I (Jo) just spent some time in Palm Springs celebrating a friend’s 60th Birthday. Oh what fun! And let me tell you, 60 is definitely part of our go-go years! We hiked, played pickle and tennis, and of course shopped, ate, and threw in a visit to Sunnylands. Here is a FabList of Palm Springs activities:
Shop:
- El Paseo in Palm Desert: Fun to stroll and shop along this road. There are the usual suspects (Anthropologie, Eileen Fisher, Athleta, Saks) but also some great boutiques like:
- Elizabeth and Prince (contemporary clothing)
- Trina Turk
- Josie’s (for the FLOG Pants!)
- Between the Sheets (for linens).
- Downtown Palm Springs: A great mix of clothing and decor.
- Wil Stiles for fun dresses like those from Dizzy Lizzy (we ALL bought one of the cover ups!).
- Phylum – A modernist mercantile.
- Grace Home – Interior design, furniture and home accessories.
- The Webster – Luxury ready-to-wear, beauty, and home.
- Super Simple – Furniture, lighting, and accessories.
- Perez Road Art & Design District in Cathedral City. In this area, you can find some vintage treasures and decor at these home stores:
- Desert Hills Premium Outlets. If you want to score some deals, take a half-day and head out (about a 30-minute drive) to this great array of high-end shops with great discounts:
- Gucci, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Moncler, Tods, Max Mara, Lanvin, Celine, Balmain, Reformation, AG Jeans, Rails, Vince, Rag & Bone, Zadig & Voltaire, Ganni, Mackage, Marni
- Consignment Furniture. This is fun! There is a lot of real estate turnover in Palm Springs which results in a lot of nice used furniture and art for sale.
- Misty’s – probably my favorite consignment spot. Tons of tacky (think Liberace) mixed with some great finds. In Rancho Mirage.
- The Estate Sale Co. Near downtown Palm Springs.
- Consign Design. In Rancho Mirage.
- Desert Furniture & Consignment. In Indio.
- Nordstrom Rack – Palm Desert. I always find great things here!
Eat:
- Pink Cabana – Indian Wells. In the Sands Hotel & Spa. Great Mediterranean food and fabulous decor (the wallpaper!) by Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Indoor and outdoor seating.
- Bar Cecil – Palm Springs. Homage to Cecil Beaton’s vision of life and art. Reservations are available a month ahead and it’s worth the effort. Great cocktails and dishes like deviled eggs, burgers, salads, and pasta.
- Azucar – Palm Springs. Rooftop restaurant at La Serena Villas (or around the pool but I recommend the rooftop) with a good margarita menu. Good seafood and vegetarian options.
- Jakes – Palm Springs. Hearty comfort food. Good for brunch.
- Okura Robata Grill & Sushi Bar – La Quinta. Fusion of Japanese & California cuisines – fun atmosphere and great food.
- Wally’s Desert Turtle – Rancho Mirage. Top notch “fancy” food, service and atmosphere.
- Porta Via – Palm Desert: Neighborhood bistro and bar. Yummy salads, pastas, fish, and chops.
Hikes:
There are a lot of hikes in and around Palm Springs. Go early and bring water!!
- Bump & Grind. Conveniently located behind Target in Palm Desert. It’s one of the most popular hikes, probably because it’s convenient and packs a punch in a short amount of time. Options for shorter or longer hikes.
- The Cross. A 3.2 mile easy loop in Palm Desert that includes a lighted cross at the top. Great views.
- Clara Burgess Trail to Murray Hill. Moderately challenging 7-mile out-and-back hike. Closer to Palm Springs and a great ridgeline hike with 360 views.
- Indian Canyons. Near Palm Springs, there are lots of options in this park. There are streams, waterfalls, and shady palm oases in this ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. We hiked Murray Canyon and it was beautiful.
- Ladder Canyon Trail & Painted Canyon Loop Hike. Wow – this was an incredible hike about 40 mins outside of Palm Springs through slot canyons, climbing up and down ladders to scale the steep cliff walls. It’s not as scary as it sounds – and it is a very unique experience!
- Joshua Tree National Park. About an hour drive outside Palm Springs. We went in the North Entrance and hiked the Ryan Mountain trail, a short (3 mile out and back) but steep (1069’ elevation gain) hike with amazing views at the top. Be sure to leave time for more exploring and amazing photo ops of the wonderfully unique landscape and rocks such as Skull Rock and the Jumbo Rocks.
Sunnylands:
I highly recommend a visit to Sunnylands!! Completed in 1966, Sunnylands was the winter home of the late Ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg. Designed by midcentury architect A. Quincy Jones, the house has been preserved with the original furniture and decor. WOW. It’s full of photos and mementos of the impressive array of visitors and the amazing New Year’s Eve parties held here. 8 US Presidents visited and it became known as the “Camp David of the West”. A variety of public tours are available by reservation only and I highly recommend doing the guided tour. Advance ticket sales are online only and go on sale on the 15th day of each month starting at 9am Pacific time for the following month’s tour.
If you can’t or don’t want to do the official tour, guests are welcome to stroll, relax on benches, or do a self-guided walk through the gardens. You can even do free yoga on Friday mornings!