Your Fun in the Sun Summer Guide to Palm Springs

Jump into summer in Palm Springs, where days are sunny, pools (and cocktails) are refreshing and nights are balmy.

Here are some picks for a fab summer getaway.

Cool Pools

Imagine an oasis with hundreds of sparkling pools, each with its own personality.  The Ace Hotel & Swim Club offers a bit of a hipster vibe with a bustline pool scene. It has a distinctive boho style and retro flair. Enjoy the musical with DJ pool parties on the weekends.

Margaritaville Resort will have you kicking back and relaxing in Jimmy Buffet style. The 5 O’clock Somewhere pool is the center of the action with a full-service bar ready to concoct signature drinks. The Lone Palm Pool is for relaxing and R&R. It offers a tiki bar, loungers, daybeds and chairs around fire pits.

Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs stands tall in downtown and perched on the seventh floor is a noteworthy pool. This trendy rooftop brings chick to the next level with a full bar. Unrivaled views of mountains and the desert landscape make this a great spot to soak up the sun sun and desert beauty.

Parker Palm Springs features a 50’s vibe with a contemporary twist. The grounds are lush with two outdoor pools. On is tucked amongst the foliage and the other in the center of the resort. An adults only pool is also located indoors.

Arrive Palm Springs caters to adults 21 and older. The pool is the focal point with food and drinks available. There are often live DJ sets on the weekend making it a fun getaway with friends. It has a youthful energy and is located in the Uptown Design District.

Want a lot of summer color? The Saguaro Palm Springs has you covered. It is one of the most recognizable hotels in Palm Springs. Sitting center stage is the sparkling blue pool surrounded by sun-colored umbrellas and loungers. Enjoy bottle service in the cabanas.

The smaller boutique hotels feature cocktail hours, fire pits by the pool, individual soaking tubs and more.

Explore The Outdoors

Stay cool in the “Cactarium”at the Moorten Botanical Garden, a local treasure home to over 3,000 desert plants. Moorten’s is close to Downtown and East end corridors, where accommodations are so close you can walk…or bike on one of the hotel’s cruisers.

Learn about the personalities of the wind turbines that dot the Palm Springs landscape on the Windmill Tours, where the added bonus is a cold shake made with local dates.

The Indian Canyons are a recreational oasis for hikers, horseback riders and nature lovers. The hiking trails include Andreas Canyon, Murray Canyon and the popular Palm Canyon. Stop by the Trading Post near the entrance for a trial recommendation. Head out early to avoid the afternoon heat and don’t forget to bring water.

Discover the outdoors with a Desert Adventures tour experience. The guides know the desert’s wildlife, environment and history. The have exclusive access to parts of the fault line through Metate Ranch, a 840-acre site that includes a recreated Cahuilla village and mining camp.

Superb Views

In just 12 minutes, the rotating tram cars of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway whisks visitors up the alpine wonderland to the gateway of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.  Hint: It’s 30 degrees cooler, so take a backpack, lunch and hike away! Have dinner at Peak’s restaurant and watch day turn to night lights below.

Cool Museums

The Air Museum allows you to get close to a vintage collection of WWII aircraft, while the kids can fly a plane using a simulator. It the largest collection of flyable WWII planes in the world. Docents will happily share the stories behind the planes. In addition to the impressive plane collection, they also have vintage cars, documentary screenings an and onsite café.

The Palm Sprigs Art Museum creates transformative experiences that expand our understanding of ourselves and the world. It has a growing permanent collection of over 12,000 object rooted in modern and contemporary art, architecture, and design.

In 2011, the Art Museum purchased the Santa Fe Federal Savings & Loan building designed by E. Stewart Williams in 1960. It was reopened as the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, Edwards Harris Pavillion.  This is the hub for the museum’s architecture and design features and related exhibitions and education programs.

Dine like the Rat Pack

Enjoy one of the ultra-cool collection of celeb dinner hangouts abounds in Palm Springs to live like Frank Sinatra did.

Try Melvyn’s for a more elegant adult experience with classic cocktails on the patio. This has old Hollywood history and includes a lounge with live music.

The sophistication and glamour of the Rat Pack era comes alive at Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, the desert’s premier supper club.  Tucked away in the Club Trinidad Hotel, The Purple Room is where Frank, Sammy, Dean, and their pals cavorted on and off the stage in the swinging 60s. Step in and you’ll be transported back to the elegance of the era:  an intimate and inviting room, classic cocktails with a modern twist, world-class cuisine, and the great live entertainment.

Evoking the old Hollywood glamour that Palm Springs is famous for, Mr. Lyons dining salon is black and white marble, wood, brass, leather and velvet; a fine dining experience steeped in classic elegance. The menu is steak-centered with an endless choice of sides. Here you will enjoy the tableside service– a hallmark of classic steak house dining. This is the kind of personalized experience you won’t soon forget.

Fun fact: Johnny Costa’s original owner and chef was Frank’s personal chef. It is still owned and run by the same family.

Mid-Century Modern Style

Famous for our mid-century architecture and design, reserve a seat on the Mod Squad tour. The Essential tour focuses on the six architects that made Palm Springs the modern city it is today.  These architects lived in the city in which their buildings were built.  We see the works of William Cody, Albert Frey, Hugh Kaptur, William Krisel, E. Stewart Williams and Donald Wexler.

Trevor O’Donnell also offers an architecture tour through PS Architecture Tours and Modernism Week. Not only will you learn about our midcentury architecture, you will also see many of the stars’ homes. After all, Palm Springs emerged as Hollywood’s Playground during the entertainment industry’s golden age.

Mid-Century Modern Self Guided Tour