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Palm Springs
Trip Planning & Itineraries
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Hemmed in by the austere Colorado Desert and lorded over by the rugged San Jacinto Mountains, Palm Springs is a pretty pastiche of swaying palm trees, a profusion of flowers, emerald golf courses and immaculately kept neighborhoods.
Palm Springs has in recent years continued to attract the rich and famous. Former President Gerald Ford retired to the valley in 1978 with his wife Betty, who founded the rehabilitation center that bears her name. The presidential couple is in good company - it's said that 28 of the names listed in the Forbes 400 list have homes in the valley.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
From USD $22.24
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was constructed in rugged Chino Canyon on the north edge of Palm Springs, about two hours by car from Los Angeles and San Diego. Today, the world's largest rotating tramcars carry visitors from an elevation of 2,643 feet to a Mountain Station located at the 8,516-foot level of Mt San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness.
Best of Palm Springs: Top 3 Hotels
In addition to these options, you could consider renting. Book Palm Springs vacation rentals at HomeAway.com.
Charlie Chaplin once stayed in this country inn, the city's oldest continually-operating lodging. The Spanish-style units have southwest decor (think Native American weaving patterns and rough-hewn furniture), and many boast wood-burning fireplaces and private patios.
If the mid-century cocktail glam of other local resorts leaves you cold, this may be the place for you. The 1947 Villa Royale has 31 cozy rooms and suites, all in three acres of charming Tuscan-style grounds bursting with bougainvillea and palms. A top hideaway for grownups on a honeymoon or a kiss-and-make-up weekend.
Designed in 1952 by famed local architect William Cody as a getaway for a Hollywood mogul and several dozen of his friends, the recently reopened Horizon is once again a showplace. The Horizon's 22 rooms are sprawled across the property's 2.5 acres in little clusters - from above they look like birds on the wing.
Suggested itineraries: Palm Springs & Joshua Tree
Palm Springs has a typical desert climate. The winters barely qualify as wintry, with an average daily January temperature of 68°F (20°C). This is definitely the best time to visit, although watch out for winter nights, which can get chilly with average minimum temperatures as low as 39°F (4°C).
Searing summers are best avoided. Even April verges towards the uncomfortable side of things. High summer averages top 104°F (40°C). Annual rainfall is negligible.
For ideas about what to do in Palm Springs, check out NileGuide's Palm Springs trip planner & travel guide.
- Plan Palm Springs vacations on Yahoo! Travel
- Palm Springs hotels, California from PlanetWare
- Palm Springs accommodation from HotelsCombined.com
- Local news from The Desert Sun
