Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is right next door to our Palm Springs home — one of the well-heeled desert cities strung along Highway 111 — and we've dipped over for an evening or an overnight, including a Carol Burnett show at Agua Caliente Casino.
Our experience
It's the polished, resort-and-golf side of the Coachella Valley, full of gated communities, spas and country clubs, with the same brilliant desert light and mountain backdrop we love at home.
For us it's less a destination than a familiar neighbor: a place for a show, a fancy dinner, or a change of scene a few minutes up the road from our own front door.
Rancho Mirage is known as the "Playground of Presidents" — Gerald Ford made his home here, while Ronald Reagan and other U.S. presidents were frequent visitors to Sunnylands, the longtime estate of Walter and Leonore Annenberg.
Must-sees and must-dos
- Sunnylands — the Annenberg estate and gardens, a desert-modernist landmark with a long history of presidential visits and international diplomacy.
- Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage — where we caught Carol Burnett's "Laughter & Reflection," and still one of the city's major resort and entertainment stops.
- The River at Rancho Mirage — an outdoor dining, shopping and entertainment complex in the heart of the city.
- Golf & resort spas — one of Rancho Mirage's signature draws, with golf resorts, spas and luxury desert stays.
- Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert — a family-friendly stop with hands-on exhibits and outdoor play experiences.
- Highway 111 — the main resort-city corridor through Rancho Mirage and the surrounding desert communities.
Our pro tip
From living next door, our tip: Rancho Mirage shines October through April like the rest of the desert — summer is searing.
It pairs naturally with a Palm Springs trip; you can base in either and drive between them easily. Sunnylands' Center & Gardens is free to visit, while tours of the historic estate should be planned ahead.
If you want to make Rancho Mirage an overnight stay, you can compare resorts on Klook.
Compare stays such as Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage, The Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa, or The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage on Klook.