The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway:
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Take Highway 111 to Tramway Rd; 760/325-1391
Originally opened in 1963, the tram that rises from the desert floor to the mile-high forest has always been a must-visit for tourists, as well as a popular day trip for locals. The tram now has state-of-the-art cars that hold 80 passengers each and are fitted with floors that rotate 360 degrees as the cars ascend into Mount San Jacinto State Park. The dramatic ride takes about 15 minutes and climbs 5,800 feet to Mountain Station (at 8,500 feet). Along the way, the landscape changes from one ecosystem to the next as the transformation from low desert to mountain ridge progresses.
Joshua Tree National Park:
Joshua Tree National Park
74-485 National Park Dr, Twentynine Palms; 760/367-5500
In Joshua Tree National Park, bordered by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the southwest, and the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains to the south and east, wind-smoothed boulders pile up like clusters of weird grapes. Rock climbers from around the world swarm here each winter, their chalked hands searching for fissures left by eons of harsh weather. Less acrobatic travelers seek out the park's boulder-garden trails, hike to hidden year-round ponds (known as 'tanks' in desert parlance), and revel at the view of stunning wildflowers and-if you're very lucky-occasional rare desert tortoises nibbling the spring blooms.
Celebrity Tours:
Celebrity Tours
For many, the appeal of Palm Springs lies in its star-studded past-and its current status as a retreat for the wealthy and the well known. Star-gazers can buy a map of past and current celebrity homes at the Palm Springs Visitors Information Center (2781 N Palm Canyon Dr; 760-778-8418). Or, they can hop on a bus: Celebrity Tours (4751 E Palm Canyon Dr; 760/770-2700) offers one- and two-hour tours that focus mainly on the big names of the past. You'll pass the former homes of Liberace, Frank Sinatra, and Jack Benny, but also see the homes of present-day residents like Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. Reservations are required.
Other Activities:
shopping, aerial tramway, Palm Springs Desert Museum, casinos, spa