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Palm Springs Becoming the “New Capital of Cool” for Spring Break Vacations

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Courtesy of the Desert Sun

Sunshine, swimming pools, hiking trails, shopping and dining for all budgets make the Coachella Valley – and Palm Springs especially – a prime spot for spring break vacationers.

Hometogo.com, a vacation rental search engine, ranks Palm Springs No. 7 among California’s top 11 spring break destinations.

Vacation rental users in Palm Springs will spend an estimated $19.2 million during each week of spring break, which spans about six weeks, from March 4 through April 15, said Dominic Walker, inbound marketing, and PR manager for Hometogo.

Vacation rental users in Palm Springs will spend an estimated $19.2 million during each week of spring break, which spans about six weeks, from March 4 through April 15, said Dominic Walker, inbound marketing, and PR manager for Hometogo.

Based on advanced bookings, Hometogo put peak times for Palm Springs at March 4-11, March 11-18 and April 1-8.

Once a haven for rowdy college kids who would turn downtown Palm Springs into a parade of bikinis, motorcycles, pickup trucks and convertibles, the city today is becoming known as the “new capital of cool” for spring break vacationers, said Mary Jo Ginther, Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism director.

Read more about it here...

From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Lifestyles & Things To Do

An Insider’s Guid to Palm Springs, California’s Desert Revival

Courtesy of By KATHRYN O’SHEA-EVANS WSJ

Courtesy of By KATHRYN O’SHEA-EVANS WSJ

ELIZABETH TAYLOR AND ELVIS PRESLEY had more in common than bouffant hairdos. They both owned getaway houses in Palm Springs, Calif.—and not solely for the winter sunshine. “Studios had a rule that stars couldn’t travel more than 120 miles from L.A. while they were filming, but it was more than that,” said Michael Stern, who co-owns the Modern Tour company, which offers a behind-closed-doors look at the city’s midcentury architecture (themoderntour.com). “Paparazzi weren’t allowed to take pictures in Palm Springs without consent—that’s why everyone had a house here. They turned it into a party town.”

The party died down in ensuing decades, but it seems to be regaining some rowdiness. Tucked between those low-slung buildings—most homes must be single-story to preserve the views of the San Jacinto Mountains—are new and soon-to-open hotels and sceney restaurants. We asked a few longtime locals and regulars to share their favorite diversions in and around Palm Springs, from the best shops for indulging a mania for the 1960s to where to play your bongo drums poolside.

Chef at Sparrows Lodge and Holiday House

NIGHT OWL // Seymour’s. This tiny, speakeasy-like bar opened last year, hidden off the side of Mr. Lyons restaurant. They have great cocktails; I like the earthy Little Owl, with house-made IPA syrup. 233 E Palm Canyon Dr., seymoursps.com

WESTERN FRONT // Pappy & Harriet’s. Pioneertown was built by Roy Rogers and Gene Autry [among others], for shooting westerns; now it houses this small music venue and barbecue restaurant in the middle of the mountains. 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown, pappyandharriets.com

TACO UPGRADE // Justin Eat & Drink. A chef-friend recently opened this place and is doing cool stuff like chicken confit tacos with mole. 68784 E Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City, 760-904-4093

POOL PERKS // Sam’s Family Spa. It’s not luxurious, but it has nice mineral pools (hot and cool) and you can bring in whatever you want: food, drinks, bongo drums. 70875 Dillon Rd., Desert Hot Springs; samsfamilyspa.com

Potter, author and design mind behind the recently revamped Parker Palm Springs

JOY RIDE // Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. It’s touristy, but the view at the end is worth it. As much as one talks about color and pattern, the true story of Palm Springs is the desert landscape. One Tram Way, pstramway.com

FAUX SHORE // Parker Palm Springs. The one thing missing in Palm Springs is water, so we built a fake yacht club in the hotel’s spa. I’m not just recommending it because I designed it (twice!). It’s glamorous and a little louche. 4200 E Palm Canyon Dr., theparkerpalmsprings.com

TOP TREE // Joshua Tree National Park.Some places on the planet are truly mind-expanding, and this is one of them. nps.gov/jotr

GLASS HOUSE // Bon Vivant. Among the great vintage shops on the main drag, this is my favorite. Their collection of midcentury glass and ceramics is not to be missed—you walk in and want to redo your whole house. 766 N. Palm Canyon Dr., gmcb.com

Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands

MY WAY // Melvyn’s Restaurant. This place famously sent away Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw when they showed up in jeans. Frank Sinatra was a regular. The staff still delivers old school service—like Steak Diane made right at the table. 200 W Ramon Rd., inglesideinn.com

ART FORAGER // Palm Springs Art Museum. The chief curator has been in residence since the 1970s and assembled an amazing contemporary art collection foraging through the L.A. galleries and studios. 101 N. Museum Dr., psmuseum.org

FIRST DATE // Windmill Market. Just outside town, it sells what they call the “original” Coachella Valley date shake, made with local dates. 17080 N. Indian Canyon Dr., 760-251-4489

FUR FIND // The Estate Sale Co. This consignment shop sources everything from patio suites to jewelry from large estates. I bought a vintage fox fur jacket there. 4185 E. Palm Canyon Dr., theestatesaleco.com

Actress and author of the new book ’Two’s Company’ (Penguin Random House)

STEP BY STEP // Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. It offers miles of great hiking trails with waterfalls and dramatic sunrises and sunsets. We eat lunch on a giant flat rock in the middle of the stream, take a nap and hike down as the sun is setting. indian-canyons.com

FRENCH TOAST // Le Vallauris. I’ve been going to this French restaurant for 40 years. I sit at the bar with a tequila, then eat dinner in the garden under a giant ficus tree. 385 W Tahquitz Canyon Way, levallauris.com

FRIEND OR PHO // The Tropicale. Our friends own this cool restaurant, with dishes influenced by their travels around the world, live jazz and a moonlit patio. 330 E Amado Rd., thetropicale.com

BIRD BATH // Salton Sea State Recreation Area. In the ‘50s and ‘60s this large inland body of water offered great fishing and boating; now it hosts a huge bird sanctuary. www.parks.ca.gov/saltonsea

Plus Don’t Miss… Holiday House Palm Springs. At this new adults-only, 28-room inn, amenities include shuffleboard, loaner bikes, a pool, art by David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein but no TVs. From $229 a night, holidayhouseps.com // Peninsula Pastries. For this bakery in an unassuming strip mall, a French expat couple import flour from Beauce, France. 611 S Palm Canyon Dr., 760-832-6486 // Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. To see a traditional kish hut freshly built each year from palm fronds and arrowweed, head to the leafy patio of this museum dedicated to the area’s indigenous tribe. 219 South Palm Canyon Dr.; accmuseum.org // The Frippery. At this trove of vintage apparel, look for caftans, Pucci dresses and Italian and French sunglasses from the ‘50s-’70s. 664 N Palm Canyon Dr., thefrippery.com . // Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway. Elvis leased this 5,000-square-foot house in 1966 and 1967, and holed up with Priscilla there after their Las Vegas wedding. Tours run twice daily. 1350 ladera circle, elvishoneymoon.com

From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Dining Around The Desert, Lifestyles & Things To Do

Pink Martini Featuring China Forbes and Storm Large – McCallum Theatre

Pink_Martini2_2017

A McCallum favorite returns for eight great shows! Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world – crossing genres of classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop – Pink Martini’s diverse repertoire is a blend influenced by Cole Porter and Duke Ellington, Tito Puente and Xavier Cugat, as well as Argentine tango, Brazilian samba, Italian folk, Asian and romantic Hollywood musicals of the 1940s and ’50s. According to bandleader/pianist Thomas Lauderdale, “If the United Nations had a house band in 1962, Pink Martini would be that band.”

www.pinkmartini.com
www.chinaforbes.comwww.chinaforbes.com
www.stormlarge.com

Feb 9 - Presented through the generosity of Helene Galen and Donna MacMillan

Feb 9 -15

Buy tickets and more information here...

From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Lifestyles & Things To Do

The One and Only

La Quinta Arts Festival earns a No. 1 ranking by Art Fair SourceBook for two judging categories.

The La Quinta Arts Festival is March 1-4 at La Quinta Civic Center Campus.

The La Quinta Arts Festival is March 1-4 at La Quinta Civic Center Campus.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY LA QUINTA ARTS FESTIVAL

La Quinta Arts Festival has captured the No, 1 ranking in the nation for both judging categories, Fine Art and Fine Craft, by Greg Lawler’s Art Fair SourceBook.

The ranking is based on the 2017 event, which broke records for attendance and art sales.

Since 1993, Art Fair SourceBook has been collecting and analyzing sales and anecdotal data for more than 1,500 fine art and fine craft shows annually. Art Fair SourceBook’s resources and tools assist artists in selecting shows and venues appropriate for their work in order to maximize their earnings.

“It is rare to capture the top spot in both Fine Art and Fine Craft competing against so many events across the United States,” says Christi Salamone, president and CEO of La Quinta Arts Foundation, producer of the festival. “La Quinta Arts Festival has claimed the No. 1 honor four times in the last six years, and now, twice for both categories.”

In Fine Art, La Quinta bested competing shows in Colorado, Virginia, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Arizona, and Oregon. The top 10 events in Fine Craft placed La Quinta ahead of the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, and One of a Kind in Chicago.

“This award validates the consistent high quality of participating artists and patrons who appreciate their offerings,” Salamone says.

The 36th La Quinta Arts Festival is slated March 1-4, at La Quinta Civic Center Campus. For more information and tickets, visit LQAF.com.

From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Lifestyles & Things To Do

Palm Springs Weekend

Itinerary picks for quick desert trips.

ANDREA AMENTDECEMBER 29, 2017 ATTRACTIONS

Photo by Andrea Ament

Photo by Andrea Ament

When the winter months get a little cold and dreary in Los Angeles, I love that I can hop in the car for a short ride to sunshine, bright colors, delicious food, and high style. A Palm Springs Weekend is one of my favorite escapes from L.A. — just far enough to feel like a vacation, but close enough that I’m not driving for days.

— Andrea Ament

cabazondinosaurs

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

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Cabazon Dinosaurs
On your way into Palm Springs, visit Mr. Rex, one of the Cabazon Dinosaurs. A $12 ticket ($10 for kids) lets you climb all the way up to his teeth. While you’re there, try a date shake at Hadley Fruit Orchard and explore the outlet stores.

SATURDAY MORNING

The Saguaro Palm Springs
Pack your favorite floaty and spend Saturday morning lounging on a chaise in the sun. There’s no shortage of pools in Palm Springs, but this one is the most colorful.

thesaguaropalmsprings

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From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Lifestyles & Things To Do

4 Golf Courses to Play During CareerBuilder Challenge

When you're not busy watching the world's best golfers compete at the CareerBuilder Challenge, take your own game up a notch.

BILL DWYRE DECEMBER 24, 2017 GOLF

Golf legend Phil Mickelson will return for his second straight year as ambassador of the CareerBuilder Challenge, the desert’s annual PGA Tour event. Jeff Sanders, tournament executive director, says that Mickelson’s presence “brings us unbelievable expertise,” and his ongoing connection to the event “helps us work — alongside him — to make it great.”

Mickelson has won five majors and was champion in the desert in 2002 and ’04.

The Jan. 17–21 tournament will be its 59th iteration. For many years, it was played as a 90-hole event, generating most of its extensive charitable donations to Coachella Valley groups through amateur participation. Now, it is a standard PGA Tour event, with 18 holes a day over four days and with a purse of $5.9 million. But the charity element, with a reduced amateur presence, remains intact and lucrative, under John Foster, longtime president of Desert Charities. Entertainment includes Huey Lewis and The News (Jan. 19) and Goo Goo Dolls (Jan. 20).

The tournament is traditionally played on a series of courses. This year, CareerBuilder takes over the Stadium Course at PGA West, as well as the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West and the La Quinta Country Club. Defending champion Hudson Swafford will return to defend his only PGA title.

Tickets purchased by Jan. 14 will cost $30 for a one-day grounds pass, $75 for a weekly grounds pass, and $25 for a senior one-day pass.

“At $30 a day,” Sanders says, “we are the most affordable tournament on the tour.”

CareerBuilder Challenge, Jan. 17-21
cbchallenge.com

4 COURSES TO PLAY

Classic Club

Classic Club

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From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Golf Communities, Lifestyles & Things To Do

5 Top Reasons To Purchase A Home In The Palm Springs Area

Courtesy of Haley Kieser

The scenic city of Palm Springs is located in the Sonoran Desert of southern California. This gorgeous little city is known for glamorous hotels, resorts, spas and natural hot springs thereby making Palm Springs the perfect destination for tourists and potential residents alike. The city is noted for examples of mid-century modern architecture giving the town a feeling of old-world glamour.

  1. Outdoor Recreation

    One of the many perks of settling down in Palm Springs is the vast opportunities for outdoor recreation. If you or someone you love is an avid golfer, Palm Springs will without a doubt become near and dear to their heart. If you have not tried the sport, it would be wise to give it a shot after relocating. Golfing would be an excellent hobby to learn given that Palm Springs has been given the high praise of being colloquially known as the “Golf Capital of the World,” and it truly does live up to its nickname. Palm Springs and the surrounding area is home to over 20 lush golf courses, most notably the world-renowned Arnold Palmer Classic Course at SilverRock Resort and the PGA WEST Golf Club & Resort to name a few.

    The Palm Springs area offers majestic views of the Santa Rosa Mountains that are downright breathtaking. The mountains can be viewed from the golf course and enjoyed both up close and afar. Hiking trails are found throughout the mountains. It should be heeded that visitors to the mountains should strictly follow their map, and be sure to head back when half of your water is depleted as the mountains are situated in the middle of a dessert. The good news is that due to the climate of the southern Californian Sonoran Desert, both the hiking trails and the golf courses can be enjoyed year-round.

  2. Beautiful Weather

    Palm Springs is a desert city - the weather gets hot. The best time of the year to enjoy the southern Californian weather would be between January and April when the weather is most hospitable. During the summer months, temperatures will regularly reach triple digits.

    Palm Springs is the perfect location for those who like the heat. Moving to Palm Springs not only means embracing the heat, but embracing the wind farms. Wind farms are a fact of life in the desert and are churned all year long. The windy season in Palm Springs is generally the end of the summer leading into fall. On top of clean energy sources, the added breeze will be a nice touch as the summer heat ratchets up.

  3. Rich History

    Many notable American figures have visited Palm Springs, including Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, and Ronald Reagan. In its early years, Palm Springs attracted more visitors than potential property owners. Following World War II, there was a boom of development. At first, visitors flocked to Palm Springs to enjoy the natural bathhouses and hotels cropping up within the quiet desert town. Soon the quaint town would attract the attention of philanthropists, moguls, and starlets who would eventually settle in the area. It is likely they settled after watching the glittering town be advertised on the silver screen.

    The desert was routinely selected as a choice spot for filming silent films and would grow to become an oasis for Hollywood stars outside of film sets. Today, Palm Springs still maintains a sense of old-world glamour wrapped in plenty of modern entertainment options. In fact, one of Palm Springs quintessential historical landmarks, including Walter and Leonore Annenberg’s Sunnylands Estate. Since 2012, the 200-acre estate and historic residence operates as a place of hospitality for international leaders to convene to “promote world peace and facilitate international agreement.” Tours are available for small groups but require a ticket booked in advance.

  4. Minimal Traffic

    An added bonus that will be felt at every turn, is that there is virtually no traffic in Palm Springs. No more days of sitting in traffic for 2-hours for a commute that should, in theory, should take only 20 minutes. City dwellers throughout the country understand the plague of heavy, bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go traffic. Moving to Palm Springs means making traffic a woe of the past. A drive to the grocery store will be just that, without the need for planning added time to consider for traffic and delays. Even during the busiest times of the year, traffic will always be minimal. The average commute time is about 22 minutes, which is lower than the national average.

  5. Affordable Living

    Compared to huge metropolitan areas like San Francisco or New York, the smaller city of Palm Springs can offer a much cheaper alternative for housing prices without any void of things to do. Although California tends to be expensive as a whole, the Palm Springs area tends to be comparatively cheaper. The median price for a single-family home in Palm Springs is about $300,000, which is subject to change year over year. With the added pocket change, this allows for greater flexibility for leisure around the town and the ability to enjoy the city’s boutiques and fine dining nestled along Palm Canyon Drive.

From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Buying - Info For Buyers, Buying – Info For Canadian Buyers, Lifestyles & Things To Do

Tennis Season is About to Bloom

Garden Party

BNP Paribas Open slates kick-off event to tennis season at the Gardens on El Paseo Jan. 26.

SITE STAFF JANUARY 11, 2018TENNIS

gardens-of-el-paseo

The Gardens on El Paseo will host a free event for the public to open the tennis season in the Coachella Valley.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY GARDENS ON EL PASEO

The BNP Paribas Open “Garden Party,” a new free event open to the public that will serve as the official kick-off to tennis season in the Coachella Valley, will be held from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert.

The event – which is part of a larger “Full Bloom” thematic for this year’s tournament – will provide food and beverage from a variety of vendors and activities ranging from a trivia competition to table tennis to lawn games. Fans will also have the opportunity to take their photo with the Official BNP Paribas Open Baccarat trophy. The event will give attendees a preview into the men’s and women’s player fields at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open, and conclude with live music, beginning at approximately 6 p.m.

Ahead of the 2018 BNP Paribas Open, set for March 5-18, the tournament has launched a brand-new partnership program for local businesses to get involved in the region’s largest sporting event and spread the excitement about the tennis season in the Coachella Valley. Local businesses are invited to become preferred partners of the tournament, with special benefits and perks for both the merchants and their patrons.

“We’re thrilled to bring this brand-new event to the community in our backyard,” said Philippe Dore, media and marketing director for the tournament. “Each year, we strive to create new offerings for our incredible fans and look for new ways to engage with the community that supports us. We can’t wait to celebrate the start of tennis season with our fans and our partners ahead of what promises to be another fantastic tournament in March.”

This year’s BNP Paribas Open will highlight the world-class tennis players that participate in the event woven into the natural beauty of the desert landscape; as well as the physical attributes of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Ahead of the 2018 event, the site is undergoing a full-scale beautification project that emphasize the lush, green environment.

Additional activities and special guests will be announced over the coming weeks. Visit bnpparibasopen.com for the latest information and to purchase tickets to the BNP Paribas Open.

For information ranging from places to shop, eat, and calendar events about El Paseo, visit elpaseocatalogue.com.

From Sheri Dettman
In Sheri's Palm Springs Area Blog, Lifestyles & Things To Do
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