Day 1: Visit the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, it is the world’s largest rotating aerial tramway! Tickets are available through viator and the tram ride takes only a little over ten minutes, giving you panoramic views of both the desert valley below and snow-capped mountains above.

• It reaches over an 8000 ft elevation and then gives you views of the Chino Canyon and Mt. San Jacinto State Park.
• When you reach the top there is a restaurant (Peak’s Restaurant) and a Café (Pine’s Café) where you can grab sandwiches, burgers, mac & cheese, salads, coffee, fountain sodas, and cocktails!
• Next, enjoy hiking, camping, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, and much more!
• Lastly don’t forget to immerse yourself in the views.

Day 2: Spend a day to enjoy either one or both of Palm Spring’s greatest adventures.

Get an unforgettable ATV experience at Off Road Rentals. The location is only 5 miles away from Palm Springs and has been open for over 4 decades now. All safety equipment, tutorial/instructional videos are provided with awesome staff to help guide you.

Take a Red Jeep Tour. It is an experience that truly allows you to immerse yourself in the California desert. You can select from the Indians Canyon, Joshua Tree, San Andreas Fault tour. A San Andreas Fault Jeep Tour is also available through tripadvisor.

Day 3: Spend a day to enjoy two of the popular museums in Palm Springs

• Visit the Palm Springs Air Museum to see aviation exhibits from World War 2, Korean War, & Vietnam War.
• Vist the Art Museum of Palm Springs to understand the culture, architecture, and history of the city

Day 4: Spend a day to enjoy the Zoo and botanical gardens in Palm Springs

• Visit the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens to see the desert animals, feed the giraffes, and maybe some special animal encounters! Be sure to enjoy the WildLights which light themed animal displays and all sorts of cool exhibits during selected times of the year
• Visit the Moorten Botanical Garden to witness unique desert plants, trees, cacti, crystal, & rocks from all over the world.

Day 5: Start the day with a hike & end the day with spa time. 

• For nature lovers, hike the Tahquitz Canyon and discover a 60 foot waterfall, hike the Murray Canyon in the Indian Canyons for the Seven Sisters Waterfall, and/or hike about 400 ft from Palm Canyon in the Indian Canyons to see the West Fork Falls.
• Spend some time to relax at one of the many famous Hot Springs.

Day 6: Spend the day with two popular tours that are important to Palm Springs and available on tripadvisor.

• Take a Windmill Tour to learn more about the windmills & its history in Palm Springs.
• Take the famous Celebrity Tour where you can visit homes of celebrities and learn more about the history and modern Palm Springs. If you are lucky you may get to stop the market and grab the famous date shake!

• Home to the world’s largest aerial tramway.
• The name Palm Springs comes from Spanish explorers who called it “La Palma de la Mano de Dios” which translates to The Palm of God’s Hand.
• Over 50 golf courses and 50,000 pools.
• Most of the country’s date production is found here.
• Population triples in the winter months
• Popular celebrity getaway spot- Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe even owned homes here.
• Parts of the movies, Ocean’s Eleven, Mission Impossible 3, The Player, Into the Wild, A Star is Born were shot here.

• Cabazon Dinosaur
• Forever Marilyn Statue
• PS I love you sign at the Rowen Hotel
• Angel Wings sign 
• Graffiti Yard
• Walk of Stars
• Flamingos at JW Marriott Palm Springs

• Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs (for Instagram lovers)
• Trixie Motel Palm Springs (for Instagram lovers)
• Saguaro Palm Springs Hotel (for Instagram lovers)
• Omni Rancho Las Palmas
• JW Marriot Desert Springs Resort and Spa
• The Ritz-Carlon, Rancho Mirage
• Ace Hotel Palm Springs

Growing up in Southern California meant taking yearly trips to Palm Springs. Palm Springs has always been a great mini getaway and the perfect choice for some R&R. One of the most important landmarks on our way is the San Gorgonio Wind Park, which has over two thousand wind turbines to help generate energy for power for Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. I have always loved to stop and admire the windmills. My weekends there were spent enjoying the swimming pool and wanderlust in the desert dust! Over the years, I have seen the city develop into having more restaurants, bars, and boutique hotels with exquisite pools. Every time I go, I like to stay at a new resort, enjoy the mountain views from the balcony, try some new restaurants, and have plenty of spa time. I love going to Palm Springs during the last week of January because, some years, I’ve gotten lucky to be enjoying a sunny day in the pool with a view of snow-capped mountains!

When my husband and I got married, our first mini getaway was in Palm Springs. We started our trip ATVing at Off Road Rentals. It was so windy that our sunglasses flew right off! We had to ATV our way uphill first, and my husband zoomed his way up while I was struggling. I eventually learned all the gears & got the hang of it. There was one incident where I was so scared at how fast I was going downhill that I jumped off my ATV and I let it slide downhill. Luckily the ATV didn’t slide too far downhill and I managed to grab it so that I didn’t have to pay Off Road Rentals for a new ATV! It was our first adventure post marriage and I was looking forward to many more.

The first time we took the Aerial Tramway we were so amazed at how warm it was on the floors of Coachella Valley before we took the tramway, yet 8000 ft above at the peak of St. Jacinto mountains it was almost 40 degrees cooler. We always enjoy having a drink at the bar while enjoying views of the snow-capped mountains.

After having a daughter, my husband and I have continued our yearly tradition of having one Palm Springs trip per year since it is such a kid-friendly destination. I always plan at least one excursion outside our resort per trip and will continue to discover new hidden gems in this city.