Page 66 - 2024-2025 Travel Guide to California

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, top; wild
coyotes, Death Valley National Park, above;
vintage car show during Modernism Week in
Palm Springs, opposite upper; metal sculptures
of prehistoric grasshopper and scorpion at
Anza-Borrego Desert SP, opposite lower.
INSIDER’S TIP
SOCIAL CYCLE—a 16-passenger,
pedal-powered cycle steered by a pro-
fessional guide—lets you tour Palm
Springs while partying and without fear
of losing your license. It plies a route
through downtown with stops at a
selection of top bars and restaurants.
You can hop on a public tour or reserve
it for you and a group of friends. Two-
hour tours depart Friday-Sunday;
departure times vary by day.
socialcycleca.com
Fabulous winter weather spells nirvana
for hikers, rock-climbers, cyclists and other
outdoorsy folk. Incising the slopes of the
San Jacinto Mountains, the three Indian
Canyons tempt hikers with 30 miles of trails
and picnic sites. Fed by natural springs,
stands of desert fan palms crowd the canyon
floors, providing sheltering oases for kit fox,
bighorn sheep and coyotes. Ancient petro-
glyphs can be seen while hiking Andreas
Canyon and Tahquitz Canyon, with its spec-
tacular 60-foot-tall waterfall.
Cultural Connections
Culture vultures delight to find the desert is
far from dry. The Native American Agua
Caliente occupied the Palm Springs region
long before Europeans arrived. A new cul-
tural attraction, the Agua Caliente Cultural
Plaza, is expected to open sometime this year.
It is comprised of a museum, gathering plaza,
lush gardens, and an immersive walking trail
as well as The Spa at Séc-he, restoring under-
ground access to the Agua Caliente Hot
Mineral Springs. History buffs also delight in
the Palm Springs Air Museum, replete with
World War II-era warplanes from a P-51 Mus-
tang to a B-17 Flying Fortress. The monied
elite that pours into Palm Springs for the
winter is a huge patron of the arts. Hollywood
star and long-time resident Kirk Douglas was
a major donor to the Palm Springs Art
Museum, one of California’s top regional art
64 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
venues. Its plein air, Mesoamerican and con-
temporary glass collections are outstanding.
Down valley, more than 150 unique
works of art decorate the streets of Palm
Desert, grouped for four self-guided tours.
Colorful murals grace historic downtown
Indio, painting a big picture of the city’s
past. And visitors can explore the vast Sun-
nylands Estate in Rancho Mirage, where
billionaires Walter and Leonore Annenberg
hosted President Richard Nixon after he
resigned in 1974, and President Ronald
Reagan on a score of New Year’s Eves.
Festivals to Casinos
Palm Springs has festivals to please every
taste. The season kicks off in January with
the Palm Springs International Film Fes-
tival, when Hollywood’s finest hit town. In
March, the world-class Indian Wells Tennis
Garden fills to overflowing for the annual
BNP Paribas Open. And in April, be there or
be square for the Coachella Valley Music &
Arts Festival, hosted in the warm open air of
neighboring Indio. Over 150 star performers
rock, which is sure to be one hot ticket.
Higher culture? Palm Desert’s McCallum
Theater resounds to laughter and cheers of
delight with a lineup that can range from
Itzhak Perlman to Rosanne Cash and jazz
trumpeter Chris Botti.
Since the valley’s Cahuilla Indian terri-
tory is a sovereign nation, it’s exempt from
California’s state ban on gambling. Try your
hand with Lady Luck at any of half a dozen
casinos. And shopaholics are in for a treat;
Art galleries, haute couturiers and boutique
stores specializing in retro modernist décor
offer a dash of retail therapy between your
spa treatments.
Natural Wonders
Brimming with the glories of nature, the
desert is a paradise for anyone who appre-
ciates stupendous landscapes. The scenery
is far more diverse than you might imagine,
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