Page 22 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

CITIES
BY DAVID ARMSTRONG
Surprising Cities
Big fun in smaller towns
DESIGN CENTRAL
Arrive Hotel, above, fits right in
with the Uptown Design District in
the heart of Palm Springs. This
popular neighborhood features
designer boutiques, vintage shops,
open-air restaurants and lively
lounges all set against a backdrop
of mountains.
California’s golden cities—Los Angeles,
San Francisco, San Diego—are celebrated
around the world, and rightly so. But the
Golden State boasts an engaging range of
things to see and do in less-well-known
locales, as well. In cities ranging in size
from 3,000 inhabitants to 181,000, a sur-
prising, eclectic menu of food and drink,
art and architecture, history and sports is
available to visitors.
PALM SPRINGS: Art, Design, &
Hipster Chic
This desert resort community of 48,000 has
been a party town since Hollywood lumi-
naries discovered it in the 1940s. In recent
years, Palm Springs has added hipster
chic—think cutting-edge clothing and
design shops, rooftop hotel fire pits, craft
cocktails and zinc-topped bars and you get
the picture. The Hollywood connection is
still strong—the Palm Springs International
Film Festival organizes screenings and
throws star-studded parties every January.
The city’s signature Mid-Century Modern
architecture, all glass and steel and angular
lines, is a major attraction. Every February,
Modernism Week features house tours and
more. The Palm Springs Art Museum show-
cases accomplished 20th-century artists
such as abstract expressionist painters
Helen Frankenthaler and Robert Mother-
well. If you tire of poolside lounging, the
Aqua Caliente Native American band over-
sees 60-plus miles of hiking trails in nearby
Indian Canyons. For 360 degree views of the
Coachella Valley, check out the rotating cars
of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
VISIT PALM SPRINGS. OPPOSITE: VISIT BERKELEY; VISIT GILROY; JAMIE PHAM
20 2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA