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Palm Springs, is loaded with vacation home rentals and some homes are on the many golf courses - a desert city located in Southern California has traditionally been associated with Hollywood as it is located in close proximity to the city of Los Angeles which is home to US film industry. In fact, in the 1930’s many of tinsel town’s leading lights like Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, and Carole Lombard escaped the glare of Hollywood by taking refuge in the beautiful desert city of Palm Springs which was then known as the ‘Playground of the Stars’. Palm Springs which is located in the arid Coachella valley was first inhabited by Native American Indians who christened it after the many natural hot water springs that are found here. The Indians believed that the waters of these springs had medicinal properties. People at first flocked to this desert hot spot to bather in the soothing waters of these springs, today however Palm Springs with its palm lined canyons, gushing waterfalls, opulent resorts and spas, verdant golf course and its amenable climate which is characterized by nearly 300 days of sunshine is a favored destination for a wide variety of travelers.Another interesting fact about Palm Springs, is that it is home to a substantial gay population and is a popular stop on the pink route as it hosts several annual gay festivals like ‘Gayla’ which is annual gay conference and the Dinah Shore tournament which is a golf tournament for lesbians.
Getting to Palm Springs
Palm Springs is served by the efficient Palm Springs International Airport which has direct air links with most major American cities like Dallas, Denver, Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle etc. Palm Springs International Airlines is served by a variety of international and domestic carriers like Air Canada, United, US Airways, American Airlines, Delta,
Alaska/Horizon Air etc.
You can also combine a trip to Palm Springs with a trip to the home of Hollywood in Los Angeles as Palm Springs is located just 114 miles to the east of LA and is easily accessible from Los Angeles by a two hour drive on the Interstate 10.
If you rather not drive, you can always ride on the Greyhound bus service which is available from downtown LA. The service transports you to the city of Indio located 25 miles to the south of Palm Springs.. When you get to Indio you can transfer easily to the Sun Bus service which travels on route 111 through the Coachella Valley. You can alternatively use the Desert Valley Shuttle bus service which provides convenient connections between Los Angeles airport and several destinations in Palm Springs.
Palm Springs is also accessible by train from LA as Amtrak provides a service from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Palm Springs. However this service is quite limited and runs on only selected days of the week.
Where to Stay
The city of Palm Springs offers a wide range of accommodation options from hotels which are equipped with golf courses, spas and swimming pools to motels and vacation rentals which are equipped with all or some of these amenities. Depending on your preference you can choose to stay in any of one of these dwellings which can be found all over the city of Palm Springs including its most popular neighborhoods like Warm Sands, Las Palmas, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert and Indian Wells.
Where to Shop and Play
The city of Palm Springs offers a wide variety of activities which appeal to all types of vacationers. Downtown Palm Springs which is also known as the' Village' or the' Loop' is the entertainment hub of the city as it is populated by trendy restaurants, shops, art galleries and boutiques. Every Thursday evening, a lively open air market called ‘the village fest’ is held on famous Palm Canyon drive which features artists, artisans and entertainers of various types as well as vendors of fresh produce, prepared foods, baked goods and flowers.
The city’s prime shopping location is the El Paseo Shopping district which is located across the Gardens of El Palseo and is home to over 300 high end shops, boutiques, restaurants and jewelers. Palm Springs also offers reasonable outlet shopping at the Desert Hills Premium Outlets and Cabazon Outlets which are located on the outskirts of Palm Springs. These outlet centers feature designer brands like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, MaxMara, Diane von Fürstenberg, Diesel etc.
Many vacationers come to Palm Springs to relax, unwind and rejuvenate as they lounge around the city’s more than 3000 azure swimming pools and indulge in the many available Spa treatments. However the more sporty and active vacationers, like to spend their time in Palm Springs sightseeing, hiking, playing tennis or golf. In fact Palm Springs, with its more than a hundred championship golf courses, all of which host a variety of golfing tournaments throughout the golf season is also known as "The Golf Capital of the World".
Attractions
The Joshua Tree National Park
This sprawling and awe-inspiring national park which is located at the confluence of two great deserts the Colorado and the Mojave, is a prime attraction of Palm Springs that is located near the city of 29 Palms. This wild and wonderful national Park is equipped with a variety of hiking trails, an art gallery, a café and a visitor’s center.
Coachella Valley Preserve
Enjoy picnicking, horse riding, bird watching in this nature preserve which is set amongst 20,000 acres of lush greenery and has in its midst a 1000 acre cool palm oasis. The Coachella Valley Preserve is located five miles to the south east of Palm Springs.
Mount San Jacinto State Park
A heaven for hikers and campers, this high altitude park offers 54 miles of hiking trails, camp grounds and picnic areas. In the winter months, the park also offers cross country skiing. Mount San Jacinto State park can only be accessed by hiking up the trails or by the Palm Springs Ariel tram way which takes visitors from the Valley Station which is located at an elevation of 2,643 feet elevation to the Mountain Station located at the edge of the wilderness at an elevation 8,516 feet. Located at the Mountain station is State park visitor center, a snack bar, gift shop and a restaurant.
Desert Adventures Eco Jeep Tours
If you don’t really enjoy strenuous activity, you can choose take in the beautiful desert vistas of the Joshua Tree National Park by taking a Jeep tour of the Park. Desert Adventures, a local agency offers a wide variety of tours and adventures of the park and the San Andreas Fault.
Restaurants
Palm Springs is a popular tourist destination and accordingly boasts of a number of diverse restaurants that aim to cater to a wide variety of tastes. Both visitors and locals in Palm Springs enjoy lingering over a long leisurely brunch and the city has several establishments which serve an excellent brunch like Norma’s at the Parker Palm Spring, Le St Germain in Indian Wells, Las Casuelas Terraza, which is a famous Mexican restaurant that has been in existence for over 25 years. Sherman’s Deli and Bakery which is a New York style deli, More than a Mouthful Café and Peabody’s
Coffee Bar are more casual brunch and breakfast spots.
Dining establishments in Palm Springs include several traditional American steakhouses like Morton’s, the Chop House, Falls Prime Steak House and Martini Bar and LG’s Prime Steakhouse. The Desert city also has other eclectic restaurants that serve international cuisine like the Thai Palms Restaurant, Picanha Churrascaria Brazilian Grill and Bar, Monsoon Indian Cuisine, Le Donne Cucina which serves mouth watering Italian delights and Citron which is trendy restaurant located in downtown Palm Springs that serves nouvelle California cuisine.
Palm Springs is home to one of the largest gay communities in USA and the city is in fact an important stop on the pink route as it hosts annual events like an annual gay conference called ‘Gayla’ and the Dinah Shore tournament which is a golf tournament for lesbians that features many raucous parties.
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