Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is where we live — our home base in the Coachella Valley between the San Jacinto Mountains and the open desert.
Our experience
Even at home we play tourist, because the town never stops giving: midcentury modern architecture on every block, palm-lined streets, blazing blue skies, and a creative, welcoming LGBTQ+ community we're proud to be part of. We've been showing it off since 2022, and we still find new corners after a dozen stays and seasons here.
We've spent winters at Club Trinidad on East Palm Canyon, caught Modernism Week events, and walked the Golden Era Hollywood Homes tour right in our own backyard. When friends visit, we get to show off the place we chose to call home, from the date shakes to the desert light at golden hour.
Palm Springs sits atop a natural hot mineral spring the Agua Caliente Cahuilla people called "Sec-he" — the city's name and identity trace directly to it. The town also has one of the densest concentrations of preserved midcentury modern architecture in the world.
Must-sees and must-dos
- Palm Springs Aerial Tramway — rotating cars climb to Mt. San Jacinto State Park; it can be 30°F cooler at the top.
- Modernism Week — we go for the architecture tours and events like "Cocktails for a Cause."
- Palm Canyon Drive — our downtown strip for galleries, restaurants and the Thursday VillageFest street fair.
- Indian Canyons — palm-oasis hiking on Agua Caliente land, minutes from town.
- Golden Era Hollywood Homes tour — the Palm Springs Historical Society walk past stars' old houses.
- Joshua Tree National Park — an easy day trip from our front door.
Our pro tip
As locals, our advice: come October through April. Summer highs routinely top 110°F, so save July and August for early-morning swims and late dinners.
Park once downtown and walk — Palm Canyon is compact. And book during Modernism Week or the film festival well ahead; our home valley fills up fast in high season.
Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, or make a day of it at Joshua Tree National Park.
If a hotel makes more sense for your trip, compare Palm Springs hotels on Klook before booking.