Page 115 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

PEAKS ABOVE LA QUINTA, Coachella Valley, opposite; playing golf at
Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, below. SPECIAL
»
EVENTS 2017
PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Jan. 2-16, Palm Springs psfilmfest.org
PGA CAREERBUILDER CHALLENGE
Jan. 19-22, La Quinta, careerbuilderchallenge.com
PALM SPRINGS MODERNISM WEEK
Feb. 16-26, modernismweek.com
RIVERSIDE COUNTY FAIR AND NATIONAL DATE FESTIVAL
Feb. 17-26, Indio datefest.org
BNP PARIBAS OPEN March 6-19, Indian Wells bnpparibasopen.com
FASHION WEEK March 18-29, Palm Desert fashionweekelpaseo.com
COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL April 14-16, 21-23, Indio coachella.com
STAGECOACH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
April 28-30, Indio stagecoachfestival.com
JOSHUA TREE MUSIC FESTIVAL
May 18-21, Oct. 6-9 Joshua Tree joshuatreemusicfestival.com
52ND ANNUAL BORREGO DAYS DESERT FESTIVAL
Oct. 20-22 Borrego Springs borregodays.com
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS PARADE Dec. 2, Palm Springs psfestivaloflights.com
Sports and Active Adventures
You might be forgiven for thinking that a desert offers little to do and that
it’s just too darn hot to do it in any event. Wrong on both counts! The
region is replete with exciting recreational activities.
There’s no more quintessential image of the Palm Springs region than
an emerald greensward studded by palms and framed by boulder-strewn
mountains gloriously snowcapped in winter. In fact, the Coachella Valley
has earned the distinction of “Golf Capital of the World,” with more golf
courses than you can shake a 4-iron at. More than two million visitors come
annually to play golf on more than one hundred courses. Almost as many
arrive to explore the palm groves, alpine summits or spectacular desert
»
MUST
SEE,
DO
» Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Revolving through 360
degrees as it climbs more than two miles to the mountain station at
8,516 feet elevation, this tram whisks you to another world. It’s a
sensational ride, perfect for escaping the heat of summer to hike
amid pine forest where the temperatures are pleasantly cool. Or
head up to the snows in winter to explore by snowshoe or on cross-
country skis. The mountain station has a gourmet restaurant—great
for a candlelit dinner with the lights of the valley sparkling far below.
› pstramway.com
» Palm Springs Modern The mid 20th-century Modernist
movement imbues Palm Springs with much of its unique appeal. For
a fascinating insight into sophisticated designs, explore the city with
an expert architectural guide who can explain the inspiration for the
iconic Bank of America building, Kaufmann House and “Ship of the
Desert.” Perhaps you’ll even get to see inside the famous steel
houses, and even a home or two of the rich and famous.
› palmspringsmodern.com
» Windmill Tours There’s a reason thousands of wind turbines
stud the landscape north of Palm Springs and northwest of Mojave:
gale-force winds whip through the San Gregorio and Tehachapi
passes, respectively. Thick as forests, the turbines inspire a “WOW!”
response. Curious to find out the facts behind these giant fans with
blades half the length of a football field? Palm Springs Windmill
Tours will take you behind the scenes and give you the low-down on
four generations of technology.
› windmilltours.com
» Pioneertown Set amid an otherworldly landscape of boulders
and Joshua Trees in the high desert, aptly-named Pioneertown was
built in 1946 as the Hayden Movie Ranch—a set for Western movies.
No longer a Nowheresville, this lived-in “museum” has been revived
as a trendy and thriving destination by an influx of artists and movie
types. It features a real-life and lively saloon, an antique bowling
alley, a trading post and a recently renovated old Western motel
where you can huddle around firepits at night.
› pioneertown-motel.com
» Living Desert Wildlife abounds in the desert, but for the
most part you’d never know it—critters hide by day, especially in
summer. It’s easy to get close to desert flora and fauna at Living
Desert Zoo & Park, which displays animals from arid environments
around the world. Local denizens include bighorn sheep,
rattlesnakes and coyotes, while exotic fauna include camels, giraffes
and cheetahs. A new addition, the Ant Lab, gives you an insider’s
view of an active desert ant nest.
› livingdesert.org
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