Palm Springs has been one of my favorite vacation areas for the last thirty years. When I was in college, this was the place to go in the search for that endless party or that perfect female body -- Palm Springs now discouraged spring break fever (they now go to the Colorado River) and the city is concentrating on the baby-boomer crowd. It is still my favorite place just to kick back, play tennis and golf, take a long walk, and make new friends of the opposite sex...now, I only view those bikini clad hard bodies that snuggle pool side in the dry heat of the desert. Yes, I'm one of those grown baby-boomers!
Why is Palm Springs so popular -- well there is something for everyone including great biking and hiking trails, tennis and golf galore, some of the most sophisticated shopping in the U.S. (more art galleries than Santa Fe), some of the best gourmet restaurants in the world and possibly the best selection of hotel resorts outside Hawaii. For the couch potato there is enough to gawk at from his pool lounge chair to make all content. Remember the beautiful, near-perfect desert climate offers a year-round respite to visitors world wide. With only 15-20 days of rainfall per year, dry air and low humidity, there is fun in the sun by day and plenty of relaxation in the balmy evenings. From fall through late spring the days are warm and nights are cool. Summer, it sizzles but the nights are perfect for strolling and pretending you are on a different planet -- the sight of thousands of those huge wind-generators as you approach the desert add to the eerie feeling. My favorite times are mid-may and late September and early October--you get the best of both worlds...low summer rates and a tempered climate.
Palm Springs also has another name -- the golf capital of the world. In the Coachella Valley there are more than 80 courses, ranging from the lush to the barren sandy desert type. Not to be out done are the 600 tennis courts that dot the area and more than 10,000 swimming pools. Yes, it is a sport mens (women) world in the desert.
The Palm Springs area includes a never-ending series of small towns and enclaves. Each has its unique character, created by the style of the resorts, restaurants, sites, or activities that occupy that specific area. The most popular are: Palm Springs proper, Palm Desert -- with its mega-resorts and vast shopping center, Indian Wells -- the new in place, La Quinta -- the most famous (prestigious) and lush resort in the area, and Rancho Mirage -- noted for its famous restaurant row. Close by is Desert Hot Springs -- for the over 50 crowd with its bubbling hot mineral water baths that generate that forgotten youthful feeling.
If you're not from Southern California, getting to Palm Springs is easy. The Palm Springs airport handles many major airlines, including American, Alaska, Delta, United and even TWA. There is direct service from Dallas, Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, and Denver. A new airline, Grand Airways, will even connect you to Houston and Las Vegas. The airport is five minutes from Palm Springs central and it is an inexpensive ride to your nearby hotel. Of course, renting a car is the preferred way -- there is much to see in the adjacent wide open desert. The distance between Palm Springs and La Quinta is over half an hour drive and taxis just don't make sense if you plan to explore.
Near the airport is my favorite hotel and the recommended place to stay in Palm Springs, the Wyndham. Popular on weekends with Los Angeles area sun seekers, including those beautiful women you might see on Bay-Watch or Malibu. The pool is enormous and it is easy to socialize and make new friends. The contemporary motif plus its direct connection to the convention center make this the most popular place in town. The Wyndham is my choice if you like action, mingling or you just like to people watch the rich and famous (hopefuls). Ask for a mini-suite facing the pool and if the discount weekend package is available...call 800-822-4200.
There's also many other major hotels in Palm Springs (over 200 rooms). The best are the Palm Springs Hilton -- across from the Wyndham, the Marquis Hotel -- with huge condo suites, the Palm Springs Riviera -- a former Radisson which has been completely remodeled and claims the biggest pool in Palm Springs (Bono's restaurants and racquet club is adjacent) and the Hyatt Regency Suites -- the most elegant hotel in the city and connected to the shopping mall on Palm Canyon Blvd.
You might also consider The Tennis Club, a time-share arrangement, but one that allows vacationers to rent the condos. One of the original old time hotels before conversion, it has the most photographed pool in all the desert. The resort nestles the San Jacinto mountains (you can start your hike from the hotel rear) and is only a five minute walk to downtown...the perfect location. All 144 rooms are on-bedroom condos or larger -- a bonus is that this is the best tennis club in the desert, with a convenient match-maker. Call 619-325-1441 for hotel reservations and 325-4049 for tennis reservation. Arlene (the tennis hostess) allows you to call ahead, so when you arrive your games are already scheduled -- what a life for a tennis bum!
As for entertainment, Palm Springs really sizzles at night, with both sexes roving the main boulevard in search of new partners. Walking, browsing, and flirting in the dry desert evenings is the way of life in Palm Springs. While walking is an unusual practice in the United States, it is the norm in Palm Springs and it makes you feel like you are in Europe or Asia. What a great way to enjoy a balmy evening!
The best bar to watch women in Palm Springs is at the Las Casuelas Mexican restaurant. Note that there are two restaurants by this name in Palm Springs -- make sure you wind up at the one on South Palm Canyon called "Teraza." The food is excellent, and the bar is a great place to make new friends while waiting for dinner (and you will wait). Ask for patio seating to watch the strollers in bikini tops.
Another great place to people-watch and have a light meal is Brussels Cafe, on Palm Canyon Boulevard. The setting is perfect to watch the parade of mini-skirted women and the movie star looking males in pursuit. The food is priced reasonably and ice-cream is available next store incase you need be to cooled off! On weekends, they have a jazz and comedy club inside. The recently-opened Cafe Cabo Grill and Cantina has become the new people-watching bar. This is also located on Tahquitz Canyon a block from Palm Canyon Boulevard and across the newly remolded Spa Hotel.
If you like dancing and gazing, Palm Springs has its share of clubs. For the young at heart, there is Zelda's, across the street from the Spa Hotel on Indian Avenue. For sophistication, try Cecil's at 1775 E. Palm Canyon Blvd. in the Smoke Tree Shopping Center. Another popular spot is Pompeii, a fifteen-minute drive out towards Cathedral City.
My favorite hang-out is Chiller's, the newest and best disco/bar/live music and mingling center in Palm Springs. Located next to Las Casuelas on Palm Canyon Boulevard, this hot spot has three levels of bars, and the drinks are premixed and stored on hanging vats, and also four dance floors to dance and flirt on. The night I was there a fashion models group, a women's group convention, plus locals from the community and were all circulating the bars checking out the guys.
For mellow hotel lounge entertaiment, the best hotel bar is in the Riviera Hotel. If you are a night owl and still have energy left, then try Mary's, next to Sonny Bono's restaurant, at 1700 North Indian Avenue. This is a late-night disco for the more sophisticated browser. Who knows, maybe Sonny might drop in!
For women looking to meet that older, refined gentlemen, I would suggest Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn. This is a world renown lounge, where anyone who is anybody sooner or later stops by. Dress to impress and not for us casual tennis bums!
In Palm Desert you'll find the crowd to be a little older and more affluent. Just take highway 111, the road leading out of Palm Springs to the south, and soon you'll be at the Red Onion, the action spot of Palm Desert! Located in the Palm Desert Town Shopping Center, which is largest in the dessert -- it even has an indoor ice-skating ring! If you get bored watching all the short-shorts walk by, try T.G.I.F. across the street, a great place for all sexes to meet and flirt!
If you're coming alone, there is a new way to meet other singles without leaving your hotel room. It works by placing an ad in the local paper (called -- the Meeting Place, every Friday), and then recording your personal greeting on a voice mail box. People responding to your ad can instantaneously leave a response on the phone for you. Have your ad placed before your arrival by calling 800-783-1131 and hopefuly there will be messages waiting for you when you check in. Yes, you will have to call the papers 900# to check messages or, if you are the adventerous type, leave the name of your hotel and your name in the voice message!
Another option is to browse through the women's recorded ads on the telephone -- for a per minute charge. Then just pick one out, leave a message explaining your interests and cross your fingers that this is your lucky day. You will have to pay a few dollars for the 900 service but it certainly adds a little mystery and excitement to your trip. The number is 1-900-680-0078 -- ext 66 and is sponsered by the Palm Springs Desert Sun.
<<LATE FLASH>>
The Palm Springs city council has just okayed gambling on Indian land. Apparently Indian lands owned by the Aqua Caliente Indians (they own over 31,000 acres in the desert) is governed by the city and state -- not the U.S. government in respect to gambling. This mega casino will have all those Las Vegas frills and even will be managed by Caesars of Vegas -- the name, " Caesars Palm Spring." Ground breaking will be around January 1, 1995 and it will be located between the Spa Hotel and the Wyndham. Is Vegas in trouble? No, but this will sure help fill some of those thousands of hotel rooms in the area.
Besides the beautiful weather, bikini-clad women, designer shops, great hotels, picturesque surroundings, and sports galore there are a few surprises that make the Palm Springs area a great travel experience. In other words -- site seeing.
Five miles from the center of Palm Springs is the Indian Canyons, ancestral home of the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians. This is the largest natural palm oasis in North America. Here are countless Washingtonia filifera palms, the only palms native to this continent, growing along the streams, a beautiful and lush sight in the middle of the desert.There is a trading post, picnic grounds, hiking and horse trails.
I also suggest taking one of the world's most spectacular aerial tramway, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The gondola-like cars takes you up 8,516 feet to 54 miles of hiking or viewing trails. This is probably the only place in the world where you go from 110 degrees at the bottom to fluffy (bring a jacket) white snow in five minutes. There is also an Alpine buffet restaurant, cocktail lounge, picnic, gift shops and movie theater on top. The best is the stunning views of the valley below.
If you prefer hiking, my favorite trail starts at the end of Ramon Road and climbs over the Tennis Club until all of Palm Springs is in view. On your way down Ramon, toward Palm Canyon Boulevard, stop off at the fabled Ingleside Inn to have a drink and fantasize what Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy might have said to each other while wining and dining here.
There are also balloon flights, marked bicycle trails, a 75,000-square-foot desert museum featuring native American sculpture and painting (located behind Fashion Plaza mall), an ultra-modern water park with a "beach and waves" called Oasis Waterpark.
One of the unusual sights in the area is the Salton Sea. This popular lake is North of Brawley and it is a humongous seabed 228 feet below sea level -- sorta like the Dead Sea in Israel where you can't sink.
If your hotel doesn't have tennis courts, try the Tennis Center at 1300 Baristo Road. Not only are there teaching pro's, ball-machines, and tournaments but they will also find a game for you. If you are a real sport nut, try the Bob Hope Classic, the Nabisco Dinah Shores LPGA, the Vintage Arco Invitional and the Frank Sinatra Celebritiy golf championships. For tennis buffs, there is the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells and the Virginia Slim of Palm Springs.
**WARNING**With all thee activities, a warn of warning -- remember the desert is low humidity, perspiration quickly evaporates, and you might not be aware of the sun's strength. If you enjoy hot, then try the summer and expect a bonus -- there seems to be a correlation between how hot it is and how little the women wear. I have passed-out twice in my life, both times in Palm Springs -- no, not from watching the beautiful women but from drinking, playing tennis and not watching the signals from my body, so cool it!
For the strolling shopper, Palm Springs has a new event for you. It is a street fair that has begun every Thursday night from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. To attract tourists, Palm Springs now closes Palm Canyon Boulevard and makes it a pedestrian walk-way. There are bands, strolling performers, hand crafts, food and a certified farmer's market. My favorite stop is the " ask the Rabbi booth " -- I always ask the same question, " will I ever marry a Jewish girl." If I don't like his answer, I go to his competition down the street (yes, there are two Jewish "ask the Rabbis" competing against each other -- this is Palm Springs).
A last activity (or sites to see), is what I call hotel snooping. Some of the most beautiful architecture designed hotels exist in this desert playground and they are worthy tourist sites. My favorites are the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort (Indian Wells area, 1-800-882-1234) with a 10,500 seat tennis stadium court and two golf courses on site, the 640 room La Quinta Hotel (La Quinta area, 1-800 854-1271) which opened in 1926 as the preferred retreat for the stars of "Hollywood Golden Era" and now the place for exclusivity and privacy and last, the Ritz-Carlton of Rancho Mirage. The later is a full service luxury resort set atop a 650-foot-high plateau in the rugged foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains. This is a super impressive three-story Mediterranean-style hotel that embraces its lush landscaped grounds that look over the Coachella Valley. If you need to impress get one of the 19 executive suites....1-800-241-3333.
Sound great, well we haven't got to my favorite yet -- the Marriott's Desert Spring Resort and Spa. Situated on over 400 acres, 900 rooms, 228-seat Lake restaurant,1,100 seating outdoor grove for luaus, a 27,000 foot European Health spa, a 12,000 square foot beach (yes, I said beach) two swimming pools, 20 tennis courts, two golf courses and the lobby has it own lake with gondolas to take you to your room or to that private beach. The hotel is incredible and a bonus is you are only a few minutes to the Palm Desert Town Center and the plush El Paseo shopping area...1-800-228-9290.
If you need more information call 800-34-SPRINGS for a free 32-page vacation guide.
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