Making time to visit Palm Springs while we were in California was strictly my idea. It had been a wish list destination ever since I learned about the original mid-century modern architecture gold mine in the center of town. Lucky for me, Google maps told me a quick 2 hour road trip would get us there. Uh, ok, sign me up. Even though LA traffic added about an hour to that estimate, we’re still glad we made the trek.
Old Las Palmas
Palm Springs definitely has more to do than look at those gorgeous mid-mod houses. Even though our morning cruise through Old Las Palmas is on my list of highlights from the entire trip. I highly recommend taking a Sunday drive through the neighborhood or renting bikes or walking. A lot of homes are secluded behind privacy bushes, but plenty of eye candy exists. Including Elvis Presley’s honeymoon home & Marilyn Monroe’s getaway abode. It doesn’t take long – you could spend anywhere from a half hour to a couple hours (if on bike or foot) meandering through the neighborhood. The locals seem to be used to it, but always be respectful of their privacy as well (hence my lack of photos).
Aerial Tramway
After seeing those iconic homes, I highly suggest a trip up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Very touristy, but wow, it’s truly amazing. An altitude change of approximately 6,000 feet and a temperature drop of around 30-40 degrees isn’t something we expected while visiting the Coachella Valley desert. We hadn’t bought tickets until arriving to Palm Springs since we weren’t sure what we wanted to do. Arriving to the top (the ride is a little scary, I can’t lie) we were greeted by pine trees instead of the palm trees we left in the valley. We hiked up, down and all around the San Jacinto Peak seeing unique views of the city spread out below. And since the day was clear, we could spot the Salton Sea in the distance, too.
We spent way more time hiking than originally planned because we couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. I highly recommend this adventure if you’re in the area – and wear something comfortable as I was a tad unprepared. Oh, and skip the free parking at the visitor’s center & pay the $6 parking fee. Unless you’re in great shape & are up for about 3 miles of steep incline… we saw some very miserable tourists on our way up.
The Palm Springs Vibe
After that amazing experience, we headed back down to kick our feet up to enjoy some pool time & a relaxing dinner. Palm Springs has such a slow, laid-back vibe – a major contrast to the Los Angeles experience. The downtown strip is lively at night with many good restaurants to choose from & all kinds of shops to explore. We ended up eating at Lulu California Bistro for dinner. It’s a funky, retro-yet-modern restaurant with a large patio which we loved. Great service & wonderful food, it was exactly what we needed to end our day in Palm Springs and our trip on the west coast.
Would I go back to Palm Springs? Absolutely. I’m picturing a girls weekend next time to indulge in the spas and visit the art museums. One day in the desert was good this time around, but there’s definitely more to explore.
Have you been to Palm Springs?
xoxo. B
