Page 102 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

DESERTS
Recreational playground in the sun
TOP CITIES
Palm Springs, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage,
Barstow, Indian Wells, Needles, Salton Sea, Mojave, Indio
B Y C H R I S T O P H E R P . B A K E R
INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), 10 minutes
from downtown Palm Springs, 44 miles (71 km) from
Anza-Borrego State Park
TOURISM WEBSITES
visitpalmsprings.com
visitgreaterpalmsprings.com
discoverpalmdesert.com
playinlaquinta.com
whereisranchomirage.com
barstowroute66.com
indio.org/visit_us
Anza-Borrego SP: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638
Death Valley NP: nps.gov/deva
Joshua Tree NP: nps.gov/jotr
POPULATION
750,000
DESERTS
There aren’t many places where you can golf while wearing shorts
in the morning, snowshoe in the afternoon, and laze by the pool
with a cocktail in the evening. Which explains why more than five
million visitors a year descend on Palm Springs and the surrounding
desert region.
Begin with lush palm oases, hot mineral springs and awesome land-
scapes. Add sublime winter weather plus a to-see-and-do wish list from
biking and ballooning to casinos and spas. And top off with an eternally
cool desert lifestyle that recalls the 1940-60s, when Hollywood stars turned
the area into a world-famous winter retreat. Welcome to a region where
the summer never dies, the Modernist architecture is retro-chic, and the
reinvigorated youthful spirit feels as refreshing as a chilled martini.
An easy 90-minute drive from Los Angeles, “Palm Springs” is under-
stood as the entire Coachella Valley, comprising eight “desert resort
communities” clustered at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains. They
merge into one another along Highway 111—one of California’s great urban
drives. The physical setting is out of this world. Majestic mountains soar
on three sides, glistening with snow in the winter sunshine. There’s no
shortage of activities and attractions. The dining is fabulous. The spas are
among California’s best. And the region boasts several ritzy casinos.
Museums cater to WWII aviation buffs, art fans and nature lovers keen to
experience desert ecology. El Paseo gives Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive a run
for its money in its quality and range of boutiques. Palm Springs’ music,
100 2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
JPHOTOGOLFER/SHUTTERSTOCK