Palm Springs, California 72-Hour Vacation

Palm Springs is a golf paradise

By the 1920s, the world had discovered movies, and the movies had discovered the growing town of Palm Springs. Stars craved their privacy, but were contractually bound to be within 100 miles of their studios. Palm Springs (97 miles from Los Angeles) provided an ideal getaway of glitz, glamor and golf—not to mention fun in the sun. Palm Springs saw its Hollywood heyday during the mid-twentieth century as Frank, Lucy, Liberace, Dinah and Elvis took up residence in the far-flung desert town. Forward-thinking architects created appropriately futuristic homes and public buildings.

Palm Springs still combines an escape from the world’s stress and a pursuit of its pleasures. The feeling of calm begins as soon as new arrivals to Palm Springs become aware of the protective presence of the San Jacinto mountain range. For those coming in from the elegant mid-century modern airport it happens as they exit the facility and approach the center of town. For travelers arriving by car it takes hold when they turn off the I 10 freeway and drive down Highway 111, passing the mid-century gas station that now houses the Palm Springs Visitor Center.

Many visitors are content to spend the scorching days poolside, but there’s plenty to do away from the Olympic-sized oases. Whether you’re taking in Hollywood history, playing an adrenaline-packed game of tennis or round of golf, appreciating mid-century architecture, hiking one of the mountain trails or relaxing at a new age spa, adventures abound in Palm Springs.

Get pampered at the luxurious Riviera Resort & Spa

Business travelers, golfers and family vacationers typically gravitate toward large resorts—La Quinta Resort & Club and The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa—in neighboring cities. Within Palm Springs city limits, the quintessential stay is at a small spa hotel like Korakia Pensione or the Viceroy Palm Springs or at an inn of mid-century Modernist design such as Orbit In or the Movie Colony Hotel. If the names Bertoia, Breuer, Eames, Frey, Nelson, Neutra, Noguchi, or Saarinen mean anything to you, you’ll be in your element. If you want a touch of Palm Springs' more lurid history, try the lavishly renovated Colony Palms Hotel, first opened as The Colonial House in 1936 under reputed mob control, with an underground speakeasy and brothel—both now gone. In addition, the newer, larger hotels near the city center—including the Parker Palm Springs, Hotel Zoso, or the splashily updated Riviera Resort & Spa—are adding a bit of big city style.

DAY 1

You’ll need your strength to explore the sizzling desert getaway. Start the day off with a solid breakfast. Many smaller inns include breakfast in the room rate. For stylish creations, check out Norma’s at the Parker or Eatz at the Hotel Zoso. Further north on Palm Canyon, try Cheeky’s, where offerings range from a simple "workman’s special" (bacon, two eggs, potatoes and a cup of joe,) to Blondie’s eggs Benedict (with sautéed arugula on a cheddar chive scone).  Thus fortified, immerse yourself in old Hollywood. The easiest way to see it is on a Celebrity Tour, a narrated ride past the one-time homes of Hollywood royalty. You’ll see the former lavish spreads of Dinah Shore, Richard Nixon, Alan Ladd, Nelson Rockefeller, Barry Manilow and Mary Martin—and that’s just on one block. If these names were part of your adulthood, you’ll have plenty of company on the tour.

Young and art-minded visitors might prefer a private tour of mid-century architecture such as those offered by PS Modern Tours, which sweeps inquisitive crowds away for a 2½-hour-long encyclopedic whirl through the town’s architecture. Budget-conscious travelers could see a selection of these same buildings by picking up a brochure and map from the Palm Springs Visitor Center. You’d miss the tour leaders’ anecdotes and enthusiasm, though.

The Palm Springs Art Museum

The establishment and the artsy crowd rub elbows at Spencer’s, where chef Eric Wadlund offers sophisticated choices to a well-heeled clientèle. Order the lobster club sandwich, the wild mushroom ravioli or one of Wadlund’s own additions to the menu and admire the stonework indoors, or respect the stone wall facing the patio outdoors—actually the foot of Mt. San Jacinto. The piano man tickling the ivories might be playing I Write the Songs or Moon River.

The centrally located Tyler's serves up the best burgers in town. Jake's Ready-To-Eat offers a simple but ample menu full of bold flavors, enjoyed in the charming little courtyard or the (even smaller,) well-designed and lounge-like indoor sitting area. If you’d prefer a picnic in the sun you can select from their creative variety of sandwiches and salads.

Escape the oppressive afternoon heat inside the Palm Springs Art Museum (formerly the Palm Springs Desert Museum). The permanent collection showcases Mesoamerican antiquities and works by artists of world renown—Dale Chihuly, Ed Ruscha, Sam Francis, Louise Bourgeois and many more. The museum has recently replaced the more staid exhibitions with edgier ones like a look at the American West through artwork from Native American crafts to Andy Warhol.

The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies

No stop in Palm Springs would be complete without a show by the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, which puts a new spin on “Old Hollywood.” The performers are retired singers and dancers from stage, screen and television, presenting standards they, themselves, may have helped make famous. Their ages range from mid-fifties to mid-eighties, but they can kick, lift and belt with the best of them—all done with ageless smiles. The show is equal parts romantic, kitschy, catty and patriotic; the spangled costumes are as elaborate as anything you’ll see in Las Vegas.

For an after-dinner drink, the bar at Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn has been famous since Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw put it on the map when they were turned away by owner Mel Haber for showing up at the opening party wearing jeans and riding a Harley.

Continue to Day 2