Palm Springs for mid-century architecture, a really good art and natural history museum, hiking, multitudes of fabulous food, and one of the most awe inspiring 360 degree rotating tram ride from the desert to the mountains, plus hiking in both the desert and the mountains. and it is nearby to a couple of smaller towns that offer their own interesting amenities.
Here’s some details:
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Self Guided Mid-Century Architecture Tour
Visit the house where Elvis and Priscilla Spent the First Night of their Honeymoon
Hike the Desert Canyons of Palm Springs
Palm Springs Art Museum
A short list of my favorite places to eat in Palm Springs ( these are vegetarian friendly, but they are not specifically vegetarian restaurants, so regular people will like them too) PS’s is one of the restaurant destination capitols of the world.
Nature’s Health Food and Cafe
Elmer’s (excellent breakfast, especially the hazelnut cream filled French toast with warm fruit compote)
El Mirasol (Yummy Mexican food)
Las Casuelas Terraza (More yummy Mexican food right in the heart of downtown. Great for people watching)
Tyler’s Hamburger’s
Matchbox Pizza
Palms Green Cafe
Native Foods
Spencer’s (very fancy, romantic restaurant with an excellent view, specializing in Pacific Rim dinners, and a wonderful brunch)
Note: If you enjoy a cocktail and piano bars, there’s tons of these in Palm Springs.
Palm Springs Fudge and Chocolates (for the best date shake in the desert!)
The next place is my favorite place to stay in Palm Springs: Caliente Tropics (because it’s a vintage, Hawaiian-style, 1960’s era motel with a great pool and a very cute tiki bar, and beautiful tropical grounds, and very reasonably priced.)
Nearby to Palm Springs is the town of Indio famous for it’s dates. If you go, you must visit Shield’s Date Garden and Store
Also nearby to Palm Springs is Joshua Tree National Park a great place to drive through or to camp. U2 named one of their albums after this place.
The nearby town of Desert Hot Springs, boasts a very nifty mid-century hotel called the Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel”:http://www.dhsspa.com/huell.html
Another nearby town, Cabazon, has a really cool roadside attraction that features life sized dinosaur sculptures that house a museum and a gift shop. The dinosaurs are right by Hadley’s a wonderful store to purchase dried fruits (especially dates), nuts, candy and my very favorite date cake, and you can also get date shakes and food gifts to take home or send to friends. And just down the road from Hadley’s is the Morongo Casino and the Cabazon outlet stores. Also, running right through Cabazon, outside of Palm Springs and running along the 10 freeway are thousands of magnificent Windmills