Let this trip inspire you, so together we can design your own Remarkable Journey.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Palm Springs
Fly into Palm Springs International Airport, pick up your rental car and make the short drive to your accommodations in downtown Palm Springs. Palm Springs proper is renowned for its midcentury modernist boutique-hotels. For those seeking a bit more pampering, there’s also a variety of intimate spa hotels and large-scale deluxe resorts scattered throughout the down-valley towns along Highway 111. After settling into your hotel (and a quick dip in the pool), head downtown and walk the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, which honors over 400 accomplished and cherished celebrities, before continuing onto any number of excellent restaurants in town.
Day 2
Championship Golf & Museum
Take the morning to enjoy what outdoor pursuits Palm Springs is best known for: golf, tennis or sunbathing by the pool. Palm Springs and nearby cities like La Quinta, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Desert have over 100 championship-level golf courses. Many of the city’s best courses are accessible to anyone. When the sun gets high, grab lunch and duck indoors at the Palm Springs Art Museum to explore a wonderful collection of modern art featuring significant works from Alexander Calder, Louise Bourgeois, Marina Abromović, and others. If art isn’t your thing, you may be better suited perusing Korea- and Vietnam-era combat aircraft at the Palm Springs Air Museum or cacti and other prickly desert plants at the family-owned Moorten Botanical Garden.
Day 3
Palm Spring Aerial Tramway & Architecture Tour
For those of you not enjoying your second round of golf or tennis this morning, take the day to discover the town of Palm Springs. To see it from top down, wake up early (to avoid the crowds) and catch the Palm Spring Aerial Tramway which whisks visitors up to the 8,516-foot peak of Mt. San Jacinto, from which you can see almost the entirety of the Coachella Valley. Linger with a stop at the mountaintop café or explore the short hiking trails which meander along the top of the mountain. On arrival back to “earth”, catch a leisurely lunch in town and then join The Modern Tour. Drive up and down the streets all afternoon and drink in the sharp angles and impeccable hardscapes of the local homes, as your local architecture expert points out homes designed by notable architects and lived-in by Hollywood royalty such Frank Sinatra. Feeling inspired? Spend the remainder of the day walking along Palm Canyon Drive as you stumble upon eye-catching galleries, vintage clothing shops and furniture showrooms dedicated to the jet setting aesthetic.
Day 4
Joshua Tree National Park
An enduring symbol of the Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree National Park is an approximate 1-hour drive from Palm Springs. With its signature trees, piles of rocks, glorious spring wildflowers, starlit skies, and colorful pioneer history, the experience is a bit more like the Wild West than Sahara sand dunes. You can see most of the park in a day, entering the park at the town of Joshua Tree, exploring sites along Park Boulevard, and exiting at Twentynine Palms. Spend the remainder of the day exploring the other quaint desert towns and sites on your way back to Palm Springs. Check out some large-scale junk-art installations at the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum, go shopping along the upscale street of El Paseo in Palm Desert or stroll the picturesque Old Town of La Quinta. Top off an adventurous day, a la Frank Sinatra, cuddled in a plush green velvet booth at the upscale, retro-style steakhouse: Mr. Lyons.
Day 5
Departure Day
If you have a later flight, make sure to swing by Cheeky’s for brunch! And with that, your winter getaway to Palm Springs has come to an end. Hopefully you’ll be returning home with a nice red tan and a few souvenirs, be it a fridge magnet or a refurbished mid-century couch. Safe travels!
