A Pit Stop in Palm Springs

If I had unlimited time and unlimited money, and I was visiting Palm Springs, I should like to stay in a mid century modern rental with a pool. And enjoy all that the city has to offer - brunch a lot, swim, visit some vintage shops and soak up all that desert vibe. But that's a fantasy. What I did have, however, was a day to make a pit stop in Palm Springs and see as much as I could.

We drove from LA to Palm Springs on a Sunday morning - the last day of our week on the West Coast. Traffic was a bit heavy - but when is it not in LA? - as we made our way to the desert. We passed the wind turbine's and finally came to the outskirts of town.Driving through town - and seeing all the places I had read about - I had to pinch myself that I was actually here.




Brunch at The Colony Palms Hotel  Our first destination was to be brunch at the Colony Palms Hotel - quite simply the menu looked good and dining at one of the historic hotels in Palm Springs sounded good, too. And it was - both the brunch and seeing the hotel. (The Colony Palms was built in 1936 by a supposed mobster and was a haven for Hollywood stars in the 1950's. It was revamped last year and is now a four star boutique hotel)


Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium Next up we visited the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium. That's a mouthful for what is a family-owned one acre botanical garden specializing in cacti. In existence since 1938, the botanical garden houses the world's first "cactarium", which is a greenhouse filled with cacti. Some would call this a hidden gem - it's only $4 to enter - and others might call it quirky. We looked at and walked through alot of cacti - but the small size of this place made it very do able. It's not your university owned botanical garden - it's a bit ramshackle - but that just gives it it's own bit of charm. If you have an hour to kill, it's not too hot and you like cacti and succulents, then this is your place.


Tramway Visitor Center We drove through a few of the mid-century modern neighborhoods where I drooled over some of the houses - and took a gander at the Ace Hotel. I wanted to visit the Palm Springs Visitor Center - a former gas station built in 1965 in classic mid century design - and luckily enough it was on the way to our next stop. We didn't really have any questions for the staff - I just wanted to see the building. But if you need them,the volunteers are there to answer your Palm Springs questions and there are also free restrooms and free parking.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway The Visitor Center sits at the entrance to the Palm Springs Tramway Road. And that was our next stop. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the world's largest rotating tram car. It travels two and a half miles along Chino Canyon and stops at the top at Mt. San Jacinto State Park ten minutes later. Once at the top you can enjoy two restaurants, a gift shop, an observation deck and over 50 miles of hiking trails. Parking is free and there is a shuttle bus to take you to the Tramway Station where you board the tram. I'm not a huge fan of heights but I was still pretty excited to go up the mountain to see the views. That excitement went away when I boarded the tram though - the revolving and the closeness to the mountain weren't a good mix for me. Luckily, the tram operator saw my discomfort and helped me out - thanks Gil! Once at the top, I did enjoy the views though. Per always, our visit was short as we had to get back to LA. So many things left undone but remain for the next visit.

Tourists flock to Palm Springs for many reasons: golf, the mid century modern architecture, celebrity home sightings, 4 wheeling in the desert, and  relaxing getaways at resorts are just a few. It's a unique place out there in the desert with it's bright colors and "see and be seen" vibe. Here are a few fun facts to know about Palm Springs -

-Palm Springs claims 350 sunny days per year!
- Hollywood stars Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope all had homes here.
-Palm Springs hosts an International Film Festival, the uber popular Coachella and Stagecoach Music Festivals and Modernism Week with tours of mid century modern architecture.
-It is the ancestral home of the Cahuilla Indians
- Marilyn Monroe was said to be discovered here at the Bamboo Room

How about you? Have you been to Palm Springs? 


Linking up with: Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global and The Weekly Postcard at Travel Notes and Beyond!


Comments

  1. palm springs in on my bucketlist exlusively for the archetechture! Looks like you had a great time! Did you have a favorite place you like to eat at?

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    1. We only ate brunch there - at Colony Palms - but I enjoyed it. I'd love to go back to try out some of the other restaurants. Thanks for visiting The Unpaved Road!

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  2. I have not been to Palm Springs, but I have heard nothing but good things. That aerial tramway looks amazing, I didn't know they had one there. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard

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  3. We have been there Jill! It was so fun to see it through your eyes ... all stops familiar except for the cacti-arium (or however you spell it, we missed that somehow).... we stayed in our RV at a lovely resort in Desert hot Springs -- sort of the less expensive next door neighbor -- but they let us go to all the places, just like the big people ;>)).... We are from Oregon, nowhere near as far from home as you, but I remember having the same feelings as you, 'can't believe I'm actually seeing it myself.'

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed Palm Springs as much as I did - and it's good to hear someone else say that they couldn't believe they were there also. Thanks so much for visiting, Sallie!

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  4. I only know about Palm Springs through movies and I didn't know that there's such a thing called cactarium! I'm not a big fan of cacti but I guess if one wants to take a break from the heat, the cactarium might be the place :-) #TheWeeklyPostcard

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    1. I think you would enjoy the gardens and cactarium even if cacti aren't your thing, Kathleen. It's a pretty cool little place! Thanks for stopping by The Unpaved Road!

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  5. What an excellent post about Palm Springs. I have read your whole article, nicely written by you. This is a very nice post with beautiful pictures thank you to share this.
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    1. Thank you so much - and thanks for visiting The Unpaved Road!

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  6. I absolutely love Palm Springs! That comes largely from visits as a child, to family living there. Christmas in Palm Springs is very...different. ;) But to this day, I will take a mid-century modern with straight lines and quirky angles, cement block walls, and desert landscaping over any mansion any where! Thanks for the wonderful bit of nostalgia, and for sharing with #TheWeeklyPostcard.

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    1. I, too, love that mid century modern architecture. And I loved the colors of Palm Springs also. Thanks for visiting The Unpaved Road!

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  7. We live about 90 miles from Palm Springs and it's always a nice weekend getaway (except during the summer). It is always full of many things to do and festivals. Although, we've never gone up the tramway or this botanical garden. We've been wanting to do the tramway since the kids were small and probably should do it soon. Glad you were able to do this side trip.

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    1. Thanks, Mary - me too! I'd wanted to get to Palm Springs for awhile now and happy that I made it happen even if it was such a quick trip. Thanks for visiting The Unpaved Road!

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  8. Great tips, many thanks for sharing. I have printed and will stick on the wall! I like this blog. Things to do in Palm Springs

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