Palm Springs, nestled in the California Sonoran Desert, is one of the most popular desert getaways. This vibrant destination offers a perfect blend of relaxation, outdoor adventures, and rich history. We recently took a road trip to the Palm Springs area, and I want to share some of the best things we did on our short but eventful trip!
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Exploring Palm Springs
Stop by the Palm Springs Visitor Center
The Palm Springs Visitor Center, located on North Palm Canyon Drive, is a must-visit. Housed in a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this center provides a wealth of information about activities in the area. It’s also a great place to grab souvenirs and maps before starting your adventure.
Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is one of the most exciting attractions in the area. This scenic tram ride takes you 2.5 miles up Chino Canyon in about 10 minutes, offering breathtaking views over Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. At the top, you can explore over 50 miles of hiking trails in Mount San Jacinto State Park, dine at Peaks Restaurant with panoramic views, or visit the small natural history museum.
Pro Tip: Buy your tickets online at least a day in advance to avoid long waits. Parking costs $15, and tram tickets are $34.95 per person. While we didn’t ride the tram ourselves, the views from the station were still spectacular! The station also offers a patio to enjoy the views, a restaurant and gift shop.
Stroll Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Canyon Drive is the main shopping and entertainment district in downtown Palm Springs. This walkable area is filled with colorful boutique shops, art galleries, and unique murals. If you love shopping like I do, you’ll love strolling along finding the unique shops.
While exploring, you’ll also come across the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, featuring legendary names like Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, and Frank Sinatra. You will also find more stars if you stroll along Tahquitz Canyon Way and Museum Drive.
Discover Palm Springs’ Iconic Architecture
Palm Springs is packed with enough modern midcentury houses to delight anyone who appreciates clean lines and pops of color. See all the best buildings in town on a self-guided architecture tour of some utterly cool homes. Alternatively, you can book a guided tour with a local operator for a more in-depth experience. We rode past a few of these homes, and they resembled what I pictured as a Palm Springs home with architecture and those 50’s color schemes.
Visit Forever Marilyn
This iconic statue of Marilyn Monroe is a 26-foot-tall, 34,300-pound statue of Marilyn Monroe made of stainless steel and aluminum. The sculpture depicts the star in one of her most famous poses. This unforgettable image comes from the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch when she stood over a subway grate in Manhattan as the air rushed upward from a train passing below. Forever Marilyn is based in the heart of downtown Palm Springs.
Explore the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
If you’re interested in Native American history, don’t miss the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. This museum highlights the rich culture of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The Oasis Trail, a small-scale version of nearby Tahquitz Canyon and Indian Canyons, provides a glimpse into their ancestral lands. Since we love Native American history, this was a great stop for us.
Other Must-Visit Museums
Although we didn’t have time for more museums, if you enjoy history or art you might want to include one or all of these in your trip.
Cabot Pueblo Museum – A Hopi-inspired pueblo made from reclaimed materials, showcasing Native American culture.
Palm Springs Air Museum – Dedicated to the history of Air Power and aviation.
Palm Springs Art Museum – Featuring a variety of art exhibits.
Adventures Beyond Palm Springs
Take a Tour of a Palm Springs Wind Farm
Driving into Palm Springs on Interstate 10, you’ll spot hundreds of wind turbines dotting the landscape. The San Gorgonio Pass is one of the windiest places in the U.S., making it an ideal location for renewable energy. If you’re interested in sustainable energy, you can take a self-guided auto tour of the wind farm. We didn’t do the tour, but we couldn’t miss the windmills. If the tour doesn’t interest you, you can still get great pictures from Interstate 10 of a big portion of the farm.
Visit Shields Date Garden
A trip to Coachella Valley isn’t complete without trying a famous date shake! One of the best places to experience this is Shields Date Garden in Indio. You can stroll through their beautiful date palm gardens and learn about date cultivation. We stopped by Hadley Fruit Orchards in Cabazon instead and were pleasantly surprised by how delicious their date shake was—despite not being big fans of dates! They offer a variety of dates in assorted packaging, lots of dried fruits and an assortment of nuts for sale.
See the Cabazon Dinosaurs
For a fun roadside stop, visit the Cabazon Dinosaurs, one of the most iconic attractions along the highway. Mr. Rex, Dinny, and over 100 dinosaur statues make for a fantastic photo op. There’s also a dino dig and a fossil panning sluice for kids (or the young at heart) to enjoy. If you love quirky roadside attractions, this is a must-stop! I just love these road side attractions and had a bunch of fun with the dinosaurs!
Vacationing in Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a great place to unwind, with luxury resorts, spas, and hot springs offering the perfect retreat. Many hotels feature stunning swimming pools, making it easy to relax under the desert sun. If you love golf, Palm Springs is home to some of the best golf courses in the U.S.
Final Thoughts on Palm Springs
While we didn’t have time to visit all the surrounding canyons or go on some of the more adventurous excursions, our trip to Palm Springs was a memorable one. As many of you know, we love exploring casinos, so we made sure to visit a few while we were in the area!
Palm Springs has changed over the years, becoming more commercialized. Once a place where you could dip in a hot spring for free, many of those experiences now come with a hefty price tag with a day spa pass. That said, Palm Springs remains a fantastic desert getaway with plenty to see and do. If you’re planning a visit, I recommend making an itinerary ahead of time to ensure you don’t miss out on the attractions that interest you most.
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Find your adventure, have fun, and make memories!
