools for putting
down roots. Ask kids which tops their
list to get the instantaneous response:
Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa’s
Splashtopia. The water complex is a
mecca for the pint-sized, with every40
SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE l MAY 2009
The Living Desert
Zoo & Gardens
There’s plenty to see and do in the
Palm Springs area, from shopping on
El Paseo to stargazing in the desert.
Taking advantage of the sunshine are
several outdoor attractions that are
unique to the region. One not to miss
is Indian Canyons, once home to the
Cahuilla Indians.
There are three unique canyons to
explore. Fifteen-mile Palm Canyon has
a paved path for taking in rock formations and gorges or finding the perfect
spot for a streamside picnic. Andreas
Canyon is lush with willows, sycamores and mesquite trees. A foot trail
leads to sites that were once part of
the Cahuilla Indians’ day-to-day life,
Rancho Las Pa
lmas
Resort & Spa
PalmSprings SS0509:APR. template
4/8/09
11:18 AM
Page 5
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
such as Gossip Rock, one of the
many bedrock mortars and metates
used centuries ago when preparing
food. Saddling up to hit Murray
Canyon’s equestrian trails is a
great way to spot animals such as
peninsula big horn, mule deer and
two wild horses thought to be descendants of horses that belonged to
the early Indians.
Another place to see animals —
from meerkats to cheetahs — is The
Living Desert Zoo & Gardens. Set on
1,200 acres straddling Palm Desert
and Indian Wells, the facility has 450
animals from the deserts of the world
in residence along with immersion
gardens representing ecosystems of
North American and Africa. Live animal shows give guests closeup encounters throughout the day with
mammals, reptiles and birds of prey.
In addition, there’s a desert play park
and discovery room along with special exhibits and events that occur
year-round. Make a date for an
overnight Starry Safari in The Living
Desert’s tent village.
Those who like a combination of
sunshine and snow might be surprised to learn that Palm Springs has
just what they’re yearning for. The
way to reach both: the Palm Springs
Aerial Tramway. Visitors begin their
journey from the desert floor at the
Valley Station. From here, two rotating tramcars ascend 21⁄2 miles up
Chino Canyon to the 8,516-foot-high
Mountain Station, offering 360-degree
views from Coachella Valley to the
Salton Sea.
Upon debarking, passengers soon
note the 40-degree temperature difference from that of the Valley Station,
if not remnants of snow from the
winter season. Waiting to be discovered are 54 hiking trails through
14,000 acres of heavenly, pine-scented forest within Mount San Jacinto
State Park & Wilderness Area. Also
on tap: picnicking, guided nature
walks and camping.
Then again, browsing the Natural
History Museum or settling in on the
balconies of either the Peaks and Pines
restaurants for a cold beer are excellent
alternatives. After all, though the air
may be crisp, the sun is still shining.
42
SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE l MAY 2009