Cure spring fever with a trip to Palm Springs

There’s nothing like a string of nice spring days to make us itchy to get outside, get moving, and, for many of us, get traveling.

My children recently had a school vacation break in mid-April and so we decided a family vacation to Southern California would be a nice change from Orlando’s Disney World.

One place we visited was Palm Springs, the desert city within California’s Coachella Valley known for its spa resorts and golf courses. We spent two nights here (an easy two hour drive from San Diego) in order to take photos and video for Collette’s new 9-day A Southern California & Vegas Adventure.

Our first day dawned chilly and overcast (yes, I am talking about Palm Springs where on average 354 days each year are sunny…just our luck this wasn’t one of them). This meant we were not able to take advantage of our hotel swimming pool – a definite bummer for the kids – as it was only a few steps from our spacious, first floor room at the Palm Mountain Resort and Spa, the hotel that Collette uses on this tour.

Framed by the San Jacinto Mountains and an easy walk to the heart of downtown Palm Springs and its unique boutiques, outdoor cafes and quaint shops, Collette guests will spend three leisurely overnights here and will love the location as well as in-room amenities like coffee/tea brewer, refrigerator, and microwave oven. I found the staff friendly and accommodating even at 11 pm when we checked in and the key card we were given wouldn’t open the outside gate that surrounds the property.

Since we arrived under cover of darkness (makes my family sound like spies), our first order of business the next morning was the Palm Springs Visitor’s Center, a funky, contemporary-designed building located nearby The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating tramcar which journeys up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon.  

Guests of Collette have a local guide to relay Palm Springs’ vast history, Native American heritage and stories of celebrities making the city their Hollywood playground. Without the luxury of a guide, I relied on the staff at the visitor’s center and they did a commendable job providing a brief background of the area and suggestions for our limited time here. One great tip was to end our day at VillageFest, steps from our hotel and held every Thursday evening, featuring hundreds of exhibitors, entertainment and other street fair activities.

Leaving the Visitor’s Center, it was decided that is was too overcast to ride the tram (bummer #2 for the kids) but I told them we would plan a visit the next day (which was forecast to be warm and sunny) to Knott’s Soak City water park. Unfortunately a drive-by revealed that the park was closed for a few days (no reason given) and while I secretly rejoiced, this was definitely bummer #3. They were not appeased by a visit to the Palm Springs Air Museum and its collection of vintage World War II aircraft but grown ups and Collette guests will enjoy the journey back in time.

All in all, our time in Palm Springs went too quickly and soon we found ourselves back in the mini van rental and on the road to LA. My 9-year-old son wanted to detour to Las Vegas (huh?), but he was overruled.

In my next post, I’ll let you in on some things that surprised and delighted me about Palm Springs…

---

posted by Melissa McKee

Collette Vacations

Tags: 2010, Arts & Culture, Coachella, Collette, desert plants, Destination Spotlight, Family Travel, Family Vacations, Palm Springs, Travel Tips, wind turbines

•