Archive for the ‘Attractions’ Category

How to Stay Cool During Your Visit to Palm Springs

Palm Springs, CA – July 19, 2010 –Despite the warm dry temperatures in Palm Springs, sunseekers can enjoy an array of activities to stay cool.

Day 1: Explore Momentous Museums

Take a docent tour of the world-class Palm Springs Art Museum to view Modern and Contemporary American works as well as Studio Art Glass and Classic Western American Art. In addition, the Art Museum hosts a free foreign film series every Thursday called Global Lens 2010 through September at the Annenberg Theater.

Stroll through large hangers to view one of the nation’s largest collections of World War II flying aircraft at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Special kid programs are available through out the summer.

Visit the quaint Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum offering exhibitions portraying the history and culture of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and other indigenous people.

Day 2: Outdoor Adventure
Starry desert nights are the perfect setting for evening voyages filled with nocturnal wildlife, moonlight hikes, and off-road adventures. Take a guided four-wheel drive along the San Andreas Fault, get inside one of Palm Springs’ thousands of hillside windmills, spy on hundreds of migrating birds at the nearby Salton Sea, or climb among the eerie rocky moonscapes of Joshua Tree National Park.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is an entertaining way to cool down and watch the world below. Summer passes are available for unlimited rides all summer, which are great for hiking before catching the lights on the return. Temperatures at the top are usually 20-30 degrees cooler from the desert valley.

Summer golf course specials in Palm Springs are swinging into action. Master the game of golf while taking advantage of reduced rates at Palm Springs golf courses including the legendary Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort.

Day 3: Cool Pools and Fun in the Sun

Spend the day riding waterslides and soaking up the sunshine at Knott’s Soak City. Enjoy the views from a cabana while listening to the sounds of the finest DJs at one Palm Springs’ weekend cool pool parties at the Spa Resort Casino, Riviera Resort & Spa, Hotel Zoso, Ace Hotel & Swim Club and Viceroy. 

Enjoy a poolside cabana massage at one of Palm Springs’ signature spa resorts or immerse in a hot natural mineral baths at downtown Indian-owned spa, a wellness refuge for generations.

Try your luck at the 24-hour downtown Spa Resort Casino, and then kick into high gear at one of the local dance clubs. After your evening on the town, consider a midnight swim under the stars…

Palm Springs has cool pools and hot deals starting as low as $39.99 a night through September 30, 2010. More than 30 hotels, vacation home rentals and attractions are offering mid-week free room nights or deep discounts. For additional summer vacation trip ideas, in Palm Springs, go to www.VisitPalmSprings.com.

1. Palm Springs Art Museum has new exhibits including Modern Masters Celebrate Line and Form.   Included are drawings, prints, sculptures and paintings drawn from the museum’s permanent collection and extended loans by such renowned artists as Alexander Calder, Willem de Kooning, Edouard Manet, Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Joan Mitchell, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin, Mark Rothko, and Vincent Van Gogh.. www.psmuseum.org

2. Palm Springs Air Museum has an amazing collection of WWII aircraft and the hangers stay very cool, which allows time to spend the entire day exploring aviation history. On July 15, twwo navy helicopters from two different squadrons on NAS North Island will fly in. Meet the crew and look at these great birds currently serving in our defense. www.palmspringsairmuseum.com

3. Scratch n’ Sniff a Pine Tree at the top of the Aerial Tramway. Visitors are recommended to “Jeffrey the Pine Tree” to smell amazing aromas. Share your stories by commenting on this post.  Escape the warm desert climate to a cool wildnerness where you can pack a lunch along a trail, or dine above it all at the Pines Restaurant. www.pstramway.com

4. Take an evening tour of Joshua Tree National Park via the Nocturnal Treasures Expedition. Climb into a Hummer H2 to access remote areas of Joshua Tree National Park. The seasonal four-hour tour includes night vision equipment to peek into the secret world of nocturnal desert wildlife. Contact Elite Land Tours at www.elitelandtours.com.

5. Stop by the Palm Springs Fudge & Chocolates Company located in the heart of downtown. Grab a date shake…Super good!

For more activities and events, go to www.VisitPalmSprings.com

Beginning June 4, food aficionados will receive a true taste of Palm Springs when they attend the highly anticipated Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week scheduled June 4-June 13, 2010. More than two dozen Palm Springs restaurants will showcase their culinary talents and three-course prix fixe menus.

From chef-owned bistros to alfresco cafes, from elegant eateries to poolside settings, the restaurants of Palm Springs welcome visitors to dine amidst the charming ambiance and hip village. For a list of participating Palm Springs restaurants, visit www.palmspringsrestaurantweek.com

Many lodging properties are offering mouthwatering deals during Restaurant Week – including The Parker Palm Springs, Spa Resort Casino, Hilton Palm Springs, Hyatt Regency Suites, and Rendezvous Bed & Breakfast. Visit www.VisitPalmSprings.com and click on “Hot Deals.”

Palm Springs, California not only has the world’s largest cache of mid-century modern masterpieces, but it is also home to a large number of artists, galleries, rare art exhibits and collections. From every genre of painting and sculpture to whimsical and functional art…collectors can explore a myriad of art and shopping districts.

Nestled up against the San Jacinto Mountains is the Backstreet Art District featuring a dozen artist-owned galleries and working studios. An Art Walk is held the first Wednesday every month, where one can stroll to see local art and meet the artists. Three new galleries recently opened in the Backstreet Art District which includes the Haya Modern Art Gallery offering colorful photogram’s using organic matter; the Michael Lydon Gallery featuring eco-themed pop art; and Nikko Studio showcasing contemporary emotive tonal abstractions.

Downtown Art Scene
Palm Springs is home to the Palm Springs Art Museum, which offers 28 galleries, two sculpture gardens and the Annenberg Theater. The museum’s collection includes modernist and contemporary painting and sculpture, Western American art, Native American and Mesoamerican art and artifacts, contemporary studio glass art, photography, modern architecture and design, and graphics/works on paper. 

Journey along the palm-tree lined streets of Palm Canyon Drive and experience several intimate art galleries. To name a few…The Stewart Galleries specializes in fine art by California Plein Air artists and European classical paintings, sculpture and photographs. The Wright Image, showcases classic vintage photography, and fine art giclees, while The Cilantro Gallery has colorful animal sculptures from Mexico in all sizes, and Heusso Gallery featuring whimsical gifts and unique contemporary art.

Uptown Design District
Palm Springs’ celebrates its Mid-Century Modernist roots with hip and eclectic boutiques and galleries in the burgeoning uptown design district, where you’ll find everything from vintage jewelry to fine art exhibits. A varied collection of photographs showing Palm Springs windmills and vintage cars can be found at Janice Hall Designs. The Michael Weems Collection and Gallery is known for its unusual jewelry and metal sculptures made out of automotive parts.  Located in the historic garage for the landmark El Mirador Hotel, the gallery offers special events and rotating exhibits. The Desert Art Center features many local artists with wondrous images of the desert foliage, and M Modern Gallery has a mixture of styles from modern pop to surreal. Several other art galleries, antique and retro home furnishing store can also be found in the uptown design district.

Local artists also showcase their work at VillageFest, a free weekly festival along Palm Canyon Drive held on Thursday evenings. In essence, Palm Springs has so much to offer the art connoisseur to explore the creative influx of painters and sculptures from all over the world. For additional information on arts and entertainment in Palm Springs, go to www.VisitPalmSprings.com or call (800) 347-7746.

How to Experience Palm Springs Desert Modernism

• Stay in a retro retreat…many of the Palm Springs small hotels and vacation home rentals are mid-century classics.
• Guided architectural tours are available year-round…learn about the masters of mid-century modern architecture by taking a tour of the desert’s most notable architecture.
• Experience a small downtown with an urban sensibility by shopping at the fabulous boutique shops along Palm Canyon Drive.
• Pick up a map of mid-century modern landmarks at the Palm Springs Official Visitor Center, once the Tramway Gas Station designed by Albert Frey and Robson Chambers.
• Soar on The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and see two distinct modern buildings. The Tram Valley Station designed by Albert Frey and the Tramway Mountain Station at 8,000 feet designed by E. Stewart Williams.  
• Stroll the modern Palm Springs Art Museum designed by California renowned architect E. Stewart Williams